The Star Shepherd
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
For fans of Neil Gaiman and How to Train Your Dragon comes a beautifully illustrated, fast-paced adventure about eleven year old Kyro, his best friend Andra, his trusted dog Cypher, and their race to save the stars.
When the world first formed, the night was black and filled with dark creatures. The Elders knew their people couldn't survive under such a threat. So they made the ultimate sacrifice: they gave their hearts to the sky in the form of brightly shining stars to keep evil away.
Now, eleven year old Kyro is a Star Shepherd like his father. He's spent his life tucked away in the outskirts of the small town of Drenn. There they watch the night sky for falling stars—and rush to rescue them when they do.
Then one night, too many stars fall at once, and terrible dark creatures start to appear in the forest by their home. Kyro's father journeys to the Star Shepherd Council to report the threat. But when he doesn't return Kyro must figure out how to save them himself before enough stars fall for the dark creatures to make their return.
Kyro, along with his trusty dog, Cypher, and his friend, Andra, must find the cause of the threat before it's too late.
Perfect for 5th graders and boys 10-14, young readers will devour this fun, fantasy adventure if they love stories with:
• Drawings and illustrations
• Trusty sidekicks (especially the furry kind)
• Evil, mythical creatures
• Ancient robots
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
From Connolly (Shadow Weaver) and animator Haring, in his authorial debut, this middle grade fantasy follows a premise reminiscent of beloved titles such as Diana Wynne Jones's Howl's Moving Castle and Neil Gaiman's Stardust. Once, the Seven Elders transmuted their hearts to the stars to protect humanity from dark creatures, such as the fire-breathing, spiderlike vritrax. Centuries later, though, their secrets have been lost, and Star Shepherds, who re-launch fallen stars back into the starlight net, are ridiculed. Tirin; his 11-year-old son, Kyro; and their terrier, Cypher, have lived on the fringes of Drenn society ever since Kyro's mother died and Tirin began shepherding to honor her memory. After the Star Council disregards Tirin's assertions that star clusters are falling and being stolen, he sets off alone to find the culprit. When he doesn't come home, however, Kyro, Cypher, and Kyro's friend Andra must separate truth from myth and shield civilization from coming horrors. Though nebulous worldbuilding, clunky prose, and a surfeit of telling slows the narration, young readers may find this an engaging entr e into fantasy, helped along by striking black-and-white illustrations and a satisfactory ending. Ages 8 14.
