Here is the review of the Welsh young adult novel Court of Foxes by Brian Lux
Young readers will be immediately drawn to thirteen-year-old Bryn as he suddenly finds his life turned upside down by a move to a small Welsh village where adults and children are not eager to welcome outsiders. Deep within the ancient Welsh village of Morredin lurks an evil that no one talks about.
When Bryn starts having strange dreams, sees people and animals that are not there, and hears voices, he has only two confidants: his dog Cadno (Welsh for fox) and Selwyn, a mysterious man that villagers avoid. It is Selwyn who knows that Bryn has been sent to Morredin to deal with the evil that inhabits the village and the Court of Foxes.
Bryn alone must make the choice that will condemn or save the village and himself, a choice that faces each of us at some point. And, sadly, young people today are not immune to difficult choices like Bryn faces.
Court of Foxes is a fast paced story that will keep young adults and adults intrigued until Bryn’s reckoning at the end. The believable situations that Bryn’s finds himself faced with will hit home for many young readers.
Lux sets readers down in Morredin and immerses them in the Welsh culture. Welsh language is sprinkled throughout the novel, and the reader experiences some of the same frustrations as Bryn in trying to pronounce and understand the language.
Young readers may stumble over the Welsh words and the British vocabulary that is unfamiliar, but that should not disrupt the flow of the story. For example, the word ‘biro’ (pen) appears often, but can be defined in context. All just part of the excitement in reading a story from a foreign author. If you or your young reader read the American editions of the Harry Potter series, then you missed the British vocabulary.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The mystery and suspense kept me turning pages right to the end. Young readers should find this interesting.
Brian's book is available from Amazon.com
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