Pandemonium (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Pandemonium Kate Quealy-Gainer Wooding, Chris . Pandemonium; illus. by Cassandra Diaz. Graphix/Scholastic, 2012. [160p]. Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-545-25221-8 $22.99 Paper ed. ISBN 978-0-439-87759-6 $12.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 5-7. Seifer Tombchewer (the surname earned by his senile grandfather with a literal taste for rocks) is a dead ringer for Prince Talon of the Darkling Realm, a fact he only becomes aware of after he is kidnapped from his mountain village and forced to play substitute for the missing prince by his royal advisors. Nothing in his peasant upbringing could have prepared Seifer for palace life, but he is able to fool most of the necessary people (with the notable exception of his new sister, the princess) and even manages to negotiate a few peace treaties through his imaginative approach to governing—which includes burping contests and stare-downs. Between the creatively snarky names of the characters (Master Lumbago has creaky back problems, and Seifer's future mother-in-law is the Baroness Crustacea Effluvia) and the epic pomposity of the royal family, Wooding takes some choice cracks at classic fantasy tropes in this graphic novel, but the tongue-in-cheek humor is all in good fun. As the underdog, Seifer is easy to root for, especially when it becomes clear that he's got more than a few enemies in the royal court and even those he thought he could count on have questionable motives. Although the panels are at times cluttered with superfluous text, the full-color manga-flavored illustrations (viewed in a partially uncolored galley) are lively, and with their horns and bat-like wings, the dark faeries of the Realm are striking figures. An adventure story with a good dose of irreverence (and giant, maniacal cats) is hard to resist, so have this one ready for your jokesters as well as your fantasists. Copyright © 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois