Nicholas St. North And The Battle Of The Nightmare King (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
My two year old son fell in love with the rise of the guardians movie; thus, we had to start the books, and he's been entranced. He came into my room one morning, picked up this book and said "I'm going to take this back to my room and read it." When I explained to him that it was all words and he didn't know how to read it yet he said "Mom, you need to teach me how to read this book." If that's not an indicator of an awesome children's book, I don't know what is. “The possibilities were endless. Battles would be fought. Wonders revealed. Many journeys. Many lands. Many joys. Many sorrows." -William Joyce, Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King (The Guardians,#1)In the center of a large forest, protected by a spirit that tempts trespassers with glittering jewels, and guarded by a ferocious bear that stalks the shadows, lies the hidden village of Santoff Claussen. This strange place is hidden from the world and is home to an odd group of individuals, including families with children that are capable of speaking to insects and an old wizard from Atlantis, Ombric Shalazar, who is able to perform amazing magical feats. Deep within the shadows an evil stirs, an evil that is both ancient and terrifying. Pitch, the Nightmare King, and his Fearlings have awoken and Ombric cannot defeat them on his own. He needs the help of a brave warrior, who may not know just how special he is. This is where Nicholas St. North enters the picture. A bandit who knows the way of the sword is the only one with the power to help save Santoff Claussen and destroy Pitch once and for all. The only problem, however, is getting North on their side. North loves adventure and is lured to the village, his men all fall to the traps that protect the people, and North is the only one who enters the heart of the village. This one man is pure of heart and becomes Ombric's apprentice. North begins to display some interesting talents and builds a creature unlike any other, a mechanical djinni. This creation may be his undoing, as Pitch will use anything to rid the world of Nicholas St. North. Will North be able to defeat the Nightmare King or will his own handiwork be his undoing?William Joyce has crafted a delightful children's story filled with adventure and inspiring characters. He removes all previous notions of how old St. Nick should be portrayed. North is nothing like the jolly, white-bearded, elderly gentleman that we often picture as Santa Claus. He has crafted North in such a way that he is portrayed as a warrior, but a warrior that still holds the desire to save children and their happiness within his heart. I love the fact that Joyce has created such interesting backstories for famous holiday icons and beings that many children believe in. The series itself is a great concept and I cannot wait to read the stories of the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and Sandman. My only qualm with this book, would be the fact that it was not as in depth as I had hoped it would be. It is a middle grade novel, therefore the characters are not as deep and the adventures are quite short. I believe this book would have been a great young adult novel if the author had expanded on his characters and storyline.
What do You think about Nicholas St. North And The Battle Of The Nightmare King (2011)?
Enjoyed the story. The characters are interesting but I didn't feel especially connected to them.
—seri
By far, the best, most original Santa "origin story" ever told.
—gene
Interesting book although a bit childish for my taste
—wps
I read this book to my daughters. Very good.
—DianaL
