Emma Laybourn

I enjoyed reading Doofus, Dog of Doom. It is a mix of legend and fantasy. All the characters are well drawn, and have adorable quirks and strengths.
The momentum of the story builds up from the strange dog that howls to dangerous creatures like wolves and big cats, which are far from ordinary.
The writing is very good, occasionally philosophical, and poetic.
For instance, 'When she reached the waterfall there was nobody there but the water, although that seemed like a person in itself, busily talking to her in a liquid language that she felt she ought to know.'
But these do not affect the pace of the story, they are just interesting asides, as the story progresses to a satisfactory end.

Recommended.
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Imagine always feeling a little different. Knowing there's something out there you're missing. Living a hard but not too bad life with your parents on a lonely farm. And then, one day, your exciting "uncle" sends you to a marvelous school. A school for magic! In a town where wonderful, magical things are always happening, despite a dark menace only hinted at in whispers.

Sound slightly familiar?

But wait, there's one problem. You're at a marvelous magic school but...you're the only person with NO MAGIC. In fact, everyone in your world has magic - except you.

Welcome to Ned's world. In a fast-paced, quirky, funny, and sometimes scary fantasy, Emma Laybourn flips the now-familiar young-hero-with-magic-powers plot on its head and produces an unlikely hero with suprisingly ordinary friends and everyday heroism from the least-expected places.

My only complaint is that the last couple chapters felt hurried and "oh gosh there's at least another book's worth of action but we're not planning on a sequel, so cram it all in." But I've lately become so exhausted by series (srsly folks, I can't possibly buy a sequel to EVERY SINGLE FANTASY) that I am perfectly ok with it. Plus, it's well-written, just a little hurried.

Verdict: Fans of Christopher Golden's Outcast series and Harry Potter will enjoy this fantasy.

ISBN: 0803732198; Published June 2007 by Dial (out of print); Borrowed from the library… (more)