P.R. Morrison was born and brought up in the Orkney Islands, off the tip of Scotland. The dramatic landscape and sea climate of Orkney strongly influenced the writing of Wind Tamer, her first book. P.R. Morrison now lives in London with her family.
Gr 4-6-Archie's parents have always confiscated the birthday parcels from his Uncle Rufus, but on his 10th birthday, Archie Stringweed declares that he is entitled to open his own package and to keep the strange gold coin he finds inside. He is sure that his uncle's gifts have something to do with the eerie voices he has been hearing at night and the feeling that someone-or something-is watching him. When Rufus arrives unexpectedly, Archie's folks are angry. Later, he tells the boy why his parents have always been nervous about change and risk-taking. Archie's father is the victim of an ancient family curse that strikes the first-born son of each generation around his 10th birthday. The demonic Huigor appears in the form of a giant tornado, devouring their spirit and leaving them anxious and cowardly. Archie realizes that his uncle's birthday gifts are powerful relics that will help him face the monster and end the curse-if he can locate them all in time and if he has the courage to use them. The fantasy atmosphere is well defined, with intriguing characters and imaginative magical elements. Comparison to J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" series (Scholastic) is inevitable. Like Harry, Archie possesses hereditary magic and is threatened by a potent and malevolent enemy. Both stories have British settings, cultural details, and dialects. However, Morrison emphasizes the power of family bonds as well as individual bravery. An original and challenging fantasy.-Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
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