M.L. Forman

Adventurers Wanted — (2009) Young adult. Publisher: What is courage? What is honor? What does it feel like to have friends you would give your life for? And what role do fear and apprehension play when a person is faced with life-changing choices? Slathbog's Gold, the first book in an exciting new young adult epic fantasy series, sends fifteen-year-old Alex Taylor on the adventure of a lifetime. Right at a time when Alex is wishing his life could change, he sees a sign in Mr. Clutter s bookshop window: Adventurers Wanted. Apply Within. The sign seems to be referring to him. Moreover, not just anyone can enter Mr. Clutter s bookshop. But Alex does, and the adventure begins. Alex is the eighth man needed to complete a band of adventurers seeking the lair of Slathbog the Red an evil dragon with a legendary treasure. Alongthe way, Alex learns about honesty, integrity, honor, and, most importantly, friendship.

Slathbog's Gold

Alex Taylor is not having a good day. He didn’t mean to drop all the glasses and break them. Besides it was his cousin’s fault. Thinking that a brisk walk would clear his head, Alex wanders down a street and happens to see a sign in the window of a bookshop: Adventurers Wanted, apply within.

Curious, Alex enters the store and before he knows it he is signing a contract to go on an adventure with an Elf and a Dwarf. With the rest of his company Alex goes on the adventure of a lifetime searching for the evil dragon Slathbog and pursuing his legendary treasure. But there is something different about Alex. Right from the beginning Alex is tagged as a magic user. He must come to terms with this and find his inner magic in order to help his team and reach his final goal.

I was glued to Slathbog's Gold right from the first page. I guess I would describe it as a mix of Lord of the Rings and World of Warcraft with a little Harry Potter thrown in for good measure. Fans of Harry Potter will likely enjoy Slathbog's Gold, but Slathbog's Gold was written for a younger audience; It's more similar to Charlie Bone. Adults may find the writing tedious and undescriptive, but kids will love it, and it’s a story they can read themselves which always gets points in my YA books.

I truly enjoyed Slathbog's Gold. I thought it was a fun adventure with likable characters and a fantastic goal at the end. It really was a fun book, and I can’t wait to read the next installment. Some reviewers have accused Forman of all but plagiarizing The Hobbit and Slathbog's Gold does have certain Tolkienesque characteristics, but I really don’t find this distracting from the overall story. I believe Forman accomplished his goal: to write an exciting and magical YA book, and that is just what Slathbog's Gold turned out to be. —J.T.