Slathbog’s Gold: Adventurers Wanted

Slathbog’s Gold by M.L. Forman

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.

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. Along the way, Alex learns about honesty, integrity, honor, and, most importantly, friendship.

Julie Waineo, one of our earliest guest reviewers, earned an MBA at Bowling Green State University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies with a minor in French. Now living in Virginia with her husband and dog, Julie is an avid reader of not only fantasy, but historical fiction, the occasional “chick lit,” and children’s literature.