The Oaken Throne (Deptford Histories, Book No. 2) - Softcover

Robin Jarvis was born in England and studied graphic design in college. While working at a TV and advertising company that created animal characters, he began making sketches of mice. These drawings spurred the idea for the Deptford Mice. His first book, The Dark Portal , was short-listed for the 1989 Smarties Book Prize in England.

Grade 6 Up–Vesper, a bat, dreams of following in his fathers glorified path as a Knight of the Moon. Unfortunately, he is too young to participate in the battle against their mortal enemies, the squirrels. When an army of bats massacres the Starwife, a young squirrel maiden, Ysabelle, must travel to the distant land to restore power and become the successor to the Oaken Throne. She and her traveling army of squirrels capture Vesper and decide to take him with them. Their journey throws them into a terrifying world of pure evil, and the bat and the squirrel must overcome their differences and work together to defeat the forces that threaten to destroy their worlds. Readers will have a hard time putting down this dark, gripping tale of love, treachery, and the clashing forces of good versus evil. This second book in the series stands completely on its own. The well-rounded characters enhance the excellent plot, which is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats up to the very last page. Fans of the previous book and of the Deptford Mice trilogy (Chronicle) will not be disappointed. This book will also appeal to fans of Brian Jacques Redwall series (Penguin).–Christine McGinty, Newark Public Library, NY
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