Colorful Youthful Adventure

Bruce Von Stiers

Several years ago I wrote a review of a novel by Mike Dicerto. The title of the book was Milky Way Marmalade and melded rock music into a quirky fantasy sci-fi tale. I called Dicerto a little twisted and extremely talented.

This year finds Dicerto back with an all new novel. This one though, isn't really meant for adult audiences. Dicerto has written a novel directed towards youths. Again he has taken the path of fantasy sci-fi. The title of the novel is The Door To Far-Myst. It, like the one I reviewed before, is being published by Zumaya Publications.

The story begins with a boy named Rupert Dullz. He lives in a place called Graysland. His last name pretty much sums up Rupert's life; dull. Rupert is bored with school and there is nothing to do in Graysland except rake up a never ending crop of fallen leaves.

Everything in Graysland is dull, gray and uneventful. To top off things, Rupert's grandmother has something called coffus and it isn't getting any better.

Oh, and one last thing, children are not encouraged to used their imaginations. In fact, they aren't supposed to know that imagination exists.

But everything changes the day a strange man named Pie O'Sky appears in Graysland. He shows up in a multi-colored bagoon. Several of the children gather round Pie O'Sky to see what he is all about.

Pie O'Sky offers up a challenge to the children. He shows them a locked door that appears out of nowhere. The challenge is to find a way to unlock and open the door. The child who wins the challenge will be allowed to travel to another land, Far-Myst, with Pie O'Sky.

Rupert ends up winning the challenge and then goes away with Pie O'Sky. If he didn't have problems before, Rupert most certainly does now.

What Rupert doesn't know is that he is going to be the savior, of sorts, for Far-Myst. They are having problem with a demon-like creature named Murkus and his minions. The children of this land are being kidnapped left and right. With each missing child, a small portion of the land's imagination and quality of life is reduced. Could Rupert be the means by which the children can be returned home and the demon vanquished?

Rupert has to deal with Murkus, his minions and also elements from within the hierarchy of Far-Myst who would rather that he just go back home. And Rupert is hoping to find something in Far-Myst that he can take home to cure his grandmother's coffus.

Dicerto uses plot elements very well. The classic good versus evil theme is used well here as is the stagnation of new ideas by the old guard. A kid being bored is not new, but the way that the author surrounds that concept with a duller than dull homeland is really good.

I really enjoyed Dicerto's first book as it was fun, quirky and more than a bit naughty. How would he stack up as a writer for younger children? Would this new novel be too strange or too adult for young readers to get it? Well, Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond also wrote the children's classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. So Dicerto is in good company for writing something different than he's known for. And he does it well.

The Door To Far-Myst is a fun adventure for young readers that could also be an entertaining read for older teens and even adults.

The Door To Far-Myst can be purchased at amazon.com and other online and traditional book retailers. The book is also available directly from Zumaya Publications. Their web site is www.zumayapublications.com .

You might want to chekc out the author's official site at http://www.mikedicerto.com/Mike_DiCerto/Home.html

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© 2011 Bruce E Von Stiers