Endymion Spring (review)

Twelve-year-old Blake, trapped for long afternoons in the Oxford libraries while his mother does research, is shocked when a mysterious blank book throws itself to the floor in front of him. In a parallel narrative set in 1452, Endymion Spring is happily apprenticed to Johann Gutenberg until the appearance of an ominous man carrying priceless paper forces Endymion into leaving his beloved master and stealing the dragon-skin paper in order to keep the villainous stranger from using its power. Endymion, with the aid of the magic-infused paper, creates a book of knowledge that can only be accessed by rare, chosen children and hides it in the Oxford libraries; back in the present, Blake is one of those children, and his previously boring vacation becomes exciting as he tries to solve the riddles that appear on the pages and elude a murderous stalker who desperately wants the book. All of the clues necessary to solve the rhyming puzzles are skillfully woven into the story, allowing for a satisfying interaction between reader and this book that parallels Blake's engagement with his blank book. Unfortunately, the interweaving of perspectives (Blake's story is told in third person, Endymion's is a first-person account) slow the pace and unbalance the narrative with their uneven alternation. In addition, elaborately described bibliophilic details such as the feel of old books, the beauty of endless library shelves, and the workings of early printing presses may try the patience of some readers. However, Skelton's earnest and daring protagonists may intrigue readers who are able to imagine the literary, and sometimes literal, treasures that could be found in dusty ancient books.