This Time of Darkness
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Cover Story
On our cover this issue we feature an illustration by Charles Keeping from Beowulf (OUP, 0 19 279770 0, £4.50), a new picture book version for 9-13s of the Anglo-Saxon hero tale. The story is retold by Kevin Crossley-Holland. We are most grateful to Oxford University Press for their help in using this illustration.
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This Time of Darkness
Helen Hoover's new title also disappoints, and not just because of the too-young jacket. Their literacy allows Amy and Axel to outwit the authorities and battle to the underground city's upper levels where the leisured-elite society shows signs of decadent decay. Hence, they traverse the Badlands - avoiding the savage inhabitants - to reach haven eventually with Axel's family in a calm, honest, farming community. Once again, there's insufficient excitement and, till near the end, the threat is too nebulous. Like the Monica Hughes, a minority read.