Medium – Book
About the Book – Christopher Rowe is an apprentice apothecary, working with the renowned and extremely kind Benedict Blackthorn. After being brought up in an orphanage, he is happy and content, and is looking forward to one day being an apothecary himself. His dreams are shattered as a spate of murders of apothecaries spread through the city, and one night, the worst happens – his own master is brutally murdered. Christopher and his friend Tom decide to try and find the murderer of Blackthorn, but soon Christopher must go on the run as he is suspected of murder.
My Rating – 3/5
My Thoughts – This is one of those books that I got from a charity shop many moons ago and was keen to read but didn’t have the motivation to do so. It is a typical children’s book – a bit of blood but nothing terrible, with some good (male) characters and a exciting story-line. It’s one of those books that could have passed as a modern ‘Boy’s Own’ book – the young lad facing down the baddies and winning. I liked the characters, especially Christopher and Benedict, the latter getting not enough ‘screen-time’ by far. Christopher was likable and sweet – a little two-dimensional but generally someone you would root for. The plot was quite fast-paced, and a little uninspiring, but not too bad.
My general feelings towards this book are that it is an interesting and well-written book, but that it wouldn’t necessarily be my choice to pick off the shelf. It’s a children’s book first and foremost, and (without wanting to sound stereotypical) perfect for boys (and girls!) who enjoy history and adventure. I am quite interested to find out what happens to Christopher next, but I can’t say that I will be rushing out to get the next ones in the series (especially as I have soooo many books to still get through). Overall, a pleasant read which I would recommend to my friends with children, but not one I would pick up again.
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