Shakespeare seems to be turning up rather a lot in my life lately. Of course I am seeking him out, but also by chance he has made an appearance. I don't generally read many young adult books, but this year I have been reading more than normal. Author L. Brittney kindly passed along a copy of her YA novel, Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times recently for possible review. It was a thoroughly enjoyable adventure tale, which I think would appeal to young readers--perhaps middle school age.
It's 1587 and Mary Queen of Scots is beheaded. Queen Elizabeth must defend her throne from all sides. Thirteen-year old Nathan Fox is a child actor with a theater company also employing fellow actor Will Shakespeare. When Nathan is approached by Spymaster General, Francis Walsingham, to join England's network of spies, he jumps at the chance. He will work with John Pearce a seasoned and highly trained spy, but first he must master the art of self defense. He learns how to fight using swords and daggers, even how to fire pistols. One of his worst trials is learning how to escape the dreaded oubliette. He must also learn how to cipher and how to size up his enemy--to know when to run and when to fight.
Pearce and Fox are then sent on a mission to Venice where they will encounter the famous General Othello, his lady Desdemona and the villainous Iago. Nathan's adventure is only dampened when his older sister is added to the mission at the last minute. Nathan is thrown into a situation full of dangerous intrigue and drama. The story is essentially a retelling of Shakespeare's Othello. Nathan will leave England a boy, and though he may not return quite a man yet, he will definitely be older and wiser. When he returns he will recount his adventures to Will, and the rest is history so to speak.
As you know I am on a mission myself these days to read more Shakespeare, and I had only the vaguest knowledge of the play, Othello (yes, I do plan on reading this one eventually). For me this was a fun read as some of the story was new and some was not. I think young readers will enjoy the adventurous aspects of the novel and will be exposed to Shakespeare, his times, and his work without necessarily knowing it, which is always a good thing in my book. Prior knowledge of the life and work of Shakespeare is not really needed, though I did notice that there are lots of little references to characters in Shakespeare's works peppered throughout the story. Brittney's writing is very good and her descriptions of the time and place give a definite sense of what 16th century England and Venice must have been like. I suspect we can look forward to more installments of Nathan's and John Pearce's adventures.
Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times is available in paper in the UK, where it was shortlisted for the 2007 Waterstone's Children's Book Prize. The second Nathan Fox book is currently being edited by UK publishers. Nathan Fox: Dangerous Times will be published here in the US early next year by Feiwel & Friends. The UK edition of the book is also available from Amazon in Canada. You can check out the author's website here.