Review of The Chronicles of Klarin

Andrews fantasy trilogy, The Chronicles of Klarin, was reviewed by Ian Keast in Studio magazine, Number 148, 2020. The review begins:

One of my earliest memories of childhood is my father reading The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis to me. Favourite sections were read, again and again. So began a lifelong interest in the genre of fantasy.

Andrew Lansdown is a familiar name to Studio readers. We associate him as the poet whose writing has graced the pages of this journal for many years. What is not as well known is that he has written three fantasy novels: With My Knife (1992); Dragonfox (1997); The Red Dragon (2006); and now they have been republished in this trilogy, The Chronicles of Klarin. Having read them as separate novels when they were published, it is a great pleasure to re-read the trilogy. Like all worthwhile fantasy, they offer much from re-reading their rich imaginative worlds.

In 2001, Lansdown published an essay, In Defence of Fantasy. As the title suggests, he wanted to present a lucid defence of the integrity of the genre. After all, as he states, it has seen notable practitioners—C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and George MacDonald—to name a few. Fantasy is defined as, extraordinary and remarkable. Fantasy stories go beyond everyday realities and may often transcend the laws of nature. They portray things that do not normally happen and worlds that do not actually exist … It is the unexplained, unembarrassed presentation of the extraordinary that separates fantasy from all other types of literature … Yet while fantasy writing depicts the extraordinary, it also celebrates much that is ordinary: trees, stones, horses, hearth-fires, bread—all somehow become solid and important in fantasy writing … 

This quotation serves to introduce us to The Chronicles of Klarin. There the “extraordinary” and “remarkable” abound—dragons, other worlds, dragonettes, foxes and the like, appear across the pages. The “ordinary”, both in setting and many of the characters is alongside. And this mix is driven along by a strong, taut, and thoughtful narrative. …

Continue reading Ian Keast’s review here.

Amazon.com review of Beyond the Open Door

 

 

Beyond the Open Door is the American title for Andrew’s fantasy novel, With My Knife. (Andrew reluctantly agreed to Scholastic New York making this change on condition that the text remained unchanged.)

An lovely reader review of Beyond the Open Door was posted recently on Amazon.com:

Goodreads reviews of With My Knife

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Andrew’s fantasy novel, With My Knife (Omnibus Books, 1992) was shortlisted in 1994 for both the National Children’s Book Award and the Western Australian Young Readers’ Book Award. It was published by Scholastic in the United States under the title Beyond The Open Door (1993); and has been reprinted 9 times since its first release. It is currently available in an a 3-novel volume titled The Chronicles of Klarin (Wombat Books, 2018)—the other novels, Dragonfox and The Red Dragon, being sequels to With My Knife.

Ninety-one readers have rated With My Knife an average of 4.3 (out of 5) on Goodreads, “the world’s largest site for readers and book recommendations.” Fifteen of these readers have written reviews of the novel. A sample:

 

Jamie JonasSep 26, 2019 Jamie Jonas rated it it was amazing
Another book inherited from my daughter–I expected a “cheap read,” and discovered instead a true stand-out. This story would make an ideal study for a writer who wants to learn the technique of keeping it relatively simple (YA level) while still turning in a tour-de-force of a fantasy story. Needless to say, this is another author I’ll be following.
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RebeccaJun 14, 2016 Rebecca rated it it was amazing
I wavered between 3 and 4 stars. Then I imagined I was a child reading this book (which is the intended audience) and I settled on 4. Then I sat down to describe what I liked about the book and realized that as simply as it was written, I actually loved it and had to change it to a 5 star rating. … I wish I could have read this as a 10 year old. It would have made me cry and would have changed a great many things about how I see the world. I look forward to reading the sequels with my own 10 year old son.
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GeorgiaApr 17, 2015 Georgia rated it it was amazing
My teacher read this to me when I was in grade 5 or 6. The story has always stuck with me, but I only recently remembered the title. This is a great book to read to your kids and I fully intend to do so with my children one day. Absolutely loved it.
Jeanette SchaecheNov 09, 2014 Jeanette Schaeche rated it really liked it
… I loved it when I was ten and I love it now. More than likely a book I’ll be reading to my own children, and a book my own children will read one day. “With My Knife” is a lovely piece of children’s fantasy.
Dee-AnnJun 16, 2010 Dee-Ann rated it it was amazing
My son and I really liked this book. Simple fantastical story which keeps you hooked until the end.

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GeorgiaApr 17, 2015 Georgia rated it it was amazing
My teacher read this to me when I was in grade 5 or 6. The story has always stuck with me, but I only recently remembered the title. This is a great book to read to your kids and I fully intend to do so with my children one day. Absolutely loved it.
Read more Goodreads reviews of With My Knife on this website here.
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Don’t pay $335 for Andrew’s Novel, With My Knife

A British seller on Amazon.com.uk is currently (as of 5th February 2019) offering a used copy of Andrew’s fantasy novel, With My Knife, for AUD $335 (GPD £181.19), plus postage. A second British seller is selling a used copy for AUD $270 (GPD £146.23)

An American seller on Amazon.com is currently offering a used copy of With My Knife for AUD $70 (USD $49.95), plus postage.

Four other American sellers on Amazon.com are offering new copies of Beyond the Open Door, the American edition of With My Knife, for AUD $70 – $75 (USD $49.95 – $52.22), plus AUD $35 (USD $24.95) postage.

While the With My Knife is worth every penny (at least, according to these sellers — not to mention the author!), there is in fact no need to pay such high prices.

After being out of print for nearly a decade, With My Knife is now available in an omnibus book that also contains Andrew’s novel Dragonfox and The Red Dragon.

This three-novel volume, titled The Chronicles of Klarin, was released by Rhiza Press in November 2018 and can be purchased for (a mere!) AUD $24.95, plus postage.

The Chronicles of Klarin can be purchased through this website, or though the publisher’s website, or though your local bookshop.

New book – Trilogy: The Chronicles of Klarin

THE CHRONICLES OF KLARIN

A trilogy of fantasy novels:  With My Knife   &   Dragonfox   &   The Red Dragon

 

Andrew Lansdown

 

Wombat Books (Capalaba, QLD), 2018
(paperback, 400 pages)
ISBN: 978-1-925563-58-0

 

PRICE: $24.95 (+ $5.00 postage in Australia)

 

Wombat Books has just released The Chronicles of Klarin, an omnibus edition containing Andrew’s much-loved fantasy novels, With My Knife, Dragonfox, and The Red Dragon.

For more details, go here.

You can purchase The Chronicles of Klarin for $24.95 (plus $3.00 postage) through this website at the BUY BOOKS page.