Twelve-year-old Ankido is on a quest to save his missing father through the magical realm of Mesopo, the land where all fantasyoriginates, a land whose words and language are in peril. Can Ankido save his father and restore all these words in time?It was a red velvet box, the size of a school book. Ankido lifted the lid, revealing an old-fashioned quill made out of a reed. It smelled remote and … and otherworldly. Ancient. And for a reason he couldn’t explain, everything felt all right for a moment. He thought he caught a sound flowing out of the quill, a word maybe. He wasn’t sure and he shook his head. This was ridiculous. No, he surely must have been mistaken. But there! There was the sound again. This time Ankido was sure of it.“Mesopo” … whispered in a way that slipped around the room like the warm breeze of the desert.
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The author did a great job putting together this story. I loved the fact that the characters were powerful in this story it was simple and clear and had a very interesting plot this would be a great book for young readers to help them see how important stories are. Enjoyed this unique book.
In this middle grade fantasy we follow Akindo whose father had gone to Iraq on a field trip due to his archaeology project and has not yet returned. There has been no news of his whereabouts and eventually we see him venturing in this magical land of Mesopo to find his father and save the words in the magical land. I was fascinated by this book. It was so cute and adorable. The chapters were short and very fast paced. The illustrations are so pretty and colorful it made me smile.
The emotions in the book are so well developed and each character is developed in such a way that you will be vested in them. Akindo’s grandmother is a fantasy writer and that aspect was so promising (for the lack of an amazing word). Coming to world building, it is easy but at the same time concrete which is very important for fantasies. I personally believe that for a good world the world building needs to complement not necessarily complicated and this book fulfills that aspect. The cover is so pretty too. I liked the whimsy and quirkiness in the book. It was a very satisfying read especially after I read a very grim dark thriller. There are 37 chapters in the book and from around chapter 25-26 I was engaged like anything and pulled an all nighter. Overall I loved the book and I highly recommend it.
Ratings: 4.5/5
Genre: Fiction; Fantasy
Number of Pages: 340
Format: Kindle
Publication Date: November 19, 2018
Publisher: Independently Published
SUMMARY
Ankido Gulzar, a twelve- year- old British- Iraqi boy, is an admirer and dreamer of words. One morning, Habubti, his grandmother comes up to him and tells him that his father , who’s a distinguished archaeologist, is missing as he went for one of his field trips in Iraq. Habubti entrusts Ankido with a book titled “The Land Of Mesopo” and a quill in a small, red box and leaves him in the care of his uncle and aunt, to look for his father. As soon as Habubti is gone, Aunt Geraldine, in lure of the Gulzar Estate, decides to send Ankido to a boarding school. But fate has decided something else and he lands in the desert leading to the Library of Nineveh, which connects the fantasy world (Mesopo) with the real world.
There he meets Scribe Mohan and Zinaida, who tell him that something terrible has happened and Mesopo is ill as innumerable words have been stolen from it. His grandmother and father are stuck there and only he, who is the new “Tale Smith” can save them and the rest of Mesopo. The long quest with Humbaba, the word thief and all the adventures included, makes this one a very interesting read.
PERSONAL REVIEWS
Mesopo by Eva Dietrich is an intriguing read. I loved the book for it’s vivid description of the fantasy land of Mesopo, from where all the stories origin. The story and plot is very simple and easy. The writing is pretty lucid, keeping in mind that it’s a book for ten year olds. There are images added in between the chapters, and trust me you’ll always like books with pictures no matter how old you are! Through the story, the author tries to highlight the importance of words, stories and books in our lives and tries to make us believe that the only boundary is our imagination. The characters are so vibrant that you’re bound to like them. Initially the book is a slow read but after a few chapters, it gains pace and you can’t put it down till you’ve reached the last page.
What a unique book. The story was simple and clear and had a very interesting plot. The author did a great job of twisting together this story. I loved how word held so much power in this story and the characters were pulled into a book and into a land they had to save by using words and fining just how powerful they are. This would be a great book for young readers to help them see how important stories are.
The story starts with twelve-year-old Ankido Gulzar waking up to new words in his mind. Soon after he is confronted with the news that his father is missing and that his grandmother, Habubti needs to go in search of him. Left under the care of his cruel step-aunt, Geraldine, through a series of unfortunate incidents, Ankido lands at a place where he comes a little closer to finding his father and grandmother. When he is handed an important role that only he can fulfill, he embarks on a journey filled with wonder and fantasy.
As soon as I began to read the book, I was deeply engrossed in it. It has some of my favourite elements in it, a world of words, a magic book and a writer. The magic of writing and creating a new world with words, is the backbone of the story. The tale is whimsical and fantasy filled; it certainly has a charm to reading about the works and actions of a twelve year old who must step into a dangerous role.
The concept of the story is a unique and intriguing one. Imagine if all the words were lost and no tales survived. A brilliant execution by the author has given life to this tale and made it into a mesmerizing read.
The characters and their actions are charismatic and captivating. The narration was smooth and simple. It is the perfect book to be read to children. The illustrations have made the book even more beautiful.
The dynamic plot has indeed made this a binge worthy read. The story has a Middle-Eastern vibe, that is evident from the descriptions. Whether there is an influence of Middle Eastern folklore, is something that I would like to explore later, as I am not familiar with it. I hope readers will pick the book up and enjoy it as reminiscent of their childhood which was filled with fantastic in their hearts and minds.
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ʟɪᴠᴇʟʏ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ
The author begins the story with the protagonist Ankido, getting awakened in the November morning. He searches for the note but he couldn’t find one and so he starts to scribble in his forearm. From this, we can discern what he likes to write. Habubti, his grandmother looks at the picture which was present in the mantelpiece and reminisces the good old memory of Ankido and his father. I have fallen for the author’s writing style and the choice of words which is quite similar to Ankido and Habubti trait who fell in love with words.
Then we come to know that Ankido’s father is an archaeologist and had gone for a field trip to Iraq, and later no one seems to know his whereabouts. We come to acknowledge that his grandmother is a good fantasy writer, and she hands over the special novel to her grandson. His granny gives him a present of red velvet box quill. But then what happens to the book? Ankido threw that exceptional book into the fireplace. What made him do such an act? Will his grandmother forgive him? Can his granny find Ankido’s father?
The most beautiful thing in this story is that it deals with the book written by his grandmother which relates to the faraway land and it was relishing to acknowledge the events in the way the author has narrated more magically drives us till the end as the curiosity keeps us alive.
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Mesopo is an authentic piece of metafiction. With an entrancing story wrapped in Middle-Eastern folklore, Mesopo perfectly encapsulates the burden of being a writer. The novel questions the meaning of existence and the potency of the authorial-self through the whimsical adventures of a child who loves words.
I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Mesopo by Eva Dietrich
5-Stars
Mesopo by Eva Dietrich was an excellent fantasy adventure. I loved following Ankido and his cousins in this amazing tale. Ankido, a young twelve-year-old, is given the task of saving his father and the magical land of Mesopo. Mesopo is the land where all fantasy originates and it is full of amazing creatures and individuals. Ankido has an amazing ability that makes him unique for the position he is given.
I loved the detail this author used on describing every scene and character. It made it very easy to visualize as I read. The storyline was difficult for me to get into at first but I was eventually pulled in to the point that I didn’t want to put this book down. This book took me on an unforgettable adventure. I highly recommend this book and easily give it 5-Stars.