Joey is a bit dubious about the quests his quirky, homeless, magician father, who calls himself Ethan-il-Fabuloso, takes him and his best friend Gloria on. Surely there’s not really a Lost Sceptre of Queen Gloria – it’s got to be just another of his father’s fancies. But then, he finds something that might very well be a lost sceptre of some sort, and it’s doing odd things to the weather. When it’s taken from the kids under mysterious circumstances, Joey thinks his problems are over, but in fact, they’re only beginning. The sceptre’s power is dangerous, and it’s going to be up to Joey, Gloria, and Ethan to get it back where it belongs.
THE QUEEN’S SCEPTRE is a touching, thoughtful children’s story told in direct, straightforward, present tense language. The simplicity and short length of the book, however, does not interfere with the author’s deft, nearly-poetic descriptions and character development. Scott is very good at conveying, in a few brief words, a host of deeper meanings and feelings, as with Ethan and Joey’s quiet, simple, but intensely moving conversation about how difficult it is for Ethan to keep a job and for Joey to learn to read. Scott sometimes does get caught up a bit too much in the little details, like the pronunciation of “foyer” or the duties of a Conflict Resolution Manager at school, leaving the story feeling somewhat slow in places. The plot feels incomplete, too, with a number of unanswered questions. There is substantial story remaining that needs to be told, and revelations made near the end that beg more exploration hint at a sequel.
THE QUEEN’S SCEPTRE is a deceptively simple but powerfully moving adventure, with great potential to be the start of a really excellent series.
~IndieReader.