I’ve loved the Alice Eclair books from Sarah Todd Taylor and books by Kieran Larwood. So I was both sad and glad when I heard that the final Alice Eclair book is upon us, but that publisher Nosy Crow is bringing us a new series from Larwood and illustrator Joe Todd-Stanton. The question is which did I want: dungeons or cake?
Why not both?
What Is Dungeon Runners?
I’ll start with Dungeon Runners – Level 1: Hero Trial, as it mines that Dungeons & Dragons vein we GeekFamily readers love so much.
Dungeon Runners is for younger readers than the other Keiran Larwood books I’ve read. From an adult reader’s perspective, this means there probably isn’t enough here for you to enjoy without the kids. For sharing with your 6+ year old, however, the book is a perfect introduction to adventures in dungeons.
The premise is that, in the land of Zerb, there’s a national dungeon-crawling (magically powered) TV show. Teams of adventurers battle across fiendish dungeons to collect points and become the overall winners. It’s essentially fantasy The Floor Is Lava or Gladiators.
Young Kit has dreamed of being a Dungeon Runner all his life. Things seem too good to be true when a slot opens up for a new team to enter on the bottom rung of the Dungeon Runner ladder. All Kit needs to do is put together a team, enter, and win. The only problem is that Kit is small, mercilessly bullied by the orcish denizens of Grotville, and almost entirely friendless.
You can probably work out what is going to happen.
Why Read Dungeon Runners?
Dungeon Runners is a plucky underdog story with a Dungeon & Dragons theme. For many of us, that’s enough to seal the deal. If that wasn’t enough, I can tell you there are some great jokes in the book, not the least of which is a vegan vampire and a great subversion of some other classic tropes. The book depicts a classic trio of friends working together with friendship, empathy, cunning, and more than a little luck to win the day. It’s a tried and tested recipe, but Dungeon Runners delivers it piping hot.
The book is capped off by some great illustrations by Joe Todd Stanton, and one touch I really liked, top trump-style cards of each main character with a portrait and significant stats. Stats that go up when the characters find magic items. It’s a simple thing, but it’s a nice way to demonstrate the thrill of leveling up.
This book is subtitled Level 1: Hero Trail. It’s easy to see where the series is going, but I can’t wait to take the journey. I’m sure there’s a host of young new dungeon explorers waiting to be inspired by Larwood, Todd-Stanton, and the Dungeon Runners. The next generation of Critical Role-ers are waiting to read these books!
If you would like to pick up a copy of Dungeon Runners, you can do so here in the US (but not until September).
What Is Alice Éclair: A Dash of Daring
All good things must come to an end, whether that be a delicious French pastry or a book series about a child detective who is also a world-class patissier.
A Dash of Dying is the fourth and final installment of the series that started with A Recipe for Trouble. Start there if you are brand new to this series, as the four books do make a gentle story arc that will come to a head in this final book.
The backdrop for this book, perhaps fittingly with the 2024 Paris Olympics just weeks away, is the 1936 Berlin Games—not in Germany but in a Paris training camp for the French cycling team. The father of one of the team has gone missing, and it’s no coincidence that he is the creator of an innovative cipher device, not wholly dissimilar to the Enigma Machine. With war looming and “the enemy” becoming ever more powerful, Alice must find him before other sinister forces do.
I’ve always liked how Sarah Todd Taylor handled the build-up to World War II for the relatively young target audience of the Alice Éclair books. It’s there if you know what to look for or want to explain it to your children, but it doesn’t overwhelm the stories. The setting adds depth to the mysteries but isn’t central or essential to the plot, mystery, or reveals.
In this book, everything comes to a head, with Alice finally able to jump on the tail of her nemesis. Will she outfox them or will they escape to fight another day? As this is the final book, you can probably guess!
Why Read the Alice Éclair Books?
These books are perfect for younger readers (from 7-9 upwards). They’re fun, filled with amazing cakes that really do tantalize the imagination, and there’s a whole load of code-breaking added for good measure. The stories are quietly inclusive and empowering for girls who want to push themselves forward in what are traditionally “male” fields. It’s never preachy, just a light depiction of the way things ought to be.
While it’s easy to see that Alice Éclair could have run and run (or even carried on baking and baking) for several more books, they make a great quartet, and I have no doubt there are other characters and adventures Sarah Todd Taylor wants to bring to the page. Much like Alice and her delicious cakes, the author has left us wanting more!
If you’d like to pick up the Alice Éclair series, you can do so here in the US, and here in the UK.
If you enjoyed this review, check out my other book reviews.
I received a copy of this book in order to write this review.
