The Dungeoneers

Starred review from April 20, 2015
In a delightful deconstruction of role-playing clichés, Anderson (Minion) gives D&D-style dungeon-delving the Harry Potter approach, creating a school where promising young heroes are taught the finer tricks of the traditional fantasy smash and grab. As an apprentice rogue with Thwodin’s Legion, Colm Candorly learns how to disarm traps, open locks, and survive in a hostile world, while befriending the rest of his training party: a stuttering mage, a nervous druid, and a female would-be barbarian. When the time comes to test their skills in an actual dungeon crawl, they’re pushed to their limits, even as the Legion is rocked by
a betrayal. Anderson’s approach is both serious and tongue-in-cheek, balancing humor with life-and-death situations, such as when Colm’s class is regaled
with the horrible fates of unfortunate dungeoneers: “Impaled, drowned, burned, impaled, cursed, exploded, slashed, imploded, frozen, poisoned, turned to stone, turned to ash, turned
into a chicken,” starts the speech. It’s an exciting, engaging tale that brings new life to one of the most common manifestations of the genre. Ages 8–12. Agent: Quinlan Lee, Adams Literary.

May 15, 2015
Grades 4-7 The only boy in a sea of eight sisters, Colm has developed a knack for hiding, sneaking, and escaping. He is also a deft pickpocket. His honest father is horrified when he learns of his thieving, but before he can turn Colm in, a mysterious adventurer intervenes. Finn Argos, a self-professed rogue, observes Colm's pilfering talents and bargains with the magistrate to apprentice him to a guild of dungeoneers. Colm is whisked away to Thwodin Castle, where he is paired up with other trainees: a warrior who faints at the sight of her own blood, a mageling who stutters his spells, and a druid who can speak to animals but is afraid of most. As Colm's team trains to conquer treasure-filled dungeons (and the monsters that guard them), others scheme to sabotage the guild. Anderson mines fantasy convention for its best bits and presents them with humor and depth. Beneath the lighthearted cleverness is a thoughtful examination of loyalty, betrayal, and fairness, bolstered by lovable characters and unpredictable plotting.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

February 1, 2015

Gr 4-7-Living with eight rambunctious sisters has primed Colm Candorly to be the perfect pickpocket: stealthy and quick. Not only that, missing a finger lets his hands slip easily into others' pockets. When one of his sisters becomes ill, Colm decides to use his talents to pick the pockets of the wealthy in the village square, amassing a pile of gold. The problem comes with explaining the gold to his stickler father. Colm's dad insists that he come clean to the magistrate in hopes that his son will be dealt a lenient punishment. Enter Colm's savior, Finn Argos, a smooth-talking rogue who whisks Colm off to a school where such talents are valued, a school for treasure-seeking dungeon raiders. There the real adventure begins. Colm is paired with a redheaded barbarian girl, a stuttering mage, and a timid druid to form the ideal dungeoneering party configuration. Trolls, goblins, and orcs pose the obvious danger for dungeoneers, but what hidden danger lurks behind the castle walls? Colm and his friends are engaging characters with distinct personalities. VERDICT Anderson's latest fantasy is an exciting examination of friendship, morality, and loyalty; readers will look forward to Colm's future exploits.-Tiffany Davis, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2015
Even a school for rogues is, at its core, a school. "So you run a school for thieves...I mean, rogues," Colm Candorly asks, early in the novel. He's speaking to Finn Argos, who's missing two fingers and bears a scar across his face. "It's not a school," Finn tells him, more than once. But Finn lies. Learning to be a dungeoneer means endless lock-picking drills, reading the Rogue's Encyclopedia, and listening to recitations of rules. The rules turn out to be extremely useful, though, and even funny, like Rule 23: "Be the best there is at what you do and always aware that someone does it better." The dialogue in the book is often witty, especially when it comes from Finn. He has a long list of terms for meeting your maker, including "paid his debts" and "lost his wager." "Of course," he says, "anyone else-a warrior, a wizard, a ranger, you name it-they just die, plain and simple. But we rogues are much too clever for that." The problem is that for chapters at a time, the book is nothing but clever talk. Colm spends some of his time as an apprentice rogue escaping from deathtraps, fighting orcs, and being attacked by a giant scorpion; the battles and heists-when they finally come-are satisfying and occasionally shocking. Readers may well feel that the wait in between battles and heists feels a little too much like school. (Fantasy. 8-12)

July 1, 2015
The first time Colm picked someone's pocket, it felt great--until he got caught. Rather than stay home and face punishment by the local magistrate, he escapes to train as a rogue in Thwodin's Legion. Grouped in with a mage, a barbarian, and a druid, Colm learns about lock-picking and fighting orcs, as well as loyalty and friendship in this rousing adventure.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)