The Book Without Words: A Fable of Medieval Magic

by Avi

Book Overview

From Avi, the 2003 Newbery Award-winning author of Crispin: The Cross of Lead, comes the story of Thorston, an alchemist who works to concoct a potion that will enable him to live forever--and keep... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786808292
• ISBN13: 9780786808298
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

Stayed up all night to read this lol

This book is a quick, charming read! I've slacked on reading for a very long time, and this book successfully got me back into it. It may be a children's book, but I absolutely loved it as an adult. The characters are well-rounded and believable, and it's full of sly wisdom ~and~ whimsy. Enough to re-spark my wonder at life and imagination. Truly a delight.

delightful - great audio performance

I am an adult. But I so much enjoyed the audio version AND the book itself that I had to post a comment here. I got it for my 11 year-old daughter and ended up listening to it all the way through myself even though I am not in much favor of fantastic stories like talking birds and such. This is the exception and was well worth it.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

What defines a life? How can you know that you've really lived your life? These are questions that Sybil has never thought about, until now. Now that her master, Thorston, has died, and she and Odo, his talking bird, are likely to end up on the street. Unless they can figure out Thorston's secret for making gold. Thorston was a magician. Not just an ordinary magician, but an alchemist, concerned with finding eternal life above all else. Now he's dead, and the few people who knew of his existence are left to define their own. Odo thinks Sybil is dumb and useless, but he needs her to perform human functions like opening things and talking to people. Sybil thinks Odo is cruel and evil, but she needs him to help with the magic since he was with Thorston much longer than she was. A shaky alliance is born. The two acquire questionable aid from Alfric, a young beggar, and Damian, an herbal apprentice. Alfric has been sent by two different people who both want the same thing, though he doesn't now why or how. All he knows is that Sybil is the first person that has been kind to him since his parents died. Damian is out for his own share of the gold, and nothing else. They are all stuck inside Thorston's house, under constant watch of Bashcroft, the man in charge of law and order, who wants the secret of never-ending life. No one knows who to trust, or who holds the most knowledge. The only true key is Thorston, and he's not planning on sharing. They are left to figure out who they all truly are, and find the true value of a life. Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

Deserves Fireworks

The Book Without Words. This is a fable of medieval magic by Avi. I could invision everything as I read about the stores, town, and people. I guess I should just say I pictured everything. Avi is a fantastic author. All of you out there reading this review probably think the book has nothing but blank pages, well they're wrong. This book is a fantasy genre. There are objects that turn into water, levitating rocks, skulls, and more. The Book Without Words is about a girl who was taken in only to kill. This man is an alchemist, but can only make false gold. The plot to this book is that the alchemist is old and he doesn't want to ever die. So he needed a bunch of ingretients, and one was the breath of a child. It goes in a pot and cooks and after a long time it makes four little crystal balls, each smaller than the next. He has to eat the crystals and every time he eats one he becomes unconscious for a long time. Once he eats the last one, the girl will die. I didn't like this book, I loved it. It was fun for me to read (even though I don't like to read a lot) because rhe characters were fun. The dialogue in the book was good. For example, "Forgive me," said Alfric, with a yawn. "I've not slept indoors for so long, the closeness makes me sleepy." Or, "It's not my death I fear." I felt like I knew the picture of what the place looked like. I guess since I liked the wording, it wan't too hard to read. I read it in about two days. I suppose I should rate this now...hm...hmm... Aha! One is worst and five is deserves fireworks. I pick 7!!!

Green eyed child

When an old Thorston makes a potion to let him live longer he suddenly dies.When Sybil finds her master dead on the floor she has to find a green eyed child to read the book without words to find out how to make gold. Soon Master Bashcroft finds out about the secret he tries to storm the house to get the gold for himself. Now Sybil has to get rid of the book with the help of a talking bird named Odo. Sybil is Thorston's apprentice she is a very strong and determined character. Thorston is an old man trying to find a way out of dying. Odo is an annoying talking bird who knows a little magic. Damian is the apothicary's apprentice who is really quite rude. Last but not least is Alfric, a young green eyed boy who helps Sybil along the way. This was a very amazing book that all Avi fans should read. I loved the characters, the setting, and the whole plot was great. This book has many twists and turns that will not let you stop reading. No other book is like this. My favorite part of the book is this:"God the mighty!" Damian screamed and leaped out of the bed. "it's him!" Sybil darted forward and clamped a hand over his mouth from behind. "Be still," she commanded. "Is that...your master?" Asked Damian. "Yes." "Is he...dead...or alive?"

Magic comes with a price

There is a magic book, a book without words, and it can do great evil. It had been protected by Monks for hundreds of years at an isolated island monastary from falling into the wrong hands. 76 years ago it fell into the hands of a cruel boy named Thurston who is now an old and a powerful alchemist and wizard. He has spent his whole life learning how to unlock the books secrets, but they may unleash a power far worse. From his dusty tower-like residence he is attempting an evil spell that will allow him to regain his youth but keep all of his magic, in fact stronger magic than before. The very life of his talking raven Odo and his young servant Sybil is in danger, for he needs the essence of their lives to complete his spell. Will they find out in time to stop him. And what about the town law enforcer, the Reeve, who wishes to take the alchemists secret for making gold for himself? He plans to hang everyone in Thurstons house to get what he wants. The only one that can help is a mysterious monk, so old he appears to be almost skeletal. And why do the words in the book only appear to a person with green eyes that has an earthly desire? Each time magic is used, it seems to come undone later or come with a dark price, the result of greed. The story takes place long ago in medievel times, in the year 1046. It uses a lot of actual tidbits from history to strengthen the story.A very atmospheric story, it feels old and features saints that appear as apparitions, a talking painting in an old church, old graveyards, treachery and betrayal, endless greed, alchemy and dark magics, even the weather and the ever present fog seem to be alive in a way. In the midst of this a young courageous girl befriends the one she has least reason to trust. The cover of the hardcover version of this book is beautiful, it has a picture on the dustcover that makes it look like a very old book with gold gilt and a picture of the alchemists workshop. The only down point is that it is a short book, a quicker read than most Avi books. Overall it is highly suspenseful and I could not put it down, and I highly reccommend!