Cave of Departure

Kristin Butcher writes novels for young adults. Her most recent works
are Cairo Kelly and the Mann, The Gamma War, and The Tomorrow Tunnel.

Known and loved by young readers for her Stablemate books, Nikki Tate
has ventured into new territory with Cave of Departure, the first volume
of The Estorian Chronicles trilogy. The novel is a fantasy of the
Tolkien variety and follows the ordeals of 13-year-old Dominique Elnedo
in his search for the Cave of Departure and, ultimately, the stories
from Beyond. Born into a storytelling society, Dominique—like all the
males of Estoria, has been groomed to become a storyteller. But when he
is unable to pass the storytelling test at the all important Coming of
Stories ceremony, Dominique is banished, given a year and a day to seek
out the Cave of Departure and acquire the skills so prized by his
people. If he is unsuccessful in his quest, he will be put to death. He
leaves the Estorian encampment alone, except for Navina, his pet kaysapa
bird, and with nothing but the clothes on his back to shield him and the
stories of his people to guide him, he sets out on his perilous journey.

Like all quests, Dominique’s is fraught with adventure, enemies,
found friends, strange creatures, impossible tasks, puzzles, trickery,
and magic. A map at the front of the book helps readers visualize the
lands through which Dominique must travel. Eventually, of course, he
does reach his destination, but because the book is part of a trilogy,
Dominique discovers his quest has just begun. This is a good read for
young fantasy fiction buffs. Recommended.