The Prophecy of Tau Ridoo

Adele Ashby was the former editor of Canadian Materials for Schools and Libraries.

It all begins when eight-year-old Jamie’s toys keep disappearing. Then his sister vanishes from their secret hiding place, which turns out to be a tunnel leading to a dark, menacing world called Tau Ridoo. There, a prophecy presages the coming of a pair of twins (Jamie’s older brother and sister, Dan and Del) who will be put to a test and will rescue the inhabitants from the stranglehold of the Red General and his Red Guards.

With the help of a sorceress named Ixmirsta, Prince Beloo, and Romper, a horse from Jamie’s toy chest, the children manage to elude the Red General, who automatically kills twins, and to witness the final great struggle between the forces of light and dark.

This is the first of a series of three novels about the Aubrey children. Unfortunately, if the second novel is to be a success, author Katz has a great deal to learn about her chosen genre. Neither the secondary world she creates nor her characters are strong enough to sustain suspended disbelief. The final battle scene is a very faint echo of models to be found in C.S. Lewis, Richard Adams, Tolkien, and even Star Wars. The style is pedestrian, despite attempts to create names that resonate a nordic world, such as “Maryik,” “Fleegil,” and “Gwil-thior.”

Librarians are sufficiently well served by the models for this title; only those who feel they must have every new Canadian title should consider it.