T'Aragram: The Max Ransome Chronicles

by: Jack W. Regan

Published by: Sweatshoppe Productions

Reviewed by Alex McGilvery

T’Aragam by Jack W. Regan is a fantasy book for older children. Max is a thirteen year old who witnesses the death of his father during an attack by evil creatures. His father was the main reason for the failure of an attempted rebellion before Max was born. Now the evil wizard Zadok is back to try again and the Ransomes are first on his list for destruction. Max escapes with his life and is joined by the wizard Zohar and the medgekin Gramkin and a some other fascinating characters as he undertakes the quest to warn the rest of the kingdom of the danger they face. As he journeys and meets both friend and foe, Max learns more about himself and his heritage.

I enjoyed reading this book. Max is a believable thirteen year old. Jack W. Regan has given his young protagonist just the right mix of teen-aged confidence and uncertainty. He doesn’t magically transform into a hero with adult sensibilities and talents, but he does grow and mature during the course of the story. The cast of supporting characters is a mix of creatures and people. Regan does some unexpected things with his characters. There is a great deal of humor in the story, but no one is present only for comic relief. On the other hand, even the most powerful have weaknesses that make them human.

The plot is sufficiently filled with twists and turns to keep it interesting, but it isn’t so complicated that young people will have trouble keeping it straight. The dialogue is well written and each person in the story has his own voice. It is refreshing to read a story in which the young person sounds young. The subtitle “The Max Ransome Chronicles” promises some follow-up books. If they are of the same quality at T’Aragam, they will be well worth watching for.

Armchair Interviews says: A very good read for young readers.

Author’s Web site: http://www.Taragam.com