White Ravens’98/USA/61028
Alexander, Lloyd
The iron ring
New York: Dutton, 1997. 283pp
ISBN 0-525-45597-3
King - Debt - Quest - Good/Evil - Talking animals - Growing up -
Indian/Folktale - Adventure
When a young king, Tamar, loses everything he owns in a dice game, an
iron ring, symbol of his bondage appears on his finger and he must set off
for the distant kingdom of his victor. In the course of his quest, his
entourage grows to include talking animals and characters from different
castes. Together they fight battles and savour happy moments together.
The narrative is filled with Indian folktales and driven along by Tamar’s
adherence to a code of honor, dharma. At the end of his epic adventure,
he has learned much about life and honor. Alexander is a master storyteller
who entertains and enlightens his reader with all the literary techniques of
good fantasy. (11+)

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