Jeffrey Overstreet is the author of three previous books in the Auralia Thread. He is also an award-winning film reviewer and writes for several journals. His latest book is, The Ale Boy's Feast and is the final book in the Auralia Thread series.
Plot of The Ale Boy's Feast
Cal-raven is traveling with a band of survivors from the house of Abascar. They wish to restore the house to its former glory. They are actively seeking the colors for the Auralia Thread and the village where they are rumored to be kept.
Along the way, the Ale Boy is lost through a hole in the Earth. He discovers the Beastmen who are keeping more of the Auralian citizens captive. The Ale Boy, also called Rescue, is determined to find a way out of the Earth so he can find the rest of the group.
He discovers an underground river that appears to lead to the surface. He fashions a boat and with a party of survivors journeys along the river. Along the way a beastlady gives birth to a half Beastman/half Auralian child. Rescue decides to take the monster with him.
Rescue and his group reach the surface and rejoin with the rest of the band, lead by Cal-raven. The group soon find the village where the colors are kept.
Rescue, Cal-raven and the others restore Auralia to its former glory.
Extras in The Ale Boy's Feast
The book includes a guide to characters, at the end. The characters are divided according to the house to which they belong and listed in alphabetical order, under these houses. The list includes a brief description of who the characters are and what they are trying to achieve.
Characters of The Ale Boy's Feast
The characters in this book are believable. These characters wish, for the most part, to help the heir to the throne return their country to its former glory. They are adventuresome and look for the good in all people. The characters work together and give a perfect demonstration to the power of a group versus the power of the individual.
This book would be enjoyed by young people who enjoy fantasy and adventure stories. There is a good mixture of fantastical creatures and humanoids. The adventures the characters go on are realistic and keep the reader reading to find out what will happen next. Readers want the characters to be successful and are pleased when each step towards this reality is taken.
I did not read any of the previous novels in this series. There were times I was confused by something the author would mention that was obviously pertaining to an earlier book in the series. While a good read, it is probably best read by readers who have read other books in the series.
Sources:
- Jeffrey Overstreet, The Ale Boy's Feast, Waterbrook Multnomah, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-4000-7468-6
Kelley Huston - A reader of all kinds of books, Kelley is an teacher who loves crafts and scrapbooking. She is a Disney fan who loves all things Disney.
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