The Librarians And The Mother Goose Chase by Greg Cox (book review).
I retain an affection for the TV series ‘The Librarians’ and, although it seems they have an infinitesimally small budget on screen, they make up for it by the interaction of the team. Short seasons of one hour episodes followed on from a series of TV movies for Sci-Fi Channel headed by Noah Wyle. The premise is simple. The Librarians protect and collect artefacts to restore them to the library and stop damage in the real world. Sounds a bit like ‘Warehouse 13’ and there is a definite cross-over but the mythology is sufficiently different to avoid anyone crying foul.
The book follows the young Librarians as they encounter the challenge of fairy tales becoming real. Mother Goose’s collection of well-loved stories and rhymes is now threatening the world. A pact that saw the book split into three parts and hidden is coming to an end and someone is trying to put the book together to change the world.
Eve as guardian to the three Librarians is disturbed by Quinn’s absence but seeks to give them each a task to protect the known heirs to Mother Goose and save the book. Ezekiel Jones must defend the farmer’s wife who has seen giant blind mice! Cassandra must help the man blown away by a gust of wind and Jacob must go to England to aid the rather comely history professor who wakes inside a giant pumpkin. Only the first of these was immediately clear to me by the way!
It won’t be easy as each Librarian leave to take on their tasks, Eve and Jenkins discover they have a series of challenges within the library. There’s a goose laying golden eggs and a hungry treasure chest to pacify and just where is Flynn?
Funny and inventive, this book, ‘The Librarians And The Mother Goose Chase’ by Greg Cox manages to convey the likeable characters of the TV show within the plot. Like a nursery rhyme, this story contains ideas both complex and simple, following the format of the TV show and highlighting each Librarian’s characteristics reaching a wholly satisfying conclusion where all ends are tied and…well you know.
Fast, furious and fun you will take cover if anyone starts singing ‘Ring a roses’ after this.
Sue Davies
March 2017
(pub: TOR/Forge. 288 page small enlarged paperback. Price: $15.99 (US), £11.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-0765384140)
check out website: www.tor.com
