Half-men of O [Hardcover]

I can't praise this book enough! I first read it as a class book when I was eleven and was totally drawn in by the vivid imagery and the wonderful story of good over evil. I read it again when I was fourteen and was equally enthralled. At seventeen I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and don't know how I ever lived without them before, and I would put The Halfmen of O up there with Tolkien (seriously!). Now at twenty-eight I still get visions from the book (the Halfmen) coming to me from time to time - quite regularly in fact, so much so I'm in dire need of reading it again. I couldn't remember the authors name and I was pretty sure it was set in New Zealand. Knowing that it is set in NZ makes it feel more 'local' to me and makes me wanna cheer for the the fab Aussie and Kiwi talent. I'm going to send a copy to some young friends who are fans of Tolkien and Harry Potter, I know they will love it.

Well known in New Zealand for his fantasy/science fiction books, Maurice Gee's "The Halfmen of O" was the winner of the New Zealand Children's Book of the Year Award and is the first of a trilogy that most kiwi kids have read (or been read to) in primary school. Although in many ways it is a generic fantasy story (complete with dark lord, inter-dimensional travel, lonely hero with a destiny, exotic creatures and treasure hunt for magic relics) its quick pacing, delicate language and New Zealand atmosphere make it something a bit more unique.

Energetic Nick Quinn and dreamy Susan Ferris are cousins that have nothing in common, except an annual summer holiday to the Ferris farm in Golden Bay (where I used to go camping with my family!) However, things are about to change when Nick meets a strange old man in the countryside who instructs him to give his cousin a message: a pebble engraved with a strange symbol. Susan seems to understand this odd calling, particularly since the symbol on the pebble matches the birthmark on her arm.

Catapulted into the world of O, Susan finds herself the prisoner of the terrifying Halfmen, as well as the last hope of the other inhabitants of the world who look to her to restore the balance of this beautiful, but dying planet. The meaning behind her birthmark is revealed, as is her duty: to find the two Halves of the mystical Motherstone and rejoin them. By doing so she will not only restore the balance of good and evil, but she will destroy Otis Claw, the being responsible for destroying the Motherstone in the first place. Helped by her innovative cousin, the untrustworthy Jimmy Jaspers and the other inhabitants of the world (the Woodlanders, the Birdfolk and the Stonefolk), Susan struggles against the dark influence of Otis Claw and his right-hand man, the vicious Odo Cling.

There is quite a lot of exposition on the dynamics of this world; which is ultimately concerned with the placement of good and evil in human beings, symbolized in the yin-yang-type symbol of the Motherstone and Susan's birthmark. When the Motherstone was destroyed, evil consumed mankind and resulted in the "Halfmen" who either completely good or completely evil, with no ability to choose between the two states. It is interesting then, that Susan's primary objective is thus to return *choice* to the inhabitants of O, to allow them to become complete people and decide their own destinies, for good or for evil. She's not eradicating evil, she's restoring the status-quo.

This is an interesting philosophy to introduce into a genre that's usually all about killing the bad guys, but I can't help but wish that Gee had found a slightly more interesting way to do it then have Susan fetch two Halves (which are kept secret in with the Birdfolk and Stonefolk, respectively) and return them to the Motherstone (in Claw's horrific city). It is a fairly typical "find the McGuffin and return it to its rightful place" gimmick that you find everywhere in fantasy stories. However, Gee does compensate by having the two Halves have a profound effect on Susan herself, and by making the cultures of the Bird and Stonefolk as interesting as possible.

The world of O is beautifully realized in terms of its landscape, with landmarks such as the Morninghall and the Throat of the Underworld. Despite being a completely different planet, there is an uncanny resemblance to New Zealand that readers just can't miss! Should this ever be made into a movie, there's only one possible location it could be filmed.

This installment was followed by two sequels: "The Priests of Ferris" and "Motherstone", which are also worth tracking down, particularly since they are even better than "The Halfmen of O!" Together, they make an interesting look at the fantasy genre, as it is written and conceived in the country that helped bring "The Lord of the Rings" to the big screen.

Priests of Ferris

Motherstone

I first read this book when I was eight years old and was required to read it at school aged twelve. I love it and have read it many more times since. I am currently getting the books to read to three of the children I look after, promising them a story equal to the Harry Potter Stories. I am a Kiwi living in the States and am glad to see such a favourite is being read here if only more people would do so. Battling classic elements of good and evil there are important messages in these books as well as being enjoyable to read and have read to. The opening gives a glimpse into the New Zealand landscape but from then on is fanatsy, a book to be enjoyed by all nations and ages.