BOOK REVIEW: LANDON SNOW AND THE AUCTOR'S RIDDLE

By Marion Kelley Bullock

Landon Snow, along with his parents and two sisters, travels to his grandparents’ home to celebrate his 11th birthday. That night, Landon explores a mysterious passage from his grandfather’s study to the local library. He meets talking books and finds The Auctor’s Riddle. He wonders: is life just an accident of nature? After Landon plunges into The Book of Meanings, he leaps from one adventure to another, meeting colorful, fascinating, and sometimes frightening, characters. How will he solve the riddle?
In an intriguing fantasy of happenings, comparable to Lemony Snicket or Alice in Wonderland, R. K. Mortenson combines theology with wit and wisdom to pen a clever story. He doesn’t talk down to younger readers, but rather, lifts them up to the level of his writing. In effect, he’s saying, “I know you’re intelligent enough to read and understand this.” And the imaginative reader will.
As the back of the book warns: “Don’t fall in. (This book may swallow.)" So heed the warning. Read it with care—and have fun!