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Pratt's appealing tale follows a crippled outcast, the Feral Boy—a loner living in the treacherous Ash Forest. When King Luxurous takes over Ashville with an army and a witch of dark magic, the Feral Boy foresees the impending danger. The town is a gift for the king's son, Prince Perfeyn, to rule. Meanwhile, Luxurous uses terror to control townspeople with promises of Man's Gold created by the witch. But the witch's prophecy of a child who will conquer the king and rule the land unsettles Luxurous, setting in motion Pratt's story.
Of course, it's fairly obvious who the prophesied child is, and by the middle of the tale, the Feral Boy assumes the name Arakin, striking up a friendship with the carpenter Efscott and his daughter, Prudence. Efscott gifts Arakin with a wooden puppet, which he names Ash. This is risky under the king's ban on wooden toys. But this wooden toy turns out to be special, and Arakin soon discovers new potentials.
Pratt includes all the genre's elements and offers his readers an engaging, fun, and imaginative fantasy complete with adventure, eccentric characters, Venus Mantraps, wolves, giant spiders, and witch's snake venom. It's the first of a new young adult series, though it also works as a stand-alone novel. Much happens within the book, but the plot really takes off by the second half, where Arakin and companions cross dangerous terrain in their quest. Pratt infuses humor and lighthearted moments to balance out the darker portions of the story. His impressive resume as a film and television writer serves him well here with a rich narrative of vivid, descriptive imagery. Pratt is also highly accessible, since fans can connect with him at his website and newsletter with first glimpses of upcoming books—a treat for young readers. Altogether, this visionary author delivers.