Dogboy

By Christopher Russell
Rating: 4 1/4 stars
Reviewed by Noelle

In this unusual and involving story, Brind is the "dogboy"--an orphan found at an English manor house as an infant. Raised with the 80 mastiffs that are Sir Edmund's pride and joy, Brind understands dogs bettter than people. But Brind's life changed drastically when his master takes him, the huntsman Tullo, and 40 of the mastiffs to France to battle in the Hundred Years' War. Sir Edmund is captured and most of the dogs perish in battle, but Brind escapes, intent on finding the pack leader, Glaive, who ran off injured. On his quest, Brind runs across a homeless French girl, Aurelie, who is determined to kill some English "locust pigs" for herself. Brind and Aurlie team up on this quest to find Glaive and Sir Edmund, and find themselves hiding out from the dangerous and murderous Tullo as well as an English lord who is interested in capturing Brind for himself. Their mission will have them faking their deaths, escaping enemy camps, and facing storms at sea as they travel across France and into England to complete their quest and put things right. Readers who enjoy their adventures laced heavily with historical fiction will find much to like in this novel. Not your run of the mill story!