Een te mooi boek, om snel uit te lezen, nog een keer te beginnen, wauw wat een fantasie! ( )

Endymion Spring is a fast-paced adventure, part mystery, part fantasy set in present-day Oxford with flashbacks to 15th century Germany.

Endymion Spring, the title character, is the mute apprentice to Johannes Gutenberg, living in Mainz, Germany in 1452.The story begins when the mysterious Mr. Fust arrives in the dead of night with an enormous carved chest and money to invest in Gutenberg's printing press. The young boy eventually discovers that the chest is full of strange, enchanted paper, whose words only he can read. He steals a bit of the paper which forms itself into a book, and runs for his life before Fust can discover what he has done.

Fast forward to Oxford, where 12 year old Blake is living with his academic mother and annoying little sister, wishing the whole family was back in America with his father. While waiting for his mother in the Bodleian Library, he comes across a strange blank book and soon discovers that he is surrounded by adults who are searching for the very same volume.

This is an entertaining read for 9-12 year olds. While the supporting characters are a little one-dimensional,and Blake seems to have an unbelievable amount of freedom,the action is fast-paced, and readers can identify with Blake's feelings of not fitting into his world. The flashbacks deliver a bit of history about the printing press while laying the groundwork for the present-day mystery, and the descriptions of the Oxford make it a place anyone would like to explore.

This is author Matthew Skelton's first novel. A native of Edmonton, he earned his doctorate at Oxford and wrote Endymion Spring while looking for work. It generated alot of excitement when it was eventually discovered and published, and its success has allowed Skelton to dedicate himself to writing full-time. His next novel is due for release in March 2010. ( )

I picked this book up in a second hand bookshop. I don't remember seeing it on a display anywhere before, which is odd considering how good it is. This is one of those young adult adventures that could be enjoyed by people older (and indeed, younger) than its intended readership.

Endymion Spring is a mute assistant to the great Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the movable type printing press (although the notes in the book give some additional background to that claim). However Gutenberg goes into business with Johann Fust, who has something more diabolical in mind - and thus causes a chain of events that leads to Oxford. Here there are two American children, Blake and Duck, visiting with their mother who is involved in research of the Faust of literature. When a strange book bites Blake in the library, events unfold that span the centuries and lead to a wonderful, mysterious and sometimes terrifying adventure.

This book is fast paced, with good prose and dialogue and a story that had me hooked more or less from the start. It is a book about books, which is always a good one for hooking avid readers. But it is also a book about a boy who is not so keen on books. Maybe that part of teh story does not quite work - but you do feel that Blake is pretty much your average 12 year old, albeit stuck in an odd academic background that he resents.

I liked the interplay in the family. Duck is the annoying perfect little sister. But she is also Blake's friend, and it becomes clear that they love each other despite their normal sibling rivalries. The adults also are not just piece players in this book, but have their own unfolding story.

But ultimately this book is about the mystery: who was Endymion Spring? And what was his legacy?

This is a book I would be happy to recommend to young adults and adults alike. A satisfyingly spooky read. ( )

Endymion Spring
Report by: Joey D’Addio

For my summer reading I read Endymion Spring. This story has two main settings. One is the Library at Oxford and the other is in Germany during the 1400’s. This is a story that switches from one setting to another and tells two stories at the same time. One story is about a boy named Blake who lives at Oxford with his sister Duck and with his mother who is trying to do some research. The other story is about an apprentice who holds a dark secret that contains forbidden knowledge.
Blake is at the Oxford Library when he finds a book with blank pages, at least the pages are blank to most people, but Blake sees words that only he can see and he has a terrible feeling that this book is alive somehow. Blake is half right. There is another story in this book about a boy like Blake. The boy’s name is Endymon Spring.
Endymion was a printer’s apprentice, who discovers, and steals, a dragon hide that creates indestructible paper. This paper is made into a book by Endymion so he can steal it from Fust, a man who sold his soul to the devil for all of the knowledge in the universe. Hundreds of years later the book that Endymion made is found by Blake in the Oxford Library. Blake turns to Professor Jolyon, who used to teach his mother, for help. The Professor belongs to the Ex Libris Society, a group whose goal in life is to collect and preserve old volumes.
This society has a traitor in their midst. A person in shadow is among the few people Blake can trust. The Librarian at Oxford, named Diana Bentley is that person. She wants all of the knowledge that Fust wanted and she will do any thing to get it. Blake must protect the book, even if it means death. Blake drops the book off a roof and it is never discovered, by anyone else. Blake finds the book later and he is the only one who can have the knowledge of Endymion Spring.
The one thing I loved about this book was that the story had some historical background. The character Jonathan Fust was Johnn Fuast a sorcerer who sold his soul to the devil and John Fust, a cruel businessman. This combination created an interesting character. The one thing that could have changed was the details about Endymion Spring. I wish I could have learned more on his background. Every book has things that could have been improved upon.
Endymion Spring was a fascinating book. Some parts I liked and other parts could have been improved upon. If I had to read this piece of literature over again I would, because there is always a cliffhanger that will want the reader to know more of the story. I would like this book to have a sequel, because the ending seemed to have a cliffhanger. I would highly recommend this book to any one who enjoys adventure stories.

This was rather disappointing. Parallel stories about the making of a truly unique book in Mainz in the 1400s I believe and a young boy in Oxford in the present day. The stories connect through the extraordinary book known as "Endymion Spring." I love books about books, especially ones with a bit of mystery but this was really just a let-down. I didn't find anything about it particularly interesting and it wasn't compelling either. I'm also a little annoyed by the overly cutesy nicknames in kids books and I especially don't appreciate the notion that once a kid's life is in danger, his previously splintered family will once again be whole. It doesn't always work that way! It wasn't totally terrible but I just expected more. ( )