Ghost circles. How mysterious they sound. How dangerous. They are those dark and dangerous spaces between the real and unreal; enter them and get lost forever. Nothing can exist within them. What can a group of adventurers do when they enter a valley that has been destroyed and is full of ghost circles? The valley has to be crossed for there are many battles to be fought. Only one among this group can see the ghost circles, but can she be depended on to help this group get across? Crossing this valley is just one of the challenges the Bone cousins face.
The comic book series Bone by Jeff Smith chronicles the adventures of the three Bone cousins from the town of Boneville. Phoncible ‘Phoney’ Bone, Fone Bone and Smiley Bone are thrown out of Boneville because Phoncible, wealthy and scheming, tried a get rich quick gimmick and cheated the Bones of Boneville. Lost, struggling with limited food and water, the three cousins try to cross a desert when they get separated by a swarm of locusts. This becomes the beginning of some fantastic adventures. Fone Bone, who found a hand-drawn map, hopes to find his way back to a familiar path. He instead finds two monsters and quite foolish rats who want to make a quiche out of him. The rats, who are a part of a monstrous clan of rat creatures, seem to be on a quest of their own: to capture and take to their master, Phoncible ‘Phoney’ Bone. Smiley Bone, amicable with everyone, gets employed in a tavern.
The Bone cousins don’t know it but they are soon to get reunited and that should have been a good thing. It however is not. There are dark powers after them — rat creatures, locusts, a mysterious hooded person and none of the cousins know why. It certainly does not help that the village folk where Smiley Bone’s tavern is, blame all their troubles on them. With good reason too, it would seem. Phoncible tried to cheat them, Fone Bone claims to talk to dragons, a forbidden word in the village and Smiley Bone, poor guy, tries to make peace with everyone.
Nine books, full of mystery and danger tell you why the Bone cousins seem to have a quest to go on. I will not tell you more. You will have to read the books.
I will however, tell you about the things I like in the series. In the beginning of this article, I spoke about ghost circles. It is the title of book seven in the series. I found the concept fascinating. It was frightening and absorbing. I’m sure that you too must have found that one thing in a book that stayed with you long after you finished reading it. Ghost Circles has found a warm and comfortable home in my mind. I am sure it will grow in my imagination and give me adventure filled dreams or nightmares. And I look forward to both!
I liked the way the author balances the dark and dreadful with humour. The Bone cousins are a sweet, harmless, bumbling and clumsy lot, not the stereotypical hero material where they are big, handsome and brave. Fone Bone’s attempts to make his friends read the classic Moby Dick by Herman Melville always fail. Phoncible Bone never learns his lesson and till the very last page tries to cook up a scheme to cheat others and make himself rich. Smiley Bone cooks very well and keeps everyone well fed but tries to foster and adopt a rat creature baby, naturally making everyone around him very angry.
I loved the forest with its many creatures who loved and helped the Bones. The possums, the bug, the raccoons and the many orphaned forest babies. Jeff Smith has fleshed out each of these forest creatures so well. They often become the heroes, saving the Bones and the village folk from certain death.
I will not tell you more and give away plot points. But if you are looking for a gentle and friendly introduction to epic fantasy, you will love this.
(Yasmine Claire teaches high school students and attempts to write twisted-inside- out fairy tales. Write in to claireyasmine@gmail. com)