Nebador Book One: The Test By J. Z. Colby

• 04/15/2014
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Nebador Book One: The Test
J. Z. Colby
Nebador Archives (2010)
ISBN 9781936253029
Reviewed by Ben Weldon (age 12) for Reader Views (06/10)

“Nebador Book One: The Test” by J. Z. Colby is the story of a young man named Ilika who must find a crew for a mysterious ship that doesn’t float on water. Coming from a more advanced civilization and arriving in a bustling city during the Middle Ages, he is astonished by some of the horrible acts of cruelty by slave owners. After a thorough search of all the religious orders and colleges, he tries the slave market. He finds several brilliant kids that were forced into slavery for one reason or another. However, the religious orders grow suspicious of Ilika and his pending crew. Can Ilika gather his crew and escape the city before it is too late and they are all forced into slavery?

After staying at an inn and searching for crew members for about a week, he finally tries the slave market. There he found thirty kids who were willing to try his test. After the test and some careful selection he picked ten to help him run his ship. Later, when they went to the market to pick up some food and other things they were confronted by a monk who said that Ilika had illegally freed his “slaves.” Can Ilika talk his way out of arrest and slavery?

Ilika was a kind young man who absolutely hated slavery with a passion. He would buy tarts for less fortunate children and would give the innkeeper’s daughter coppers for bringing him his food. He was astonished to find that they hadn’t invented pads of paper yet. He was extremely generous and kind to all. But can he and his friends escape before they are hunted down and captured?

I would recommend this book to people who like action, adventure, and science fiction. This book would probably be most appreciated by kids eleven and up. It is the first book in a series of six. “Nebador Book One: The Test” was a good book and I can’t wait to read the next one.