The Hollow Bettle

Publishers Weekly

This bewitching first book in the Poisons of Caux trilogy introduces 11-year-old Ivy Manx, who lives with her apotheopath (healer) uncle Cecil in Caux, a once pleasant kingdom now “a hotbed of wickedness and general mischief” run by King Nightshade; his wife, Artilla; and the sinister Vidal Verjouce. Skills once used to heal are now used to poison, and only those who can afford one of Verjouce's Guild-certified “tasters” (who ensure food's purity) are safe. One year after the disappearance of her uncle, Ivy is forced to flee her home, pursued by agents of the Crown and the Guild, her travels taking her across Caux and revealing her fated role as her homeland's savior. Debut author Appelbaum's stylish, atmospheric prose is well matched by Taylor's warm interior illustrations (printed in green, along with the text), which offer rich, angular portraits. Caux is an enchanting, unusual setting that echoes the complexity of its heroes and villains alike. “High above the tallest trees, you can feel the land's misfortune,” Appelbaum writes. “You might feel it even pulling you in.” Ages 9–13. (Aug.)

Children's Literature - Suzanna E. Henshon

Eleven year old Ivy Manx lives in Caux, a kingdom that has been devastated in recent years. Her uncle disappeared into thin air a year ago, and, since that time, Ivy has run the herbal workshop on her own. Meanwhile, King Nightshade rules the Kingdom of Caux with an iron fist; the rule of the land is that you either poison or be poisoned. In order to survive daily meals, people need Guild-accredited tasters by their sides. Will things ever get better? Ivy decides to take fate into her hands—the fate of both her life and the Kingdom of Caux. With the help of a young taster, Rowan, Ivy decides to find her uncle. Soon the young girl discovers she and her friend, Rowan, are being pursued. Do people want Ivy's crimson bettle gemstone? Is Ivy's life in danger? In this humorous and exciting story, young readers will take their first peek into the "Poisons of Caux" trilogy by Susannah Appelbaum. Reviewer: Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.

VOYA - Etienne Vallee

Eleven-year-old Ivy Manx dabbles in poisons like everyone else in the world of Caux. Ivy's uncle, a healer, tried to teach her the value of plants, without much success. Setting out to heal the king, he leaves Ivy to the care of Mr. Flux, a member of the Tasters' Guild. When her uncle does not return, Ivy sets out to find him with the help of Rowan, a young taster who failed to detect the poisoned dish of his employer. Chased by a mysterious Outrider and Mr. Flux, wanted by the evil Guild master, and pursued by Ivy's mother for reasons of her own, Ivy must navigate through intrigues and dangers to secure her uncle's release. Furthermore, as the proclaimed "noble child," Ivy is expected to fulfill the prophecy of healing the old king, thus saving Caux. Appelbaum's first novel quickly captures the imagination. She weaves elements of the background seamlessly into the story, enabling the reader to focus on the fast-paced action. As in Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass (Knopf, 1995/VOYA June 1998), the main character must save the world while resisting her mother's own pressures to steer her away. Caux is a well-designed fantasy world with enough appeal to satisfy younger readers, who will not want to wait to see what happens to Ivy and Rowan in the second installment of this trilogy. Reviewer: Etienne Vallee

School Library Journal

Gr 5–9—This story is set in Caux, now ruled by tyrannical King Nightshade. Under his regime, the healing arts have been pushed aside in favor of poisonry. In fact, avoiding being poisoned is a daily concern that has given rise to a shadowy guild that trains and accredits professional food tasters. When 11-year-old Ivy's uncle—the last apothoepath healer in the kingdom—disappears, she sets off to find him, accompanied by Rowan, a recently graduated young taster whose skills become suspect after a number of the king's men end up poisoned while on his watch. Ivy carries a very special bettle, or gem, which has mysterious healing powers. This unusual object may be one reason she's being pursued by guards and the minions of Vidal Verjouce, the frightening head of the Tasters' Guild, but other reasons soon come to light. The writing is vivid and there are many delightful ideas in this first novel, but the plot depends on all-too-familiar fantasy tropes used in unoriginal ways: a prophecy, an orphaned child, and predictable family relationships. Still, the story manages to remain compelling. Several atmospheric black-and-white illustrations are included.—Tim Wadham, St. Louis County Library, MO

Kirkus Reviews

A clever premise drowns in ostentatious prose. Any casual meal is potentially fatal in Caux, where "[t]he rule of the land was poison or be poisoned." After Ivy's uncle disappears, the taster supposedly protecting her poisons a roomful of guards. The guards' taster flees from punishment (tongue removal!) and becomes Ivy's travel companion. At the plot's heart is the hackneyed "Prophecy of the Noble Child," who is destined to "banish the darkness from the forests, evil from where it dwells, and restore Caux to truth and light." Although the text shows some wit ("It was generally assumed at the Hollow Bettle that Cecil Manx's excuse for his inexplicable tardiness was his own death") and enjoyable ghoulishness ("She did terrible things with cute bunnies and vinegar"), its gleefully showy prose suffocates itself with countless clauses and modifiers, ungraspable descriptions ("Her crown shone evilly"), repugnant disability stereotypes and an overdependence on the word "odd." Narrative perspective shifts merely to impart information, and the climax-wicked king and queen deposed by the transformation of gems into butterflies-lacks internal logic. (Fantasy. 9-12)

From the Publisher

Review, Publishers Weekly, August 17, 2009
“Bewitching. . . . Debut author Appelbaum’s stylish, atmospheric prose is well matched by Taylor’s warm interior illustrations. . . . Caux is an enchanting, unusual setting that echoes the complexity of its heroes and villains alike. ‘High above the tallest trees, you can feel the land’s misfortune,’ Appelbaum writes. ‘You might feel it even pulling you in."

Review, Booklist, June 1, 2009
“A deeply satisfying, humor-laced quest with elements of wizardry and herbology, deeds of a dastardly nature, and ultimately, redemption. Similar in tone but not as darkly Dickensian as Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, this adventure pulses with imaginatively named characters, gratifying close calls, and a landscape that is vividly alive. Readers, individually or as part of a read-aloud experience, will savor young Ivy’s expedition and eagerly await more adventures in the land of Caux.”

Review, The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, November 2009
“A true epic quest. . . . The carefully described morbid, darkly elegant setting and a well-developed cast of intriguing and subtle characters add depth and balance to the quick pace and sarcastic tone of the book. The resulting novel is at once rollicking adventure and thoughtful fantasy.”

Review, VOYA,
“Appelbaum’s first novel quickly captures the imagination. [Readers] will not want to wait to see what happens to Ivy and Rowan in the second installment of this trilogy.”

Review, Chicago Tribune, August 15, 2009
“Witty . . . Ivy and Rowan encounter a lively assemblage of eccentrics, bound to return in later volumes of the Poisons of Caux trilogy.”