Uki and the Outcasts

We were introduced to the magical world of the Five Realms in the trilogy of Podkin One-Ear and we are now introduced to a new hero from another of these realms. Uki is a rabbit, attacked and thrown out by his tribe because of his piebald (black and white) fur and during his flight from danger his mother dies and Uki is left near to death. He is saved when an ancient spirit called Iffrit finds him and joins himself with Uki. This is the beginning of a quest, that will take Uki and several companions that he collects on the way on a long journey to re-capture four evil spirits who had escaped from a hidden prison and were hoping to regain their power.

In simplistic terms this follows the plot structure of a quest and we have the usual sequence where new members join the group. Following the same style as the previous books the story is told from two different perspectives, with a time lapse between them. We have the tale of Uki and his compatriots, but again the story is being told by ‘The Bard’ who is also on a journey with his apprentice Rue. The plots are interlinked and there appears to be a common theme based around the importance of an old tower. However this is also about the meaning of family and friendship, as the entire group have problems with their families and are looking to find a new life. For Uki there are also issues around his differing fur colour; something that makes him different and not part of the tribe. What we do see is that this discrimination is not because of any real threat that he poses but is part of the fear that Uki’s own tribe has for anything different. This is a story full of adventure, thrilling escapades and many challenges that will keep the audience hooked into the story until the end; it is a brilliant read for young, and not so young, readers.