Hunted

Russell, Christopher

ISBN 10: 0060841206 ISBN 13: 9780060841201

Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2007

Synopsis

Brind, who was raised with Sir Edmund's pack of hunting dogs, is the huntsman of Dowe Manor. Together with his best friend, the mastiff Glaive, and the rest of the pack, he protects Sir Edmund, Lady Beatrice, and their foster daughter, Aurélie.

But suddenly a tragedy strikes, one that Brind cannot prevent. In a fit of grief, Sir Edmund throws Brind, Glaive, and Aurélie—and her puppy, Gabion—out of the manor. Everywhere they turn, the vicious and lethal Black Death closely follows, as though they are bringing it with them. Can they evade this invisible enemy, as well as the angry mobs, the rogue soldiers, and the other sinister figures now threatening them? Glaive and Gabion—born to hunt, not to be hunted—may be their only chance for survival. Plague-bringers or not, Brind and Aurélie will never stop fighting to keep themselves—and their small family—alive.

About this title

About the Author

Christopher Russell is a full-time scriptwriter who has worked on numerous television and radio programs. He is the author of Dogboy, the first book about Brind and Glaive. He lives with his wife on the Isle of Wight in England.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5–8—When the Black Death comes to Dowe Manor, killing Lady Beatrice, a self-serving monk named Brother Rohan blames the French house girl, Aurélie, and the simple-minded dog boy, Brind, as "agents of the Devil." Banished from the manor by the grief-stricken lord, the two young teens barely escape a witch-hunting mob and take to the woods with faithful brown mastiffs Gabion and Glaive. Brind's animal instincts help the pair survive until the menacing friar captures and parades them through town, allowing villagers to torture Aurélie and sentence Brind and his dogs to drown in the river. Suspense builds as readers are led to believe that the two are doomed, but the scrappy children elude the talons of death, whereupon a beautiful outlaw storms through town with her band of men and takes the "plague bringers" under her wing. The outlandish Chanterelle is the most interesting character, a vividly described redhead in emerald green silk, stealing top billing away from Brother Rohan with her cruel antics. Suspicious of her motives for keeping them in her custody, Aurélie and Brind wait for an opportune time to escape and make their way back to Dowe Manor, where they hope to be taken back in by their former benefactor. The story is action driven, enhanced by the well-characterized dog companions that exact the ultimate revenge on the tormentors. An entertaining romp through the Middle Ages.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY
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About this edition

• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0060841206
• ISBN 13: 9780060841201
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 272