Notice for Review Requests

I receive review requests weekly. However, my personal schedule is hectic and I no longer review actively. (I also manage another blog called The Toronto Cafe and Food Blog). I do read every request sent but I apologize in advance that I do not reply to them all.

If I do take on a request, I will forewarn that it may take some time before I can review it. I am now looking to review adult fiction and self-help books instead of young adult fiction because I have grown out of it. If you are to request a review for either adult fiction or self-help, I will more likely to give it a shot.

In the meantime, Stop, Drop, and Read! serves as an archive book review blog. When I have the time, I may post a review. Thank you for understanding.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Max the Buffalope from the Sebastian Darke Series

Today we have up Max, a buffalope from the whimsical and adventure-filled series of Sebastian Darke by English author Philip Caveney. Max is Sebastian's loyal "steed" who has been in the family for years! Now he'll tell you a little about his history before his days at the Darke family!

~~~

The Great Migration

For as long as I can remember, I have always stood out from the herd.

That is to say, from the very beginning, I was different to my fellow buffalope. I didn’t really look any different to the others, and I’m sure, my habits were more or less the same as those exhibited by buffalope the known world over. But I had something that none of the others seemed to possess; an enquiring mind. It was this, more than anything else that led me to become the creature that I am today, admired and revered across the known world as Max the Mighty.

Now, I could tell you reams of stuff about the buffalope life, but really it mostly came down to this. Through the Spring and Summer, we stood around and ate grass; lots of grass; lots and lots of grass. The stuff was virtually coming out of our ears.

And when autumn came creeping in, relentless winds blasting cold rain across the hills, it was then that the great migration would begin.

It happened every year at more or less the same time. Melchior, the herd’s leader, would sniff the cold air with his nostrils. He would glance at the ancient sage bull, Lazarus, his most trusted advisor and then he would lift his head and issue a great trumpeting bellow, which was the signal for us all to stop doing whatever it was we were doing and start migrating. Countless hooves would stir into action and we would be off, with a sound like rolling thunder, across the vastness of the plains.

It was the buffalope way of life sure enough – but even at that tender age, I was beginning to be irked by the inevitability of it. I had taken part in the great migration only twice in my young life and I was already getting well and truly fed up with it. For one thing, my hooves ached, something terrible. It’s been a lifelong problem for me, one that nobody ever seems to take seriously. But I’m telling you, after days of marching across that blooming plain, they were killing me.

For another thing, it was boring going through the same routine, year in, year out. I was longing for a bit of variety in my life. There’s no harm in that, surely?

As soon as I was able to talk – which I confess, did not take me very long, I was forever asking my poor mother tricky questions. I well remember one particular day, when we were browsing as usual in the midst of the herd and I felt that I simply had to have an answer to a problem that had been perplexing me for ages.

‘Mama,’ I said ‘Why do we make the great migration every year?”

‘My dear,’ Mama said, ‘we do so because the rest of the herd do; and they do so, because Melchior, our esteemed leader, says that it is time for the journey to begin.’

‘Yes, but it’s very hard on the hooves, Mama. It’s not nice having aching legs. Sometimes I swear my hooves feel as though they are about to drop off. Why must we be forever trooping up and down?’

‘It’s just the buffalope way,’ said Mama.

‘That’s no explanation,’ I complained. ‘You might as well say, because the grass is green! Here’s an idea for you. What would happen if we decided to stay here on the plains?’

‘You’d starve to death,’ said Papa, who was a buffalope who didn’t like to use any more words than were strictly necessary. ‘Or you’d freeze.’ He was browsing a particularly lush bit of grass at the time and didn’t really want to be disturbed by my childish questions.

‘There wouldn’t be enough grass to feed an entire herd through the winter,’ added Mama.

‘Yes, but it wouldn’t be the entire herd, would it?’ I persisted. ‘The rest of them would go thundering off and we’d have whatever was left all to ourselves. There’s only the three of us, we’d be laughing.’

‘Not when a pack of lupers came after us,’ said Papa gloomily. ‘And started ripping us limb from limb.’

‘We could take care of them,’ I said dismissively, tossing my underdeveloped horns this way and that. ‘What are lupers but mutts with an attitude problem?’ I must confess that I already had a vastly inflated opinion of my own abilities

‘There’s safety in numbers,’ grunted Papa. ‘Now belt up and let me enjoy my dinner.’ He let out a great gust of wind from his rear end, just to make sure I fully understood that as far as he was concerned, this was the end of the matter.

Papa moved away a bit. Mama gave me a consoling snuffle with her nice wet snout.

‘You’re only a youngster,’ she told me. ‘There’s no reason to worry your little head over things you don’t really understand.’

I felt like telling her that I did understand, only too well, but Papa was still close enough to give me a whack with the edge of a horn, so I kept my peace. But I felt sure, even then, that I wasn’t going to put up with this migration business for very much longer.


~~~

I am so desperate for the second novel, Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates! I placed an order in from Amazon so hopefully it arrives safely to my uncle's place (cheaper). But lucky for one of you, because there is one up in the prize pool!

Prize(s): A signed paperback copy of Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools OR Sebastian Darke: Prince of Pirates
# of Winners:
2
Eligibility:
International

How to get entries: (please put keep it in the format below when you comment!)
+1 Comment
(TELL ME WHICH ONE YOU WANT TO BE ENTERED IN IF NOT BOTH)
+1 New follower

+2 Old follower

+1 Linking this contest once somewhere else around the web

post signature

35 comments:

The Obsessive Reader said...

First comment! I would like to be entered for both.
+1 I'm a new follower
+1 I linked on my sidebar.

rconnell94@yahoo.com
Rachel

Shawna L. said...

Shawna Lewis
weloveourdogs@juno.com


I am an old follower ;o)

Shawna L. said...

Shawna Lewis
weloveourdogs@juno.com

I put it on Facebook ;o)

Shawna L. said...

Shawna Lewis
weloveourdogs@juno.com


I would love for you top put me into both giveaway please and thanks for this chance to win ;o)

Anonymous said...

You can enter my name for either book. They both look great!
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

Anonymous said...

I am already a follower of your blog.
wandanamgreb (at) gmail (dot) com

Hot Off the Shelves said...

I would love to be entered for both

+1 Comment
+2 Old follower

jasmyn9[at]hotmail[dot]com

M.A.D. said...

Mary D
zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com

Hi Diana :)
Here is my first comment! I would so love to be entered for both and thank you very much :)

M.A.D. said...

Mary D
zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com

I just signed up to follow :)
+ 1

tawndam said...

I'd love either of these... but I normally like to start a series at the beginning...
+1 comment
+2 old follower

Paradox said...

I'd like to enter to win either book, but I'd most like to win the first.

+1 Comment
+2 Old follower
+1 Link: http://twitter.com/ParadoxRevealed/status/3252114672

paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com

Sue said...

I'd like to be entered for Prince of Fools since I haven't read this and should start at the beginning! Thanks for sharing this.

s.mickelson at gmail dot com

MissA said...

I'm going to pass on this contest (so many books to read it's ridiculous!) Just wanted to let you know that I gave you an award!
http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Awesome, thanks!
+1 comment-Either one would be great!
+2 old follower
adrienne2093(at)comcast(dot)net

deltay said...

I haven't heard of this series before, but it sounds great!

+1 both would be great :)
+2 Old follower
+1 sidebar linked

Sheere said...

I'd like to be enterd in both, but if I've to chose I'd say Sebastian Darke: Prince of Fools.

+2 Old follower

sheere.dry@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

cintiaq@aol.com

+1 Comment
+1 New follower
+1 Linking this contest at a blog in pulseit http://pulseit.simonandschuster.com/_1st-blogoversary/blog/513482/107649.html

Llehn said...

+1 I'd love to be entered for both please! Thanks.
+2 Old follower.

lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com

Unknown said...

I would love to be entered for both please.

+ new follower

shylalou@bellsouth.net

throuthehaze said...

Count me in please! I would love to win Prince of Fools

+1 comment
+1 new follower

throuthehaze at gmail dot com

Alyssa F said...

+1 Please enter me for Prince of Pirates
+2 Old follower through Bloglines
+1 Linked this contest at my blog:http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2009/08/contest-roundup-august-17th.html

Unknown said...

+1 I'd like to enter for both
+1 new follower
+1 tweet

http://twitter.com/bridget3420/status/3366362010

bjhopper(at)me(dot)com

Marie said...

I would love to read this!

I am a new follower.

marielay@gmail.com

Sarah said...

+1 Comment
+2 Old follower

Thanks for the contest!
Limerick
two_of_hearts_101 at yahoo dot com

Sarah said...

Please add me to the draw.
+1 Comment
+1 New follower

Kristen said...

I've read the first one, but enter me for both!

+2 Old Follower

Beth said...

Please enter me for both!

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Jenny N. said...

Either book would be fine with me.
+2 Old Follower

jen4777[at]hotmail.com

Ellz said...

Please count me in!
+1 comment
+1 new follower
zenfoxflowerATyahooDOTcom

Ellz said...

I almost forget, I would love to read the Prince of Pirates!

L said...

I'd love to be entered for both please!

+1 Comment
+2 Old follower
+1 sidebar:
http://violeteyesroaming.blogspot.com/

lovinfitch(at)aol(dot)com

Book Sp(l)ot said...

That cover alone is enough to interest me in the book :)


+1 for commenting
+1 for following (apparently I wasn't already no matter how much I thought so)

book.splotATgmailDOTcom

booksrmysoul said...

Blair W
blairwlewis@gmail.com

Thank you for this chance to win these books I wont to read either of them but the !st one I think I'll got with!!

+1 Commenting
+1 New Follower
+1 I twetted http://twitter.com/booksrmysoul/status/3652767404

3 points

Unknown said...

Acacia
bucsfan12@rocketmail.com

Thanks for this chance to win enter me into both please.

+1 I am a New Follower of this blog
+1 I commented
+1 I twetted:https://twitter.com/lovenibs2/status/3668990679

3 points

CassandraBelikov440 said...

+1. commenting
+2 old follower
+1 posted about it in my blog

http://irishprincess440.blogspot.com/


Cassandra Conley
cassy133@yahoo.com