Juggler in the Wind : The Wand Bearer Trilogy Part One

Authors: Wim Coleman and Pat Perrin

Publisher: Chiron Books

ISBN: 978-1-93517807-1

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The first in a trilogy from acclaimed authors Coleman and Perrin, Juggler in the Wind is a coming of age story for young adults that offers an interesting take on mythology, with the Greek gods travelling across America as performers in a seedy circus. Fourteen year old Randy, a loner and son of the town’s black sheep, can’t understand why he is so attracted to the circus, or why his mother is so agitated by it. But the mysteries of the big top are too great to resist and, before he knows it, Randy has run away from home to cast his lot with the motley crew of the decrepit Circus Olympus.

It would be so easy to draw parallels with the ‘Percy Jackson’ series written by Rick Riordan, with its pantheon of mighty gods and adventurous teenaged protagonist. Yet there the resemblance ends. For where Riordan’s gods are powerful and at ease in present day America, Coleman and Perrin cast theirs as old, infirm and impoverished - clearly suffering all the consequences of immortality, and few of its perks. They are as clueless as Randy is of the future that awaits them. Nor are their powers a comfort; the one time Mr. Moloch (Neptune?) is called upon to use his powers, he does so reluctantly and the effort nearly kills him. Yet something darker than impending senility and the cops dogs the circus and Randy soon finds himself surrounded by forces he cannot comprehend. Strangely lifelike dreams ( with a Greek chorus playing in the background ) begin to haunt him, and he discovers a natural affinity to juggling he has never known before. Enter Johnny Pine, dynamic son of the ringmaster Preston Parnell (Zeus?) and the trial by fire that will allow Randy to prove himself and discover his own powers.

Told from Randy’s point of view, ‘Juggler…’ is fast paced and, as Randy’s ordeal shows, not shy of violence. As in their acclaimed book ‘Anna’s World’, Coleman and Perrin skilfully get into the heads of their protagonists, investing them with a strong voice and an eye for introspection. The world according to Anna and Randy is less about the externals – adventures, intrigue, family - than it is about their own spiritual and moral growth. This is also a children’s book nearly devoid of child characters, besides Randy and Jill, a girl in the troupe – there is a sense that Randy , alone in a world of troubled and wrecked grown ups, , will soon have to step up to the challenges of adulthood and shoulder an enormous burden. If the ‘little’ test he is put through is anything to go by, great perils await him.

The plot is interesting, yet the writing in ‘Juggler..’ feels dated, with Randy’s voice not always believable as that of a present day teenager. He is surprisingly docile around his troubled and emotionally remote mother, and uses the vocabulary (‘roustabout’, ‘educated guess’) of a much older person, even if he is described as well read. Indeed, the writers leave the timeframe of the story so ambiguous that it was only about midway into the book (when a cell phone makes an appearance) that I realized the book was not set in the America of the 1950s. While the book is definitely very readable, I do feel it might deter the young reader more comfortable with the contemporary lingo that writers like Rowling, Meyer and Riordan use with such success.

As first in a trilogy, ‘ Juggler..’ is clearly meant to be a teaser of sorts, leaving us with more questions than answers By the end of the book, when the Circus Olympus heads toward the mountains and the great unknown, we are no clearer about Randy’s future, the threats he could (and will) face, or even why the Gods would persist in using a circus as a front, in a day and age when few people care for its attractions anymore . There is the suggestion of a quest, a ride into the unknown, and plenty of battling, up ahead.

Do I look forward to the next two books in the series – definitely . Much like the mountains Randy is headed for at the end of this book, 'Juggler..', with its innovative take on mythology, its flawed yet intriguing characters, its very likeable protagonist, and the authors’ proven skill with plot, holds the promise of great things further up the road.


Click Here To Purchase Juggler in the Wind (The Wand Bearer Trilogy)