When a dog is killed mercilessly at the hands of a villager in the magic-filled village of Pucklechuck, half-Giant Mog learns his fate.
As the first witness to this shocking event, the Sibyl Sparrows tell him that only he can help the friendly village dogs fulfil Kadmus Komplete - an ancient and long-awaited Prophecy which foreshadows the imminent death of three dogs and (if all Steps are followed carefully) will lead to The Canine Hemispherical, a glorious world where dogs are in charge and humans are subservient.
Raised by Wolves yet desperate to be accepted by the villagers, Mog tries hard to fight his fate. When a Domfall (court case) is held and results in an unfair trial, a dog bites the killer in retaliation, sending the village into uproar and reigniting age-old tensions. Mog must put his pride aside and join the village dogs, as his unanswered questions and inner identity battles rage.
Long-buried suspicions of the villagers are roused and age-old tales are dug up, as the half-Giant realises he can't do it alone. With the help of Larkin, his right-hand bird and Moley (a villager on the right side), Mog must complete each Step, and on time...
Brimming with magic, mystery and warmth plus the steady rumblings of a future dystopia, The Village Dogs of Pucklechuck: Book One is the beginning of an exciting fantasy duology series for young adult readers.
Author Emily Garrett lives in Sydney and spoke at the Canberra Writers' Festival in 2022, appearing on Conversation with Michele Seminara: The Village Dogs of Pucklechuck and All in the Family Panel.
'The Village Dogs of Pucklechuck comes highly recommended - if you enjoy meaningful fantasy stories with outcasts and speaking animals, you will find all of that and more here! Magic, solidarity, power battles, the question of what's right and wrong - The Village Dogs of Pucklechuck is as deep as middle grade books often are, and therefore can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.' ***** The Artsy Reader
