Book of the Stars



A series of three teenager's fantasy books by Eric Lhomme, written in 2001 and first published by Scholastic in 2003.

The Lost Island is a strange Magical Land: Not quite magic, because people go to the same kinds of schools as we do, wear the same clothes, have electricity and all that goes with it (televisions, computers, video games, cinema theaters), etc. And it's not quite a Land, because there is no guns, cars, or cops, but carts and knights instead. And magical creatures (the korrigans) and wizards as well.The reason for this is that the island once was torn away from the (real) mainland and now is stuck between our dimension (the Real World) and a pure Magical Land, the Uncertain World.

The 12-year-old Robin Penmarch is taken in as an apprentice to the sorcerer Quadehar because he shows an aptitude for magic. Soon afterwards, Robin receives serious threats from the Uncertain World and its evil Overlord, the Shadow. The Shadow lusts for Robin for unknown reasons. Robin and his four friends soon have to do incursions in Uncertain World in order to resolve mysteries.

The Lost Island is a Magical Land with modern comforts but no disadvantages from the Real World (such as pollution). Where else will sorcerers ever use computers? Add Robin's hilarious Five Man Band and fascinating magic lessons, and you have one of the rarest fantasy books from a Romance-language country.

The three books are Quadehar the Sorcerer, The Mystery of Lord Sha, and The Face of the Shadow.

Not to be confused with The book of Stars

This series provides examples of:

 * Abhorrent Admirer:
 * Aerith and Bob:Quadehar, Kushumai, Yorwan, Urien, Charfalaq...along with Robin, Agatha, Alicia, Thomas, Amber, and Kyle.
 * Adults Are Useless:The Five Man Band have to do all the work to find Agatha in Uncertain World or rescue Robin later on.They're 13 years old.
 * All There in the Manual:At the end of the first book, the whole rune alphabet as well as the gestures associated with spells are reproduced.
 * Berserk Button:Don't try seduce Robin in front of Amber.
 * Beta Couple:
 * Brother Sister Team:Kids in the band are usually related. (sisters and cousins)
 * The Bully: Agatha and Thomas in first book.
 * Butt Monkey: Bertram. When he's introduced to Robin's friends, he begins to tell bad jokes to everyone, and ends up on the floor beaten up by Amber.
 * The Chosen One: Robin
 * Complete Monster:The Shadow
 * Dance of Romance:Amber and Robin had three parties where they could dance together. The second time Robin notices that "At the end, he found she started to look at him strangely."
 * Disappeared Dad:For Robin in the two first books.
 * Door Stop Baby:Kyle
 * The Dragon:
 * Dub Name Change:
 * In the original version, Robin Penmarch was Guillemot de Troil. (Guillemot is not a real name but a common noun in French, so he was more Aerith than Bob in that version).
 * Other changes in names are minor, like Agatha instead of Agathe or the particle "de" removed from all the surnames.
 * The "mainland" which the Lost Island belonged at first is actually France. More precisely, it is Brittany, where korrigans and menhirs originated.
 * The Lost Island was named the Island of Ys. Ys is a legend from Brittany too, about a vanished city
 * And peanut butter toast? That is "" (and butter) toast. That chocolate dough from Italy is as popular there and in France as peanut butter can be in English speaking countries.
 * Element Number Five: The flesh. Hum, what? All living things, actually.
 * Evil All Along:
 * Evil Laugh:The Shadow, of course.
 * Evil Overlord / The Big Bad: The Shadow
 * Evil Redhead:Thomas
 * Expy:The gommons, aquatic monsters from Uncertain World, have a strong resemblance to the Creature From the Black Lagoon
 * The Faceless: The Shadow. He looks like a literal shadow but is a real guy in that disguise.
 * Fake Weakness:
 * Fictionary:The korrigani (Korrigans's langage) and the ska (Uncertain World langage)
 * Five Man Band
 * The Hero: Robin
 * The Lancer:Romaric
 * The Smart Guy:Gontrand
 * The Big Guy:Amber, hilariously enough.
 * The Chick:Coralie
 * Fridge Logic:Alicia is 31, her brother Urien 60. Exactly how old are the parents?
 * Green Aesop:Polluting and lethal stuff (cars, weapons other than swords...) are banned from Lost Island. Electricity is generated using solar and wind power.
 * Hands Play in Theater:Amber try to touch Robin's hand during a movie, but she only gets him to blush, so she gives up.
 * Heel Face Turn:
 * Heterosexual Life Partners:Urien and his butler Valentin. They're childood friends and unmarried. Valentin had to become the butler to avoid comments.
 * Hot Chick With a Sword:Kushumai
 * Hot Dad:
 * Hot Mom:Alicia
 * I Just Want to Be Special: Before he learns he is an extremly gifted and powerful sorcerer, Robin wishes to be special.
 * I Owe You My Life:
 * Kid Hero
 * Killed Off for Real:
 * Knight in Shining Armor: Knights from Lost Island are literal ones. Romaric acts as one, even before he starts knighting school.
 * The Ladette: Amber
 * Lost World: Well, the Lost Island.
 * Luke I Am Your Father: Subverted; the Shadow tries to trick Robin with that revelation once. He even get the Big No response. But it was Blatant Lies
 * Magic a Is Magic A: Inverted: Quadehar gives many details on how to invocate the runes alphabet in order to construct gladrs ( spells), runes that are based on constellations shapes.
 * Magical Land: Uncertain World. The Lost Island is a subversion: magical with Real World's best (technological) parts.
 * Manipulative Bastard:
 * Meaningful Name:No matter if the hero is named Robin or Guillemot, he still has a bird name. The twin sisters Amber and Coralie are named after minerals (amber and coral).
 * Milky White Eyes: The sea people. Contains a subversion as they're not blind.
 * The Obi Wan: Quadehar is a young and living example.
 * Only Child Syndrome:The twins are the exception.
 * Our Orcs Are Different
 * Parental Substitute: Quadehar is this for Robin.
 * Platonic Life Partners: Agatha and her minion Thomas. Agatha says they're "not married".
 * Polar Opposite Twins: Amber and her twin Coralie. One is short haired with a nasty temper and boyish manners. The other is a long haired fashionista with hundreds of admirers.
 * Powers Via Possession:
 * Relationship Upgrade:At first Robin thinks that Amber is the worst teasing chick of Lost Island, and Amber keeps on bothering him because she's annoyed by his weakness.
 * Agatha's feeling for Robin are at first hate and bullying that goes with it, then crush on him after he saved her,and finally friendship.
 * Retired Badass:Uncle Urien.
 * Save the Villain:The first travel to Uncertain World is mostly to save the school bully Agatha.
 * Sealed With a Kiss:
 * Ship Tease:
 * Shout Out:A magician from Uncertain World once invoke: "By The Power Of Gray Skull, I have the power!". No,really.
 * Gontrand, mocked for wanting to play his zither every time, is nicknamed "Cacophonix"
 * Bertram once says that "The truth is out there."
 * Someone to Remember Him By:For Alicia, her son will always remind her of Yorwan, the vanishing fiance.
 * Star Crossed Lovers: Alicia and Yorwan.
 * Switched At Birth:
 * Team Big Brother: Bertram
 * Tomboy and Girly Girl: Amber and Coralie
 * Trademark Favorite Food: For Robin, peanut butter and jam toast.
 * True Companions: The Kids becme one before they go to the Uncertain World for the first time.
 * We Can Rule Together: Not sure to pull down his magical defences, the Shadow makes this offer to Robin.
 * White Haired Pretty Girl: Matsi. All sea people of the Uncertain World are white haired, actually.
 * World of No Grandparents
 * You Mean Xmas: The Samain celebration. That was Halloween's first name. Christmas is evoked trough "Winter Solstice".
 * You Mean Xmas: The Samain celebration. That was Halloween's first name. Christmas is evoked trough "Winter Solstice".