Rumo & His Miraculous Adventures

Walter Moers
2003

Fun, amazing, completely original, this book blew me away. Completely different to anything I've read in years, it was a tale that begged not to be put down, and the wide range of people, places and stories is mind-boggling.

Rumo, torn from his adopted family by marauders of the sea (technically not pirates), he grows up quickly and, under the guise of Smyke, a shark grub, begins his long list of heroic deeds. We follow his progress as he makes it to Wolperting, the city of his people, and from there to Hel, the city of the Netherworld, where he must save the rest of his people, as well as the love of his life, Rala.

This book was a real find, and I picked it purely because the cover stood out from the rest of the adult fiction. There are pictures throughout the story, of each of the main characters, and various random bits, like when Rumo steps into a pitch-black tent, the story is printed white on black. Things like that amuse me, so long as they don't overwhelm the story.

Year total: 6 (other books can seen here)
Date Finished: March 3, 2007