Jaguar Warrior
Age 9+
General Fiction
Imprisoned in a box, Atl waits for death. He is not afraid. Anger burns too deeply within him. Then, unexpectedly, he is released. Released to deliver an urgent message. But it is not the mission that sets him running. It is the sudden chance for freedom. Nothing can stop this Jaguar Warrior. Not even the one who hunts him.
Jaguar Warrior is a thrilling page-turner for younger readers by award-winning Australian author Sandy Fussell. Set in ancient Aztec times, this historical adventure novel is about a slave boy trying to protect his people from Spanish invasion, while avoiding being sacrificed himself. It was a Notable Book at the 2011 Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year Awards. For more junior fiction reads check out Sandy’s other books, Polar Boy and the Samurai Kids series.
“From the opening pages to the climax, Jaguar Warrior will have your heart thumping. The hunt throughout is expertly paced and well-balanced with character reveals and historical information … Fussell has a special prowess in recreating bygone civilisations and filling them with realistic, thought-provoking characters so the past leaps into life. She did it in her Samurai Kids series and achieves it well in Jaguar Warrior.” The Sun Herald
“What a page-turner: Aztec blood sacrifices, a ravenous crocodile, feisty companions, secret passages and a heart-stopping pursuit. Indiana Jones move over! … It is not only the fascinating details of Aztec life in Mexica and the Spanish invasion of that civilisation that hold the reader captive – Atl and Lali are resourceful and engaging and their lively bickering provides welcome touches of humour as a counterpoint to their terror. Fussell manages to integrate facts without ever breaking the tension of the narrative. Atl and the Captain speak alternatively, their voices vivid and compelling. The language is poetic yet riveting.” Magpies magazine
“Fussell, a gifted writer, has again created outstanding characters and a suspenseful, informative and well-crafted storyline.” Good Reading magazine
“A gripping historical novel for children, set in Aztec times … Set in a well-researched, thoroughly believable world, this is a thrilling adventure which will appeal to upper primary and secondary readers. Brilliant.” Aussie Reviews
Creators
Sandy Fussell lives on the NSW South Coast with her husband and two sons. She studied mathematics at university, is intensely interested in history, and now works in IT. She is afraid of bears, volcanoes and samurai swords and has written a book about each one of them. Her series Samurai Kids has been hugely successful: Book 1, White Crane, won an IBBY 2011 Outstanding Book for Children with Disabilities and has been listed for awards in the US, UK, Japan and China. Book 3, Shaolin Tiger, and Book 5, Fire Lizard, were Notable Books in the Younger Readers Category in the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards. Shaolin Tiger was also short-listed in the Speech Pathology Awards – Upper Primary Category, 2010. Polar Boy, Sandy’s first stand-alone novel, was short-listed in 2009 for the CBCA Book of the Year Award for Younger Readers, and her second stand-alone novel, Jaguar Warrior, was a CBCA Notable in 2011. For further information please visit her website: www.sandyfussell.com
Reviews
Set in a well researched, thoroughly believable world, this is a thrilling adventure which will appeal to upper primary and secondary readers.
Aussie Reviews
