We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord

By Garth Nix

Reviewed by Mia Macrossan

Garth Nix has been writing carefully crafted, witty and original science fiction and fantasy for many years. YA books include the Old Kingdom fantasy series; SF novels Shade’s Children and A Confusion of Princes; and a Regency romance with magic, Newt’s Emerald. His novels for younger readers include The Ragwitch;  The Seventh Tower sequence; The Keys to the Kingdom series and others. His recent books include the Booksellers of Bath series.

His writing is notable for meticulous world building fueled by a rich imagination. His characters have a rich inner life which immediately engages the reader.  He also has a quirky sense of humour which adds an extra sparkle to his writing.

In his latest middle grade novel, We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord, set in an alternative Canberra in 1975, he pays homage to his Dungeons and Dragon playing days with the main character, 12-year-old Kim a keen afficionado.

He and his best friend Bennie, also 12, are out riding their bikes one evening, accompanied by their younger siblings, Eila and Madir when they discover a mysterious golden ball, the size of an ordinary basketball, in one of the artificial lakes. As soon as they touch the ball they freeze. Kim hears a voice in his head, ‘Let me in. I am a friend. I can help you.‘ He resists but Eila, insists on taking the ball, which has somehow become an ordinary muddy basketball, home. This sets the scene for a suspenseful, original thriller where Kim is fighting to save the world from something that may or may not, have taken over his ten-year-old sister.

This is an at all times gripping story set in a rich bedrock of family dynamics where friendship, loyalty and love are paramount. Nix immediately draws the reader in with his vividly realised characters grappling with everyday situations, ( bossy parents, absent parents, quarrels with friends and siblings) that are timeless. This story will satisfy his many fans, appeal to any lover of science fiction and serve as an introduction for those new to the genre. Nix, a master storyteller, captures the reader in his intricate web and doesn’t let go until the priceless denouement.

Age 9 – 13

A & U Children 2024

Garth Nix