Nathaniel Fludd has protected a phoenix and contained a basilisk as well as adopting a gremlin as his unlikely (and possibly unsuitable) companion. Nate is ten yeas old and he is a Beastologist-in-training; one of the last of the Fludd family line, charged with the responsibility of caring for and protecting some of the world’s more unusual beasts.
While Nate has grown to care deeply about Aunt Phil on their whirlwind travels across Africa, he misses his parents who were declared lost at sea. He hopes that news of a mysterious intruder tracking the beasts for ill purposes will lead to clues about their mysterious disappearance and possibly even reveal that they are alive after all.
But before Nate and Aunt Phil can make sense of his parents’ disappearance or the intruder, they will have to travel to Wales to appease an angry lair of Wyverns. An intruder (perhaps the intruder) is wandering their caves breaking an ancient Covenant that, once broken, will lead to Wyverns wreaking havoc across the Welsh countryside. There is less than a day left to restore the Covenant and stop the intruder, but by the end it all comes down to one question: Will Nathaniel Fludd be able to outsmart a Wyvern in The Wyvern’s Treasure (2010) by R. L. LaFevers with illustrations by Kelly Murphy?
The Wyvern’s Treasure is the third installment in the Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist series. It is also probably my favorite of the three because I have a special fondness for Wyverns in all of their huge, dragon-y glory.
This was a fun installment in an already enjoyable series. Readers get to see a bit more of Cornelius the Dodo and learn more about the mystery surrounding Nate’s parents (though not much more). This volume also brings a new landscape and more background about the Fludd family. The only flaw, really, is that it was so short that there wasn’t much room for more information about the backstory of Nate’s parents where readers get more questions than answers. (Questions that will hopefully be resolved later in the series.)
The main story, of negotiating with the Wyvern’s and stopping the intruder is excellent; filled with action, humor and a fair bit of charm. Over the course of the series, Nathaniel is really coming into his own as a beastologist at the same time that his pet, Greasle the Gremlin, is learning more about how to deal with things in the human world.
Murphy’s illustrations are, as ever, wonderful additions to the story with representations of the beasts, the characters and the landscape as well as some of Nate’s own drawings for good measure.
All in all, a delightful read.
Exclusive Bonus Content: This might also be my favorite cover of the series so far.
Miss Print 