The Guardians of Zoone

Author Lee Edward Födi welcomes his readers back to Zoone with a tour of the multiverse that includes a flying pirate ship, magic cannibals, and menacing robots intent of taking over the world. Our tour, however, begins inauspiciously with Ozzie at his quasi-permanent home in the apartment of Aunt Temperance. He is anxious to return to Zoone to see his friends and to be part of the magical world. After all, although he loves Aunt Temperance, she “liked to play it safe” and lives a quiet, predictable life. Unfortunately, the door to Zoone was irreparably damaged when he returned from Zoone after his first adventure, The Secret of Zoone, ( www.cmreviews.ca/node/724 ) and so Ozzie can only dream longingly of his friends. His future is dire; his parents have decided to send him to boarding school in the fall.

The magic of Zoone reappears unexpectedly when Ozzie and his aunt are attacked by a robotic flying bug, followed closely by a visit from his skyger friend, Tug, and the purple haired princess, Fidget. Zoone is in danger, and Lady Zoone has sent them to convince Aunt Temperance that she is the only one that can save Zoone – and the entire multiverse! This revelation throws Ozzie off-balance – after all, he saved Zoone last time, and his aunt is a frail corporate librarian who likes big words. Ozzie will soon learn that everyone can be a hero in their own story.

The Guardians of Zoone is filled with action and adventure as the intrepid quartet sets off to rescue the mysterious Mercutio in their quest to save Zoone. There are enough adventures and near-death experiences to satisfy even the most intrepid adventure aficionado. Fortunately, Födi chose not to skimp on character development and world building in this installment of the series. Aunt Temperance takes on a starring role with Ozzie as it is revealed that her backstory and the choices she made as a young woman initiated the series of events that triggered the calamity our heroes are struggling to resolve. Her story enriches the plot with questions of choice, consequence, and suffering. Ozzie also learns the resiliency that comes from being part of a crew working together.

In some ways, The Guardians of Zoone reads as a morality tale. Ozzie and his friends experience a world destroyed by pollution and technology. They also recognize that many people are not accepted by their cultures or society because they do not fit society’s mold or expectations in some way. There is also an acknowledgment that every life must face hardship and suffering and that our choices impact and are impacted by others.

Although author Lee Edward Födi added some deeper themes into his expanding multiverse, The Guardians of Zoone is ultimately an adventure fantasy filled with humour and action. I look forward to traveling to new worlds with Ozzie and his compatriots in the future.