The Legend of Tarik

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Walter Dean Myers: The Legend of Tarik (Scholastic Paperbacks)

English language

Published by Scholastic Paperbacks.

ISBN:
978-0-590-44426-2
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(1 review)

El Muerte is a devil. There's no better word to describe him. After killing countless people, among whom are Tarik's dad and little brother, El Muerte still continues his life as if everything is normal. Meanwhile, Tarik is picked up by two great people, who teach him multiple skills, which aid him in defeating El Muerte in the end. Utterly emotional and worth the read!

3 editions

reviewed The Legend of Tarik by Walter Dean Myers

An African hero origin story...

An enthralling adventure story in the style of Sword and Sorcery classics but with an African protagonist. (As a kid I didn't even notice the upended convention, I just loved the story.) A boy survives the massacre of his tribe and must find the battle skills, magic, and courage to avenge his family. Pretty sure this book laid the foundation for my love of Sword and Sorcery in the 80s and 90s (and there was a lot of it, mostly dominated by a well-known musclebound Austrian). I wore out my copy well into my tweens. I don't think I'd dare read it as an adult for fear of tarnishing fond childhood memories, but I wouldn't hesitate to hand a reading copy to adventure-loving young warriors-in-training.