The Bartholomew the Adventurer Trilogy is a story of spiritual transformation wrapped in a romping tale of adventure set in the far distant future after humans have vanished from the planet. The protagonist is a rather silly and self centered rabbit named Bartholomew who sets out in search of a missing object which he is unable to describe or name. Along the way he meets his adventuring companion, Oliver T. Rabbit, a brilliant scientist who also undergoes a deep transformation in the trilogy, coming to understand that there is no magic, only science, whether it’s time travel, parallel dimensions, manifesting physical objects with thoughts, or reincarnation. Their adventures take them to lost cities, parallel universes and other planets, along the way meeting a host of memorable characters including ancient robotic rabbits, the Tree of Eyes, the Singing Monks of Nirriim, the Blue Spectre, Edmund the Explorer, etc. By the end of the third book Bartholomew Rabbit has transformed into a fully awakened and enlightened being.
The Thirteenth Monk
Oliver T. Rabbit develops a revolutionary new invention and Edmund the Rabbiton develops an inexplicable new phobia. When Edmund unwittingly opens an interdimensional doorway, Bartholomew, Oliver, and Edmund are pulled into the strange world of Nirriim. Edmund encounters the enigmatic thirteen Blue Monks, Master Singers of Nirriim and relives a life changing traumatic event which occurred fifteen hundred years ago during the Anarkkian Wars. With help from Ennzarr the Red Monk, the eerie Blue Spectre, and two unlikely treasure hunters named Thunder and Lightning, the three adventurers must find the lost Seventh Key and defeat the inconceivably powerful Wyrme of Deth or be trapped forever in the world of Nirriim.
Tom Hoffman's epic fantasy, The Thirteenth Monk, Bartholomew the Adventurer, Book Two, is, if possible, even better than the first book in the series, The Eleventh Ring. While the author includes enough background information to allow The Thirteenth Monk to be read on its own, I would strongly recommend that readers read the books in order. I was enthralled by this story, most especially with the tale of Edmund the Rabbiton, who has become one of my favorite characters of all time. There's something so compelling about this A2 Rabbiton whose awareness and sense of difference make him more than human (or, should I say, rabbit?) than his other companions. The Thirteenth Monk is a wildly inventive fantasy story with horrific sand worms reminiscent of the denizens of Herbert’s Dune, vast hidden cities from long-lost civilizations and most affable and stalwart companions. It's quite a remarkable work and is most highly recommended.
Five stars! Unique, charming, humorous, whimsy, lovely, and gently philisophical. Not since Watership Down have rabbits come alive as heroes and villains. A retro-world of the nineteenth century more' juxtaposed over a multidimensional, time jumping tale of adventure. If the idea of reincarnation doesn't dissuade you from reading a delightful old time adventure story this series hits the nail on the head. Don't expect gratuitous bloodletting, violence and sex. There is much more than enough of that written and plastered across multiple medias today and snowballing through our society. But if you want to chuckle, scratch your head and think a time or two about what reality is and what's truly important this series will entertain you! Will this make a great animated movie? YES, YES, YES!
I absolutely loved The Thirteenth Monk. It was a great read, and I didn't want it to end. I hope that Hoffman writes a sequel. Hoffman did a great job making sure everything was thorough and comprehensible. The plot was one of the best that I have ever read, and I am thinking of buying this book for myself to read over and over again. I would also like to share this book with family and friends, and I hope other readers will do so too. I definitely recommend this to all those YA readers out there who love adventure stories. Also recommended for those who like fantasy and a tad of mystery."
"An endlessly stimulating sequel that caters to intellectually fearless readers." –Kirkus Reviews
