Told in the past tense, he even goes so far as to poke holes in his own story and offers a commentary on his life and the lessons he's learned since - he even pokes fun at authors and their foibles. This is the highlight of the novel, the smart and savvy Alcatraz manages to entertain from the word go with a self-depreciating humour and a style all his own. The series is narrated in the first person by the protagonist and self professed unreliable narrator who not only discusses the parts of this tale but also speaks directly to the reader. These novels follow the adventures of the 13 year old boy Alcatraz Smedry and his discovery of who he really is along with the truth behind the false facade that is the world we know. Not only are they very funny, but they are well paced, full of great action and some cracking magical fight scenes, and the world-building is as accomplished as you would expect from a writer who has made his name writing adult fantasy.The Complete Alcatraz collects the whole series of Brandon Sanderson young adult novels including Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones, Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia and Alcatraz Versus the Shattered Lens. I reckon they are a little like marmite - most adults will either love them or hate them, but these books were written for younger readers, and with this in mind I feel they are likely to be very popular with aged 11-14 kids who love off-the-wall comedy.
However, at the same time I was fully aware that some people might find the humor and style of narration more than a little irritating, and I have to say that these books are definitely not for everyone.
I found all of this quite unique, entertaining and I found myself regularly chuckling away. He also has a habit of playing storytelling 'tricks' on his readers, keeping them on their toes, and interspersing plot developments with (at the time) seemingly irrelevant rants on whatever subject takes his fancy. The story is told by Alcatraz himself, and he does so with a heavy dose of sarcasm, a liberal sprinkling of jocularity, a soupçon of cynicism and an undercurrent of dry wit throughout. I'm sure you've guessed by now that this is not your normal, run-of-the-mill fantasy story, and this is made very clear from the opening 'author's' foreword.
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