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Urchin of the Riding Stars
UrchinStarsPb
Published: 2005 (first edition)
2021 (Purple House Press)
Number: First
Languages: English
Illustrator: Omar Rayyan
Wouter Tulp (Dutch cover)
Narrator: Andrew Sachs
Preceded by: None
Succeeded by: Urchin and the Heartstone

Urchin of the Riding Stars is the first book of The Mistmantle Chronicles.

Synopsis[]

On a night of Riding Stars...

A tiny squirrel is found abandoned and close to death on a beach by Captain Crispin and Brother Fir. Adopted and raised by the warm-hearted Apple in a welcoming colony of animals, Urchin has no idea of his destiny or mysterious origins.

Many years later, the rule of the good King Brushen and Queen Spindle is threatened by an evil plot from within their court. When their young son is found murdered, the isle is thrown into turmoil. Behind the scenes, the wicked Lord Husk and Lady Aspen are determined to take control. But to underestimate the power of the islanders and the ancient prophecy is a big mistake...

Plot[]

A mother squirrel goes into labor upon reaching the island of Mistmantle during a night of Riding Stars. After a difficult, agonizing delivery, she dies, leaving behind an infant son with pale fur. A gull carries the child off but drops him, and he falls into the sea near Mistmantle Tower. Crispin, a young squirrel and a new member of the Circle, and Brother Fir, the aged squirrel priest, see him falling and rescue him from the surf. At the suggestion of Crispin, Fir names him Urchin and entrusts him to the care of the motherly but somewhat scatterbrained Apple.

On the next night of Riding Stars, years after the prior, Urchin joins his fellow inhabitants of Anemone Wood in gathering at Watchtop Hill. Crispin has since become a Captain of Mistmantle, along with his friend Padra the otter and fellow squirrel Husk. However, all is not well on Mistmantle, as animals, including Urchin, are assigned to forced working parties with various menial tasks. Worse, a law has been introduced in which infant animals who are small, deformed, or in any way lacking are brought to the Tower to be culled (killed).

Crispin, Urchin's personal hero, invites him to Fir's turret to watch the Riding Stars that night, where Urchin is told the full story of his arrival on Mistmantle as the captains and priest know it. Crispin then asks Urchin to become his page, meaning that Urchin will work at the Tower like his best friend, the hedgehog Needle. Unbeknownst to the group, the squirrel Gleaner had been eavesdropping on their conversations. The next morning, Urchin arrives at the Tower to find it in uproar, and with Crispin soon learns that Prince Tumble, son of King Brushen and Queen Spindle, has been murdered.

At the insistence of Captain Husk, the animals are assembled for the Casting of Lots, which is intended to identify the murderer. Husks, taking charge, draws a leaf bearing Crispin's claw mark. In the ensuing council of members of the Circle, Crispin is condemned to death, but Fir persuades the king to lessen the sentence to exile. Reluctantly, Urchin, with help from Arran the otter and Lugg the mole, prepares a boat to carry Crispin away from Mistmantle.

Due to the nature of the protective mists surrounding the island, this sentence means that Crispin cannot return to the island by sea. Urchin expresses a desire to leave the island with Crispin, but is ordered to remain on the island as Crispin makes his departure. His sorrow is consoled somewhat when Padra takes him on as his own page, but warns him that they should be careful since the true murderer remains free. He speaks the truth, as Husk, glorying in his victory, retreats to an evil dungeon where he receives two prophetic warnings about his plans.

Some weeks later, the island prepares for Husk's wedding to Lady Aspen, close friend and attendant to Queen Spindle. Urchin learns that Needle's mother Ramblen has given birth to a new baby; however, Needle fears that her brother Scufflen may fall victim to the culling law. Padra informs Urchin of his suspicion that Husk is behind the island's harsh new laws, which is confirmed when Urchin observes Husk consulting with the king, continually providing him with alcohol. Leaving the throne room, Urchin sees Gleaner, in the company of Lady Aspen, discussing baby Scufflen, and then encounters the hulking squirrel Granite, who is later made a captain.

Meanwhile, Crispin arrives on Swan Isle, where he soon encounters the imperious Lord Arcneck, who allows him to take up residence after he saves his cygnet from a pike. Back on Mistmantle, Padra takes advantage of the bustle of Husk and Aspen's imminent wedding to arrange for Scufflen to be spared. However, Needle later storms into Urchin's room in a rage, as Husk has ordered Scufflen brought to the tower despite the king ordering against it. On Padra's orders, Urchin finds Lugg, and later informs him of Scufflen's whereabouts in Husk's chambers.

The wedding takes place that night with Gleaner, now one of Aspen's maids, attending to the queen, who dies shortly after the ceremony. Urchin, told to put away Padra's captain's robe, discovers three leaves with Crispin's claw mark on them in the chest where the captains' robes are stored. Later, Urchin spots Husk making his way to the dungeon through a secret corridor, and after following him flees in terror and jumps out of the wrong Tower window. Back on Swan Isle, Crispin settles into life among the native squirrels, and marries an unexpectedly kind and thoughtful one named Whisper.

Urchin awakens after his fall to find himself in the Old Palace, a legendary haven, in the care of Padra. The palace is also a nursery where all the children Padra and his allies managed to save from being culled are raised in secret, including the new addition of Scufflen. Urchin then gives Padra the leaves he discovered, and Padra begins laying plans to expose Husk's villainy at the upcoming Spring Festival. As the queen's funeral approaches, Aspen is revealed as Husk's accomplice in the plan to take the throne of Mistmantle, having brought about Queen Spindle's death through "caring" for her.

After the funeral, Urchin, acting on Padra's behalf and taking advantage of Husk's temporary absence, speaks to King Brushen, who gives him tokens preventing Husk's plans to ration the islanders' food over the winter. Padra and his allies learn that, in addition to being induced to drunkenness induced by Husk, the king is also under the influence of powerful sleeping drafts, made by Aspen. Husk, infuriated by Urchin's interference, reassigns his spy, the mole Gloss, to watch him while the otter Tay is tasked with finding evidence to disgrace Padra. She eventually succeeds, while Fir, learning of Urchin's discovery of Husk's dungeon and knowing its history, sets out to find and cleanse it.

Husk, fed up with Urchin's interference and learning that he matches one of the warnings he received, orders Gloss to kill him. Hearing of the plot through Gleaner's former friend Crackle, Padra arranges for Urchin to leave the island. Shortly after Urchin's evacuation, Needle falls victim to a trap set for Urchin but survives, and succeeds in evacuating the Old Palace before Tay invades it with a force of guards. Urchin, after a tumultuous voyage, arrives on Swan Isle, where a joyous reunion with Crispin is marred by the murder of Whisper by Gloss, who was hiding in Urchin's boat. Shortly after the murder is committed, Gloss is killed by Lord Arcneck.

On the day of the Spring Festival, Padra's supporters prepare to expose Husk, while Tay is captured by Padra's allies after discovering the relocated nursery. Padra makes his case against Husk during his speech, swaying many of the islander's opinions on Husk. Realizing that he has little hope of seizing the throne, Husk initiates a battle, rallying his mercenaries that he smuggled on trading ships to fight against Padra's supporters. Most of Husk's supporters are captured in the ensuing battle, but Husk takes control the Tower with King Brushen and Brother Fir as his prisoners. As Padra and his followers await an opportunity to storm the Tower, the stars begin to ride unexpectedly.

King Brushen, having shaken off his drugged stupor, seizes Husk's sword but falls from a Tower window while wrestling with Aspen. Padra's forces storm the Tower, but Padra's challenge of Husk is interrupted when Urchin and Crispin approach the island on the backs of swans. Crispin then duels with Husk, who flees towards his hidden dungeon.

Urchin, having been separated from Crispin, makes his own way to the dungeon led by a young hedgehog named Hope. Husk arrives at the dungeon to find it filled with candlelight by Brother Fir, and upon seeing Hope mistakes him for Prince Tumble coming back from the grave. Husk topples into the dungeon's pit, and his pursuers, Urchin, Hope, and Fir return to the surface. King Brushen, having suffered mortal wounds, dies leaving Crispin as heir to the throne, while Aspen is accidently poisoned by the hand of an unwitting Gleaner.

Fir shares the grim history of the dungeon with Crispin and the others, and the island celebrates its newfound liberty. Lugg and Arran are appointed as new captains, and those truly loyal to Husk are exiled. After much prompting, Padra asks Arran to marry him. Urchin, feeling that he still has many good works to do, is appointed a Companion to the King.

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