How to Become King/Koning van Katoren (Katoren #1)
by Jan Terlouw
What is it about:
Seventeen years after the king of Katoren dies, a boy aspires to win the crown and is tested with seven impossible tasks by six Ministers.
What did I think of it:
This book is one of those books my owner read many times as a kid. So when we saw it on sale for just 2 euro to promote reading, we snatched it up, so I could read it as well.
And this story held up really well through the years I must say. It's set in a Fantasy world: Stach is born the night the king dies. The ministers of the country stall in finding a new king until Stach confronts them when he's 17 and asks them how he can become king. They decide to set him impossible tasks in hope he'll fail and they can keep ruling the country.
The tasks Stach gets are fantastical, like dealing with a dragon, a magician, and more. But these fantastical problems he has to solve all stand for real world problems, like pollution, the gap between the poor and the rich, and more. I was a bit sad to see how most of the issues Terlouw tackled in this book, which was written in 1971, are still recognizable and current today.
That aside this is a really fun adventurous story. Stach is smart and resourceful, but he isn't afraid to ask for help when needed. The issues this book tackles are important, but Terlouw manages to write them in a way that makes you can also just enjoy the story and root for Stach to find a solution for the difficult problems set before him.
All in all a fun and very enjoyable read.
Why should you read it:
It's a very enjoyable Fantasy read.
It seems to be translated to English back in the day, but I don't think the book is easy to find in English, so no buy links
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