New Beginnings - Livres de poche

The story is called "New Beginnings" and is about three boys who are quickly forced into an adventure because of an attack on their village where everyone they knew were killed. They are taken in by dwarves who start them on this adventure that takes them across the length and breadth of the land they live in and on three very different paths. It begins at the dwarves' stronghold, moves beneath the mountains (through caves), and into the central plains where they encounter a "city" for the first time and consequently, prejudices. The story continues with only one of the boys from this point on (at least in the first book) as he and his traveling companions (an elf and a dwarf) go through the plains and into the western mountains, forests, and eventually arrive at the elves' stronghold. Along the way there are several battles and/or skirmishes with the standard fantasy-type enemies (Orcs, Trolls, Thieves, etc. . .) and a couple of new ones, a half-man/half-snake creature, an unseen pursuer, and a "shade." They will meet other "good" creatures such as a centaur. The ending to the first book has the elves explaining things that are mysterious to the young man, including only half-spoken truths about his particular origin (Father he knew who was human and the mother he didn't know who was an elf), the elves' beliefs, etc. . . The creatures of the book look like you would expect in this genre for the most part, but unlike other books, the elves place a premium on knowledge of all things and go through a mantra each day that makes this obvious. I utilized their anecdotes and sayings which further reinforces this belief that knowledge is everything. They have little respect for ignorance or an unwillingness to learn which strains the relationship at points between the main human character and the main elf character.