An evil force has been awakened from years of sleep and it is up to fourteen-year-old Edmund, an aspiring sorcerer, and his friends to stop it.

In the beginning I was all about this book. Yet at the same time I was also really criticizing this book even more because I actually picked it up for my nephews. For the age range starting at 10 years old, I kind of this this book might be a little scary for them. The Nethergrim and the minions are scary. Since this book is made reference to the Lord of the Rings I will call the Nethergrim and minions scary like the undead who when Frodo is stabbed by them when he puts his ring on. Which these undead are scary. In addition, there are people stabbed and other deaths throughout the story. So this is why I would not recommend children this young reading the books. In fact, there was a time or two where I was reading a scene to my husband to ask him his opinion. However as I read more and more of the book, I was ok with it and felt my nephews at 12 and 13 could handle this book. I liked the story and the characters but there would be periods of time where I felt like I was just going through the motions of reading and not connecting what the events in the story. Yet I liked this book enough that I do want to read book 2. ( )

My opinion and rating on this book would be 10 out of 10. This reason I give it a 10 is because I think that the book could be a great movie like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. With the tools that we have today to make movies I think if you read this book you would want to see it as a movie. This book should be commemorated because it has magic like Harry Potter and the dark ages like the Lord of the Rings. This book is a great book because it has fantasy, adventure, friendship, magic, and mystery.
Edmund, the main character is a 13 year old boy that lives in a town called Northend. He has a younger brother named Geoffrey and he is eight. He is the one who buys a book which is an apprentice’s book that was once the wizard’s book. He reads the apprentices book and finds out that the Nethergrim’s lair is on top of a hill north of Northend and he also learns about the creatures from the Nethergrim’s lair. The creatures are a wizard, a flying creature like a big bird, and the last creature is a gooey creature. After he reads the apprentices book he takes a group of people by the names of Katherine and Tom to find Geoffrey who was taken by the Nethergrim. Geoffrey was one of the seven kids that were taken by the Nethergrim.
Katherine is another important character. Her strength is observation and it helps Edmund when he needs it most. She also likes to shoot the bow and arrow, and helps Edmund find his brother. She is friends with Edmund and Geoffrey and she pays attention to details. For example, the time she found freshly eaten pig bones, which was a clue that the Nethergrim was back, because no person would eat so many raw pigs. She also noticed that Edmund’s brother kept sneaking out at night too. She was the one that told Edmund that Geoffrey was taken one night when he snuck out.
Tom is another great character. His strength is defense when it comes to fighting. He also helps Edmund find his brother. When he went into the Nethergrim’s lair he got knocked out defending Edmund and Katherine. When the wizard told Edmund, Katherine, and Tom that they had let Geoffrey go and that he was probably drowning in the river he was just waking up. Tom is very tough.
Geoffrey is another strong character in the book. His strength is curiosity, which sometimes gets him into trouble. He is Edmund’s younger brother. He gets taken by the Nethergrim. He likes to sneak out at night and go north of Northend to the top of the hill were the Nethergrim’s lair is located. One night he gets taken by the Nethergrim. Geoffrey was one of the seven kids that get taken every year.
The Nethergrim is a mysterious character. It takes seven kids every year and no one knows if it’s a human or a creature.
This story takes place during the dark ages in a town called Northend. There are five main characters Edmund, Katherine, Tom, Geoffrey, and the Nethergrim. Edmund, Katherine, and Tom are neighbors and really good friends. Edmund buys a book that is an apprentice’s book. When Edmund is reading the book he reads about the Nethergrim and the Nethergrim’s lair. He also reads about some creatures. The creatures he reads about are a wizard, a big bird, and a gooey monster. Not long after Geoffrey started sneaking out a night he was taken by the Nethergrim. Every year the Nethergrim would take seven kids and Geoffrey was one of the seven kids. Katherine was walking and she found freshly eaten pig bones in a gorge. After she found them she went to go get Edmund and Tom to go into the gorge to investigate it. Then Katherine said that it has to be the Nethergrim because no one would have eaten so many pigs. Then the story turns into a saving story because now Edmund, Katherine, and Tom are going to go save Geoffrey. When Edmund, Katherine, and Tom reach the Nethergrim’s lair they run inside and they run into the wizard. Edmund asked the wizard where Geoffrey is and the wizard says he’s probably drowning in the river. Tom goes in for a punch and gets knocked out. Soon following that Tom wakes up and they leave to go to the river and they find Geoffrey down on the bank of the river. Edmund wakes Geoffrey up and Edmund, Geoffrey, Katherine, and Tom all run back to Northend and they hide so that the Nethergrim doesn’t find them. For now the kids are safe from the Nethergrim but Edmund’s adventure with the Nethergrim continues in the second book of the series, The Skeleth. ( )

Everyone in Moorvale believes the legend: The brave knight Tristan and the famed wizard Vithric, in an epic battle decades ago, had defeated the evil Nethergrim and his minions. To this day, songs are sung and festivals held in the heroes' honor. But something dark has crept over the village. First animals disappear, then something worse children disappear. The whispers begin quietly but soon turn into '' The Nethergrim has returned! '' Edmund’s brother is one of the missing, and he knows he must do something to save his life. As a student of magic, he struggles to cast even the simplest spells. Still, he and his friends swallow their fear and set out to battle an ancient evil whose powers none of them can imagine. They will need to come together to defeat the Nethergrim.

I feel that Edmund is good character because he has a strong believing in what he wants to believe. I don't like Edmund's father because he dose not like what Edmund tries to do. He does not like his choice because Edmund could die. But Edmund does not die, he lives , but with a lot of scars.I wish that my life could be that exiting. I could beat monster in battle and save the day. ( )

Nethergrim by Matthew Jobin is book one of a fantasy series.

The people of Moorvale live safely because a wizard named Vithric, a knight named Tristan, and a regular man named John Marshall went with many men and only they survived many years ago to kill the Nethergrim. No one has ever been told what occurred. The Nethergrim appears to have returned. Children and livestock have disappeared. Vithric is dead, Tristan lives further away, but John Marshall still lives in town.

Edmund wants to be a wizard, but his father believes that reading and learning are wasted efforts. He will inherit his tavern; Edmund does not want to serve food and drink to people his whole life. His best friend, whom he is also attracted to, is Katherine, the daughter of John Marshall. Katherine has been raised to fight, as John didn't want his daughter unprotected. They raise horses, so Katherine is a good rider as well. Tom is Katherine's friend and becomes Edmund's friend in the story. Tom was purchased by his Master to serve him. Tom is badly treated; he has gifts with animals that is unusual. When the children are abducted--one of whom is Edmund's brother, these three--Edmund, Katherine, and Tom--leave town to rescue them. They just need to catch up to John Marshall who left strict instructions for them to stay behind and be safe.

The journey is perilous. Katherine is told the truth about the Nethergrim's death by her father and fears for his safety. She must be the main fighter because neither Edmund or Tom are strong in a battle.

If you like darker fantasy novels, you'll like this one. I've read so many books that I knew what the "surprise" was going to be, so the book was anti-climatic for me. I also had trouble believing Edmund's magical abilities because they seemed to come from nowhere. I also think the local lord's son, Harold, had too small a role. Harold and Katherine are attracted to each other, but he is beneath her in the lord's eyes. Other than creating a problem for Edmund who likes Katherine, there wasn't a purpose for their story-lines unless they have more relevance in future books. It's a perfectly fine book, just not a really good or great book. ( )