Book Review: Ronin, The Last Reindeer
Book cover image from Amazon
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The legend of Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer lives in the hearts of children and adults alike. It’s a hallmark of Christmas, much like Santa. It’s on the radio, sung by children’s concerts and plays on TV every year. But what if the legends are wrong? Ronin: the Last Reindeer by Tony Bertauski gives the reader a very different view into the life of the ninth reindeer.
It all starts with a child, as Christmas stories often do. This child, Ryder Mack, is in the foster care system and on a bus moving from one foster home to a different kind of foster home. Ryder is moving to Kringletown, the foster kid’s equivalent of getting a gold ticket for Wonka’s chocolate factory!
Kringletown is the Christmas inspired ranch of a wealthy benefactor, Billy Big Game. The home also has an ongoing 24/7 live stream of all that goes on at Kringletown. The stream is watched by millions on the internet. It’s an internet sensation…
As a person who has worked with the Foster Care system, this storyline grabs me by the throat. I found myself choking up as I read about the sorting of children, like socks, at Kringletown. Ryder didn’t deserve that. No child does.
Children were either placed in the Naughty or Nice wing. So, by tossing Ryder in the “Naughty” wing, Bertauski ingeniously ensures that the reader backs the young boy as the novel moves forward.
I know I would have been placed with Ryder. The former Foster Care worker in me is irate.
How are Ryder and Ronin connected? The story is a masterful mix of dreams, past events, and present happenings. The shifting focus of storylines in the novel gives me the ability to see through the character’s eyes and feel their excitement and fear.
It flips the ninth reindeer’s story I was used to seeing on its back and birthed a story without gimmicks or a red nose. This reindeer is all about heart, courage, and accountability.
One unique aspect of the tale becomes believable thanks to reality TV. And I am not a fan of this genre. Surprisingly, this makes me the perfect reader for this book.
Having worked in the foster system years ago, this story rings true. The kind of home Billy offers in the book would be any foster child’s dream come true – worth begging for! There were chores to do, but also stables, land, freedom, and friends.
It’s a raw feeling. The need to be a part of a family is so strong in Ryder and the “Naughties” that it draws them together in a tight circle. If you lack family, this especially hits the heart hard. It is definitely a tender spot for me as the holidays encroach.
I have not said much about Ronin even though the book is titled Ronin: the Last Reindeer. That’s because the character needs to be experienced rather than told about. He is a wonderful creation of Bertauski’s imagination that will keep your mind reeling. Although I loved the entirety of the book, Ronin is my favorite character.
Remember, I am a huge Rudolph fan but this re-imagining of the character is so good that I am not sure which description of the ninth reindeer I like better. I am leaning towards the Ronin of this legend.
Ronin: the Last Reindeer is the sixth book in the Claus Universe and so far my favorite. I jumped ahead because I needed to read a reindeer story this holiday season. Happily, this would work fine as a stand alone novel. Once again, my Christmas spirit has been lifted by Tony Bertauski’s wonderful legend telling.
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If you like this Holiday book review check out the rest of Tony Bertauski’s Claus Series.
- Claus Legend of a Fat Man
- Jack The Tale of Frost
- Flury Journey of a Snowman
- Humbug: The Unwinding of Ebenezer Scrooge
- Claus Rise of the Miser
- Toyland the Legacy of Wallace Noel
Sue Cook lives in Freeport, Illinois with her husband Randy and two dogs. Her passions include assistance dogs, rescue dogs, music, acting, theater, poetry, and Doctor Who. She’s been in both film and theater and is a regular cast member of the podcast Doctor Who’s Line is it….Anyway? Sue is an advocate for the use of Service Dogs to assist their disabled handlers to maintain their independence. Quigley’s Quest, her first children’s book, addresses how a dog becomes a Service Dog.
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