Web Fed Award-winning Planets

Reviewed on March 12, 2000

Suspended within the Visions Smokering lies a vast ocean sea, held together with physics my new cerebral cortex is still trying to understand. Maybe it's the gravitational forces created by the duchy planet's magic, and maybe it's simply all the pixidust trailing through the space lanes. I argued with my navigational computer until it accepted commands to go past the second star on the left and straight on 'till morning. As I landed my craft a comms message warned me to be on the watch not only for pirates, but also for that wanted criminal, Peter Pan.

Squeezing out the airlock I stumbled into a canine's second best dream.

"A reward for the first one who catches Pan, I want my hook back!" cried Captain Hook as he chased a boy down the busy street. My ears perked. Boy? Running? Chase? I made a quick note of the rustic pirate's bar, dock road, forest trails and beaches near the LP, and then took off after the crowd.

Peter's trail led me through an Indian village, around stunning waterfalls, past ominous ticking crocodiles, through tree houses, and even into the mouth of a volcano. But for me, nothing topped the Lost Boys. All those children, and only this one dog. They had some great games going including a wild catapult ride right into the ocean! The basketballs were a little too big for me to get a good grip, but I'd brought my own little globe and we spent hours playing keep-away. I survived walking the plank on Hook's extensive galleon, did a little underwater exploration, and found that even four legged creatures as myself really can fly.

Rafeken's world is full of visual impact, interesting mobiles, and some truly stunning uses of events. The storyline is well developed throughout the planet, and the author has incorporated our modern technology into 18th century London; Hook's ship is equipped with discreet lasers and is fitted for space flight, and food bots can be found wedged into crevices on the cliffs. There's a good puzzle to be solved as well. The hints are neither so obscure that the explorer looses interest or so obvious that the puzzle lacks challenge. And should there be a happy ending at the end of every story? Take a look at Peter's life on Neverneverland and answer that question for yourself!

Should some street urchin try to sell you a Carpenter Award in the next few days that has a little sparkle of pixidust on it, please return it to Neverneverland. I set one down on the landing pad and quick as a wink one of Pan's boys lifted it! Congratulations, Rafeken, for a job well done!