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“A beautiful book...It’s like a bridge built between generations, fabulous and strange and from the heart.”
— Neil Gaiman
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“An imaginative excursion.”
— Barnes & Noble, editorial review
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“‘Playful’ could be Salman Rushdie’s middle name, he’s been called it so often. But in his second book for kids of all ages, he takes his fondness for play up a few levels with a quest fable that mimics a video game, complete with special effects. It’s nonstop fun.”
— Washington Post
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“The characters come either from Rushdie’s lively interpretations of mythology or his jovial, limber imagination...His exuberant wordplay is evident on every page.”
— New York Times
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“A fun tale.”
— Publishers Weekly
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“Readers will rightfully delight in Rushdie’s brilliant wordplay throughout...A celebration of storytelling...and a colorful, kick-up-your-heels delight.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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“A book that can reach out to meet and move and touch a reader at any time of the reader’s life, from childhood to middle age and beyond, is a rare and magical book, and Salman Rushdie is a rare and magical writer.”
— Michael Chabon
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“Twenty years ago, the average twelve-year-old boy imbibed most of his stories through the television. Today he more than likely gets them through video games. Rushdie, almost alone among modern fiction writers, gives these games their narrative due...Well worth reading.”
— Los Angeles Times
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“High art and family entertainment all wrapped into one neat package.”
— New York Post
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“Rushdie’s usual lyrical, narrative style is on full display here, flowing easily through puns, wordplay, rhyming, and the dialectical playfulness that defines his oeuvre...Rushdie goes in with both eyes open, brushing aside wishful thinking for a more honest look at how our children perceive the world and how the challenges of modern life can work with, rather than against, the traditions of our past.”
— BookPage
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“It is hard to overstate the lightheartedness and love with which Salman Rushdie conveys this brief tale of a boy on a quest...But the serious undercurrents are many and thought-provoking.”
— Associated Press
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“[Rushdie] captures brilliantly that moment when adults enrapture children by behaving like children themselves.”
— Guardian (London)
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“Luka and the Fire of Life...showcase[s] Mr. Rushdie’s verbal pyrotechnics, wit, erudition, and skill for spinning a yarn, appealing equally to young adults and older readers.”
— Wall Street Journal
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“Narrator Lyndam Gregory...brings an excellent storytelling voice to this audio that allows listeners to imagine that they, too, are hearing a favorite childhood adventure story.”
— Library Journal (audio review)
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“Riddles, puns and other wordplay enliven the writing...The charm and cleverness of this buoyant fantasy will draw you into its magical world.”
— Minneapolis Star Tribune
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“Smart and entertaining...should please children and adults alike.”
— Miami Herald
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“Narrated with a modulated tone and perfect pacing by Lyndam Gregory, this quasi-sequel to Rushdie’s first young readers novel, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, brims with clever puns and imaginative plot twists. Gregory affects a childlike sense of wonder as Luka, the young hero who must save his father and avoid video-game hazards...Entertaining for the whole family, especially as enhanced by the talented Gregory.”
— AudioFile