Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

The Horn of Caninia by Eddie Ferguson follows twelve-year-old Ian Richards, who's dreading his family's move from San Antonio to a sprawling old house out in Texas bayou country, mosquitoes and all. But the backyard hides more than swamp water. Ian finds strange symbols carved into an old oak, matching marks inside a drainage culvert, and then watches his Afghan hound, Penelope, vanish straight through a shimmering gate. He follows her and lands in Caninia, a world of talking dogs, two moons, and a noble queen named Coraline whose kingdom is under threat from an alligator warlord called Snaptooth. The dogs can fight, but teeth and claws aren't enough against Snaptooth's forces. Ian, though, has something none of them have: a human mind for building and scheming, and he's going to need it to help Caninia's canines find the legendary Harrier's Horn and turn the tide.

The Horn of Caninia by Eddie Ferguson is the kind of book that pulls you in through sheer imagination, and Eddie clearly had fun building this world. Caninia feels fully thought out, from the breed-specific fighting units Ian organizes to the palace with its silver spires and bone-shaped lampposts, and it gives the story a real sense of place. Ian is an easy character to root for, an anxious, homesick kid who slowly finds his footing by doing what he's good at, and watching him go from unsure to useful to the canines is satisfying. Captain Dagger adds real weight to the story too, his secret and the guilt behind it giving the book depth. The pacing moves briskly through the training and scheming, then slows right down for the haunting, atmospheric trip through Harrowfeather Woods, which is easily the most memorable stretch. It ends on a cliffhanger that leaves plenty of room for more. This is a fun, heartfelt adventure for kids - and adults - who love a good boy-and-his-dog story with some genuine stakes attached.