This Dark Magic - Chryse Wymer

Title: This Dark Magic
Author: Chryse Wymer
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: 2010
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
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Smashwords
Kobo
Amazon UK

"This Dark Magic" by Chryse Wymer is a self published dark fantasy novella set in a city that appears to have fallen on bad times. It basically follows the trials of journalist Charlie Landers as he gets caught up in the machinations of someone using dark magic to control and exploit people for their own gain.

The story is quite quirky as it tries to embrace fantasy, horror and even a little comedy. The setting of the novel was nicely handled with a short and punchy sentence structure that helped make you feel the desolation in the city and its residents. As it is a novella don't expect any deep character development but the protagonist himself was the best part of the novel in my opinion; his wit, and dry humour was enjoyable to read. Then there were the chapter titles, all of them seemed to contain a little bit of humour within that had me smiling as I started each one.

The novella itself seemed to be well edited to me which was nice to see in a self-published book as I have seen some horror shows in the past. The one issue I did have with the writing though was in some of the descriptive techniques used: some aspects of the story would have better served by a straightforward description than by using some rather convoluted metaphors or similes. The best example of that is the following line, “The skyscraper resembled a rectangular soup can, not brooding and cool but ugly and barely functional”. In all honesty I am still not sure what this sentence is even trying to make me picture in my mind.

I also think the shortness of the story did let it down a little bit as it seemed to result in the author quickly jumping from scene to scene which did leave me a little bit confused at times as I tried to follow what had happened. However, this did reduce as the novel progressed and by the last few chapters I felt I could follow the scene changes without any real issue.

Overall, I think this would be a good quick buy for people that enjoy Urban Fantasy and want to try out something new. Personally, I found the wit and dry humour in the story to be enjoyable, and it was just a shame that the short length resulted in a rather jumpy narrative.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Trilogy Book 3) - Suzanne Collins

Title: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Trilogy Book 3)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2010
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

"Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins is the 3rd and final book in her "The Hunger Games" trilogy which was started by the novel, "The Hunger Games" reviewed here and it's sequel "Catching Fire" reviewed here.

The story is set a month after the conclusion of "Catching Fire" with Katniss Everdeen now hiding in the underground city of District 13. At the same time, the other districts have begun a rebellion against "The Capitol" and President Snow which has lead to heavy losses and the complete destruction of Katniss' home, District 12. As the war continues, the leaders of the rebellion turn to Katniss herself and ask her to be the face of the rebellion, a role to which she is initially loathe to take on. However, soon her desire for revenge leads her to accept the role even though it leads her along a path that could cause her to risk losing everything.

I am going to start by being honest and say I probably enjoyed this novel more than "Catching Fire". It just felt like Katniss was a little bit more in charge of her own destiny that she had been in the previous book. In addition, it was nice to see a slightly different story from the first two novels which had really followed the same overall plot structure in my opinion. In the end though, the book still wasn't as satisfying as "The Hunger Games" itself had been but it is always hard to match up the first book in a series.

The book is full of enjoyable and entertaining periods of action, suspense and adventure, but this time I also think there is a deeper sense of depression and gloom around which did make for an interesting read. This was specifically so in the case for Peeta who has a terrible time of it in this novel and is quite psychologically damaged at one point in the story which was really intriguing to follow.

The shame of it though, was that some of the more shocking moments and saddening episodes within the novel just weren't brought across very well. Several characters die during this book but they mainly seem to be dealt with by only a single line with Katniss then moping about it for a few more. There is no real "oh my god, no!" moment from the reader because it is over in a flash and isn't really written that well by Collins. For one character's death specifically I didn't even realise that it had actually happened until a few pages later.

I also once again I found myself getting irritated by a lover triangle that I really didn't care that much about. Katniss continued to just come across as a little bit uncaring about either Peeta or Gale and it made it hard for me to really care then if she even ended up with one of them. Then when she does end up with one of them, it almost feels like Katniss has just ended up picking them because of the way things occurred without any specific reason.

In summary, whilst I have listed some of my issues above this was still another enjoyable book in the series but it just doesn't match up to the feelings I had when I read "The Hunger Games". The ending is also little bit sudden I think and it would have been nicer to actually watch Katniss live during the years after the main events in the novel rather than just getting a quick and un-satisfying snapshot from the future. Basically, if you have read and enjoyed the previous books in this series then you will want to read this book and should find something in it to enjoy but don't expect it to fulfil all the desires you may have wanted for a final book.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Sci-Fi Reader Challenge

Hide & Seek - Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield

Title: Hide & Seek
Author: Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield
Genre: Crime & Mystery
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Smashwords
Kobo
Amazon UK

"Hide & Seek" by Thomas Kaplan-Maxfield is an enjoyable and unique mystery novel that runs differently to how a traditional murder mystery would normally be set up. The difference is that the reader finds out early on who the murder actually is and the mystery revolves around the identity of the person who is seemingly trying to catch the murderer.

The story is set in Boston with most of the characters being from the high society of the city. The killer, David Draper is a poet who has been discounted by the police as a suspect and he therefore seems free to live with just his own guilt and remorse over what he has done. However, when his sister invites him to a murder mystery weekend on a tiny island off Cape Cod he becomes convinced that one of the other guests is aware of his secret and is using the murder mystery to uncover him.

I must admit that I only read mystery novels ever so often but this book definitely ignited a desire to read more of them as I thoroughly enjoyed it. The mystery itself is wonderfully complex with jealousy, greed and hatred all mixed up to create a superb story full of suspense and intrigue. In addition, the book is nicely written and the author has filled the plot with enough twists and red herrings to keep most readers guessing right until the ending.

I found all the characters to be brilliantly written with each of them having their own link to the murder victim. I enjoyed reading about all of them as they all had their own quirks, weaknesses and secrets that came out as the story progressed. In regards to David himself, it is actually difficult to dislike even with his memory of the murder at the fore front as he has been crafted into a multi-faceted person superbly by Kaplan-Maxfield.

Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable murder mystery novel with a unique twist that really kept my attention throughout. The setting in the old hotel actually made the story feel a little bit like the game Cluedo (aka Clue in the USA) except you know who the murder is. I think anyone who enjoys mystery novels would love to read this book so go pick it up but make sure you don't cheat and read the ending as Kaplan-Maxfield finishes the novel with a brilliant curve ball.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge

Star Trek The Eugenics Wars: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh Vol 2 - Greg Cox

Title: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh Vol 2
Author: Greg Cox
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2002
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

"The Rise and Fall of Khan Nonnien Singh Volume 2" by Greg Cox is the latest book in my Star Trek Reading Challenge and it follows on directly from Volume 1 which I have previously reviewed here.

At the start of the novel Khan has managed to become a dictator with control over parts of India and has begun the process of bringing together his fellow genetically engineered humans in the hope of the uniting the world under his leadership. However, when a meeting between various other superhuman warlords, generals and leaders goes wrong, war breaks out amongst them. Gary Seven and his colleagues are then left with the unenviable job of trying to deal with Khan and his superhuman brethren before they do irreparable damage to the planet and humanity.

My initial comment on the novel is that it has much more action packed than the preceding novel as the older Khan and his brethren now take a greater role in the various proceedings. Cox also once again manages to cleverly entwine what really happened in the 1990's with the story of the Eugenics Wars. What he has created is an interesting enough story and I am sure some fans will love the fact he has reconciled reality with the Star Trek Universe.

However, personally I felt let down by this as what Cox has created is nowhere near as interesting or exciting as what I had envisioned from watching the TV show. There are no great battles and high levels of casualties, Khan doesn't control large parts of Asia and he isn't feared or even really known by the population. The entire Eugenics Wars seem to have been relegated to a collection of skirmishes between some minor warlords, most of which are covered up by various governments so the population know nothing about it. I just felt that this determination to use real events actually ruins the image of the Eugenics Wars and Khan himself that the reader may have formed from watching the TV show or movie.

The next issue I have is actually something that may appeal to some Star Trek fans but just irritated me thoroughly. It is the constant use of characters from other Star Trek stories that at times added nothing to the story at all. As I wrote in my review for the first novel, the odd cameo is nice and fun to read about but the number interspersed throughout this novel is uncalled for. There is also the problem that a number of these name-dropping moments don't actually add anything at all the story and just detract from the rest of the story. The number of nods and winks to the fans out there can only make me think that Cox maybe didn't think enough of the novel as a good book shouldn't need this level of "fanwank" to appeal to its readers.

In summary I was rather disappointed in this novel although it wasn't to do with the writing or the plot itself. The issue I had is that it didn't really depict what I imagined the Eugenics Wars would involve and I think it also weakened the character of Khan into little more than a petty warlord. Whilst some people will like the manner in which Cox has attempted to merge reality and Star Trek history I would much rather have seen an alternate history with much greater divergence from reality. Basically, if you loved the first novel then you are probably going to enjoy this one as well. However, if you had some reservations then it is likely that these will be even greater after reading this volume.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To Someone Who Doesn't Read Science Fiction

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish which I am taking part in. 

This week's top ten is for me to list the ten books I would recommend to someone who didn't normally read a specific type or genre of book. I didn't take long to think about what genre to base my top ten on as it had to be Science Fiction. It is the number one love of my reading life and has been since I was a child. It is so varied, wondrous and exciting and these are the pick of the best that I would always recommend to people wanting to try it out.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

This dystopian thriller is an enjoyable yet easy to read adventure that opens up the less hard aspects of Science Fiction and should appeal to the YA readers out there although I suspect most of them have already read it.

The War of the Worlds - HG Wells

A Classic story that can reveal some of the earlier forms of Science Fiction literature. It is a wonderful tale following one man's journey across a country reeling under the attack of a superior force.

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
A prime example of how Science Fiction can be superbly funny and witty without resorting to in-jokes or jargon.

The Real Story - Stephen Donaldson

This book was always going to be on this list as it is the first novel in my all time favourite Science Fiction Series. The Gap Cycle series is Space Opera at it's best and the manner in which Donaldson takes a truly despicable, evil and hated character and turns him into someone that you actually want to win is amazing to behold.

Dune - Frank Herbert

Many people have seen the rather disappointing film but nothing compares to the wonderful novel that Frank Herbert created. I am still gutted that Herbert died before finishing the whole series of novels.

The Reality Dysfunction - Peter F. Hamilton

I always love to advertise British Authors and Peter F. Hamilton has to be up there as one my current all time favourite Space Opera authors. This book is clever, enjoyable and left me desperate for more once I completed it as we follow a plague of dead souls taking over the bodies of the living across the great human inter-solar confederacy.

Starship Troopers - Robert A. Heinlein

Action packed and incredibly clever story showing the war against an alien menace from the viewpoint of the infantry soldiers on the front line. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish!

Doomsday Book - Connie Willis

A time travel book that really explores and brings out the suffering and danger in medieval Britain. I only read this recently but it really has to be one of my all time favourite time travel stories, probably because it mixes both Science Fiction and Historical Fiction very well.

Red Mars - Kim Stanley Robinson

This book is a rather large tome but it is still a superb story following the journey of mankind to Mars. I loved every one of the varied characters and think it shows some of the more complicated Science Fiction forms at it's best.

Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton

Without doubt, nothing sells Science Fiction as well as Dinosaurs being back and around in modern days! This novel though is fun, exciting and so much more complex than the movie.

Peter Pan (Peter & Wendy) - J.M. Barrie

Title: Peter Pan (Peter & Wendy)
Author: J.M. Barrie
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1911 as a novelization of 1904 play
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Project Gutenberg (Free Ebook)
Amazon UK

"Peter Pan" by J.M. Barrie was originally published in 1911 under the title "Peter & Wendy" and it was a novelization of Barrie's 1904 play. This story is a well loved classic that has spawned multiple films, plays, pantomimes, etc. and I am sure like me many of you who read this review will have come across the story in one form or another. I have actually had this book on my to be read pile for quite a bit after I picked it up in ebook format from Project Gutenberg as it is a public domain title. I have finally read the novel now thanks to signing up to several reading challenges for 2012 that the book actually satisfies.

The story begins with the Darling family comprised of Mr. Darling, his wife, and their three children Wendy, John and Michael living in a London home. During the night, the children are visited by Peter Pan who is hunting for his shadow that escaped during a previous visit to the house. After Wendy reattaches the shadow Peter convinces her and her brothers to fly with him to Neverland so they can take part in his adventures. Once there, they discover a land full of pirates, Native Americans, mermaids and other wondrous things.

Most of you are probably well aware of the basic storyline as mentioned above, however the story that JM Barrie wrote feels a little bit darker and also deeper than many of the other versions out there I have seen. The darkness to me was really shown in one scene where Tinkerbell actually attempts to have Wendy killed in a fit of jealousy which is well beyond what I have seen in any other telling of the tale. In addition I also found the story to be very eccentric and slightly random, for example the Darlings actually have a dog as their children's nanny! I really had to read over some sections a few times to make sure I was correct in how I had understood it.

The real eye opener though for me was in regards to the character of Peter Pan himself. Like any child he is self-centred, cocky, immature and rather hard to like at times. However, there is also something there in regards to his imagination, fearlessness and drive to take risks and undertake new adventures that is rather interesting and enjoyable to witness. My feelings on Peter ranged between dislike and like, as well as a feeling of sorrow for the boy as I witnessed his life and antics.

One aspect of the book I really enjoyed was the utilisation of the narrator within the actual story. It feels like he is actually a character in his own right and I enjoyed following his comments and anecdotes as he tells the story. In addition, the narrator also actually talks to and tries to involve the reader in the proceedings which was a nice little novelty that I assume relates back to the actual play when audience participation would have been likely.

Overall, I did enjoy reading Peter Pan which I found to be nice, eccentric yet mournful fairy tale that shows us both the joys of youth and the reasons why we must all grow up. I think the book will appeal to children and adults on different levels, a child may enjoy the adventure and strangeness of the story whilst an adult you can understand and see the real need for people to grow up and leave their childhood behind. I would advise that if you have enjoyed the other variants of Peter Pan then you should give this book a go so that you can see some of the deeper points in the story.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Year of the Fantasy Classic Challenge

Project Ultra - James Michael White

Title: Project Ultra
Author: James Michael White
Genre: Paranormal
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Kobo
Amazon UK

"Project Ultra" by James Michael White is a relatively short paranormal thriller with some elements of Science Fiction thrown in. I am not sure it is something that I would have picked up normally but when the author asked to me give it a read I decided I may as well give it a go.

The story itself starts in 1947 and follows Victor Williams, an American CIA agent who was tasked with setting up and running a psychic warfare branch to counter the perceived threat from a similar Soviet programme. The story then follows Victor over several decades as he becomes a scapegoat, then a hero before he finally betrays the programme to help a friend.

I have to say that the book did have an interesting premise and it was enjoyable reading about some of the espionage attempts seemingly linked to psychic powers. However, I do think the short length actually harmed the book a little bit as it did feel like the book jumped very quickly between events and therefore I never felt the characters were built up to mean much to me as a reader. It does keep the book moving at a quick pace, but this isn't really an action book so I would rather have had the pace slowed and a little bit more character building included.

I am also going to admit that I didn't really understand the ending very well, there is a nice little twist in it that I didn't see coming but I then get lost as Victor rambles on some information to his interrogators that I couldn't follow. I am not sure if it was showing Victor having one last laugh or if it was meant to be some deep a meaningful truth. It was a shame really, as I do think the ending ruined some of my enjoyment of the novel. If anyone else has read this book and can explain what the ending is trying to be to me then please drop me a message.

Overall, I am quite torn on how to rate this book. I did enjoy it and was actually quite impressed with the little twist at the end regarding Victor's interrogators but the overall ending itself just didn't capture me. If you are interested in reading a short story about paranormal espionage over the previous decades then feel free to give this book a try as I suspect you will enjoy the majority of it.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish which I am taking part in. 

It has been quite a while since I did a Top Ten Tuesday but decided this was a nice one to join in on and read the other blogs for some more reading ideas. Anyway, the Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book are below:

Frank Herbert
I know his son and others have tried to continue the Dune saga but nothing can compare to what Frank Herbert himself wrote. I still remember getting to the end of "Chapter House of Dune" and realising there would be no more from this great author.

Robert Jordan
As with Frank Herbert, others have continued the story he created but I would much rather have read the final novels in the massive wheel of time series as he would have written them.

HG Wells
I would love to see what this amazing Science Fiction author could come up with nowadays in a world full of technology well in excess of what he could have imagined.

Roald Dahl
His books were some of the ones I loved the most in my childhood and I just wish there were more out there to read for myself and my own children.

Tom Clancy
It seems that every book nowadays with his name on it seem to be written by or with someone else. Tom, I loved the books you wrote on your own! Please write another one without the help of someone else!

Rabbie Burns
The Scottish Bard who wrote some amazing pieces of literature, poetry and song in the late 18th Century. I would love to see what he could write about his beloved homeland now in the present day.

J.R.R Tolkien
The Lord of the Rings and his entire Middle Earth novels were superb and I would have loved to read more from this hugely detailed world.

Agatha Christie
I have probably watched a multitude of TV shows based upon her novels but those TV producers really need some new material. If only she was still around to provide it!

Peter F. Hamilton
Peter is very alive and still writing books but he never writes them quick enough! Forget that I just read his last book of short stories at the tail end of 2011! He needs to bring out more superb space opera and he needs to do it now!

Christopher Pike
The author of my youth actually writes Adult Fiction in between churning out the latest Last Vampire novel. I just wish he would hurry up and produce some more, I think the last adult novel he wrote was back in 2007!

Star Trek The Eugenics Wars: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh Vol 1 - Greg Cox

Title: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh Vol 1
Author: Greg Cox
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2001
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

"The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh Volume 1" by Greg Cox is the latest book in my Star Trek Reading Challenge. This book is the first in the challenge whose time period I had missed when putting the stories into a chronological order. Whilst the framing story is set in the 2260s, the main plotline is actually set in the 1970s and 1980s and therefore should probably have been read prior to the novels I had been reading. There is an argument in regards to if you should use the framing story or the main plotline period when trying to read novels in some sort of chronological order but I try to stick with using the main plotline, especially in a Universe like the Star Trek one which I already know a fair about. Anyway, I have now realised my little mistake in not reading this previously and I have now finished it and will read Volume 2 before continuing any further with the books set in the later time periods.

The story itself starts with a framing story in which Kirk and his crew are heading to a colony that has been practicing genetic engineering on humans. This inspires the captain to research the historical records from the late 20th century which was when a group of genetically engineered super-humans attempted to take over the planet. The book then moves onto the main story which follows the exploits of Gary Seven and his colleagues, Roberta Lincoln and Isis in the late twentieth century as they try to ensure that humanity doesn't destroy itself. Together they begin an investigation into some missing scientists which leads them to a secret group known as the Chrysalis Project who have managed to create several genetically engineered children, one of whom is the infamous Khan Noonian Singh. Gary Seven and his team therefore begin to keep tabs on the super-human children over the following years with a specific interest in the charismatic Khan in the hope that none of them use their intellect and strength to threaten humanity's future.

I found the novel to be interesting read that explores some of the back-story to one of Star Trek's most infamous characters and builds up a little bit more information about his history. Cox writes the novel with an obvious love for Star Trek and its lore as he includes various characters from other Trek stories within this novel and I did quite enjoy seeing the odd cameo in the novel. However, I do feel that Cox perhaps overdid it a little bit as by the end of the book I was finding it a little bit ridiculous the way in which everything happening seemed to involve some sort of meeting with another characters from the Trek Universe. Some people will love these constant references but I just found there was a little bit to much of it.

Cox also goes a little bit further than just using elements from other Star Trek stories in the novel; he also uses real life events from history as well. It was at times quite interesting to view the manner in which he linked these various real life events such as the Bhopal Disaster into the story in a manner which gave them an enhanced effect and reason for occuring beyond the real thing. In a way though, I think this was a little bit of a missed opportunity as personally I would rather have seen how things had gone differently because of Kahn being around instead of how his and other actions were hidden etc.

The main issue I did have with the novel though was that I found the story to be a little bit slow at times. It takes quite a while to even get to Kahn's introduction and even then he is just a toddler so other readers shouldn't expect an action packed novel full of battles and destruction. In addition, I think the concentration on Gary Seven in the story kind of ruined the entire premise of the novel. It mainly felt like a spy novel following his team's exploits than being about Kahn and his super-human colleagues.

Overall, I did enjoy the novel and it was nice to get some more information on Kahn and how he became the person he did. I doubt however that the book will really appeal to anyone not already aware of the Star Trek universe as there is so many elements that will appear random and pointless to the reader unless you understand the links to other stories. This is a shame really as the entire Eugenics War premise would be an interesting topic for any Alternate History novel and could have also appealed to non Star Trek fans if the novel had been aimed slightly differently.

Hexult - Perry Aylen

Title: Hexult
Author: Perry Aylen
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Amazon UK

"Hexult" by Perry Aylen is an enjoyable adventure story with the shadings of a post-apocalyptic and dystopian tone. It is firmly aimed at the earlier end of the young adults market although I believe that even younger children will also enjoy having this light and easy going story read to them. The genre of this story was am interesting aspect as I had to decide on if I would call this Science-Fiction or Fantasy. However, as the premise appears to imply the story is set in the Earth at an undefined future date I decided just to lean towards classing this as a Science-Fiction novel.

The story is set on a world where the temperature has dropped substantially and is now mainly covered in ice and people now use boats adapted to slide across the ice rather than sail upon water. On this world there is the land of Hexult which is a collection of islands that poke out of the ice, the islands are kept habitable thanks to the heating effects of various elements of geothermal activity.

When, Aulf a mailman and his crew member, Ingar discover a wreck on the ice they find two survivors, mysterious twins named Jacob and Elya who claim to have come from a land far across the frozen wasteland. These two youngsters have an understanding of science far beyond that of those on the islands and this science is soon mistaken for magic by a people who have forgotten much of the knowledge that may have been known in the past. Very soon, the twins find themselves the centre of fearsome prophecy and their attempts to save both their lives and reputation leads them on an adventure across the frozen wastes to all corners of the Hexult island chain.

I have to admit that I am well past the target age group for this novel but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it as the plot was engaging and moved at a decent rate. The world that has been created by the author is imaginative and exciting although I will say that it was a shame that it felt like the surface has only just been scratched. I now hope that in the proposed sequel we get to uncover even more about this interesting place and the people who live there.

One element I really appreciated was the various utilisations of knowledge and technology thrown into the book regarding things such as compasses, steel, ice lenses, mirrors, etc. I can actually envision children reading this novel and then asking their parents or teachers more about the interesting elements contained. I myself actually went and read up a little bit more on steel production and its history after reading "Hexult". Any book that can inspire the search for more information and knowledge in either me or others is a great thing in my opinion.

I found the main characters to all be rather endearing and there was an innocence present that was quite nice to behold. It really helps to draws you in so that you actually care about them and wish them on to succeed in their various endeavours. However, it did feel like there was something lacking a little in the characters to make them feel fully rounded. Basically, the large amount of innocence present within the various people in the story meant that it was hard to see any other elements personality, especially in regards to charisma. Even some of the various leaders in the isles just seemed to be missing a spark that I would have expected to see. It doesn't spoil the story but it just meant that the characters feel slightly unreal to me.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and interesting adventure story that should appeal to most young readers. I fully intend to read it with my own children when they are old enough to understand it and hopefully it will inspire some interest in the science and technology utilised in the novel. If you are a younger reader who wants to read something different form the current trend in vampires, zombies, etc. then you should give this a try.