Guardians in magic by Richard Blunt

This is obviously a first book in the series for young adults. Lucas Trent is a young man with a circle of friends. He and those friends discover they have magical abilities and with those abilities, serious responsibilities.

I like the character development that was done on the book. You get a good feel for who the people are and what their wants and desires are. The exhibit a lot naivety but that is certainly age-appropriate. The mysterious Angel gives an aura of illusion. The plot is not earthshaking but it does establish a good foundation for future stories.

Lucas is likable as the main protagonist and he exhibits what I would consider normal teenage behavior. Equally the team's willingness to tackle tasks that perhaps they shouldn't also is indicative of what I would consider normal teenage behavior. Overall while the book is not stellar is definitely worth reading and I do recommend. I also look forward to the sequel.

Body of work: Richard Blunt

website:  http://www.lucastrent.com/

BTW: This is the first review I've done using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. So far so good but it was probably slower than typing it. I have much work to do on learning this new software package. Rest assured I will be doing a review of it for all of the rest of you blossoming authors out there.

cut

Guardians in magic by Richard Blunt

This is obviously a first book in the series for young adults. Lucas Trent is a young man with a circle of friends. He and those friends discover they have magical abilities and with those abilities, serious responsibilities.

I like the character development that was done on the book. You get a good feel for who the people are and what their wants and desires are. The exhibit a lot naivety but that is certainly age-appropriate. The mysterious Angel gives an aura of illusion. The plot is not earthshaking but it does establish a good foundation for future stories.

Lucas is likable as the main protagonist and he exhibits what I would consider normal teenage behavior. Equally the team's willingness to tackle tasks that perhaps they shouldn't also is indicative of what I would consider normal teenage behavior. Overall while the book is not stellar is definitely worth reading and I do recommend. I also look forward to the sequel.

Body of work: Richard Blunt

website:  http://www.lucastrent.com/

BTW: This is the first review I've done using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. So far so good but it was probably slower than typing it. I have much work to do on learning this new software package. Rest assured I will be doing a review of it for all of the rest of you blossoming authors out there.

Warriors of the Edge by Katie Bridges

Reality and fantasy intermingle in the “Warriors of the Edge” game.   Tarek Ortzen discovers things about himself, his family and the worlds he lives in by playing the game. 

Ms. Bridges has adroitly extrapolated the future from the current level  of interest and capabilities of modern role playing or immersive games.   My grandson has intimate knowledge of WWII weapons, tactics and battles from playing his favorite game.   Ms. Bridges future is merely a step or two beyond current technology.    The difference is the blurring between gaming and realty.   There is some concern by sensationalists that current gaming is desensitizing kids to violence and promoting bad behavior.   Having observed a large pool of both young and older teens gaming at a local cyber-café over several years, as a former school counselor, I would have to disagree with the sensationalists.   The gaming is often cathartic for some of these kids.   The camaraderie developed during game play often carries over to “normal” behavior and provides a socialization experience for the participants.    Ms. Bridges shows the development of friendship and group integration in her books plot.

The premise is unique and thought provoking.   Multiple populations simultaneously occupying the same physical planet but skewed out of time so no physical interaction occurs is certainly thought provoking.  There may be others besides the known humans who are utilizing the same Tone technology and competing for the same dimensions.

There are some disturbing things like “mute” that certainly are draconian and frightening.   This is leavened with the friendship and growth of the characters.  There are times where it becomes a tad confusing but preserver, it is worth it.   As I understand it, this is the first book by Katie Bridges and one can hope there will be subsequent sequels.  

I recommend it.

Body of work of Katie Bridges

Web Site: http://warriorsoftheedge.com/

The Flight of the Silver Vixen by Annalinde Matichei

This book is about a world where there are only females.   Blondes seem to fit the stereotype for female and brunettes the stereotype for males regarding role playing.   A group of  teens skyjack a prototype spacecraft and end up in a different galaxy as heroic saviors.  

Much to my surprise I have discovered a genre previously unknown to me, that of the Intermorphic Worlds.  These are stories where there is only one gender or in this case all-girl worlds.   The social aspects that underlie the premise make one ponder.   I was a bit disappointed in that the author provides a same gender world but then assigns stereotypical male/female behavior based on hair color.   It smacks of that old sociology experiment regarding intolerance based on eye color.   In addition, the only men mentioned in the story are prime examples of negative stereotypes.   In that aspect the story was highly agenda based.   

As far as the story it wasn’t too bad.   In some ways it was a traditional coming of age story where the teens must rise to the occasion and show their true character.   The plot was complex enough to maintain interest.   The style was somewhat choppy.   I enjoyed the book and still find myself pondering the motivation behind it.  If that is the goal, it was admirably achieved.   Robert Heinlein’s works with Lazarus Long always provided food for thought too.    

Body of work of Annalinde Matichei </a>

Web Site: http://sundaughterpress.com/category/annalinde-matichei/

The Radleys by Matt Haig

An interesting and different take on vampires this book is a morality play with seemingly normal characters. The Radleys are a family of abstaining vampires forced to face their identity and heritage through the actions of a family member.

In spite of vampires being grossly overworked this was a very good book. The characters were believable and even likeable. Rowan and Clara, the Radley children, faced major changes in their young lives and as kids do acclimated surprisingly well.

Uncle Will was not a likeable character but his behavior fit the parameters of the story. The situation was artificial but made believable considering the political machinations of daily existence in “real” life.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Matt Haig

Web Site:

The Turning by Helen Ellis

This is one of the more thoughtful middle school books I’ve read. I’m not really sure if it is more for younger high school or not. I think it can and will appeal to both audiences. Mary discovers a secret about her own life that she never dreamed of facing. Mary’s relationships with her family and friends undergo some major revamping with what she learns.

Ms. Ellis deals with the insecurities that kids have in a tasteful and insightful manner. As an ex-guidance counselor for this age, I felt she captured their feelings very accurately. Fish or fowl is often the question with teenagers or in this case feline or not. The mystery was prolonged to the end. There was sufficient tension and moderate action to hold your interest. The life and death aspects were portrayed somewhat graphically but I don’t think at a level of intensity to frighten the younger reader. The book was well done and it appears that it will be a captivating series.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Helen Ellis

Web Site:                                See an interview with Helen Ellis at Pick Of the Literate