Reviewed
by: ?wazithinkin
Genre:
Middle Grade/Adventure/Epic Fantasy
Approximate
word count: 70-75,000
words
Availability
Click
on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes &
Noble, or Smashwords store
Author:
“Scott
Collins was born and raised in Southern California but relocated to
the Denver area following the birth of the first of his two sons.
Days' End was his debut novel and now Scepter is the first in a
middle grade fantasy series. In addition to writing, he enjoys
spending his free time (with two kids that's not much time) running
and cycling.”
Please
feel free to visit his website and Facebook page.
Description:
“In
their quest to overthrow the reign of the evil King Argyle so they
can free their parents and the rest of his slaves, a small clan of
youngsters has banded together to reunite the jewels of the Scepter
of Harmony.
Having
stolen the Emerald of Phaunos and reuniting it with the scepter, they
must once again test their skills and resolve as they face the
challenge of grabbing the Ruby of Helios from a ruthless band of
raiders.
With
the diegylis still hot on their heels, the band of rebels navigate
the waters of the Great Lake, as well as the scorching desert of the
Land of Sands, before facing a tribe of reptilian beasts who would
rather die than relinquish the power of the ruby.
Though
unexpected help comes from two powerful sources, will it be enough to
save one of them from certain death, and the others from overwhelming
odds? Failure is not an option, for if they don't succeed, Argyle
will destroy the scepter, and the kingdom will collapse into ruin.”
Appraisal:
During
their stay with the Centaurs in Alustria, Halem and Atreyu have a
change of heart and decide to join Daniel and Aidan’s small group
to defeat Argyle. They start training with the younger Centaurs in
strengthening exercises and weapons use under Liam. At the end of
each day they get lessons in Alustrias' history and character
building advice from Shon. The trials and tribulations between the
human children and the young Centaurs are age appropriate, common
problems dealing with peers.
With
the group down to five children at this point, Daniel, Aidan, Zack,
Olivia, and Lilly are in a small boat heading down river to the Great
Lake. Feeling safe they discuss the next leg of their quest in a
relaxed atmosphere. Until they notice storm clouds moving their way.
The children are faced with pirates, merpeople, and the threat of
Argyle getting closer to capturing them. There are new threats that
our questers must face while crossing the scorching desert in search
for the Ruby of Helios. They are tested to their limits of endurance.
Things only get worse when Argyle’s diegylis (The half man, half
wolf warrior creatures.) catch up with them.
Mr.
Collins has written a unique, epic adventure, including battle
scenes, which are sure to thrill boys and girls alike. Olivia and
Lilly contribute their fair share to overcoming each obstacle that
challenges their group. I really appreciate the fact that even though
there are disagreements within the group they manage to cooperate and
work together in the end.
FYI:
The
Ruby of Helios is book 3
of the Scepter series. It is important to read the series in order.
Format/Typo
Issues:
I
found nothing of note with the editing or proofing.
Rating:
**** Four Stars
No comments:
Post a Comment