The Seven succeeding Elven Lords of Allyra were dead, lost in the Siege of Berinfell as babes. At least that's what everyone thought until tremors from a distant world known as Earth, revealed strange signs that Elven blood lived among its peoples. With a glimmer of hope in their hearts, sentinels are sent to see if the signs are true. But theirs is not a lone errand. The ruling warlord of Allyra, the Spider King, has sent his own scouts to hunt down the Seven and finish the job they failed to complete many ages ago.
Now 13-year-olds on the brink of the Age of Reckoning when their Elven gifts will be manifest, discover the unthinkable truth that their adoptive families are not their only kin. With mysterious Sentinels revealing breathtaking secrets of the past, and dark strangers haunting their every move, will the young Elf Lords find the way back to the home of their birth? Worlds and races collide as the forces of good and evil battle. Will anyone escape the Curse of the Spider King? [Description and image taken from Amazon.com]
This was actually the first book that I read by either Wayne Thomas Batson or Christopher Hopper, and it is one of the best.
One of the things that was both good and bad was that there were seven protagonists. Seven. Quite a bit. But CH and WTB manage to pull it off masterfully.
Mr. Batson's humor, seen often in his other books (like The Door Within), was also present. There was a particular paragraph about a cell phone (COTSK fans will know what I'm talking about) that literally made me laugh my head off.
Mr. Hopper's description skills and other qualities shone through the pages of this excellent book as well.
The character development could have been a bit better on a few select characters, but altogether, considering the enormous amount of characters, protagonists and other characters alike, the development was superb.
The combination of these two authors was, to say the least, amazing. I can't wait to read their next book in the Berinfell Prophecies series, Venom and Song. (which, incidentially, comes out in several days!)
Rated 9.1 out of 10
[NOTE; Sorry about the image, it was the only one I could find. :) ]
4 comments:
I agree that there were a lot of characters to try and keep track of. I often found myself confused as to who was who and constantly checked the cast of characters at the front. Other then that, I'd agree that it's a really good book.
~God Bless~
Jake, thanks for the great review! The Berinfell books have been the most fun I've every had writing--due in large part to being able to work with Christopher Hopper. A great gentleman, I can tell you. If our instincts are any good, you'll like Venom & Song much more even. Thanks again for the kind words.
Whoa, Jake. You're getting popular around here!! Mr. Batson himself commented!! Cool!!!!!!
~God Bless~
Wow, Mr. Batson, thanks for stopping by! I'm a huge fan of yours. :)
I suspect my father had something to do with it... :D
Post a Comment