James Todd Cochrane

A sweeping enchanting story set in a world where the forces of good and evil battle for sway. No, this is not a "read it before", predictable tale, it is a vivid, beautifully woven saga of magic, mayhem and mystery. Adventure abounds, wicked plots and evil questing beasts frighten and entertain. Rarely, if ever, am I faced with a book I'm actually nervous to write a review for, this was one; I was afraid I would not be able to do it justice, it is simply too excellent.

Max, pays a reluctant visit to his grandfather for his summer vacation, he is immediately marked and tracked by the creatures of darkness. Max soon discovers, not only that he admires his grandfather, but that the old man is a seasoned traveler to far flung fantasy worlds, courtesy of an intriguing time machine. He befriends Cindy, a beautiful, tomboy, and makes instant enemies with the group of town bullies, who are far more dangerous than first thought.

Max and Cindy are charming characters, full of warmth and fun. Their halting, first blush infatuation is a delight to read, both refreshing in its innocence and evocative in its promise.

Suspense, and danger force Max and Cindy into a vortex of "other worlds" for which they need to learn enthralling magical arts to survive. From believable, truly scary monsters, to shimmering fairies and stealthy night shades, this book has it all. The ambit and sheer breadth of the authors imagination is staggering and ever awe inspiring. The target market here is probably pre-teen, but for anyone who fears that wonder is merely a glimmer of vaguely remembered majesty on a fading horizon, this book will fix it totally, a fit read for both child, and the child in you. A must do fiction, more heart-stoppingly amazing than anything I've picked up in years: which kid(or adult), after all, does not want to be the hero with hard-won superpowers who is touted to save the world.… (mehr)

The Descendant and the Demon's Fork is the third installment in the Max and the Gatekeeper series. Like its predecessors, this book continues the tale of a young boy named Max who finds himself at the very center of an intergalactic war. Max has the unenviable task of fighting the forces of evil while trying to cope with life as a teenager.

One thing I've enjoyed about this series is the sheer imagination of the story. There is always some new twist or interesting adventure to read about. In many ways, this is the best offering yet. The villains are quite vicious in this one and the heroes are always hard pressed to outwit them. The only complaint that I had with this book is that Max and his best friend Cindy seem to be a little more helpless than usual. Because the enemies are so powerful, the children are over matched in nearly every confrontation with evil and seem to require the help of adults to survive their battles. If this happened only once or twice, I wouldn't mention it. But since this book is really about Max, I would prefer to see him solve most of the challenges he faces. This is really a minor point, because the story is compelling and I imagine as the series goes on, we'll see Max grow stronger.

I think middle graders out there will have a blast reading this book. This is easily one of the best young adult fantasy series I've read and would recommend it to anyone who loves action-adventure novels with a heavy dose of imagination. Can't wait to see what's in store for us lucky readers in the next book!

4 Stars… (mehr)