Background: During a normal Family Fun Day with their parents, Evan and Clare are sucked into the world of all the gods and goddesses ever known to exist. They are fated with the task of retrieving the Serpent's Ring from a sea god before he uses it to destroy Earth. Gifted with incredible powers from the Ring, they set out on the adventure of a lifetime.

Review: Bolton has a wonderful way of pulling in a reader. The Serpent's Ring is geared for a middle grade audience but can be enjoyed by all ages and even read as a family. Evan is fourteen and his sister only a few years older and each of them have their quarks. Evan is young and still very self doubting, and the adventure they take allows him to find himself as a teenage boy, even if it is in a supernatural world. Clare, his sister, if your typical stereotype of a teenage girl, she is flirty and preoccupied with clothing and style, but also determined and strong, helping her brother throughout their journey. Strong characters like these are great for young readers, they allow them role models in a sense but also a grand adventure.

The plot was also very entertaining. I really liked the author's ability to intertwine the roles of various mystical creatures and myths into one tale, and left a great opening for many tales to come. I can say that it was informative as well as captivating. It left me eager to read the next installment. ( )

I am happy today to bring you a review and giveaway of The Serpent's Ring, a novel with dragons, trolls, labyrinths and Norse gods and goddesses. Oh, and Evan and Claire the hero and heroine of the story. It took me a little bit to get into the story, but once the brother and sister got into Asgard, the story really takes off and Evan, Claire and their imp friends Dunkle and Barfel have to fight off, trolls, fight to keep their ship from hitting jagged rocks as Evan is drawn to a siren, battle giants, a dragon, pick up a hero....Well, that's just in the first few pages. I'm exhausted just thinking about it. There's a reason that heroes and heroines are young, all the energy, enthusiasm and lack of sleep. Old people just can't do it!

Anyway, it was a bit of a slow start even with some adventure thrown in, but as the plot got more complex, things got interested. I certainly learned a lot more about Norse mythology, though the book claims to be "loosely based" on Norse mythology. I still learned some things and found it very interesting. The brother and sister had a typical relationship in the beginning, Evan being 14 and Claire 16, but they seemed a bit older for their age. Under their circumstances, they had to be more mature, but still some sibling rivalry poked through often even in the heat of the battle. It was nice to see though at the end of the story that both of the kids had grown, in their relationship with each other and as people.

There was a definite message that the plot line took- the environment. Aegir, the god of the Sea in Norse mythology was angry with the people of Terra (Earth) over an oil spill on a coral reef. It was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back. He was tired of having his seas polluted with trash and oil spills and other toxins. We are not good stewards of earth. Aegir's solution, a Noah size flood. Wipe us out and start all over again and thanks to a nosy Evan and a little mistake, Aegir has just what he needs to do it. Yep, you guessed it, The Serpent's Ring. Jormundgand, the serpent that is so big it surrounds the Earth and swallows it's own tail, is depicted on the ring, and if given the ring he will no longer swallow his tail and the Earth will flood, wiping the Earth clean of everyone and everything to start all over again. So Evan and Claire have a pretty big quest to accomplish for the first time out.

They met interesting creatures and places, learned unique things about themselves. Was it accidental that they were the ones that were on this quest? And will they see Asgard again when they finish this mission? Will they finish mission? Can they talk Aegir out of his wrath? He isn't known to be a lover of humans. Why send humans to try to dissuade him? And what can one boy do against an all powerful God of the Sea?

I really enjoyed the story. I think it's definitely for the younger YA, to older MG crowd. There is a bit of romance in it, but very G rated. I felt myself smiling a lot towards the end because I knew some of what would be coming and I knew it would be bittersweet. I liked that some of the story was told from Evan's point of view. Always love to hear from the guys. ( )

Originally reviewed at:http://www.flyleafreview.com/2012/10/book-review-serpents-ring-by-hb-bolton.html

My son seems to have inherited the "avid reader" gene from me and we tend to like many of the same things in books. For example, he's a big fan of the Percy Jackson series and so am I. When The Hunger Games hit the big screen and all of his friends were going to see it, I told him I'd take him once he read the book. He did, and then read Catching Fire right after. So I am always on the lookout for books that I think might interest him. Later this month we are going to post a joint review of a Halloween themed book which I am super excited about. When Candace over at CBB Book Promotions told me about the upcoming tour for the MG book, The Serpent's Ring, I signed on. One of the things that intrigued me about the book was that it is loosely based on a Norse mythological story. I know quite a bit about Greek and Roman mythology, but am not as fluent in Norse. I'm happy to say that The Serpent's Ring is an action packed tale filled with many characters and an engaging plot that I think will be a hit with the upper elementary and middle school set. Especially BOYS.

The Serpent's Ring is what I would call a "boy book." The narrator, 14 year old Evan, like Percy Jackson, is a character I think many boys can relate to. Evan is curious and looking for adventure. He's easily bored so he likes to keep busy. He's irritated by his older sister, but still worries about her safety. He is brave and wants to do the right thing.

The main characters, Evan and Claire, are 12 and 14 years old. But I have to say that to me they read as younger. I could see Evan as 10 or 12 and Claire as 13 or 14. I'm curious why the ages are bumped up in the book. And by the way, this book is very PG and age appropriate. There are hints of romance and a crush or two, but not much more than that and no adult language. There is action but nothing too graphic or violent.

The Serpent's Ring is your classic hero quest, a plot device that can be found in stories dating back to the Gilgamesh some 4500 years ago. We see quest's in everything from Jason and the Golden Fleece, to The Wizard of Oz, to The Lord of the Rings and even Star Wars. In The Serpent's Ring Evan and his sister Claire set off on their own adventure to retrieve a ring from a Norse god bent on destroying mankind by flooding the earth to rid it of evil. Along the way they meet many fantastic mythical creatures like imps, giants, trolls, dragons, mer -people, gigantic sea serpents, mythological gods, sirens and sea hags and immortal heroes. This book is also filled with stories of amazing powers, treasure filled underwater grottoes, viking ships and divining lockets.

Author H.B. Bolton goes into great detail to describe the places and things that Evan and Claire encounter on their quest, enough to sweep any young reader up into the mythical realm of Saagas. There are also many fun descriptions of the food the kids try (you know food is a pretty big deal to a 9 or 10 year old.) In fact one of my favorite parts of the book is the Magical Foods Recipe section found at the back. There you can find instructions for the "Woofout Bar" (which will make you talk like a dog for a short time after eating) and the "Fizzy Whizzle." There is also a handy glossary at the end that you can refer to when all the mythical beings and places start to get confusing. LOVE this!

Evan and Claire face many dangerous obstacles on their way to claim the serpent's ring from the Norse god of the sea Aegir and make some unlikely friends as well. I will say that The Serpent's Ring is very plot driven, and development of characters takes a definite back seat to story and action. This doesn't always sit well with me but may not be a problem for younger readers. And I do think this book is best suited for the older elementary and younger middle grade reader. I'm not sure that teens or adults would enjoy The Serpent's Ring as much.

That being said, it's an interesting start to a new series. Do Evan and Claire retrieve the serpent's ring and stop Aegir from destroying the planet? Do the siblings make it back home? You'll just have to read for yourself to find out:)

3.5/5 Stars ( )