Tuesday 14 May 2013

YOUNG ADULT REVIEW: The Blackwell Pages 1: Loki's Wolves - K L Armstrong and M A Marr

Release Date: 07/05/13
Publisher:  Atom

SYNOPSIS:

In Viking times, Norse myths predicted the end of the world, an event called Ragnarok that only the gods can stop. When this apocalypse happens, the gods must battle the monsters - wolves the size of the sun, serpents that span the seabeds - all bent on destroying the world. But the gods died a long time ago. Matt Thorsen knows every Norse myth, saga, and god as if it was family history - because it is family history. Most people in the modern-day town of Blackwell, in fact, are direct descendants of either Thor or Loki, including Matt's classmates Fen and Laurie Brekke. But knowing the legends and completely believing them are two different things. When the rune readers reveal that Ragnarok is coming and kids - led by Matt - must stand in for the gods in the final battle, Matt can hardly believe it. Matt's, Laurie's, and Fen's lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team to stop the end of the world.


REVIEW:

I’m a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong’s work and have loved her Young Adult as well as her adult titles with each successive release, yet this title is different from both as its aimed at a younger market still, that of the reader being in the 8+ age group. Whilst there will be quite a few people who will love this, I personally had a lot of problems as it felt rather rushed, the characters pretty flat and all round really didn’t give me that magical feeling that I’ve had from her work previously as she’s given the readers characters that they can get to know and love to spend time around.

Whilst this is a joint project, with two well-known authors writing together I had expected a lot more than what I received. All round it is OK and future titles may well pick up and take this to something pretty epic but if your young reader wants a book with a Norse feel to it, I’d heartily recommend John Flannigan’s Outcast series.




No comments: