Sunday, September 18, 2011

Key of Kilenya

So, I apologize for the two-week hiatus. I wish I could promise that it will be gone for good, but...school is way busy. After this, I may go off the radar again for awhile. But don't give up on me just yet.

First, a couple personal messages. To Jude--I'm sorry. I won't be talking about your animal rights thoughts just yet. I will get there. I promise. To Andrea Pearson--I'm sorry I'm a day late. Life got to me, and on top of that, Blogger decided to hate me on the one day I needed it. At least it's only one day.

All right. For those of you who don't know, today is my day to review Andrea Pearson's Key of Kilenya. So here we go.

The Key of Kilenya is a middle-grade fantasy novel written and published by Andrea Pearson this year (2011). First, a little background:

     "When two vicious wolves chase fourteen-year-old Jacob Clark down a path from our world into another, his life is forever changed. He has no idea they have been sent by the Lorkon--evil, immortal beings whoa re jealous of powers he doesn't know he possesses--powers they desire to control.
     "The inhabitants of the new world desperately need Jacob's help in recovering a magical key that was stolen by the Lorkon and is somehow linked to him. If he helps them, his life will be at risk. But if he chooses not to help them, both our world and theirs will be in danger. The Lorkon will stop at nothing to unleash the power of the key--and Jacob's special abilities."

This book is imaginative, thrilling, and fun. I loved the imagination and emotion Andrea managed to weave through the entire quest and plot of the book. I will try not to give away any spoilers (so that all you blog-readers will go read it--purchase link above the cover art!), but I want to say a few wonderful things about this book.

First, the plot. Andrea manages to take a typical, middle-grade plot line and elevate it to a new level of imagination. Unique creatures, exciting encounters, and mysterious journal entries combine to give the reader a reason to keep reading, something I have a hard time finding in the typical middle-grade novel. Kudos to Andrea for making this read interesting and worthwhile.

Second, the characters. Again, Andrea manages to insert her own unique style without crossing any boundaries. Her characters are humorous, intense, and in some cases downright strange (I'm thinking of a crazy old man with nuts), yet convey the story nicely and with ease. There are almost no duplicate characters--each has a voice the reader can recognize and fall in love with. Again, kudos.

Third, the dialogue. This is where I feel Andrea truly shone as a writer. Not only does she convey the storyline and necessity of the quest with the conversation, but she also manages to inject humor, romance, and even a little bit of good ol' Mormonism into her characters' language (don't worry, all you non-believers. You wouldn't recognize it unless you were a Mormon. You can read the book religion free). Andrea takes the parameters for a normal middle-grade novel and elevates them to the next level, giving the book a fresh and appealing feel.

So, overall, I have to recommend The Key of Kilenya. The plot, characters, and dialogue all combine to make the novel an enthralling, entertaining, and enjoyable read. Good job Andrea for all your hard work! Check out her website here.

And yes. I expect you to review my book, Andrea. Once it's published. Or done...

4 comments:

  1. Ha ha ha! Very entertaining review. :-) And no worries on being a day late. :-)

    Thanks for reading and reviewing The Key of Kilenya. :-) And I'll read and review your book once it's published/done/edited/whatever. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great review! Sounds like a good book!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks again for your review. :-) I'm wondering how open you'd be to posting it on Amazon and Goodreads? I'd really, really appreciate it! :-)

    Amazon (Kindle):
    http://www.amazon.com/Key-Kilenya-ebook/dp/B0058KBQRS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1323978764&sr=1-1

    Goodreads:
    http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12416944-the-key-of-kilenya

    Thanks soooo much! :-) Also, I'm wondering if you'd be okay with me using bits of your review for blurbs and such? Let me know here (in case I don't find your response to my comment):
    apATandreapearsonbooksDOTcom. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey Andrea, I am so sorry! I didn't see this comment get posted until like 30 seconds ago. But yeah, you can totally use this review for whatever you want. And I'll try to figure out the goodreads/amazon stuff.

    ReplyDelete

Nuggets of Wisdom