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The Paladin Prophecy #1
The Paladin Prophecy
Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.
Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school . . . and is being followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of--physical and mental feats that should be impossible--and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.
Co-creator of the groundbreaking television series Twin Peaks, Mark Frost brings his unique vision to this sophisticated adventure, which combines mystery, heart-pounding action, and the supernatural.
Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school . . . and is being followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of--physical and mental feats that should be impossible--and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.
Co-creator of the groundbreaking television series Twin Peaks, Mark Frost brings his unique vision to this sophisticated adventure, which combines mystery, heart-pounding action, and the supernatural.
13 pages, Audio CD
First published September 25, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,187 reviews
April 1, 2013
Very early on in the novel, I began fantasizing that the author had hired a team of Market Analyst Drones (MADs) to analyze successful YA books of the past half-generation. And that he had this conversation (probably via Skype):
MADs: Male protagonist a must; females readers will adapt, but young male readers still have a hard time imagining themselves as girls. Author: Check
He seems average but what the kids around him don't know/appreciate is that he is Very Special Indeed. Caters to typical adolescent self-aggrandizing psychology about being special without having to do any actual work to be special.Check
And he is, ideally, destined to save the world. Highest possible stakes. Check
He's good enough looking but not overly tall, short, thin, or fat...and he's white. Check
But he has some amazing powers. Check. How's running a mile in three minutes, mind control, and spontaneous healing?
Good. He's an orphan. Nah. I'll give him loving parents
Your funeral. He'll meet amazingly beautiful girls after making no effort whatsoever. Check
One of whom needs rescuing. Check
And a new best male friend who is nerdy, useful, but in no way a sexual rival for the girls. Check
Put in some scary floaty creatures from another dimension. It'll CGI well when the book sells to the movies. Check
And don't forget to be multicultural, in secondary characters only. I'll give him a black, poor, urban, slang-speaking acquaintance who inexplicably works full-time for him for no pay and hands him a free cell phone after knowing him for ten minutes, and then some scattered Samoan bodyguards.
Samoan is good--nobody has done that ethnic group, (offscreen) have they Sally?, but it's not TOO out there. And if you could somehow put him in an English boarding school. American boarding school.
Well...maybe. Now let's talk about product placement and bullies who have privilege and power.
(end of me eavesdropping on imaginary Skype.)
The book was so much this way that on page 150, I put the book down on my chest and fantasized for an hour about how far we are today, technologically, from writing computer programs that will create derivative books like this.+
So why three stars*, Zora? (Man, I'm suffering from a lot of imaginary conversations today!) Because he pulls it off pretty well. His grammar is correct. It is blessedly in past tense. (othankyouthankyouthankyou.) He has a slick, invisible style. (Though he does need to go look up the words "prone" and "supine" and that slang is already dated--bad idea, dude.) The book is fine, much like that root beer I had yesterday afternoon--no vitamins or minerals, but it did me no actual harm.
Adolescent readers surely won't suffer this dissociative analysis while reading; they'll think it's hunky dory.
+Which I wouldn't entirely be against.
*Unless when amazon takes over this site they institute downvotes, which authors and publishers evilly pay for on well-stated negative and in-between reviews, in which case, I'll start removing stars for every downvote while I hunt for another book review site.
MADs: Male protagonist a must; females readers will adapt, but young male readers still have a hard time imagining themselves as girls. Author: Check
He seems average but what the kids around him don't know/appreciate is that he is Very Special Indeed. Caters to typical adolescent self-aggrandizing psychology about being special without having to do any actual work to be special.Check
And he is, ideally, destined to save the world. Highest possible stakes. Check
He's good enough looking but not overly tall, short, thin, or fat...and he's white. Check
But he has some amazing powers. Check. How's running a mile in three minutes, mind control, and spontaneous healing?
Good. He's an orphan. Nah. I'll give him loving parents
Your funeral. He'll meet amazingly beautiful girls after making no effort whatsoever. Check
One of whom needs rescuing. Check
And a new best male friend who is nerdy, useful, but in no way a sexual rival for the girls. Check
Put in some scary floaty creatures from another dimension. It'll CGI well when the book sells to the movies. Check
And don't forget to be multicultural, in secondary characters only. I'll give him a black, poor, urban, slang-speaking acquaintance who inexplicably works full-time for him for no pay and hands him a free cell phone after knowing him for ten minutes, and then some scattered Samoan bodyguards.
Samoan is good--nobody has done that ethnic group, (offscreen) have they Sally?, but it's not TOO out there. And if you could somehow put him in an English boarding school. American boarding school.
Well...maybe. Now let's talk about product placement and bullies who have privilege and power.
(end of me eavesdropping on imaginary Skype.)
The book was so much this way that on page 150, I put the book down on my chest and fantasized for an hour about how far we are today, technologically, from writing computer programs that will create derivative books like this.+
So why three stars*, Zora? (Man, I'm suffering from a lot of imaginary conversations today!) Because he pulls it off pretty well. His grammar is correct. It is blessedly in past tense. (othankyouthankyouthankyou.) He has a slick, invisible style. (Though he does need to go look up the words "prone" and "supine" and that slang is already dated--bad idea, dude.) The book is fine, much like that root beer I had yesterday afternoon--no vitamins or minerals, but it did me no actual harm.
Adolescent readers surely won't suffer this dissociative analysis while reading; they'll think it's hunky dory.
+Which I wouldn't entirely be against.
*Unless when amazon takes over this site they institute downvotes, which authors and publishers evilly pay for on well-stated negative and in-between reviews, in which case, I'll start removing stars for every downvote while I hunt for another book review site.
October 23, 2023
A good YA urban fantasy with a touch of the supernatural. Not sure I'll be continuing on with the series. Recommended nevertheless.
Read: 01042023
Edit III: 10232023
Read: 01042023
Edit III: 10232023
May 24, 2014
WOW! Have to start with that one word.
There are some books that you love but wish had more unpredictability. Then exists some that leave you dumbfounded with great story but you don't necessarily love it. Rarely does a book come along that does BOTH! I would like to state, after saying it does both, that this book is meant to be ENJOYED and not ANALYZED. I’ve read some reviews that are WAY over critical like if this was a Harvard Law paper. Jeez people, just enjoy what the author wants to present!!!!!
I have to say I judged this book by the cover when I walked into B&N. It really draws you in and I appreciate the thought that goes into a well-made jacket. I ordered it instantly to my Kindle and it was all down hill from there!
The book starts with a completely "ordinary" teen named Will West. But the beauty of how the author engages you right from the start is incredible. The action begins FAST! Will is drawn into such a complex series of events from the very beginning and one doesn't have to suffer a couple chapters of endless character background history and storytelling!! The author works that in all during the book that gives the reader those “oooohhhhh” moments (which everyone enjoys, right?).
The characters introduced (and pay attention when you read cause they are MANY) have comprehensive backgrounds and depth to them and the perfect lingo that goes with the personality of each. Nobody is just a side guy or a stand in. Will, Nando, Nick (who is my favorite and everyone will see why!!), Brooke, Ajay, Elise, and Ronnie won’t fail to amaze! Not to mention the plethora of others!
Mark Frost has a plot that doesn’t disappoint. He merges history and fantasy to the point where it can sound believable at times. Hehehe. The classic Good vs. Bad is there of course. You can value how he leads it in to the story slowly. Leaves one wondering who’s who with a few of the key characters. Also they way the story is layered and moves keeps it rolling high from start to end. It isn’t a slow read so it makes it easier to get through.
The ending will have you craving the next book, which is entirely the point of course! If your one of those people who reads the last page or last paragraph first, DON'T!!!!! Trust me it will destroy the story for you!!!!!!
I’m going to leave it here. I’m not one to explain a books story and spoil the contents.
READ IT!!!! YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!! THAT my friend, is the bottom line. ;)
There are some books that you love but wish had more unpredictability. Then exists some that leave you dumbfounded with great story but you don't necessarily love it. Rarely does a book come along that does BOTH! I would like to state, after saying it does both, that this book is meant to be ENJOYED and not ANALYZED. I’ve read some reviews that are WAY over critical like if this was a Harvard Law paper. Jeez people, just enjoy what the author wants to present!!!!!
I have to say I judged this book by the cover when I walked into B&N. It really draws you in and I appreciate the thought that goes into a well-made jacket. I ordered it instantly to my Kindle and it was all down hill from there!
The book starts with a completely "ordinary" teen named Will West. But the beauty of how the author engages you right from the start is incredible. The action begins FAST! Will is drawn into such a complex series of events from the very beginning and one doesn't have to suffer a couple chapters of endless character background history and storytelling!! The author works that in all during the book that gives the reader those “oooohhhhh” moments (which everyone enjoys, right?).
The characters introduced (and pay attention when you read cause they are MANY) have comprehensive backgrounds and depth to them and the perfect lingo that goes with the personality of each. Nobody is just a side guy or a stand in. Will, Nando, Nick (who is my favorite and everyone will see why!!), Brooke, Ajay, Elise, and Ronnie won’t fail to amaze! Not to mention the plethora of others!
Mark Frost has a plot that doesn’t disappoint. He merges history and fantasy to the point where it can sound believable at times. Hehehe. The classic Good vs. Bad is there of course. You can value how he leads it in to the story slowly. Leaves one wondering who’s who with a few of the key characters. Also they way the story is layered and moves keeps it rolling high from start to end. It isn’t a slow read so it makes it easier to get through.
The ending will have you craving the next book, which is entirely the point of course! If your one of those people who reads the last page or last paragraph first, DON'T!!!!! Trust me it will destroy the story for you!!!!!!
I’m going to leave it here. I’m not one to explain a books story and spoil the contents.
READ IT!!!! YOU WILL LOVE IT!!!! THAT my friend, is the bottom line. ;)
December 20, 2012
THE BAD: You know those commercials that you hear on TV, the ones selling weird gadgets, the ones that seem to SHOUT at you? The ones that seem to say “LOOK AT ME! I’M EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED! PLEASE BUY ME EVEN THOUGH I’M COMPLETELY USELESS!” The Paladin Prophecy was that book for me. That doesn’t make sense? Let me elaborate.
I was totally taken in by the cover of this book (kickass), by its synopsis (intriguing), and by its author’s credentials (Twin Peaks? Fantastic Four? Yes!). Perhaps my expectations were a bit high, and that is the reason I was let down. This is not a bad book per se, but the writing came across a little desperate and unnatural to me. I felt like the writer had a clear audience (teenage male) and wrote so specifically for that audience that he completely alienated anyone else. Now, that is perfectly ok, if that was his intention. I, personally, believe that there is not enough out there for that particular market. But, even when I take this into consideration, I still found the book difficult to drag myself through. There was the car language "tricked out" cars on "custom chassis" and the homeboy language "nah...don't sweat holms". Personally, I felt that it insulted the intelligence of the teenage male reader. I mean, anyone who picks up a 500 page book (and actually intends on reading it rather than throwing it) is probably intelligent enough to use their own imagination to visualize the world that the author paints without having to have every detail and nuance spelled out for them.
If you have read my previous reviews, you know that I have a problem with gratuitous descriptions and unnecessary information (that which neither propels the story forward, nor gives us insight into the character or setting), and Frost is guilty of this. The biggest problem with the descriptions? As elaborate as they were, they didn’t paint a clear picture. It became very frustrating.
Another of the big problems that I had with this book was Frost’s use of the “deux ex machina”...a huge no-no. When the protagonist gets to the airport and we wonder how he’s going to get through security when his name is certainly going to be on the watch list, what happens? Oh yeah, didn’t you know? Will can push pictures into people’s minds. Yep....been doing it since he was a kid....sorry, I forgot to mention that.
THE GOOD: Now, I accept that this book was clearly not written for the likes of me and I would definitely recommend it to a specific audience. I, also, think it would probably make a killer movie. Despite its slow pace (it seemed like forever before we actually find out any useful information) the book was action packed and non-stop.
The negative aspects of this book just happen to be qualities in writing that I find it difficult to overlook unless their are very strong points to counter them. For me, the action and the storyline were just not enough to save the book.
I was totally taken in by the cover of this book (kickass), by its synopsis (intriguing), and by its author’s credentials (Twin Peaks? Fantastic Four? Yes!). Perhaps my expectations were a bit high, and that is the reason I was let down. This is not a bad book per se, but the writing came across a little desperate and unnatural to me. I felt like the writer had a clear audience (teenage male) and wrote so specifically for that audience that he completely alienated anyone else. Now, that is perfectly ok, if that was his intention. I, personally, believe that there is not enough out there for that particular market. But, even when I take this into consideration, I still found the book difficult to drag myself through. There was the car language "tricked out" cars on "custom chassis" and the homeboy language "nah...don't sweat holms". Personally, I felt that it insulted the intelligence of the teenage male reader. I mean, anyone who picks up a 500 page book (and actually intends on reading it rather than throwing it) is probably intelligent enough to use their own imagination to visualize the world that the author paints without having to have every detail and nuance spelled out for them.
If you have read my previous reviews, you know that I have a problem with gratuitous descriptions and unnecessary information (that which neither propels the story forward, nor gives us insight into the character or setting), and Frost is guilty of this. The biggest problem with the descriptions? As elaborate as they were, they didn’t paint a clear picture. It became very frustrating.
Another of the big problems that I had with this book was Frost’s use of the “deux ex machina”...a huge no-no. When the protagonist gets to the airport and we wonder how he’s going to get through security when his name is certainly going to be on the watch list, what happens? Oh yeah, didn’t you know? Will can push pictures into people’s minds. Yep....been doing it since he was a kid....sorry, I forgot to mention that.
THE GOOD: Now, I accept that this book was clearly not written for the likes of me and I would definitely recommend it to a specific audience. I, also, think it would probably make a killer movie. Despite its slow pace (it seemed like forever before we actually find out any useful information) the book was action packed and non-stop.
The negative aspects of this book just happen to be qualities in writing that I find it difficult to overlook unless their are very strong points to counter them. For me, the action and the storyline were just not enough to save the book.
March 18, 2018
The Paladin Prophecy is one of the most derivative, unimaginative, and reductive books I've ever read. This is the plot: boy with special powers is orphaned, but brought to a magical place where he can realize his potential -- a secret boarding school with a castle!
I'm not kidding. That's the plot. It is exactly the plot of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The protagonist, Will West, even gets rescued by a giant burly man who has a badass ride. His name is Dave. DAVE. Frost's startling lack of imagination extends beyond plain character names to the names of places and things. The super-secret academy is called "The Center." (Which is appropriate, I guess, considering Will thinks he is the center of the universe.) And when Will's group of "friends" decide to name themselves, they simply call themselves "The Alliance." Really? Alliance names on Big Brother are better than "The Alliance," and that show gave us "The Quack Pack."
This book has plenty of other problems. Female characters treated only as sex objects. (Upon seeing a female doctor, Will's first thought is she's smoking hot.) Female characters being captured and needed to be rescued. Minority characters existing to serve the white, hetero male protagonist. A group of Samoan security guards who all look exactly the same to said white protagonist. An exceptionally offensive depiction of Native Americans. All bad guys are physically "deformed" in some way -- overweight, acne, otherwise unattractive.
These issues are just sprinkles on the shit sundae of cardboard characters coupled with a brainless plot that lacks both suspense and cohesion. Everything about this book is predictable. Guess who the bad guy is? Yep, the shadowy guys in black! And who is helping them? You got it: the kid who is an asshole as soon as he meets Will! Even if you haven't read Harry Potter, you can see where this book is going because it's one giant wide straightaway road to nowhere, without a single twist or turn.
All of these problems are compounded by our protagonist, Will West, a fifteen-year-old asshole who thinks he is hot shit.
His first year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter seemed amazed at the magic he encountered. He was impressed by his own powers and the powers of others. Not Will. Will is a cocky little dickbag. He can do EVERYTHING. He can run fast. He can manipulate people's thoughts. He can send out psychic waves of energy. He can generate a radar map of the surrounding area in his head like the goddamn Soliton radar from Metal Gear Solid and numerous video game mini-maps thereafter. He literally runs ON TOP OF SNOW at one point, like he's Jesus in the Winter X-Games. Will has the power of deus ex machina. Powers manifest themselves when convenient to the story, and each time the holes in the plot are torn wider and wider. For example, Will is accepted by the super-secret academy because of a perfect score on a standardized test, which includes English, science, math, etc. Yet at school, he completely bombs at chemistry. How did he get a perfect score on that test when science is "a different language" to him? (Yes, I realize the test itself is probably some sort of scam, which I would learn if I hated myself enough to read another one of these. But no one questions it, illustrating the novel's general thoughtlessness.)
The most egregious issue with Will's perfection is that never once is he in awe. Never once does he think, "Wow." No, he thinks he is better than everyone else, and, well, he is. He is the ultimate entitled American douchebag. Upon discovering a supernatural reservoir of unlimited power within him, he merely shrugs his shoulders, and thinks, yep. I deserve this.
Blunt, bombastic Americanness drips from every page of The Paladin Prophecy. There are explosions, guns, high-speed chases, and fights on the wings of airplanes stolen straight from The Twilight Zone. (Oh, Frost's "borrowing" knows no bounds.) The humor, or what passes for it, involves already dated catchphrases, references, and memes. A character says out loud, "ROTFLMAO." Chuck Norris is mentioned. Names are plain and unimaginative. You won't find a Hermione or a Hagrid here. Instead, our villains are named Lyle (LYLE! Like the goofy otter from Animal Crossing) or Todd. TODD! Okay, I'll concede to Todd. Never trust a Todd!
The fearsome Lyle (oh I have goosebumps!), in his super-villain monologue, rails about "commoners" the way Voldemort hates mudbloods:
"The problem is you don't know your place anymore. You think because our culture panders to your infantile impulses that now you're supposed to have a voice. That we should have to listen to you. You believe you're all so special! You couldn't possibly be responsible for your own dead-end lives--you've got too much self-esteem. You're all stars waiting to be discovered. Forget self-discipline or education or knowing the right people. The world's one big talent show and all you have to do is show up."
Lyle is the only person who has any sense in this book. Lyle is right, which is why we have so many books, like this one, to fulfill power fantasies. The Paladin Prophecy is especially offensive because it compounds this problem instead of trying to find a solution to it. However, tt puts this diatribe in the mouth of its villain. Instead of telling its target audience, you know what, you're not special, but you can still find happiness, it offers a fantasy world where they can pretend to be the strongest, fastest, and smartest in the room. It presents a situation in which someone tells them that they're not special, and they prove him wrong and defeat.
The power fantasy works. The book is a success. Frost has published sequels, and it has been optioned for a movie. I don't know why. It isn't even a fun book to read! I never do the "recommended to" part of Goodreads, but seriously, who is this book for? People who liked Harry Potter? If you liked Harry Potter and want exactly the same, but without the charm, wit, warmth, and magic, I guess you could read this book. But honestly, just re-read Harry Potter again. Or Rick Riordan novels if you like the mythology that Frost shoehorns into the book. Or Lovecraft if you like oozy demons that Frost summons from nowhere.
Mark Frost co-created Twin Peaks with David Lynch. I'm not a big Twin Peaks fan, but I am in awe that so much weirdness ever existed on prime time network television. I'm curious as to what Mark Frost's role was in the show. Maybe he wrote the dialog. Because if I were to judge his ability as a creative artist from this book alone, I would think he had no imagination whatsoever. Perhaps it died alongside Laura Palmer.
This is one of those books that isn't just bad, but offensively bad. It perpetuates mindless power fantasy and male entitlement. If I met someone who liked this book, I would back away slowly.
Early on, I decided to read The Paladin Prophecy with Will as the bad guy. He has all the stereotypical traits of a sociopath.
Will has no friends, but doesn't care that he has no friends. He never feels lonely. He makes friends only because he needs them to fulfill his goals.
Will lies to persuade the reader and other characters that he is the good guy. He says about Lyle: "Lyle played some kind of mind music, the way Will knew how to do, but unlike Will, he apparently felt no qualms about using his power on other people." This line comes only a chapter or two after Will brainwashes his way through airport security, and convinces a TSA guard that a businessman is a terrorist, getting an innocent man pulled off a plane and taken into custody. Will feels nary a qualm after his actions.
Will has no feelings. Will's mother is taken over by a mind-controlling demon in the first few chapters. The mother he knew is probably dead. In the brief characterization we get of her, we learn she's not Aunt Petunia. She's nice. She likes to give hugs. Pay attention if you read this book: However, not once, not a single time, does Will ever feel sadness or any sort of emotion over her death.
If you could look into Will West's eyes, they would not look back at you. They are cold and hollow inside. He doesn't see you. He sees through you. He is the center of the universe and you simply revolve around him. He will devour you if he needs to, in order to get ahead. And he will make you feel like you are doing an honorable deed by sacrificing yourself to him. But you are dead, while Will is alive. Will only cares about himself. Will is the bad guy. And evil wins.
I'm not kidding. That's the plot. It is exactly the plot of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The protagonist, Will West, even gets rescued by a giant burly man who has a badass ride. His name is Dave. DAVE. Frost's startling lack of imagination extends beyond plain character names to the names of places and things. The super-secret academy is called "The Center." (Which is appropriate, I guess, considering Will thinks he is the center of the universe.) And when Will's group of "friends" decide to name themselves, they simply call themselves "The Alliance." Really? Alliance names on Big Brother are better than "The Alliance," and that show gave us "The Quack Pack."
This book has plenty of other problems. Female characters treated only as sex objects. (Upon seeing a female doctor, Will's first thought is she's smoking hot.) Female characters being captured and needed to be rescued. Minority characters existing to serve the white, hetero male protagonist. A group of Samoan security guards who all look exactly the same to said white protagonist. An exceptionally offensive depiction of Native Americans. All bad guys are physically "deformed" in some way -- overweight, acne, otherwise unattractive.
These issues are just sprinkles on the shit sundae of cardboard characters coupled with a brainless plot that lacks both suspense and cohesion. Everything about this book is predictable. Guess who the bad guy is? Yep, the shadowy guys in black! And who is helping them? You got it: the kid who is an asshole as soon as he meets Will! Even if you haven't read Harry Potter, you can see where this book is going because it's one giant wide straightaway road to nowhere, without a single twist or turn.
All of these problems are compounded by our protagonist, Will West, a fifteen-year-old asshole who thinks he is hot shit.
His first year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter seemed amazed at the magic he encountered. He was impressed by his own powers and the powers of others. Not Will. Will is a cocky little dickbag. He can do EVERYTHING. He can run fast. He can manipulate people's thoughts. He can send out psychic waves of energy. He can generate a radar map of the surrounding area in his head like the goddamn Soliton radar from Metal Gear Solid and numerous video game mini-maps thereafter. He literally runs ON TOP OF SNOW at one point, like he's Jesus in the Winter X-Games. Will has the power of deus ex machina. Powers manifest themselves when convenient to the story, and each time the holes in the plot are torn wider and wider. For example, Will is accepted by the super-secret academy because of a perfect score on a standardized test, which includes English, science, math, etc. Yet at school, he completely bombs at chemistry. How did he get a perfect score on that test when science is "a different language" to him? (Yes, I realize the test itself is probably some sort of scam, which I would learn if I hated myself enough to read another one of these. But no one questions it, illustrating the novel's general thoughtlessness.)
The most egregious issue with Will's perfection is that never once is he in awe. Never once does he think, "Wow." No, he thinks he is better than everyone else, and, well, he is. He is the ultimate entitled American douchebag. Upon discovering a supernatural reservoir of unlimited power within him, he merely shrugs his shoulders, and thinks, yep. I deserve this.
Blunt, bombastic Americanness drips from every page of The Paladin Prophecy. There are explosions, guns, high-speed chases, and fights on the wings of airplanes stolen straight from The Twilight Zone. (Oh, Frost's "borrowing" knows no bounds.) The humor, or what passes for it, involves already dated catchphrases, references, and memes. A character says out loud, "ROTFLMAO." Chuck Norris is mentioned. Names are plain and unimaginative. You won't find a Hermione or a Hagrid here. Instead, our villains are named Lyle (LYLE! Like the goofy otter from Animal Crossing) or Todd. TODD! Okay, I'll concede to Todd. Never trust a Todd!
The fearsome Lyle (oh I have goosebumps!), in his super-villain monologue, rails about "commoners" the way Voldemort hates mudbloods:
"The problem is you don't know your place anymore. You think because our culture panders to your infantile impulses that now you're supposed to have a voice. That we should have to listen to you. You believe you're all so special! You couldn't possibly be responsible for your own dead-end lives--you've got too much self-esteem. You're all stars waiting to be discovered. Forget self-discipline or education or knowing the right people. The world's one big talent show and all you have to do is show up."
Lyle is the only person who has any sense in this book. Lyle is right, which is why we have so many books, like this one, to fulfill power fantasies. The Paladin Prophecy is especially offensive because it compounds this problem instead of trying to find a solution to it. However, tt puts this diatribe in the mouth of its villain. Instead of telling its target audience, you know what, you're not special, but you can still find happiness, it offers a fantasy world where they can pretend to be the strongest, fastest, and smartest in the room. It presents a situation in which someone tells them that they're not special, and they prove him wrong and defeat.
The power fantasy works. The book is a success. Frost has published sequels, and it has been optioned for a movie. I don't know why. It isn't even a fun book to read! I never do the "recommended to" part of Goodreads, but seriously, who is this book for? People who liked Harry Potter? If you liked Harry Potter and want exactly the same, but without the charm, wit, warmth, and magic, I guess you could read this book. But honestly, just re-read Harry Potter again. Or Rick Riordan novels if you like the mythology that Frost shoehorns into the book. Or Lovecraft if you like oozy demons that Frost summons from nowhere.
Mark Frost co-created Twin Peaks with David Lynch. I'm not a big Twin Peaks fan, but I am in awe that so much weirdness ever existed on prime time network television. I'm curious as to what Mark Frost's role was in the show. Maybe he wrote the dialog. Because if I were to judge his ability as a creative artist from this book alone, I would think he had no imagination whatsoever. Perhaps it died alongside Laura Palmer.
This is one of those books that isn't just bad, but offensively bad. It perpetuates mindless power fantasy and male entitlement. If I met someone who liked this book, I would back away slowly.
Early on, I decided to read The Paladin Prophecy with Will as the bad guy. He has all the stereotypical traits of a sociopath.
Will has no friends, but doesn't care that he has no friends. He never feels lonely. He makes friends only because he needs them to fulfill his goals.
Will lies to persuade the reader and other characters that he is the good guy. He says about Lyle: "Lyle played some kind of mind music, the way Will knew how to do, but unlike Will, he apparently felt no qualms about using his power on other people." This line comes only a chapter or two after Will brainwashes his way through airport security, and convinces a TSA guard that a businessman is a terrorist, getting an innocent man pulled off a plane and taken into custody. Will feels nary a qualm after his actions.
Will has no feelings. Will's mother is taken over by a mind-controlling demon in the first few chapters. The mother he knew is probably dead. In the brief characterization we get of her, we learn she's not Aunt Petunia. She's nice. She likes to give hugs. Pay attention if you read this book: However, not once, not a single time, does Will ever feel sadness or any sort of emotion over her death.
If you could look into Will West's eyes, they would not look back at you. They are cold and hollow inside. He doesn't see you. He sees through you. He is the center of the universe and you simply revolve around him. He will devour you if he needs to, in order to get ahead. And he will make you feel like you are doing an honorable deed by sacrificing yourself to him. But you are dead, while Will is alive. Will only cares about himself. Will is the bad guy. And evil wins.
July 18, 2020
This book was an adventure, full of action, a dash of philosophical promptings and great characters.
Will, the main character, intentionally lived so he’s unnoticed, a dire warning from his parents. The one time he slipped up, he ended up with the highest score on a standardized test, and the jig was up for him and his parents. That is when all hell broke loose...Supernatural forces, ancients bound on world domination, captured his parents and were pulling every strings, including the federal government to capture Will.
Will was not without help either, he had supernatural allies, friends, and special powers of his own to face the raging tide.
It was not a bad read, 3.5 stars!
Will, the main character, intentionally lived so he’s unnoticed, a dire warning from his parents. The one time he slipped up, he ended up with the highest score on a standardized test, and the jig was up for him and his parents. That is when all hell broke loose...Supernatural forces, ancients bound on world domination, captured his parents and were pulling every strings, including the federal government to capture Will.
Will was not without help either, he had supernatural allies, friends, and special powers of his own to face the raging tide.
It was not a bad read, 3.5 stars!
February 9, 2013
I actually stopped reading this twice, so I am surprised I had decided to keep going. On the third try, I made it to page 375. I think the reason I read so much when I didn’t want to was because RandomBuzzers had sent me not one, but two ARC copies for review. Well, I mean, to review the book and give someone else the other copy.
The author, Mark Frost, is already very successful and well-known in the book writing and television business (I think he created Twin Peaks and wrote the script for Fantastic Four, both of which I have not seen although I saw a commercial for Twin Peaks and it looked interesting so maybe I will watch the pilot episode sometime). I don’t think this helped tremendously in terms of the popularity his books have received, because maybe they are really good and he has built a name for himself in novel writing.
However, I did not like The Paladin Prophecy one bit, unfortunately. And I know exactly why.
The first reason is how much stuff is just thrown into the book. The first time I had stopped reading was about 100 pages in, because already I had seen magic powers, monsters, secret societies, and people stalking the main character, Will West, for some reason. Not to mention the scenes that read like cheesy rip-offs of The Men in Black, which is already a cheesy franchise in my opinion. As the story progresses, more and more was thrown in- “guardian angels”, a superior prep school that was virtually unknown, more monsters and aliens, more secret societies, and knights- and I really have no idea how the author is going to be able to wrap all that up and have it make sense. I for one, doubt he will be able to do it in a satisfactory way.
The second reason I disliked this book so much was because Will is the most annoying character ever, I could not stand him at all. He thinks he is so much better than everyone and lets everyone know. He is rude, sarcastic, and acts obnoxiously to adults. There is literally nothing that explains why he would be better or could treat every single person he meets like that. I know a bunch of people would call him basic. Will seriously acts like everyone is going to love him as soon as they meet him, and he even goes to a new boarding school as a transfer student, and he’s like “Nope, I’m the king here now.”
Another annoying thing was how stupid he is. He’s like “Oh, well, people are stalking me and abducted my parents but I’ll just go with these people that showed up and are giving me a full scholarship to a school in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin that nobody has ever heard of.” Now, I don’t actually know if the two groups are related or not, because I got bored and stopped reading.
And the school itself is so weird. It is unknown, except by “all the top schools and colleges” and they have graduates that are like foreign leaders and stuff. It also seems really fake because the school store is like a mall and they get these weird credit card type things and don’t have to pay for anything. The school grounds cover dozens of acres and there is a castle in the middle of a lake there. Like, have you ever been to a school? No school is going to be that big or luxurious.
I’ll say it got a tiny bit better as it went on. Not much though. I kept reading in the hope that something would happen, but all that did was the addition of even more to the plot which made the story lose focus even more. I honestly could not tell you what this book is about, and I read the majority of it.
Is it about aliens?
Is it about monsters?
Is it about knights?
I still had a ton of questions and not one of them had been answered yet. Like, what happened to his parents? Why does his dad have a List of Rules? What or who is Will? What is the school he goes to? Why does he supposedly have super physical and mental powers?
What is going on in this book?
Overall, this is just a mess. A trainwreck. I don’t even think Mark Frost tried to create an understandable book. I feel like this is for younger teens and not YA, because I can imagine that only young kids would enjoy reading a book with so much stuff and not care about the lack of any explanation. I say this because readers that have read books for years and are well-read know to expect an explanation for why something is, and if they don’t get, they may do what I did and stop reading.
I’m one of those people that always as to finish a book, even if I don’t like it. I wanted to finish this to be able to give it a proper review and rating, but I couldn’t even make it the 550 pages.
I have two copies. What should I do with them? I’ll probably donate them to my local library or trade them at the lending library. I’m sure other people will like this book, and many love it, but it wasn’t for me.
The author, Mark Frost, is already very successful and well-known in the book writing and television business (I think he created Twin Peaks and wrote the script for Fantastic Four, both of which I have not seen although I saw a commercial for Twin Peaks and it looked interesting so maybe I will watch the pilot episode sometime). I don’t think this helped tremendously in terms of the popularity his books have received, because maybe they are really good and he has built a name for himself in novel writing.
However, I did not like The Paladin Prophecy one bit, unfortunately. And I know exactly why.
The first reason is how much stuff is just thrown into the book. The first time I had stopped reading was about 100 pages in, because already I had seen magic powers, monsters, secret societies, and people stalking the main character, Will West, for some reason. Not to mention the scenes that read like cheesy rip-offs of The Men in Black, which is already a cheesy franchise in my opinion. As the story progresses, more and more was thrown in- “guardian angels”, a superior prep school that was virtually unknown, more monsters and aliens, more secret societies, and knights- and I really have no idea how the author is going to be able to wrap all that up and have it make sense. I for one, doubt he will be able to do it in a satisfactory way.
The second reason I disliked this book so much was because Will is the most annoying character ever, I could not stand him at all. He thinks he is so much better than everyone and lets everyone know. He is rude, sarcastic, and acts obnoxiously to adults. There is literally nothing that explains why he would be better or could treat every single person he meets like that. I know a bunch of people would call him basic. Will seriously acts like everyone is going to love him as soon as they meet him, and he even goes to a new boarding school as a transfer student, and he’s like “Nope, I’m the king here now.”
Another annoying thing was how stupid he is. He’s like “Oh, well, people are stalking me and abducted my parents but I’ll just go with these people that showed up and are giving me a full scholarship to a school in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin that nobody has ever heard of.” Now, I don’t actually know if the two groups are related or not, because I got bored and stopped reading.
And the school itself is so weird. It is unknown, except by “all the top schools and colleges” and they have graduates that are like foreign leaders and stuff. It also seems really fake because the school store is like a mall and they get these weird credit card type things and don’t have to pay for anything. The school grounds cover dozens of acres and there is a castle in the middle of a lake there. Like, have you ever been to a school? No school is going to be that big or luxurious.
I’ll say it got a tiny bit better as it went on. Not much though. I kept reading in the hope that something would happen, but all that did was the addition of even more to the plot which made the story lose focus even more. I honestly could not tell you what this book is about, and I read the majority of it.
Is it about aliens?
Is it about monsters?
Is it about knights?
I still had a ton of questions and not one of them had been answered yet. Like, what happened to his parents? Why does his dad have a List of Rules? What or who is Will? What is the school he goes to? Why does he supposedly have super physical and mental powers?
What is going on in this book?
Overall, this is just a mess. A trainwreck. I don’t even think Mark Frost tried to create an understandable book. I feel like this is for younger teens and not YA, because I can imagine that only young kids would enjoy reading a book with so much stuff and not care about the lack of any explanation. I say this because readers that have read books for years and are well-read know to expect an explanation for why something is, and if they don’t get, they may do what I did and stop reading.
I’m one of those people that always as to finish a book, even if I don’t like it. I wanted to finish this to be able to give it a proper review and rating, but I couldn’t even make it the 550 pages.
I have two copies. What should I do with them? I’ll probably donate them to my local library or trade them at the lending library. I’m sure other people will like this book, and many love it, but it wasn’t for me.
December 24, 2015
Allow me some wiggle room here. I am torn between 3 and 4 on the novel, so give me a little space to say why.
So, what do we have here? Our protagonist is thrown into a world where nothing makes sense any more. If you ever saw an old movie (not the remake) titled Invaders from Mars you might remember how it opens. A little boy sees a flying saucer land behind a hill. He tells his parents. Dad goes to investigate. There is a path that leads over a hill. Dad goes over the hill...and when he comes back he's not "dad" anymore. Then dad takes mom over that hill. People go over "that" hill and when they came back they look the same, but they aren't "them" anymore.
For a kid this is a frightening plot line...mom and dad look like mom and dad, but it's not them. This is the situation faced by Will West. All his life his parents have moved around from place to place never living in any one place long enough for Will to make friends and fit in. His parents have told him to be careful not to stand out, don't be an honer student, don't make low grades...
Then, apparently when not trying he accidentally scored off the charts on a test, and nothing will ever be the same.
As far as the title goes, well from my "screen name" you may suspect that I like the paladin character. It's a character that hasn't often been handled well in fiction. Here...well it's still up in the air.
First the book is very "readable". The novel is definitely YA, but it'd not juvenile nor simplistic. The writing is alright for adults and (I would hope) for the "young adults" in question. (Of course today when people grad. high school without being able to read or do simple math that may be optimistic.) I thought for a lot of the book I'd go 4 stars. It's just that the book is somewhat uneven if you get my meaning. The book has some trouble deciding where it's going for part of it's length.
You will see some cliched plot points but as I've said before, that in itself isn't really a problem depending on the writing itself and how they are used. Here they "mostly" build the story and don't jump out demanding we notice them and compare them to similar people, events and points we've seen in other YA books that take place in magical schools, etc.
So on the whole I think most will enjoy this one. I hope it/the author shows a better sense of where he (and we) are going in the next volume (as i do plan to follow it up.
So, what do we have here? Our protagonist is thrown into a world where nothing makes sense any more. If you ever saw an old movie (not the remake) titled Invaders from Mars you might remember how it opens. A little boy sees a flying saucer land behind a hill. He tells his parents. Dad goes to investigate. There is a path that leads over a hill. Dad goes over the hill...and when he comes back he's not "dad" anymore. Then dad takes mom over that hill. People go over "that" hill and when they came back they look the same, but they aren't "them" anymore.
For a kid this is a frightening plot line...mom and dad look like mom and dad, but it's not them. This is the situation faced by Will West. All his life his parents have moved around from place to place never living in any one place long enough for Will to make friends and fit in. His parents have told him to be careful not to stand out, don't be an honer student, don't make low grades...
Then, apparently when not trying he accidentally scored off the charts on a test, and nothing will ever be the same.
As far as the title goes, well from my "screen name" you may suspect that I like the paladin character. It's a character that hasn't often been handled well in fiction. Here...well it's still up in the air.
First the book is very "readable". The novel is definitely YA, but it'd not juvenile nor simplistic. The writing is alright for adults and (I would hope) for the "young adults" in question. (Of course today when people grad. high school without being able to read or do simple math that may be optimistic.) I thought for a lot of the book I'd go 4 stars. It's just that the book is somewhat uneven if you get my meaning. The book has some trouble deciding where it's going for part of it's length.
You will see some cliched plot points but as I've said before, that in itself isn't really a problem depending on the writing itself and how they are used. Here they "mostly" build the story and don't jump out demanding we notice them and compare them to similar people, events and points we've seen in other YA books that take place in magical schools, etc.
So on the whole I think most will enjoy this one. I hope it/the author shows a better sense of where he (and we) are going in the next volume (as i do plan to follow it up.
June 8, 2013
This book is friggin fantastic! What a start to an awesome series. Set In a dystopian future, but not too far into the future and to be honest the way the economy and government is discussed, it doesn't sound too far off the mark. This book is like Harry Potter meets mythology and secrets like the davinci code with tons of page turning excitement. Lots of unexpected twists. I will be purchasing the next one in the series as soon as it hits the street. Highly recommend this book.
April 16, 2013
Oh my GOD. This is probably the worst book I've read in a long time. I just don't even know what I read or why in the world I finished it.
Let's start with the good things about this book:
-THERE IS NOTHING.
Ok, now on with the bad things:
-Will West, the protagonist. If ever there has been a more boring, bland, cardboard character in literature, I have never heard of him/her. Will was so glaringly average that I had absolutely nothing invested in him. I honestly would not have cared if he died. He was raised to fly under the radar and not draw attention to himself, and that resulted in just an unbelievable boring dude.
-The roommates: Will has four roommates at the school, and not a single one of them was remotely interesting. Again, if all of them died, I wouldn't have cared at all.
-Audiobook review: I listened to this as an audiobook, and while the narrator was OK doing Will's voice and just the general narration, he made the book almost unbearable to listen to with the idiotic "accent" he gave other characters. Nick was from Boston, so he gave him an over-the-top Bostonian accent that did nothing but grate my nerves. A.J. was from North Carolina, so guess what? He got an over-the-top Southern accent that actually does not exist. It was just a bunch of Foghorn Leghorn bullshit. It's the accent that anyone who has never actually heard a Southern accent will try to do. If Nick's accent grated my nerves, A.J.'s nearly sent me into a rage. Oh, and let's not forget Nondo's Mexican accent. The accent, plus the writing, kind of came across as a little racist. It's embarrassing. Speaking of Nondo...
-Nondo. At the top of a list of things that would NEVER happen would be a random taxi driver, happily married with kids, would drop everything and go out of his way to help smuggle Will out of town. And even if that did happen, the idea that he would stay in contact with Will and do reconnaissance work for him at Will's house is absolutely preposterous.
-The Story: Look, I love fantasy and science fiction and all of that, and I have no problem suspending my belief in order to enjoy a story. But come on. This book was seemed like it took all of the leftovers pieces that didn't work in other books and combined them in order to try to make something out of it. It did not work. The story was so convoluted, with so many elements, that the entire thing was just a disjointed mess. I kind of still don't even know how it all fit together. It was just the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. It was just stupid.
I am both impressed and embarrassed with myself for actually finishing this book. I don't think I have ever read a book that made me give it a review such as this, but there you go. It was just an absolute train wreck and a complete waste of my time.
Let's start with the good things about this book:
-THERE IS NOTHING.
Ok, now on with the bad things:
-Will West, the protagonist. If ever there has been a more boring, bland, cardboard character in literature, I have never heard of him/her. Will was so glaringly average that I had absolutely nothing invested in him. I honestly would not have cared if he died. He was raised to fly under the radar and not draw attention to himself, and that resulted in just an unbelievable boring dude.
-The roommates: Will has four roommates at the school, and not a single one of them was remotely interesting. Again, if all of them died, I wouldn't have cared at all.
-Audiobook review: I listened to this as an audiobook, and while the narrator was OK doing Will's voice and just the general narration, he made the book almost unbearable to listen to with the idiotic "accent" he gave other characters. Nick was from Boston, so he gave him an over-the-top Bostonian accent that did nothing but grate my nerves. A.J. was from North Carolina, so guess what? He got an over-the-top Southern accent that actually does not exist. It was just a bunch of Foghorn Leghorn bullshit. It's the accent that anyone who has never actually heard a Southern accent will try to do. If Nick's accent grated my nerves, A.J.'s nearly sent me into a rage. Oh, and let's not forget Nondo's Mexican accent. The accent, plus the writing, kind of came across as a little racist. It's embarrassing. Speaking of Nondo...
-Nondo. At the top of a list of things that would NEVER happen would be a random taxi driver, happily married with kids, would drop everything and go out of his way to help smuggle Will out of town. And even if that did happen, the idea that he would stay in contact with Will and do reconnaissance work for him at Will's house is absolutely preposterous.
-The Story: Look, I love fantasy and science fiction and all of that, and I have no problem suspending my belief in order to enjoy a story. But come on. This book was seemed like it took all of the leftovers pieces that didn't work in other books and combined them in order to try to make something out of it. It did not work. The story was so convoluted, with so many elements, that the entire thing was just a disjointed mess. I kind of still don't even know how it all fit together. It was just the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. It was just stupid.
I am both impressed and embarrassed with myself for actually finishing this book. I don't think I have ever read a book that made me give it a review such as this, but there you go. It was just an absolute train wreck and a complete waste of my time.
September 24, 2014
Buddy Read with Shandra
Actual Rating 4.5 stars
Will is having a really tough time trying to be what he wants to be and doing what his parent say. He knows he's smart and more athletic than other students, but his parents make him promise that he will not try to excel in anything. He has to live by a certain set of rules. Rule #3. Don't Draw Attention to Yourself That's shitty parenting to me, but his parents have their reasons and we soon find out why.
Will barely escapes being taken, and makes it to a school where there are other kids like him. He tries to figure out how and what is happening to him and his family. With this new group of friends he starts to trust others, when he couldn't before. He starts to develops relationships when he was told not to. Will and his friends uncover so many secrets that they are not sure if they are safe at school.
This book started full of action, none stop. I think some parts were over the top, but it worked perfect. I just adore Nick and his loyalty to Will, and of course his dumb remarks.
Don't show up for a knife fight with a Hostess Twinkie in your hand
Then there is Elise, she's as tough as nails. And she speaks her mind all the time.
"Somewhere," said Elise, drumming her fingers on the table, "there's a tiny little village that's missing its idiot."
And Ajay, who reminds me a lot of my brother, always has a good comeback, extremely smart, and remembers every single detail.
"She's saying ignorance encourages confidence," said Ajay. "Intelligence creates insecurity. Therefore, the stupid act with blind assurance, while the smart are crippled by self-doubt."
Then there is Brooke, who Will is K-I-S-S-I-N-G in the tree. Lol.
"Don't let an hour go by without letting me know what's going on, what you know, and how you are." Then with a sweet whispered goodbye and a heady rush of freshly washed hair, she was gone.
There are wise words from teachers and coaches, who know something is going on at school.
"Learn to trust your instincts when the world is telling you not to. 'Trust your self beyond the reach of reason, or the opinions of other.' That's how Emerson insisted we live. Because your lives must first and foremost make sense to you."
In the end, I really enjoyed this book. I keep forgetting to put damn book marks because I get so involved and impatient to see what happens next. I guess that's when you know you are really enjoying a book.
I have read mixed reviews of book two, but I will keep my head up and positive when I read the next one. I think I will fall back on all that I read in this one and use that to look forward to.
Actual Rating 4.5 stars
Will is having a really tough time trying to be what he wants to be and doing what his parent say. He knows he's smart and more athletic than other students, but his parents make him promise that he will not try to excel in anything. He has to live by a certain set of rules. Rule #3. Don't Draw Attention to Yourself That's shitty parenting to me, but his parents have their reasons and we soon find out why.
Will barely escapes being taken, and makes it to a school where there are other kids like him. He tries to figure out how and what is happening to him and his family. With this new group of friends he starts to trust others, when he couldn't before. He starts to develops relationships when he was told not to. Will and his friends uncover so many secrets that they are not sure if they are safe at school.
This book started full of action, none stop. I think some parts were over the top, but it worked perfect. I just adore Nick and his loyalty to Will, and of course his dumb remarks.
Don't show up for a knife fight with a Hostess Twinkie in your hand
Then there is Elise, she's as tough as nails. And she speaks her mind all the time.
"Somewhere," said Elise, drumming her fingers on the table, "there's a tiny little village that's missing its idiot."
And Ajay, who reminds me a lot of my brother, always has a good comeback, extremely smart, and remembers every single detail.
"She's saying ignorance encourages confidence," said Ajay. "Intelligence creates insecurity. Therefore, the stupid act with blind assurance, while the smart are crippled by self-doubt."
Then there is Brooke, who Will is K-I-S-S-I-N-G in the tree. Lol.
"Don't let an hour go by without letting me know what's going on, what you know, and how you are." Then with a sweet whispered goodbye and a heady rush of freshly washed hair, she was gone.
There are wise words from teachers and coaches, who know something is going on at school.
"Learn to trust your instincts when the world is telling you not to. 'Trust your self beyond the reach of reason, or the opinions of other.' That's how Emerson insisted we live. Because your lives must first and foremost make sense to you."
In the end, I really enjoyed this book. I keep forgetting to put damn book marks because I get so involved and impatient to see what happens next. I guess that's when you know you are really enjoying a book.
I have read mixed reviews of book two, but I will keep my head up and positive when I read the next one. I think I will fall back on all that I read in this one and use that to look forward to.
February 15, 2013
Harry Potter meets The da Vinci Code with a just a touch of James bond in this new series by this film producer. Will West grew up in the strangest of family situations. Granted, he is not the only kid who grew up with his family moving from place to place, but his family seems to be filled with secrets. His father is a master scientist at a a unveristy. They have recently settled into life in California.
Everything changes, though, when Will mistakenly does incredibly well on a standardized test. Representatives from am exclusive private school to offer him a scholarship just as everything with his parents seems to explode. They seem to be almost possessed as they join forces with a group of guys in black hats who are out to bring Will in. Fortunately, the school is offering a full scholarship and is willing to bring him in during the current semester.
Upon arriving, he finds himself joined with a group of suite mates who quickly become his friends. The more they come together, the more they learn that the situation with Will is not just his problem. They each seem to have found their way to compass on scholarship after acing the same test. They also each seem to have unique powers. They also start to realize the campus bullies might also be tight to a dark and ancient secret that is tied to a mysterious Medieval society with ties to demonology.
Besides his friends, Will finds support from a taxi driver who seems willing to do anything for adventure, a guardian angel, and some of the school's mysterious teachers as he takes on the forces of ultimate evil and demons that have almost alien-like qualities.
The book is full of adventure and seems almost written to make the perfect film. At 560 pages, it really doesn't feel like it drags as the story moves along fairly quickly. There are only a few periods where the pacing of the story slows, but the book is anything but boring. I am definitely looking forward to reading the sequel, which will be called Alliance
Everything changes, though, when Will mistakenly does incredibly well on a standardized test. Representatives from am exclusive private school to offer him a scholarship just as everything with his parents seems to explode. They seem to be almost possessed as they join forces with a group of guys in black hats who are out to bring Will in. Fortunately, the school is offering a full scholarship and is willing to bring him in during the current semester.
Upon arriving, he finds himself joined with a group of suite mates who quickly become his friends. The more they come together, the more they learn that the situation with Will is not just his problem. They each seem to have found their way to compass on scholarship after acing the same test. They also each seem to have unique powers. They also start to realize the campus bullies might also be tight to a dark and ancient secret that is tied to a mysterious Medieval society with ties to demonology.
Besides his friends, Will finds support from a taxi driver who seems willing to do anything for adventure, a guardian angel, and some of the school's mysterious teachers as he takes on the forces of ultimate evil and demons that have almost alien-like qualities.
The book is full of adventure and seems almost written to make the perfect film. At 560 pages, it really doesn't feel like it drags as the story moves along fairly quickly. There are only a few periods where the pacing of the story slows, but the book is anything but boring. I am definitely looking forward to reading the sequel, which will be called Alliance
October 18, 2012
Not an easy book to rate. I was tempted to give it either a 2 or a 4 star rating. The quality of writing and, at the end, the pleasure of reading the book merited a 4. However, the plotting reminded me so much of E.E. Doc Smith's books, where eventually the characters could literally do ANYTHING so that there seemed no point in even writing about them. Here we have various powers cropping up in these kids at opportune times, saving them from the bad guys, combined with completely oblivious adults (could anyone be so clueless?). I compromised on a 3. I certainly enjoyed the book, and even stayed up late to finish it. I can ignore logical inconsistencies for the sake of the plot, but there are so very many here that I could not justify a 4 star rating. Still, a fun read which I would recommend to most any age group, and will also look forward to the second. I will also admit to being tired (really, really tired) of endless series, and world encompassing conspiracies which are plotted to be impossible to overcome.
April 15, 2022
"If this is a dream, I'm begging you, don't ever let them wake me."
November 17, 2015
The last book I reviewed was a YA novel by a writer who was established in the adult market, and I swore that I'd start reading author bios before picking up books because I had gotten to the point where I could spot within the first few pages of the book an author whose bio includes the words "this is his/her first YA novel." I have gotten so tired of adult-market authors jumping on the teen bandwagon and pumping out books that don't read like teen novels, that are awkward or too adult or dumbed down or whatever.
But this. This book. I had never heard of Mark Frost, and when I started reading The Paladin Prophecy and was SO blown away, I looked him up. Established best-seller in the adult market. No way! I had to eat my words.
The Paladin Prophecy has everything that makes a novel awesome imho. Great writing. Vivid settings. Real, fully-fleshed characters. And a strong, distinct voice. And in this case, because it's for teens, it hits the mark square on all the things that make a teen book, well, teen. It's smartly written, but not adultly written (yes, I made that word up). It's complex and rich and full of adventure and there's just the right amount of cheese in just the right moments.
Oh, and it's not a romance, much less a paranormal romance (yay!), and the concept and plot are original. And the MC is a boy, which is something the teen market needs more of.
I could probably pull out a microscope and extract a few things if I wanted to pick flaws. But it'd take some work. I could not put this book down.
Adult fiction writers--READ THIS before you try to write for teens, please. This is the example to follow if you insist on jumping on the teen fiction bandwagon.
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My YA fantasy series:
book 1
book 2
But this. This book. I had never heard of Mark Frost, and when I started reading The Paladin Prophecy and was SO blown away, I looked him up. Established best-seller in the adult market. No way! I had to eat my words.
The Paladin Prophecy has everything that makes a novel awesome imho. Great writing. Vivid settings. Real, fully-fleshed characters. And a strong, distinct voice. And in this case, because it's for teens, it hits the mark square on all the things that make a teen book, well, teen. It's smartly written, but not adultly written (yes, I made that word up). It's complex and rich and full of adventure and there's just the right amount of cheese in just the right moments.
Oh, and it's not a romance, much less a paranormal romance (yay!), and the concept and plot are original. And the MC is a boy, which is something the teen market needs more of.
I could probably pull out a microscope and extract a few things if I wanted to pick flaws. But it'd take some work. I could not put this book down.
Adult fiction writers--READ THIS before you try to write for teens, please. This is the example to follow if you insist on jumping on the teen fiction bandwagon.
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book 1
book 2
November 26, 2012
Diving right in, the Paladin Prophecy is very fast-paced. It really reminded me of the Percy Jackson series, if you weren't told Percy had anything special about him, or why he might be doing anything he's doing.
The plot seems based more on action than plot, until about 2/3 of the way through the book. Frost obviously adheres to the "show, don't tell" theory in writing, which is both fun and frustrating. You don't find out why the antagonist is even after him until the final pages of the book. The action feels purposeless in several scenes. There are loose ends that are never tied up, details that seem to get swept under the rug and forgotten about, and questions both major and minor that go unanswered. Here's hoping that's for the purpose of fleshing out the next book, and the juicy bits of the plot don't fall between the cracks.
Another annoyance is the character of Dave. He seems to be the author's "get out of jail free" card, as Will never seems fully capable of fighting his own battles. In several scenes, the action takes Will and his comrades into a dead-end, plot-wise. How will the protagonist get himself out of this bind?! the reader wonders. Well, he doesn't. Ba da! Dave to the rescue. Again.
Don't get me wrong, it was a fun, easy read, and I do look forward to the second book; primarily because I have some major questions I'm looking forward to seeing answered. The author is excellent at hooking the reader into this world he's created, despite the holes in the plot.
The plot seems based more on action than plot, until about 2/3 of the way through the book. Frost obviously adheres to the "show, don't tell" theory in writing, which is both fun and frustrating. You don't find out why the antagonist is even after him until the final pages of the book. The action feels purposeless in several scenes. There are loose ends that are never tied up, details that seem to get swept under the rug and forgotten about, and questions both major and minor that go unanswered. Here's hoping that's for the purpose of fleshing out the next book, and the juicy bits of the plot don't fall between the cracks.
Another annoyance is the character of Dave. He seems to be the author's "get out of jail free" card, as Will never seems fully capable of fighting his own battles. In several scenes, the action takes Will and his comrades into a dead-end, plot-wise. How will the protagonist get himself out of this bind?! the reader wonders. Well, he doesn't. Ba da! Dave to the rescue. Again.
Don't get me wrong, it was a fun, easy read, and I do look forward to the second book; primarily because I have some major questions I'm looking forward to seeing answered. The author is excellent at hooking the reader into this world he's created, despite the holes in the plot.
May 6, 2016
Will has spent his life trying not to stand out. His parents have drummed it into him that he should live by the rules they have taught him.
Not knowing much more than this means you are a little unsure what's going on at key moments. The opening of the novel starts with dramatic chases, mysterious alien-like characters and some seriously odd stuff. I couldn't help but be sucked in, partly because Will is such an interesting character.
Will ends up in a special place, a school that you have to be invited to. There's all manner of odd things going on, and trying to work out who to trust and what's going in makes for a thrilling read.
The supernatural features heavily, and this might be where some readers lose interest. We're asked to accept a lot, without really being prepared for it.
On the whole, an exciting idea and some great characters. I'm curious to see where Frost takes this next.
Not knowing much more than this means you are a little unsure what's going on at key moments. The opening of the novel starts with dramatic chases, mysterious alien-like characters and some seriously odd stuff. I couldn't help but be sucked in, partly because Will is such an interesting character.
Will ends up in a special place, a school that you have to be invited to. There's all manner of odd things going on, and trying to work out who to trust and what's going in makes for a thrilling read.
The supernatural features heavily, and this might be where some readers lose interest. We're asked to accept a lot, without really being prepared for it.
On the whole, an exciting idea and some great characters. I'm curious to see where Frost takes this next.
August 14, 2012
booknook — Young Adult book reviews
Oh my god. Full stop.
This book totally awed me. I almost passed up the opportunity to read The Paladin Prophecy. It wasn't grabbing me. But on a whim, I figured "Why not" and got it through Netgalley. I'm so glad I did! For me, this book was right on par with Insignia, both in style/story and in how much I loved it. And if you read my review of Insignia, you'll know how much I adored it and realize exactly what that statement means. It means that The Paladin Prophecy is insanely "knock-your-pants-off and leave you butt naked but you won't even care because you're too busy reading" awesome. It's like Harry Potter style school/fantasy, meets "kids save the world" Percy Jackson, meets insanely awesome mind-blowing "OHMYGOD I WANT THAT" technology, meets the page-turning awe that is Dan Brown conspiracy/history-brought-to-life/secret society. Put it all together and you get this incredibly original story that will suck you in and won't let you go.
The first thing I have to talk about is the characters, because holy crap, the characters are really what make this book absolutely freakin' incredible. Every single character in this book is so alive and filled with amazing personality. I actually didn't fully appreciate Will's character until maybe 100+ pages into the book. The first part of the book is largely Will on his own, running from danger, and maybe interacting with one or two people here and there. But when Will settles into his new group of friends, he really comes alive! He has this cocky, witty personality that really shines when he's stepping up to bullies. He doesn't take any crap from them and he makes that so obvious. IT'S AWESOME!!! Like, wow.
The other characters in the book are equally amazing. They're all hilarious and quirky in their own ways and had me cracking up. I want to be friends with these people! Seriously! Where can I find them?? Why aren't my friends that cool??
As for the story, sometimes I honestly felt like I had no idea what the heck was going on, but I didn't care, because something kept me absolutely glued to this book. I just sat down and read and read and read, because I had to know what the heck was going on and I was eager to absorb every word until my eyes bled! I literally had no idea where this book was leading for the longest time. I just couldn't get my head around what to expect — is this magic? Is this kick-ass X-Men genetic evolution? Is this Dan Brown conspiracy? I had no idea, but it just wasn't something I was worrying about. I was too busy cracking up over the hilarious dialogue, or wishing the characters existed in real life, or just enjoying the action and mysterious plot as it was developing. I realized that this book is about the ride; it's about the not knowing; and it's about trying to solve the mystery of what's going on.
Throughout the book, we learn about 100 different "rules to live by" that Will's father drilled into him as he was growing up. At first I thought these rules were kind of weird and cheesy but pretty soon I was retracting that statement. They're pretty awesome, and surprisingly good advice. They definitely gave the story a little something extra, since they kept popping up in good moments. I actually felt like I was learning life advice from this book, as weird as that sounds! here are a few examples:
I won't reveal anymore because part of the fun of the book is seeing these rules for yourself as the story develops. ;)
The end of this book was an absolute whirlwind of action and puzzles. Parts of it were honestly a little confusing to me, but I think that might have been the formatting on my e-ARC. We suddenly hear from a bunch of different points of view but there were no section separators (and not even extra line breaks) to tell me when the POV was switching, so it got a little crazy. But I'm sure this will probably be better laid out in the final copies!
I definitely recommend this book a hundred times over if you like action, mystery, a bit of science, and some crazy fantasy X-Men type stuff. This book could easily be the next Percy Jackson & the Olympians!
Oh my god. Full stop.
This book totally awed me. I almost passed up the opportunity to read The Paladin Prophecy. It wasn't grabbing me. But on a whim, I figured "Why not" and got it through Netgalley. I'm so glad I did! For me, this book was right on par with Insignia, both in style/story and in how much I loved it. And if you read my review of Insignia, you'll know how much I adored it and realize exactly what that statement means. It means that The Paladin Prophecy is insanely "knock-your-pants-off and leave you butt naked but you won't even care because you're too busy reading" awesome. It's like Harry Potter style school/fantasy, meets "kids save the world" Percy Jackson, meets insanely awesome mind-blowing "OHMYGOD I WANT THAT" technology, meets the page-turning awe that is Dan Brown conspiracy/history-brought-to-life/secret society. Put it all together and you get this incredibly original story that will suck you in and won't let you go.
The first thing I have to talk about is the characters, because holy crap, the characters are really what make this book absolutely freakin' incredible. Every single character in this book is so alive and filled with amazing personality. I actually didn't fully appreciate Will's character until maybe 100+ pages into the book. The first part of the book is largely Will on his own, running from danger, and maybe interacting with one or two people here and there. But when Will settles into his new group of friends, he really comes alive! He has this cocky, witty personality that really shines when he's stepping up to bullies. He doesn't take any crap from them and he makes that so obvious. IT'S AWESOME!!! Like, wow.
The other characters in the book are equally amazing. They're all hilarious and quirky in their own ways and had me cracking up. I want to be friends with these people! Seriously! Where can I find them?? Why aren't my friends that cool??
"I happen to be sitting on the sickest, most awesome idea for a social network site ever. [...] I take all the best parts of YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, and combine them into a whole new service called... YouTwit-face."
—ARC of The Paladin Prophecy, Page 173
As for the story, sometimes I honestly felt like I had no idea what the heck was going on, but I didn't care, because something kept me absolutely glued to this book. I just sat down and read and read and read, because I had to know what the heck was going on and I was eager to absorb every word until my eyes bled! I literally had no idea where this book was leading for the longest time. I just couldn't get my head around what to expect — is this magic? Is this kick-ass X-Men genetic evolution? Is this Dan Brown conspiracy? I had no idea, but it just wasn't something I was worrying about. I was too busy cracking up over the hilarious dialogue, or wishing the characters existed in real life, or just enjoying the action and mysterious plot as it was developing. I realized that this book is about the ride; it's about the not knowing; and it's about trying to solve the mystery of what's going on.
Throughout the book, we learn about 100 different "rules to live by" that Will's father drilled into him as he was growing up. At first I thought these rules were kind of weird and cheesy but pretty soon I was retracting that statement. They're pretty awesome, and surprisingly good advice. They definitely gave the story a little something extra, since they kept popping up in good moments. I actually felt like I was learning life advice from this book, as weird as that sounds! here are a few examples:
#5 TRUST NO ONE
#7 DON'T CONFUSE GOOD LUCK WITH A GOOD PLAN
#26 ONCE IS AN ANOMALY. TWICE IS A COINCIDENCE. THREE TIMES IS A PATTERN. AND AS WE KNOW...
#27 SOMETIMES THE ONLY WAY TO DEAL WITH A BULLY IS TO HIT FIRST. HARD.
—ARC of The Paladin Prophecy
I won't reveal anymore because part of the fun of the book is seeing these rules for yourself as the story develops. ;)
The end of this book was an absolute whirlwind of action and puzzles. Parts of it were honestly a little confusing to me, but I think that might have been the formatting on my e-ARC. We suddenly hear from a bunch of different points of view but there were no section separators (and not even extra line breaks) to tell me when the POV was switching, so it got a little crazy. But I'm sure this will probably be better laid out in the final copies!
I definitely recommend this book a hundred times over if you like action, mystery, a bit of science, and some crazy fantasy X-Men type stuff. This book could easily be the next Percy Jackson & the Olympians!
July 1, 2023
Fun to read but average! I needed something to distract me from real life and it was okay enough for me not to drop it.
October 24, 2012
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: High-stakes and over-flowing with action, The Paladin Prophecy is a intense read. A hilarious hero with a secretive past and new friends at a strange school are thrown into a war with an alternate dimension.
Opening Sentence: The Importance of an Orderly Mind Will West began every day with that thought even before he opened his eyes.
The Review:
While I was reading this novel, and for a few hours afterward, The Paladin Prophecy had me buzzing. It was the most exciting story to read. This is a novel that will have you turning pages so fast you’ll get papercuts. When a black SUV follows Will down a street on his run, he thinks they’re just looking for a house number. Until he gets a text from his father, who’s all the way in San Francisco, saying nothing but RUN, WILL. It seems impossible that the two could be connected — until the SUV tries to run him down. Will runs faster than he’s ever run before — so fast he can’t even believe it — without breaking a sweat. When Doctor Rollins comes to school to invite Will to an exclusive, secret academy in Wisconsin, he realizes he hasn’t been living under the radar like his parents taught him.
There are rules. Will’s father drilled them into him at an early age, numbers 1 through 97. Always on the move, always under the radar, his father’s rules have been what’s kept him safe. Now, on the run from a strange group of men and his own family, Will’s left with no where to go but The Center for Integrated Learning. No cell phones, no laptops, the school encourages face-to-face communications and challenging work. While all these rules grate on Will’s sense of independence, it isn’t long before he realizes the Center is the first place he can really belong.
He makes friends, for the first time friends that will last. And he begins to find secrets. A student who invades the minds of others and his powers to bully people. His friend Ajayhas a photographic memory and incredible understanding of technology. Some of the students at the Center are more than prodigies. Just like Will.
Though, Will’s got another talent. He sees things as they really are. Dwayne the owner of a mysterious Prowler who happens to save his life, begins popping up where Will least expects it — always in time to save him. There are monsters coming through the Never-Was and somehow they’re connected to his family. This is where the science fiction gets a little obscure, but the story is set up so Will knows almost nothing — because knowing is dangerous.
Will is a hilarious narrator. It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but his sarcasm and smarta$$ comments helped me keep reading. Once the story gets started it becomes the most exciting reading ever. I couldn’t put the book down. Something was always happening — this book is jam packed with mysteries all strangely woven together. The characters, Will and his new band of friends, are smart and resourceful. Because of this I had no problem believing they really could figure out what happened to Will’s parents. The boys’ banter helped move even the slow parts — by this I mean areas when the characters are learning something new and not, you know, fighting monsters — of the story at a fast clip. This novel was a blast to read. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes their heroes witty and resourceful.
Notable Scene:
“And you just arrived this morning. Where did you fly in from?”
“Southern California.”
“Are those the only clothes you brought with you?”
“More or less.”
Ajay stopped on a landing and assessed him. “You’re going to die almost immediately from hypothermia.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“How much money do you have?” asked Ajay.
“What comes below abject poverty?”
“Tell me you don’t already have a mad crush on Brooke.”
Will finally caught up, his head throbbing. “What makes you think that?”
Ajay shook his head in disappointment and continued down. “Good God, man, we have our work cut out for us.”
FTC Advisory: Random House Books for Young Readers provided me with a copy of The Paladin Prophecy. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: High-stakes and over-flowing with action, The Paladin Prophecy is a intense read. A hilarious hero with a secretive past and new friends at a strange school are thrown into a war with an alternate dimension.
Opening Sentence: The Importance of an Orderly Mind Will West began every day with that thought even before he opened his eyes.
The Review:
While I was reading this novel, and for a few hours afterward, The Paladin Prophecy had me buzzing. It was the most exciting story to read. This is a novel that will have you turning pages so fast you’ll get papercuts. When a black SUV follows Will down a street on his run, he thinks they’re just looking for a house number. Until he gets a text from his father, who’s all the way in San Francisco, saying nothing but RUN, WILL. It seems impossible that the two could be connected — until the SUV tries to run him down. Will runs faster than he’s ever run before — so fast he can’t even believe it — without breaking a sweat. When Doctor Rollins comes to school to invite Will to an exclusive, secret academy in Wisconsin, he realizes he hasn’t been living under the radar like his parents taught him.
There are rules. Will’s father drilled them into him at an early age, numbers 1 through 97. Always on the move, always under the radar, his father’s rules have been what’s kept him safe. Now, on the run from a strange group of men and his own family, Will’s left with no where to go but The Center for Integrated Learning. No cell phones, no laptops, the school encourages face-to-face communications and challenging work. While all these rules grate on Will’s sense of independence, it isn’t long before he realizes the Center is the first place he can really belong.
He makes friends, for the first time friends that will last. And he begins to find secrets. A student who invades the minds of others and his powers to bully people. His friend Ajayhas a photographic memory and incredible understanding of technology. Some of the students at the Center are more than prodigies. Just like Will.
Though, Will’s got another talent. He sees things as they really are. Dwayne the owner of a mysterious Prowler who happens to save his life, begins popping up where Will least expects it — always in time to save him. There are monsters coming through the Never-Was and somehow they’re connected to his family. This is where the science fiction gets a little obscure, but the story is set up so Will knows almost nothing — because knowing is dangerous.
Will is a hilarious narrator. It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but his sarcasm and smarta$$ comments helped me keep reading. Once the story gets started it becomes the most exciting reading ever. I couldn’t put the book down. Something was always happening — this book is jam packed with mysteries all strangely woven together. The characters, Will and his new band of friends, are smart and resourceful. Because of this I had no problem believing they really could figure out what happened to Will’s parents. The boys’ banter helped move even the slow parts — by this I mean areas when the characters are learning something new and not, you know, fighting monsters — of the story at a fast clip. This novel was a blast to read. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes their heroes witty and resourceful.
Notable Scene:
“And you just arrived this morning. Where did you fly in from?”
“Southern California.”
“Are those the only clothes you brought with you?”
“More or less.”
Ajay stopped on a landing and assessed him. “You’re going to die almost immediately from hypothermia.”
“So I’ve been told.”
“How much money do you have?” asked Ajay.
“What comes below abject poverty?”
“Tell me you don’t already have a mad crush on Brooke.”
Will finally caught up, his head throbbing. “What makes you think that?”
Ajay shook his head in disappointment and continued down. “Good God, man, we have our work cut out for us.”
FTC Advisory: Random House Books for Young Readers provided me with a copy of The Paladin Prophecy. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
June 24, 2013
Will West has always lived his life under the radar - moving every 18 months, never making friends, always striving to be average and unforgettable, just as his parents have always wanted him to be, until one morning when he sees a mysterious black sedan. "They are looking for an address they can't find," he knows. When the vehicle suddenly stops in front of him, he instantaneously receives a text from his father (who is in another city at a conference) - "RUN!" That's just what he does, out running these strangers. His day only gets stranger when he learns, The Center for Integrated Learning, an exclusive prep school is giving him a full-ride scholarship, based upon an unusually high test score. Not knowing who to trust or where to turn, armed with his fathers rules, with strangers trying to kidnap him, and his parents acting abnormal, he runs to the school, where he finds he isn't alone in his abilities and talents. Now he must find who is after him, what they have done with his parents, and where he fits in with his new-found friends.
A bit of a Percy Jackson feel, "The Paladin Prophecy" is an action-packed, non-stop, hard-to-put-down story that lovers of Percy, Harry Potter, and John Smith (Number Four) will enjoy. Having said that, I have to admit that I am a 41-year-old mom, and I loved it too. The characters were familiar, but had enough of their own story and adventure that they were interesting and well-developed. The plot was full of action, adventure, and drama that never stopped until the last page. The ending wrapped things up nicely, yet left enough of a mystery to make me anticipate the next in the series.
A bit of a Percy Jackson feel, "The Paladin Prophecy" is an action-packed, non-stop, hard-to-put-down story that lovers of Percy, Harry Potter, and John Smith (Number Four) will enjoy. Having said that, I have to admit that I am a 41-year-old mom, and I loved it too. The characters were familiar, but had enough of their own story and adventure that they were interesting and well-developed. The plot was full of action, adventure, and drama that never stopped until the last page. The ending wrapped things up nicely, yet left enough of a mystery to make me anticipate the next in the series.
July 9, 2012
More reviews at Rondo of a Possible World: YA Book Reviews
Will West is a genius told to dumb it down and remain low because there is danger lurking after him. He's moved countless times and his abides by rules that his father set forth and lives off of them like its his bible. Will was a character that I liked, he was smart (obviously), funny, but quite pompous and reminded me of a young and modern Sherlock Holmes in a way. But Will was the only thing about the book that I could really watch and connect with while the entirety of the situation he was in and the background details left me confused.
While I wanted to keep reading for Will's sake and for his adoring persona and wanting to find out what the "Paladin Prophecy", the reason why the title got it's name, was or the reason why Will was in danger from the get-go, I was just bored with what was going on and I couldn't connect with the book, making me confused and glide through the pages forgetting what I had just previously read. Also, the intake of characters left me dazed and overwhelmed.
Final Summation: While this wasn't the book for me, I have read countless reviews that raved over the book. I'm sure others will think so too, but The Paladin Prophecy just wasn't enough to keep me entertained and heal my confusion, leaving me to put the book down.
Will West is a genius told to dumb it down and remain low because there is danger lurking after him. He's moved countless times and his abides by rules that his father set forth and lives off of them like its his bible. Will was a character that I liked, he was smart (obviously), funny, but quite pompous and reminded me of a young and modern Sherlock Holmes in a way. But Will was the only thing about the book that I could really watch and connect with while the entirety of the situation he was in and the background details left me confused.
While I wanted to keep reading for Will's sake and for his adoring persona and wanting to find out what the "Paladin Prophecy", the reason why the title got it's name, was or the reason why Will was in danger from the get-go, I was just bored with what was going on and I couldn't connect with the book, making me confused and glide through the pages forgetting what I had just previously read. Also, the intake of characters left me dazed and overwhelmed.
Final Summation: While this wasn't the book for me, I have read countless reviews that raved over the book. I'm sure others will think so too, but The Paladin Prophecy just wasn't enough to keep me entertained and heal my confusion, leaving me to put the book down.
January 21, 2013
This is a fast paced fun read. Once I started this book I couldn't put it down. The main character Will is a very likable young man, who in many ways reminds me of my own 17 year old son. While he tries to keep a low profile, something his parents instilled in him from a young age though he does not know why. But due to a mistake, which I find very realistic in teen boys, he completely changes his life. While the concept of taking a test which brings the attention of powerful people who want to capture you is pretty far fetched. It does make for an exciting story. Even after Will reaches the safety of a new school, he finds out that his adventures are not really over. Like I said this story keeps you on your toes and you just want to keep reading to find out what happens next. At this new school Will is thrown in with a group of kids who are more like him than any other kids he has been around. Meaning they all have special talents that are being fine tuned at this school. These kids band together to protect each other. If you enjoy fast paced adventure books then this one is for you. I know I am eager awaiting the 2nd book in this series when it comes out.
Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher via Edelweiss. The rating, review, and all opinions are my own
Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher via Edelweiss. The rating, review, and all opinions are my own
December 15, 2013
How wonderful to read a Young Adult fantasy that doesn't have a steamy love triangle in it! What it does have is a strong action filled plot, characters that behave like teenagers, or at least teenagers with superpowers, and a mystery surrounding the source of the superpowers and the origins of the evil opposition. This book is long, but I found myself finishing it in just a few days because it was hard to put down. The basic premise is a boarding school that is targeted toward gifted teens, and we're not talking about kids who are good in math. The gifts seem like extraordinary powers, but not as extreme as the X-Men. The school also has some evil opposition that have their own set up special abilities. The first half of the book was a 5 star read for me. I felt the ending was a bit rushed, but I am still on board for reading the sequel.
June 12, 2023
I was actually so surprised that this was good. I pulled it randomly off the library shelf and didn't expect it to be good but i ended up really liking the writing and the characters. it's also a hilarious book and I really like some of the writing devices utilized in it.
March 17, 2018
Overall this was quite a fun book to read, but unfortunately there are some things stated in this book that I feel like I should correct.
Little spoiler alert: the main person, Will, has superhuman speed. Later on, some doctors explain how it is possible that he runs so fast, but they are very, very wrong.
First of all, one of the doctors says his hematocrit level is almost 100 percent. Someone with such a high hematocrit level isn't fast. He's dead. The hematocrit level shows the percentage of the blood that exists of red blood cells. The hematocrit of healthy people varies from approximately 36 to 51 percent. A higher hematocrit level changes the blood's structure: instead of a nice, kind of watery substance, into a more and more syrupy goo. The problem with this is that your heart can't handle that sticky stuff. To get enough oxygen to all your tissues, it has to pump harder and harder as the viscosity goes up. And unfortunately hearts can't handle that kind of stress. If stuff gets too heavy, it'll just stop beating. And yeah, that usually results in death.
The whole structure of blood is actually perfect. The limiting factor for excercising is not the blood, but the heart. That means that you can change whatever you want about the blood, but you will not get faster.
The doctors also use some other fancy words, like the corpus callosum and the prefrontal cortex, but my advise about anything medical in this book is: ignore it. Don't try to understand it. The words used are all real things, like the corpus callosum, but that's all there is to say about it. Just assume that whatever is stated is not correct.
Little spoiler alert: the main person, Will, has superhuman speed. Later on, some doctors explain how it is possible that he runs so fast, but they are very, very wrong.
First of all, one of the doctors says his hematocrit level is almost 100 percent. Someone with such a high hematocrit level isn't fast. He's dead. The hematocrit level shows the percentage of the blood that exists of red blood cells. The hematocrit of healthy people varies from approximately 36 to 51 percent. A higher hematocrit level changes the blood's structure: instead of a nice, kind of watery substance, into a more and more syrupy goo. The problem with this is that your heart can't handle that sticky stuff. To get enough oxygen to all your tissues, it has to pump harder and harder as the viscosity goes up. And unfortunately hearts can't handle that kind of stress. If stuff gets too heavy, it'll just stop beating. And yeah, that usually results in death.
The whole structure of blood is actually perfect. The limiting factor for excercising is not the blood, but the heart. That means that you can change whatever you want about the blood, but you will not get faster.
The doctors also use some other fancy words, like the corpus callosum and the prefrontal cortex, but my advise about anything medical in this book is: ignore it. Don't try to understand it. The words used are all real things, like the corpus callosum, but that's all there is to say about it. Just assume that whatever is stated is not correct.
March 2, 2014
Buddy read with Athena
Actual rating: 4.5 stars. Any spoilers will be clearly marked.
That was such a stinking fun book!!!! It's also quite different from most books I've read. It was totally not what I was expecting to walk into when I picked it up. But that was ok and it worked for me.
I developed such a bond and liking for the characters, which is also something I totally didn't see coming. My heart ached for Will, and he ended up breaking me just a little. I loved Nick and Ajay endlessly!!! Nick felt so down to earth and real to me. I even ended up developing a soft spot for Elise and Brooke, whom I didn't totally care for in the beginning.
Will is sort of thrust into a nightmare from page one. There was lots of action right from the opening page. Absolutely zero dull moments. We follow him to a school for extraordinarily smart kids. It just so happens Will ends up with kids that also possess extraordinary skills. What transpires is something out of this world, seriously. Will is a special person with all sorts of spectacular abilities.I'm beyond envious of his running ability. The ending is left open, which is to be expected since it's the first in a series. This is a series I will definitely be continuing.
There were a couple of issues, quite minor, that I had with the story. I felt like some things just happened too easily, and ended up feeling a little predictable. The issues I had were quite small, but did earn a half star deduction. All in all, it's a totally fun book with a different set of things happening. I had fun!!
Actual rating: 4.5 stars. Any spoilers will be clearly marked.
That was such a stinking fun book!!!! It's also quite different from most books I've read. It was totally not what I was expecting to walk into when I picked it up. But that was ok and it worked for me.
I developed such a bond and liking for the characters, which is also something I totally didn't see coming. My heart ached for Will, and he ended up breaking me just a little. I loved Nick and Ajay endlessly!!! Nick felt so down to earth and real to me. I even ended up developing a soft spot for Elise and Brooke, whom I didn't totally care for in the beginning.
Will is sort of thrust into a nightmare from page one. There was lots of action right from the opening page. Absolutely zero dull moments. We follow him to a school for extraordinarily smart kids. It just so happens Will ends up with kids that also possess extraordinary skills. What transpires is something out of this world, seriously. Will is a special person with all sorts of spectacular abilities.
There were a couple of issues, quite minor, that I had with the story. I felt like some things just happened too easily, and ended up feeling a little predictable. The issues I had were quite small, but did earn a half star deduction. All in all, it's a totally fun book with a different set of things happening. I had fun!!
April 24, 2017
Wow!!! What an amazing book. it was such an exciting read from page one. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, it hooked me right away and I literally could not put it down. Will is such a likable character and even though he is only 15 as well as the other students he meets at the Academy, it doesn't bother me. Will is on the run from unknown "black caps" who are after him for reasons unknown to him. Out of the blue, he is accepted with full scholarship to a secret school for smart kids. When they attack his home and parents, he escapes to the school and meets the family he never had in his roommates. Evil is fought with the aide of a really cool Guardian and teachers.
December 12, 2019
I wasn't sure about it at first - but this ended up being a lot of fun.
July 14, 2017
Un grand merci, encore une fois, à Interforum pour l'envoi de ce roman. J'ai tout simplement adoré cet univers à mi-chemin entre Le Labyrinthe et Harry Potter. Il ne m'en fallait pas plus pour me convaincre !
En effet, dès les premiers chapitres, nous sommes plongés dans un monde singulier, peuplé de créatures très étranges et d'humains plutôt spéciaux. On fait alors la connaissance d'un groupe de cinq adolescents, tous attachants à leur façon. Très vite, j'ai su que j'allais apprécier suivre leurs aventures et ce fut effectivement le cas. J'ai complètement dévoré ce roman, ne pouvant pas m'empêcher d'enchaîner les chapitres pour connaître la suite de l'histoire. Il y a ce côté addictif, que j'affectionne particulièrement, qui tient le lecteur en haleine jusqu'à la dernière page et même plus, puisqu'il y a encore deux tomes pour compléter la trilogie. Je vais d'ailleurs m'empresser d'obtenir mon exemplaire du deuxième livre pour approfondir cette belle découverte !
Pourquoi l'intrigue est-elle si passionnante ? Et bien tout simplement parce que l'univers est très bien construit, laissant place à de nombreux rebondissements auxquels on ne peut pas s'attendre. Quant aux personnages, ils sont singuliers et jouent tous un rôle important dans l'histoire. Je trouve cela d'ailleurs particulièrement intéressant parce qu'on peut s'identifier un peu à chaque personnage. L'avantage de suivre plusieurs protagonistes, c'est qu'on a le choix pour avoir des affinités avec eux. On n'est pas obligé de suivre un "héros", comme dans beaucoup de romans, on peut choisir celui qu'on préfère et qu'on espère retrouver dans les chapitres suivants. Bien sûr, il y a un "leader", pour faire avancer l'intrigue, mais les points de vue sont variés et chaque personnage apporte sa pierre à l'édifice. Je trouve que c'est un très bon point ! Et enfin, il y a beaucoup d'action, de quoi vous tenir en haleine jusqu'au dernier mot !
Bref, si vous n'êtes pas encore convaincus, il est temps que vous vous plongiez dans cette aventure et que vous constatiez par vous-mêmes que vous êtes, vous aussi, complètement accros !
En effet, dès les premiers chapitres, nous sommes plongés dans un monde singulier, peuplé de créatures très étranges et d'humains plutôt spéciaux. On fait alors la connaissance d'un groupe de cinq adolescents, tous attachants à leur façon. Très vite, j'ai su que j'allais apprécier suivre leurs aventures et ce fut effectivement le cas. J'ai complètement dévoré ce roman, ne pouvant pas m'empêcher d'enchaîner les chapitres pour connaître la suite de l'histoire. Il y a ce côté addictif, que j'affectionne particulièrement, qui tient le lecteur en haleine jusqu'à la dernière page et même plus, puisqu'il y a encore deux tomes pour compléter la trilogie. Je vais d'ailleurs m'empresser d'obtenir mon exemplaire du deuxième livre pour approfondir cette belle découverte !
Pourquoi l'intrigue est-elle si passionnante ? Et bien tout simplement parce que l'univers est très bien construit, laissant place à de nombreux rebondissements auxquels on ne peut pas s'attendre. Quant aux personnages, ils sont singuliers et jouent tous un rôle important dans l'histoire. Je trouve cela d'ailleurs particulièrement intéressant parce qu'on peut s'identifier un peu à chaque personnage. L'avantage de suivre plusieurs protagonistes, c'est qu'on a le choix pour avoir des affinités avec eux. On n'est pas obligé de suivre un "héros", comme dans beaucoup de romans, on peut choisir celui qu'on préfère et qu'on espère retrouver dans les chapitres suivants. Bien sûr, il y a un "leader", pour faire avancer l'intrigue, mais les points de vue sont variés et chaque personnage apporte sa pierre à l'édifice. Je trouve que c'est un très bon point ! Et enfin, il y a beaucoup d'action, de quoi vous tenir en haleine jusqu'au dernier mot !
Bref, si vous n'êtes pas encore convaincus, il est temps que vous vous plongiez dans cette aventure et que vous constatiez par vous-mêmes que vous êtes, vous aussi, complètement accros !
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