The Faustian Host

Apocalypse Signs #1

by Dave Becker

Plymouth Rock is bleeding. Day has turned to night. Hundred-pound hailstones level buildings. The small town of Clement seems cursed, and the residents know who's to blame: the new kid, Tony Marino.

After losing his family and his home, 14-year-old Tony is forced to move from Florida to Massachusetts to attend Kalos Academy, an unconventional school for gifted children. Strange things begin to happen the day he arrives, and soon stories of plagues, monsters, and mystical objects surround him. Refusing to believe superstitions, Tony struggles to explain the occurrences logically, until he comes face to face with a satanic cult determined to bring about the end of the world.

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2012

About the author

Dave Becker is an author and artist living in Pennsylvania, trying desperately to avoid all plagues, curses, and monsters. He worked for years in advertising and marketing, making him a professional liar, the ideal foundation for a novelist. He has written three books - MINDFRONT, THE FAUSTIAN HOST, and THE APOLLINE SIBYL. Don't believe a word he says.

Reviews

[Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The students that attend Kalos Academy are gifted. After the student passes the initial tests to get into the school,they will never have to take a test again throughout their whole High School days. He has to take tests in several different subjects thinking that there was not way he was going to pass them and felt like he didn't belong there. He was not as conservative or preppy as the other students there.
Tony is used to being alone and taking care of himself. In the book he is described as "feisty" by one of his teachers and there were times when he was very argumentative and often spoke his mind.
There are some interesting and creepy things that are going on at the school. Nobody seems to trust Tony and this has raised the level of uncomfortableness between him and the other students.
There is some religious aspects to the story when trying to solve the mystery. Talk of cults, ancient magic, creatures, and crazy weather. It would actually be a really great Halloween time read as well. It's another book that I couldn't chose a favorite character, they were all great. 5 stars.

[Kelly Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Suspense, mystery, intrigue - The Faustian Host has it in spades! With relatively likeable characters, twists and turns after every page, and an action-packed ending, my only real complaint is that I'm left with too many unanswered questions.

At first, Tony Marino is a hard character to like. He keeps everyone at a distance, having felt unwanted his whole life, and shows no appreciation for his new foster parents who are doing everything in their power to provide him with a loving and understanding home. He tries too hard to fit in, making inappropriate jokes that get him stares instead of laughter, and he's constantly trying to point out why something won't work. However, seeing him at his worst is what makes his character growth so interesting to watch; his gradual acceptance of The Brown's affections, coupled with his eventual acceptance that logic and science might not be as absolute as he once imagined, endeared me to his situation. I often forgot that he was only fourteen, as some of his course material seemed a little advanced for his age, so when he reacted childishly to his peers' teasing or when his arrogant attitude backfired, leaving him embarrassed, I was reminded that his naiveté was due to his age and life inexperience.

The supporting characters were all fine, but none of them truly stuck out to me. Erika had the potential to be a fascinating character, with her ever-changing hair colour and quirky out-going personality, but she wasn't given much attention. I did enjoy the dynamic Becker created between the group of friends, making them co-conspirators in various schemes to undercover the mysteries in the forest, and their interactions all came across as genuine - I just didn't find any of them truly stuck out as individuals. I liked that Becker didn't focus on Tony's infatuation with Katie, and that it was a mere side-plot to something much bigger. His jealousy of her closeness with Dan was a little strange, considering he botched every attempt to talk to her, but I did understand his frustration. Why Katie had any interest in Dan is beyond me - he was never presented in any kind of admirable light, and his actions toward Tony - especially those done in front of Katie - were enough to make me wary.

As Tony's "curse" began to affect those around him, I became eager in my anticipation of each plague, waiting to see what would happen next. I found the townspeople's reactions to the plagues a little strange though. I mean, if there was a constant cloud of flies too thick to see through, I wouldn't be too worried about attending school. I also wouldn't be worrying about anything except for the end of the world if the sun didn't rise one day. But the people of Clement, after their initial shock wore off, continued their daily lives as normally as possible. I admired Tony's stubbornness, believing that there just had to be a scientific and logical explanation for the various plagues, and found his debates with his friends entertaining.

Now for the things I'm a little confused about. Carver and Hammon's role in the strange happenings - were they involved, do they know what's going on, why were they so vague? Was the story Sinthos told Tony about his birth true or was it just a scare tactic? Why does Sinthos even need Tony to do his bidding? How did Tony's grandmother protect him for so long, without Sinthos being able to interfere? What was the backwards "F" symbol that Tony kept seeing, and what does it mean? What's a Faustian Host? And what happened to the monster in the woods?! Why did we finally get to see it, if nothing ever came of it? By the end of The Faustian Host, I could have filled a page with the amount of questions that were left unanswered - many which I now forget, as new ones have taken their place. I understand that this is book one of a planned series, but I still don't like how many loose ends are left.

If you're looking for a quick, fast-paced fantasy read, and you don't mind waiting for the next book to get your answers, then I'd recommend giving The Faustian Host a chance. The ending was fast-paced, with a slightly (and not-so-slightly) predictable plot twist which had me on the edge of my seat! I'm definitely interested in seeing what's to come in book two!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle Version (free from author for honest review)


When you are a boy that has had nothing but bad luck, what else should people think you are, but cursed? This is Tony’s life. His mother killed herself when he was very young, no one really seems to know why…or at least they don’t want to tell him why. Then his caretaker, his grandmother dies and Tony is left to figure out what will happen next. Well, what happens next is he finds out guardianship of him was given to a couple that he doesn’t even know, or remember ever meeting and they live in another state none the less. Tony doesn’t want to go, but really what choice does he have? A stranger tells him that he can stay and not have to go with them, but Tony says he has no choice and he doesn’t trust the stranger. The stranger says Tony will be cursed and shortly after a meteor hits his grandmother’s house and destroys it. Coincidence or curse? Tony moves in with the Browns and soon is settling in best he can. He was always above the school level he was in, but never advanced above his level because he didn’t do well on homework and stuff like that. The Browns ask him if he wants to go to a special school for the gifted instead of a regular public school. They agree to go check it out and Tony is accepted, after a full day of testing him, at Kalos Academy. He soon makes a few friends, but that new friendship is quickly put to the test when Tony touches an ancient scroll and it bursts into flames. Tony is viewed by all the students and much of the staff as cursed. The longer Tony is in school the worse it gets…they go on a field trip and Plymouth Rock starts to bleed, the small town soon is covered in flies that he now lives in, then a toxic ash starts falling, and those are just a few things that occur mysteriously only after Tony moves to town. Is he really cursed? If he is why? Or is this all just one big end of the world coincidence? This is what Tony and his friends, that he does still have, are going to go to great lengths to find out. The friends go through much adventure, confusion, many emotions, and a lot of hard times to try to get to the bottom of things and what they find is nothing at all what they thought they would.

This was a good read, but I found myself drifting a lot while reading it. I’m not saying it was a bad book by any means, just that parts of it lost me. This is a well written young adult fantasy/mystery, but again sometimes I found myself not really understanding what was really going on. I mean I got that they were trying to figure out why all the mysterious things were happening and if it really did relate to Tony, but I found myself a bit lost in how it really did relate to him. I got the drift of why and how, but I didn’t feel super confident that I understood what was really going on. Now, I will be the first to admit that it may have just been me and how I read it and perceived it all. That being said, however, I want to say this too…the characters in this book were very easy to understand or relate to and had very good dynamics to them. I loved the descriptive language the author used to describe things going on in the book and the characters also. I never had any question of what to picture in my head while I was reading. I could “see” it all, no problem. The characters were so different from one another I couldn’t help but think of the saying “opposites attract” when their friendships blossomed. I found myself really feeling for Tony too, having such a rough time growing up, my heart went out to him. Especially when the Browns give him a birthday gift and he tells them that he never received one before. So, even though the plot had me confused at times, it did eventually make sense and come together for me, the characters were amazing, and the writing was very descriptive.

4/5 Stars!

[Persephone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Faustian Host ended up being different than I expected. I was sort of expecting a book with a semi-Christian tone (to counter the satanic cult) with monsters but it is really different. It is a lot better than my initial thoughts on it. It is much more about Tony and the freak events surrounding him.

Tony is an interesting protagonist. At the beginning, he seem to do everything wrong. He got off on the wrong foot with his foster father by talking about religion in a negative way and at school, he made himself a target by saying and doing the wrong things. It was hard to relate to him but as the novel progressed and Tony started finding his friends, it was easier to see him as a likable character. His friends are quirky and have unique personalities but there wasn’t a lot of background on them. Tony is a consistent character throughout the novel. He repeatedly stuck his foot in his mouth and screwed up his friendships. Luckily, he matured through the novel and managed to save his friendships and make new ones.

One of the quirkiest or oddest thing about the book is the town’s reaction to the plagues. It’s like “Oh, the town is covered with a very deep fog…go to school” and I’m like “What.” I like school very much but I rather stay at home than drive/walk through a creepy fog. The town was really chill with the water turning red and a swarm of flies. There was an initial panic at first but it was downplayed as Tony’s fault. He brought the plagues to town because he was cursed so people just stayed away from him. I was half-expecting a mob to go after him or people to truly panic and leave town. It is just a funny reaction from the town which makes for an interesting novel.

The villains of the story are a satanic cult and want to destroy the world. They are lead by Sinthos. He is not really charismatic. Tony is not really entice to join the cult because Sinthos is not enticing. He is not a great villain but he is good villain because he constantly interferes in the life of Tony. One of my favorite scenes of the book was when Sinthos explains why Tony is cursed. It is a unique and indirect way of explaining the curse. It was different because it leaves the reader wondering if the story was really about Tony or just a legend. I feel it is about Tony and it explains the title of the book. Goethe’s Faust is about a deal with the devil.

Being the first book in a new series, there are a couple of characters that leave me wondering. Carver and Hammon, the two teachers from the Kalos Academy, knew about what was going on with the plagues but they never brought in Tony into their confidence. There is also the question of whether Carver and Hammon are allies or not. Both teachers are wary of each other yet still worked together to protect Tony. They are an interesting pair. The biggest question is why did Hammon leave Tony and his classmates alone in the Death Valley. Hammon is either a highly irresponsible teacher, it was a test or he was setting up Tony to be taken by Sinthos and his cult. I’m not sure what his reasoning is. Carver might be more insane than Hammon because he has a creepy vibe but he is a fascinating character. I‘m looking forward to seeing what direction both men take.

In the end, The Faustian Host earns 4 butterflies from me. It has an interesting plot with very intriguing teachers. I will definitely pick up the second book in the sries.

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read more of my reviews at Nick's Book Blog

I honestly didn't know what to expect when I went into The Faustian Host. I think the fact that I went into the book without any expectations really contributed to my enjoyment of the book, since I found myself being truly immersed in the story.

When Tony's sole guardian, his religious grandmother, passes away, he's taken in by the mysterious Browns. Soon, Tony finds himself moving from Florida to a small town in Massachusetts. His parents enroll him at a special school for extremely gifted kids like him and strange things start to occur. Moreover, his school mates begin to believe that he is cursed and that he is behind the strange occurrences.

Tony was a character who was very different from the usual main characters that I read about. For one, he was a boy. Most of all, though, he was so honest. In fact, I would say that he was blunt. He never thought before answering and he loved to refute the points of others. He never went down without a fight. He was someone who thought logically, so whenever anyone offered a supernatural explanation to the mysterious occurrences in his town, he would just laugh it off. At times, he tended to be harsh, rude and downright ungrateful, especially to his new guardians Mr and Mrs Brown. However, his relationship with them grew over the course of the story and in my opinion, he began to love them, although it isn't mentioned in the story. He could be an infuriating character, but I found myself enjoying Tony's character. The main reason has to be because he was so refreshing. Truthfully, I believe that the author did a very good job at capturing his personality.

The secondary characters in The Faustian Host were delightful. They were a very odd group of characters. It was great to see the growing friendships between them and Tony, especially since they had different personalities and opinions. They were constantly clashing with each other, but that just made the book realistic, because clashes often occur between friends. There's a slight romance in the book, but I didn't really feel for it. I suppose it's because I didn't get Tony's attraction towards Katie, beyond her good looks of course. I thought the book would have been okay without the romance.

The plot was intense, entertaining and action-packed. I was dying to know the reason why odd things were happening in the town. Also, I was yearning to learn more about the creepy, Kalos Academy. At times though, I felt like some parts were too rushed. Nevertheless, I liked that the book had plenty of action scenes. Plus, the author did a great job at keeping the suspense a major aspect throughout the book. The book was easy to read and the plot line itself was intriguing and exciting.

Overall, I thought that The Faustian Host was a great read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series when the next books come out. I recommend the book to those looking for an exciting and action-packed story !

[Chrissy (The Every Free Chance Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I enjoy this book: I did enjoy this book. Although I found a few parts kind of slow, The Faustian Host kept me interested and hooked until the very end. In fact, the last quarter of the book had me glued to my Kindle until I finished the last sentence!


The cast of characters was great. Tony, Jubie, Erika, Jenna, Katie, and Dan were unlikely friends, very different from one another, but they all worked together in this book. Tony was a great lead character. Considering his background and the loss of his family, you wanted him to be happy and succeed at Kalos. But his first few days/weeks at Kalos did not go well for the new kid in town. I felt bad for him but I was glad when he met Jubie and Erika. They were good matches for Tony.


The teachers were also different from one another yet also worked well together. You could tell that Carver was protecting - or hiding - something. And Hammon was a great friend of Tony...always behind him, even when everything seemed stacked against him. All of them - students and teachers - seemed to fit together at Kalos. And, man, would I have liked a school like Kalos...so different and challenging.


One major event in this book - when Tony was taken in by his guardians - seemed very quick and unquestioned to me. These two people just showed up out of nowhere at his grandmother's funeral, told him they were his guardians, and off he goes with them...no questions, no explanation, nothing. I expected the guardians to be part of the Legion or something equally bad. Thankfully, it all worked out but it was just so strange how the situation was brought up and resolved so fast. That was a bit unbelievable to me.


Another thing that struck me during the ending of this book was that I kept thinking of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. It wasn't like Harry Potter, it didn't resemble or rip off Harry Potter, but there was something that brought that book to my mind. I can't explain it, it didn't upset me, it was a good thing.


Would I recommend it: I would recommend this book. I would recommend it to adults who enjoy middle grade fiction and to younger young adults. This will be another book that I give to my sons to read when they are older.


Will I read it again: I don't think I will...but I may when it is time for my boys to read it. I will be interested in reading book 2 in the Apocalypse Signs series.

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[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cover Thoughts-At first I had no idea what the 7 rings meant or why there was rocks because I have never explored this aspect of the apocalypse. Since reading the book I get it now and it's awesome!

First Thought-ooooooohhhhh. Apocalypse? :) and no zombies? Should be very interesting and new. What I liked-The best part is when Tony has the whole school believing he is cursed. He is literally the only one that refuses to believe that something supernatural is at work in his town. Since he showed up things break, rocks bleed, hailstones rain, and locusts eat. Poor kid lost his family and his home as is forced to go to Massachusetts. He has to endure rejection and being an outcast at a really smart academy. He doesn't even think he is smart but he is. That is something I totally have in common with him. I don't know what to believe in and I can hardly believe in myself. My favorite quote is "It doesn't matter. Unknown science might as well be magic, except that magic seems to make people give up. Science encourages us to find the answer." Also "Our name is Legion, for we are many." I seriously had no idea that was in the bible. I only remember it from Ghost Rider. I could tell this entire book had to have taken months of research. The details of everything came together nicely especially the scene where the kids go on their research trip. It had an ending nobody could have seen coming.

What I disliked-At times it was hard to keep up. If the book is made for teenagers they may have a hard time focusing or understanding completely the points that come across. I had to reread a few times because I wanted to understand everything. It was reasonably slow for me and I couldn't read a lot at one time until about 3/4ths of the way through it. Also a few times I felt blasted at with information. My brain was on overload processing it all and remembering.

Overall Readability-It's deffidently a book made for more mature young adults. It might be slow and overloading but its totally worth the read. You learn soooo much! After I was done reading I did some research of my own and now I wish I could read more about this different style of the apocalypse! My Final Thought-"I'm afraid that will be quite impossible." I have no idea how they are going to get out of this one! What an ending! 4 out of 5 Haunted Roses

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Becker has a winner with his debut YA horror novel, The Faustian Host. Most teens feel as though the world is against them at one time or the other. But 14-year old Tony Marino seems to have the corner on problems. Within the first few pages of this fast paced novel, he attends his grandmother’s funeral, watches his family home explode in flames, is confronted by a dark, shadowy figure and is uprooted from his life in Florida to live with a couple he met as a young child and does not remember.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown were given custody of Tony by his deeply religious, superstitious grandma before she died, and move him to their home Massachusetts. They enroll him in an unconventional high school where he tried to fit it, but is thwarted at every turn. When suspicious events start spiraling around him, the few friends he makes start backing away. Is it magic, sorcery, or someone playing horrible tricks on the new kid? He refuses to believe in magic like his “crazy” grandma, but the strange events make him wonder if he is becoming as crazy as he always thought his grandma was.

Tony may be the key to saving the world, but will he and the residents of the small town he moved to be able to survive the plagues and monsters that seemed to arrive when he did?

Part of the beauty of the writing is Tony remains a teenager even when faced with adult problems, both normal and supernatural. One of my favorite lines is “Destroy the world – you said that.” Tony commented through a mouthful of nachos. “You just never said how.” I love the way Becker blends normal and supernatural seamlessly and interestingly. Most teenage boys I know wouldn’t lose their appetite in the face of an apocalyptic event – especially if nachos were around.

This was so well written and exciting to read it was disappointing to leave the world that Becker created. My only consolation is the end appears to be the stepping stone for a sequel. (2014 Update: the sequel is here! I'll be reading and reviewing THE APOLLINE SIBYL within the next few weeks)

Copyright © 2012 Laura Hartman

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.

[Tara Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reviewed this book for Good Book Alert. 4.5 stars
This book drew me in, though it is clearly intended for a younger audience. I liked Tony, the very secular protagonist. He was a perfect outsider that I could cheer for, very akin to Harry Potter. I liked the other characters, like the Browns (his foster parents), the other students at Kalos academy (especially Jubie), the creepy teachers Hammon and Carver (one of whom I think was in league with the Satanists), and the mysterious man in black, Sinthos, that kept showing up with this “cursing stick” trying to convince Tony that he was the cause of all the terrible things that are happening. These secondary characters were all well developed, and intriguing.
I couldn’t tell what was going to happen, and I enjoyed being taken along for a ride. The dialogue was well done, and the book was well written. I also enjoyed the Tetris mention, and all the math-related lessons, as it made me remember how enthused I was when I discovered them in the classroom myself.
My criticisms:
• There seemed to be some weird formatting issues, where in each new chapter in several spaces the words would run together oddly. I could figure out what it was supposed to say, but each time it threw me out of the story. Words were hyphenated that should not have been throughout, like Er-icka, sec-onds, and wood-en. Also a bunch of missing quotes here and there, though these didn’t detract from the story.
• For a young adult book or pre-teen, there are parts that are complex enough that I had to read a few times to completely understand, and so they may be overloaded with information. An example:
“It was invented by a Russian scientist in 1984. The blocks that fall are the five free tetrominoes, basic shapes formed from four squares. Now, looking at it, can anyone tell me how this little game could help teach geometry?”
Erika spoke up, “Well, it has patterns, which I guess kind of relates to geometry.”
“True, it utilizes all squares and angles available in Euclidian geometry,” Good added.
“It’s an NP-complete problem that illustrates the same problems as shortest airline routes or most efficient warehouse storage,” Jubie rattled off.


Overall opinion: If you like the Harry Potter stories, you’ll probably like this 

[LibraryGirl2008 · Rating 4 out of 5]

After his religious nutcase grandmother dies, teenage Tony Marino is sent to live with foster parents in Clement, Massachusetts, where he is given the opportunity to attend an exclusive private school. Kalos Academy is sort of like Hogwarts if Hogwarts was A) American B) a private day school C) not overtly magical and D) catered to children whose IQ is off the charts. To attend Kalos, you’ve got to be smart. Really, really smart. Class attendance is encouraged, though not required. There’s no grading system, only a pass/fail option.

Although he has a rocky start at first, Tony feels like he’s finally settling in—of course, this is before weird things start happening. In religion class, he touches an ancient scroll the teacher has on display for the students—and it bursts into flames! On a class field-trip to Plymouth Rock, the historical stepping stone bleeds and stains Chesapeake Bay a dark red. Later, the town of Clement is set upon by swarms of flies. Since Clement was a relatively normal little town before Tony the New Kid’s arrival, his classmates naturally think he’s cursed. But Tony doesn’t believe in that kind of nonsense. Of course, this being a fantasy story, there has to be a little bit of magic—just not the Hogwarts kind. Actually, it’s more of the Satanic-doomsday-cult kind. And the cult is after Tony.

The Faustian Host is definitely an interesting story. Becker’s descriptions of Kalos build a colorful picture of a unique academic institution that will make public school students envious, and his treatment of the well-worn doomsday scenario is convincing. However, it’s not without its flaws. The overall pace of the novel feels somewhat rushed, and the cast of supporting characters is left underdeveloped. Although apologies must be made for mentioning Harry Potter, comparisons become somewhat inevitable as the plot develops. A restless young man plucked from obscurity, Tony is sent to a special school and turns out to be “the Chosen One.” Pursued by a Death-Eater-like cult, he is later entrusted with the safekeeping of an all-powerful ancient artifact. However, despite these technical criticisms, teens eager for new urban fantasy/adventure epics will definitely enjoy what they find here. Recommended for Ages 14-16.

[Nadège Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read many cult-related novels in my lifetime, but I must say that The Faustian Host was a great first. I admit that, more than once, I had to put it down because of how eerie Becker’s writing is, in a thrilling yet amazing way. Though it is a very fast read, he weaves this story, in the POV of a preteen, in such a way that you wouldn’t even take its length into consideration until you’ve finished and hunger for more. From the first chapter I knew I was heading into something I wasn’t prepared for and I wasn’t even sure I would like it. But I was amazed; Becker’s ability to give back-story in a non-boring way absolutely blew me away. It was short, sweet, and to the point. The monologue made me laugh more than once, and again, I can’t tell you enough how uncanny and addicting Dave Becker’s writing in The Faustian Host was.

I don’t make a fuss of this much, but I hate reading a story and find that some things don’t add up. I usually ignore them and create something in my mind, but it still doesn’t go over me well. I was glad to see that I didn’t have to stop and add my part of the story with The Faustian Host, as Becker definitely tied up the loose ends with more and more mystery. His characters were very familiar and common, but their personalities really had me hooked. In the end, when all the secrets came out in the open , my jaw hit the floor. Mystery, great characters, and enough goose-bump-inducing drama to make your blood chill—a must read!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review copy provided by author.

Fourteen-year-old Tony Marino's grandmother, who has taken care of him since his mother died when he was young, has just died; that's upsetting enough, but then a bizarre stranger in the cemetery makes some cryptic comments to Tony and a meteor destroys his grandmother's Florida home. Tony finds himself whisked away to Massachusetts by his new guardians, the Browns, and testing to get into the elite Kalos Academy, a special day school for extremely gifted students. Strange events follow Tony there, though, and many of his classmates regard him as cursed. Worse, he seems to be associated with a series of unexplained natural events similar to Biblical plagues that befall the area. Tony and his small group of friends set out to discover the source of the events, leading to hair-raising adventures including a cataclysmic showdown of epic proportions in Death Valley.

Middle grade readers will enjoy this wild combination of adventure, fantasy, and supernatural elements. There's also a bit of awkward romance as Tony crushes on the enchanting Katie, the dean's daughter. The theme of success via cooperation runs through the book, a lesson that Tony in particular needs to learn. Recommended for ages 10 & up.

[Valentina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book’s premise is definitely attention-grabbing, and thankfully, it doesn’t disappoint.
What’s best about the novel is the atmosphere, almost the little world he builds in Kalos, an academy for the highly gifted. The descriptions are well done, never overtaking the plot. As the story progresses we really become immersed in the school. The characters, for the most part are well written, with Tony (the protagonist) being the most thought out. Some of the other, side characters, though, are left a bit underdeveloped, which is a shame since they all seemed like they could have had really interesting side-plots.
There are some unresolved plot points which left me wondering a little. Maybe the author is setting up for another book. That’s probably it, but I still felt like they should have been at least touched upon a little bit more to give us a better sense on what’ll be happening in the next installment.
This is a fun story, and I do recommend it to teens and even fantasy-loving adults.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 Stars

Dave Becker has managed to create a world filled with mystery, adventure, plagues, curses, cloaked figures, angels, death and yes even religion which all fill this wonderfully written story of one boys adventure into discovering his destiny.

In fact I would go as far to say this is a tale fitting for any lover of a good old fashion Indiana Jones adventure.

This was such a great, different story that truly will appeal to anyone that loves to be caught up in mystery surrounded by legends and myths of old.

This was a fast paced story that kept me turning the pages and interested the whole way through.

[Rebecca McKinnon · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, let me just say: WOW.

This book was nearly impossible to put down. I'd have read it in one sitting if my schedule had allowed. As it is, it took me just over a day. I have to say, I hadn't noticed when I started the book that it was the first in a series, and by half-way through, I was really hoping there would be more books to follow.

Great characters, better plot, and some twists I didn't see coming (with as much reading as I do, I can almost always figure out where things are going) had me thrilled.

I highly recommend this book. (If you like Henry Neff's The Tapestry series, you'll enjoy this!) Kudos to Mr. Becker. He's an author to watch!

[Zoe's Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was enchanted by this book! I could not stop reading the Faustian Host. I really admired Erika and the way she can do what ever without thinking what other people think about her.

Tony is a free kid until his grandmother dies and the Browns take care of him. Now Tony is a gifted kid so the Browns find him a awesome school... Kalos Academy, where he meets Jubie, Erika and Jenna. Then one day at the academy Tony touches a ancient scroll and it sets on fire, then in one of his other classes an entire wall falls down and that leaves everyone thinking that Tony is cursed.

This was a fabulous book that I could put down! I will suggest this book to everyone I know.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably the third, maybe the fourth, book with a similar premise that I have read. Kid suffers traumatic event, kid is accepted to special school, befriends misfits, makes enemies for seemingly no reason, things go haywire and weird stuff happens.

But I really enjoyed this one, more so than some of the others I have read. I think the characterization and fast moving plot really added to my enjoyment.

I'll have more to say soon at literaryrr.blogspot.com.

[Rachel Cotterill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lively YA fantasy about a boy whose life becomes "cursed" when his grandmother dies. There's a hint of mystery as to the origins of the curse, but mostly Tony is too preoccupied with handling the day-by-day weirdness of the unfolding events. I didn't find the story completely believable, particularly some of the character motivations, but it was a fast and fun read.

[Ginny Lurcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character is a dick, but the story is good.

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