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The Destiny of Ethan King
A teenager from Liverpool is drawn into a mystical adventure and an ethical dilemma when he discovers that he is the only person on the planet capable of creating a substance which could either end humanity's greatest problems... or destroy us all. Follow Ethan as he grows up and is forced to deal with tragedy and loss, falls in love and battles against a power-crazed man bent on stopping him at all costs.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
289 people want to read
About the author
Martin Cosgrove
9 books9 followersMartin Cosgrove was born in the North West of England in 1980. He is a secondary school teacher and author of 'The Destiny of Ethan King', 'KARA', 'Pembleton, PhD' and the upcoming science fiction adventure novel 'Curiosity'.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 28, 2012
This story of the growing into manhood of a young man from Merseyside is a variation of the tale of the ‘Mysterious Artefact from the Past with Miraculous Properties.’ The really miraculous thing here though, is the young man himself, Ethan. Not only does he discover that he is gay but that he is the holder of supernatural powers. The usual troubled teenage angst really has plenty to go on. For those like myself, who love a touch of the supernatural and a dollop of the occult, this story is a must. You need to suspend your disbelief but then, that’s what fiction is all about. The strength of this story is that we would all like to feel we are a little different, special, people of destiny. Ethan King really is. I will not spoil the story but simply say that we are perplexed as to what are the influences of good and evil in the book but we learn along with Ethan himself.
The writing is very accessible and the story, I felt, gathered pace to an exciting ending. I found myself eager to read on and discover what happened next. There were places where it set the reader to thinking. What would the result be of a source of infinite power? Would it free mankind or tempt the despotic to steal it for themselves and further enslave the poor. Nothing has a simple answer. Martin Cosgrove has a fluent writing style and some interesting ideas. I will certainly read whatever else he publishes.
The writing is very accessible and the story, I felt, gathered pace to an exciting ending. I found myself eager to read on and discover what happened next. There were places where it set the reader to thinking. What would the result be of a source of infinite power? Would it free mankind or tempt the despotic to steal it for themselves and further enslave the poor. Nothing has a simple answer. Martin Cosgrove has a fluent writing style and some interesting ideas. I will certainly read whatever else he publishes.
July 22, 2012
I've just finished reading "The Destiny of Ethan King" by Martin Cosgrove, an intriguing fantasy---with some sci-fi overtones.
The notion that there could exist a source of unlimited, inexpensive, non-polluting power is an interesting concept. It's been explored in real life and in fiction (I believe I saw an episode of "The Outer Limits" that revolved around the concept, many years ago), and I gave it some thought as I was reading. Unfortunately, I tend to take a dim view of human nature in this case. I'm willing to bet that about a week after humanity discovered/was given such an energy source, the planet would cease to exist; every petty tyrant in the world would instantly be using it to build massive bombs to destroy their enemies.
This novel is an example of what I hope will continue to be a trend in young adult literature----a story where the protagonist is gay, but that fact isn't a big deal at all; it's mentioned in a matter-of-fact way. While Ethan's sexuality is part of his personality, the tale doesn't revolve around it. In the past few years I've noticed the casual integration of gay characters into young adult fantasy lit by authors such as P.C. Cast, Cassandra Clare, and Sarah Rees Brennan. However, in those cases the gay individuals are supporting characters---so it's nice to find a book where the protagonist is gay.
I gather there's to be a sequel, but I honestly don't know what it would be about---this book seems complete in itself.
The notion that there could exist a source of unlimited, inexpensive, non-polluting power is an interesting concept. It's been explored in real life and in fiction (I believe I saw an episode of "The Outer Limits" that revolved around the concept, many years ago), and I gave it some thought as I was reading. Unfortunately, I tend to take a dim view of human nature in this case. I'm willing to bet that about a week after humanity discovered/was given such an energy source, the planet would cease to exist; every petty tyrant in the world would instantly be using it to build massive bombs to destroy their enemies.
This novel is an example of what I hope will continue to be a trend in young adult literature----a story where the protagonist is gay, but that fact isn't a big deal at all; it's mentioned in a matter-of-fact way. While Ethan's sexuality is part of his personality, the tale doesn't revolve around it. In the past few years I've noticed the casual integration of gay characters into young adult fantasy lit by authors such as P.C. Cast, Cassandra Clare, and Sarah Rees Brennan. However, in those cases the gay individuals are supporting characters---so it's nice to find a book where the protagonist is gay.
I gather there's to be a sequel, but I honestly don't know what it would be about---this book seems complete in itself.
May 24, 2015
The Review: Let me be clear. Science fiction/fantasy is not my thing. But I was lured to this book because the protagonist is gay, a brave decision by the author given the genre but one which he pulls off perfectly. In not making Ethan’s sexuality the book’s issue, Cosgrove makes his own contribution to equality.
This is a page turner that always entertains but beneath that is something truthful, something human, and Cosgrove’s writing is imbued with a sensitivity that renders certain moments beautiful. Furthermore, in creating a book where characters are neither good nor bad, he injects realism into fantasy.
The Verdict: Cosgrove succeeds in making his fantasy delightfully accessible to this reader.
This is a page turner that always entertains but beneath that is something truthful, something human, and Cosgrove’s writing is imbued with a sensitivity that renders certain moments beautiful. Furthermore, in creating a book where characters are neither good nor bad, he injects realism into fantasy.
The Verdict: Cosgrove succeeds in making his fantasy delightfully accessible to this reader.
February 27, 2013
It was fast-paced and captivating from the start. The characters were likeable and a joy to read about, and the whole "the world isn't black and white"-theme is great, since it
I liked the notion of alchemy and the elements mixed into our daily lives, our world.
All in all I would recommend this book.
I liked the notion of alchemy and the elements mixed into our daily lives, our world.
All in all I would recommend this book.
July 26, 2012
I really enjoyed this story from Martin Cosgrove. The concept was unique, the characters believable and likeable. I was very eager to see how the story finished and was pleased with the ending. I look forward to more from Martin and indeed Ethan King.
November 12, 2012
A good book for a long night,once you start to read you won't be able to stop. Likeable characters in believable aand intresting settings move this book along at a good pace. I look forward to reading more from Martin Cosgrove.
February 8, 2013
Eagerly awaiting the follow-up. Martins sensitivity to his characters and his imagination shine through in a modern occult mystery thriller, and there are more than a few veiled truths within...a sign of a promising destiny indeed :-)
July 26, 2014
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a great concept!! Loved this well-written, engrossing story. I couldn't seem to put the book down. The characters were relatable and likeable. This is a book that I will reread again and again!
What a great concept!! Loved this well-written, engrossing story. I couldn't seem to put the book down. The characters were relatable and likeable. This is a book that I will reread again and again!
January 17, 2016
This was an ok read. I found the ending rather anti-climatic after such a buildup. Pacing was off at times.
Not connected to the story, but the formatting of the book was bad.
Not connected to the story, but the formatting of the book was bad.
May 7, 2021
Ok, I'm gonna be blunt here. I can see what the author was after with this book, but the way it's written (told, really) bored me to tears. I finished it by force of will alone. I literally read a couple chapters, went off and read a whole other book, came back for a couple more chapters, then read another book, then a few more chapters, and another book, etc. That's what it took for me to finish. It's a snooze fest.
The thing is, I really think it's the writing, not the story itself that's the problem. Most of the important points, where real character growth or plot progression occurs are told instead of shown (often after the fact). So, you never really feel connected to anything. Further, Cosgrove's attempts to explain the transcendentalism or whichever metaphysical/esoteric philosophy the characters are utilizing is almost lecture level dull. The fact that the reader needed the lecture to understand shows how poorly it was shown in the writing otherwise.
Perhaps there will be those, new to the ideas presented here perhaps, who will enjoy book. All in all, it's a failure for me though.
The thing is, I really think it's the writing, not the story itself that's the problem. Most of the important points, where real character growth or plot progression occurs are told instead of shown (often after the fact). So, you never really feel connected to anything. Further, Cosgrove's attempts to explain the transcendentalism or whichever metaphysical/esoteric philosophy the characters are utilizing is almost lecture level dull. The fact that the reader needed the lecture to understand shows how poorly it was shown in the writing otherwise.
Perhaps there will be those, new to the ideas presented here perhaps, who will enjoy book. All in all, it's a failure for me though.
April 28, 2015
I found this an odd read, usually when I'm reading I can decide fairly quickly whether I'm enjoying it or not. With this one I didn't really form a clear cut opinion. I certainly wanted to like it, the subject matter is something that I'm into, the writing is good, and the characters engaging. With those components I would expect to be able to say quite clearly that I did like the book.
The problem is that somewhere it didn't quite engage me. I'm not quite sure where it fell down for me - which is a bit rubbish for a review so I'll make the effort! Story is king so I'll start there. The author does a good job at bringing the magic to life on a personal level, but is weaker on applying that to a wider context. There's the danger of the ultimate matter itself, but no real exploration of what effect the more mundane magic (which appears to be a skill that can be learned) has on the world.
The history of the the talents and devices is also only touched on lightly and was something I would like to have seen expanded on as the pieces that are shown hint at something richer and more involving.
However it did do more than enough to keep me reading to the end and the basic components are pretty strong. If the book's blurb looks like your kind of read then it's probably worth a look as it is a decent read.
The problem is that somewhere it didn't quite engage me. I'm not quite sure where it fell down for me - which is a bit rubbish for a review so I'll make the effort! Story is king so I'll start there. The author does a good job at bringing the magic to life on a personal level, but is weaker on applying that to a wider context. There's the danger of the ultimate matter itself, but no real exploration of what effect the more mundane magic (which appears to be a skill that can be learned) has on the world.
The history of the the talents and devices is also only touched on lightly and was something I would like to have seen expanded on as the pieces that are shown hint at something richer and more involving.
However it did do more than enough to keep me reading to the end and the basic components are pretty strong. If the book's blurb looks like your kind of read then it's probably worth a look as it is a decent read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews