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Danger Zone #1
The Devil's Breath
He doesn't need Alex Rider's girly gadgets. He's much more fanciable than Andy McNab's Boy Soldier. His adventures will take you to places even Wilbur Smith hadn't thought of. Soon after escaping an assassin that bursts from the shadows to try and kill him in the dark windswept grounds of his school in Dartmoor, Max Gordon discovers that his explorer father has also gone missing. Max is determined to find him whatever dangers may lay in his path. A secret clue, that his father has left, leads Max to the inhospitable wilderness of Namibia and the discovery of a potential massive ecological disaster masterminded by the very powerful and completely ruthless businessman, Shaka Chang. Whoever is behind Max's fathers disappearance is determined to get rid of Max too. For good. The "Devil's Breath" is the first incredible book, in a blockbuster new adventure series for boys and girls of 9+ , with more plot twists and death defying action scenes than a Bond film. A world of stampeding buffalo, lethal scorpions, ancient tribes and prophecies awaits you...
Paperback
First published June 7, 2007
60 people are currently reading
539 people want to read
About the author
David Gilman
48 books413 followersDavid Gilman was raised in Liverpool and educated in Wales. By the time he was 16 he was driving a battered 1946 Ford, ferrying construction workers in the African bush. A variety of jobs followed in different countries: fire and rescue, forestry work, JCB driver, window dresser and professional photographer in an advertising agency. He served in the Parachute Regiment’s Reconnaissance Platoon and then worked in publishing. In 1986 he turned to full-time writing. He has written many radio and television scripts including several years of ‘A Touch of Frost’. In 2007 his ‘Danger Zone’ trilogy for YA was sold in 15 countries. The first in the series – The Devil’s Breath was long listed for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and won the French Prix Polar Jeunesse. He also writes for younger children. MONKEY and ME has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal. ‘MASTER of WAR’ is the first in a series of HF for adults that follows the fortunes of Thomas Blackstone during the 100 Years’ War. The 7th volume - 'SHADOW OF THE HAWK' is published in February 2021.
A new contemporary thriller series - THE ENGLISHMAN - was published in 2020 to critical acclaim. The second book in The Englishman series will be published in early 2022.
A new contemporary thriller series - THE ENGLISHMAN - was published in 2020 to critical acclaim. The second book in The Englishman series will be published in early 2022.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
June 4, 2009
Ok, I haven't finished this yet. I probably will tonight. Right now I'm fascinated by how bad it is. I can read a series about a spook's apprentice fighting witches etc. and swallow it hook line + sinker, but the relentless derring-do of a 15 year old boy who is being hunted by assassins and must travel to Namibia in search of his dad, an ecological spy-warrior, gains a spirit animal and shapeshifting/earthmagicalfuture-telling abilities while visiting the village of his new best friend !Konga, part of a tribe of Bushmen known for their ability to run, and then is able to OUTRUN !Konga. Who narrowly escapes drowning while stuck in a natural geyser trying to find his way into a fortified castle built by an insane german count, which is now the stronghold of an african-chinese warlord and then immediately is beset by ALBINO CROCODILES... etcetera. The narrative is pretty awesome in its ridiculousness, which is why I want to finish it. But can I call what I'm doing liking it? I don't know.
Objectively I can see its appeal, and I so wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to middle-school aged kids who are into action/adventure.
Objectively I can see its appeal, and I so wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to middle-school aged kids who are into action/adventure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2016
I'm not sure why this is in the young adult section of the library. I guess because the protagonist is 15 years old.
The story's been done before - special boy now orphaned, magic prophecy, special powers, yada yada..... well, that's not what it was billed to be which is my biggest complaint with the book. The book is billed as a thriller about a teenager boy who has an assassin after him who just recently might or might not have taken out his only family member, his dad..... but no, we get a super special kid who lives at a super special boarding school next to a super special military training center and a super special environmental superhero/super-spy dad who taught him super special survival skills and kung fu who have an unspoken super special code between them and he goes super special traveling the world super special everywhere. And he's able to do things easily and he has a super special hacker friend who's like amazing with computers and only twelve and....
ARGH! it just screams Gary-Stu all over the place! So frustrating, boring, and not even lulzy :(
The story's been done before - special boy now orphaned, magic prophecy, special powers, yada yada..... well, that's not what it was billed to be which is my biggest complaint with the book. The book is billed as a thriller about a teenager boy who has an assassin after him who just recently might or might not have taken out his only family member, his dad..... but no, we get a super special kid who lives at a super special boarding school next to a super special military training center and a super special environmental superhero/super-spy dad who taught him super special survival skills and kung fu who have an unspoken super special code between them and he goes super special traveling the world super special everywhere. And he's able to do things easily and he has a super special hacker friend who's like amazing with computers and only twelve and....
ARGH! it just screams Gary-Stu all over the place! So frustrating, boring, and not even lulzy :(
July 7, 2018
The Devil's Breath is an exciting adventure story featuring fifteen year old Max Gordon, a high school student at Dartmoor High in England. Dartmoor isn't a normal boys' school. Running, throwing, shooting, fighting, and other skills are taught there along with the regular high school curriculum.
Max rarely sees his father, but he knows he is a dangerous man who often finds trouble investigating crimes in other countries. After Max is out for a run and attacked, he discovers that his father has gone missing. When Max starts getting clues as to where his dad might be, he decides to try and find him, leading him to an adventure in Africa and a possible ecological disaster.
This was an action packed story with lots of twists and turns. There are a few mystical elements to the story that aren't explained in detail, but they do add depth. Anyone who likes mystery and adventure will love this story.
Max rarely sees his father, but he knows he is a dangerous man who often finds trouble investigating crimes in other countries. After Max is out for a run and attacked, he discovers that his father has gone missing. When Max starts getting clues as to where his dad might be, he decides to try and find him, leading him to an adventure in Africa and a possible ecological disaster.
This was an action packed story with lots of twists and turns. There are a few mystical elements to the story that aren't explained in detail, but they do add depth. Anyone who likes mystery and adventure will love this story.
March 29, 2009
The two words to describe this book: Pure Action.
Seriously, if you want a teenage version of James Bond or Alex Rider, then this book is a must-read for you. But if you're a drama/romance fan like me, then you will struggle to complete this book. It was event after event after event with no time to let the reader digest the information. The character's didn't develop at all, and when they did change motive it seemed to be a split second change. The plot spun around a lot and was never really established until the resolution was reached. The action scenes were richly described though, so if you want a pure action novel then this is the one for you.
Seriously, if you want a teenage version of James Bond or Alex Rider, then this book is a must-read for you. But if you're a drama/romance fan like me, then you will struggle to complete this book. It was event after event after event with no time to let the reader digest the information. The character's didn't develop at all, and when they did change motive it seemed to be a split second change. The plot spun around a lot and was never really established until the resolution was reached. The action scenes were richly described though, so if you want a pure action novel then this is the one for you.
March 1, 2021
El libro tiene una buena trama, narrando las aventuras que tiene cada personaje, haciendo que el libro sea más interesante, aunque también encontramos un error especial que caracteriza al libro ya que la imaginación de este libro es muy irreal osea en la historia narra cada momento en el que Max se encuentra en peligro y en casi todas esas escenas sale vivo "gracias" a un motivo.
Le pongo 5/5 por ser una historia bastante interesante y por ser muy atractiva para un lector principiante.
Le pongo 5/5 por ser una historia bastante interesante y por ser muy atractiva para un lector principiante.
August 23, 2018
A quick, easy read with a style similar to Dan Brown. Adventure takes you into the African wilderness with crocodiles and lions, running away from assassins and following the clues to a secret location and unearthing a deadly plot. The most irritating thing about this book was the name ‘!Koga’, but otherwise a snappy read with a good twist in who to trust and a satisfying ending.
November 21, 2016
the book was okay, could have had more better story
August 7, 2018
Actionreiche Befreiungsaktion mitten im Herzen Afrikas
Mit einem actiongeladenen Einstieg in die Geschichte um Max Gordon gelingt dem Autor David Gilman der Beginn einer Trilogie mit vielen faszinierenden und wissenswerten Lektionen über Afrika, seine menschlichen und tierischen Bewohner sowie über die afrikanische Natur und Kultur selbst.
Der fünfzehnjährige Max Gordon lebt in einem englischen Eliteinternat, während sein Vater Tom Gordon unentwegt auf Forschungsreisen ist. Max selbst weiß nicht genau, was sein Vater macht, doch als dieser spurlos verschwindet und ein Auftragskiller versucht, Max zu töten, ändert sich plötzlich alles. Nun steckt Max mitten in einer Such- und Rettungsaktion mitten in Afrika, darf niemandem vertrauen und ist auf sich allein gestellt. Nur sein treuer Freund Sayid aus dem Internat, Kallie van Reenen, eine weiße Farmerstochter und junge Pilotin und ein junger afrikanischer Buschmann namens !Koga unterstützen Max auf der Suche nach seinem Vater. Dabei durchleben alle verschiedene Gefahren, seien es Schusswechsel, Wüstenstürme und andere Naturgewalten, wilde Affen und Büffel, ein skrupelloser Milliardär etc.
Für Max beginnt somit das Abenteuer seines Lebens in Afrika auf der Suche nach seinem Vater, der ihm verschlüsselte Nachrichten vor seinem spurlosen Verschwinden mit Hilfe von Buschmännern usw. hatte zukommen lassen. Kaum ist Max in Afrika gelandet, begibt er sich mit dem jungen Buschmann !Koga auf die Suche nach seinem Vater und gerät immer mehr in den Kreis einer großen Verschwörung, deren Ausmaß ungeahnte Folgen haben könnte. Seine Reise führt Max mitten in die Festung des Teufels, die im Kreise der Buschmänner „Atem des Teufels“ genannt wird und die Festung eines afrikanischen und skrupellosen Milliardärs Shaka Chang ist. Dieser geht buchstäblich über Leichen, nur, um seine machthaberischen Ziele zu erreichen…
Dieser Jugendroman setzt vor allem auf spektakuläre Action, wobei man als Leser den Eindruck bekommt, dass der Autor, fast alles einbaute, was an Action- und Abenteuer auf solch einer Afrikatour möglich wäre. Da wären u. a. wilde Tiere, giftige Skorpione, Löwen, Menschen fressende Alligatoren, Naturgewalten, Verfolgungsjagden, Explosionen, Geheimdienstmitarbeiter etc. Als Leser hatte ich den Eindruck, als befände ich mich mitten in einem Actionfilm aus James Bond und Indiana Jones. Wobei die Action manchmal auch übertrieben dargestellt und teilweise auch zu viel des Guten war, so dass es unrealistisch wirkte. Besonders als der 15-jährige Max zwei riesige muskulöse Angreifer allein überwältigt und heil davonkommt.
Angenehm empfand ich die Darstellung von Afrika mit seiner Kultur, seinem Glauben, seinen Bewohnern und der etwas anderen Lebensart, als man sie in Europa kennt. Dies machte den Reiz des Buches für mich aus, denn der Autor David Gilman legte viel Wert auf die ausführliche Beschreibung verschiedener natürlicher Begebenheiten Afrikas, dessen Kultur und den Globalisierungsfolgen und der damit verbundenen Not der Buschmänner.
Mit der Hauptfigur Max konnte ich mich nicht identifizieren, was mir das Lesen des Buches erschwerte, dennoch empfand ich eine große Sympathie für !Koga, den jungen Buschmann und treuen Freund von Max. !Koga setzte jedes Mal sein Leben immer wieder aufs Spiel, nur um seinem Freund zu helfen und somit eine an eine Höhlenwand gemalte Prophezeiung zu erfüllen und seinen Freund zu beschützen.
„Devils Breath“ ist ein actionreiches Abenteuer, in dem man viel über Afrika mit seiner Kultur und dessen Lebensart und –weise erfährt, was man sonst nur selten geboten bekommt. Dennoch ist viel zu viel Action vorhanden, die die Suchaktion nach dem Vater unrealistisch wirken lassen.
Deshalb erhält dieses Buch maximal 3 von 5 Sternen.
Mit einem actiongeladenen Einstieg in die Geschichte um Max Gordon gelingt dem Autor David Gilman der Beginn einer Trilogie mit vielen faszinierenden und wissenswerten Lektionen über Afrika, seine menschlichen und tierischen Bewohner sowie über die afrikanische Natur und Kultur selbst.
Der fünfzehnjährige Max Gordon lebt in einem englischen Eliteinternat, während sein Vater Tom Gordon unentwegt auf Forschungsreisen ist. Max selbst weiß nicht genau, was sein Vater macht, doch als dieser spurlos verschwindet und ein Auftragskiller versucht, Max zu töten, ändert sich plötzlich alles. Nun steckt Max mitten in einer Such- und Rettungsaktion mitten in Afrika, darf niemandem vertrauen und ist auf sich allein gestellt. Nur sein treuer Freund Sayid aus dem Internat, Kallie van Reenen, eine weiße Farmerstochter und junge Pilotin und ein junger afrikanischer Buschmann namens !Koga unterstützen Max auf der Suche nach seinem Vater. Dabei durchleben alle verschiedene Gefahren, seien es Schusswechsel, Wüstenstürme und andere Naturgewalten, wilde Affen und Büffel, ein skrupelloser Milliardär etc.
Für Max beginnt somit das Abenteuer seines Lebens in Afrika auf der Suche nach seinem Vater, der ihm verschlüsselte Nachrichten vor seinem spurlosen Verschwinden mit Hilfe von Buschmännern usw. hatte zukommen lassen. Kaum ist Max in Afrika gelandet, begibt er sich mit dem jungen Buschmann !Koga auf die Suche nach seinem Vater und gerät immer mehr in den Kreis einer großen Verschwörung, deren Ausmaß ungeahnte Folgen haben könnte. Seine Reise führt Max mitten in die Festung des Teufels, die im Kreise der Buschmänner „Atem des Teufels“ genannt wird und die Festung eines afrikanischen und skrupellosen Milliardärs Shaka Chang ist. Dieser geht buchstäblich über Leichen, nur, um seine machthaberischen Ziele zu erreichen…
Dieser Jugendroman setzt vor allem auf spektakuläre Action, wobei man als Leser den Eindruck bekommt, dass der Autor, fast alles einbaute, was an Action- und Abenteuer auf solch einer Afrikatour möglich wäre. Da wären u. a. wilde Tiere, giftige Skorpione, Löwen, Menschen fressende Alligatoren, Naturgewalten, Verfolgungsjagden, Explosionen, Geheimdienstmitarbeiter etc. Als Leser hatte ich den Eindruck, als befände ich mich mitten in einem Actionfilm aus James Bond und Indiana Jones. Wobei die Action manchmal auch übertrieben dargestellt und teilweise auch zu viel des Guten war, so dass es unrealistisch wirkte. Besonders als der 15-jährige Max zwei riesige muskulöse Angreifer allein überwältigt und heil davonkommt.
Angenehm empfand ich die Darstellung von Afrika mit seiner Kultur, seinem Glauben, seinen Bewohnern und der etwas anderen Lebensart, als man sie in Europa kennt. Dies machte den Reiz des Buches für mich aus, denn der Autor David Gilman legte viel Wert auf die ausführliche Beschreibung verschiedener natürlicher Begebenheiten Afrikas, dessen Kultur und den Globalisierungsfolgen und der damit verbundenen Not der Buschmänner.
Mit der Hauptfigur Max konnte ich mich nicht identifizieren, was mir das Lesen des Buches erschwerte, dennoch empfand ich eine große Sympathie für !Koga, den jungen Buschmann und treuen Freund von Max. !Koga setzte jedes Mal sein Leben immer wieder aufs Spiel, nur um seinem Freund zu helfen und somit eine an eine Höhlenwand gemalte Prophezeiung zu erfüllen und seinen Freund zu beschützen.
„Devils Breath“ ist ein actionreiches Abenteuer, in dem man viel über Afrika mit seiner Kultur und dessen Lebensart und –weise erfährt, was man sonst nur selten geboten bekommt. Dennoch ist viel zu viel Action vorhanden, die die Suchaktion nach dem Vater unrealistisch wirken lassen.
Deshalb erhält dieses Buch maximal 3 von 5 Sternen.
November 8, 2019
David Gilman did a fantastic job composing the book The Devils Breath, The Devils Breath is captivating and suspenseful, if you’re into thrillers you might like this one. Although it’s a little slow getting into the thrill of things once you get into it is awesome, but the general theme of the book is, 15-year-old Max Gordon is a student at Dartmoor high, a private school that concentrated on vigorous physical pursuits and no-nonsense education, Max Gordon learns his dad is in trouble and takes an adventure to try and save him, the genre of his book is horror and suspense. Overall this is a great book and I would recommend it to young adults.
Some things I liked about the book was its detail to the different situations and the different situations, the one thing that disappointed me was the lack of suspenseful and gory moments, I wish there were more of those moments in the book. This book didn't fully appeal to me but I got more into it the farther I go into the book like any good book. An emotional moment in my book was when Max heard some bad news about his friend and he was gonna run away but then that leads up to a cool and suspenseful moment. So again, overall some more things I liked and maybe didn’t like.
If you like books with suspense detail and tension then this is the book for you. I hope you’ll be able to get a chance to read this intense book.
Some things I liked about the book was its detail to the different situations and the different situations, the one thing that disappointed me was the lack of suspenseful and gory moments, I wish there were more of those moments in the book. This book didn't fully appeal to me but I got more into it the farther I go into the book like any good book. An emotional moment in my book was when Max heard some bad news about his friend and he was gonna run away but then that leads up to a cool and suspenseful moment. So again, overall some more things I liked and maybe didn’t like.
If you like books with suspense detail and tension then this is the book for you. I hope you’ll be able to get a chance to read this intense book.
April 9, 2019
The Devil’s Breath by David Gilman is about a boy named Max Gordon whos father has gone missing. The story starts in the United Kingdom where Max is attending a boarding school in Dartmoor. The story then progresses to Namibia when Max goes to search for his missing father. But, of course, Max can’t do this on his own. With the help of his school friend and tech genius, Sayid Khalif, a teenage girl pilot from Namibia named Kallie van Reenen, and a Bushman boy named !Koga, they will search Namibia for Max’s father. However, while they are searching, they have to deal with a dangerous, shady businessman named Shaka Chang who will do anything to have Max’s head.
I thought this book was alright, it was slow at times and hard to pick up after not reading for a while. The plot and overall idea was great I just think it was stretched out a little too far. I just wish it was executed a little differently. If I were to rate this on a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a five, or a two and a half star out of five. One thing I really did enjoy was the character development, and how well each of the characters stood out of the crowd in their own way.
I thought this book was alright, it was slow at times and hard to pick up after not reading for a while. The plot and overall idea was great I just think it was stretched out a little too far. I just wish it was executed a little differently. If I were to rate this on a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a five, or a two and a half star out of five. One thing I really did enjoy was the character development, and how well each of the characters stood out of the crowd in their own way.
October 31, 2017
Not my kinda book. I bought it a few years ago because it was on sale and I've become much pickier with my books since then. The writing was decent. The problem was that it was pure action. No character development in the slightest. It's hard to care about the deadly situations the characters get in when you don't know anything about them. Max is pretty much a Gary Stu. He can even fly a plane with no prior training because of his awesome memory! Also, it seemed more like JF to me. Just the genre coupled with the writing style and lack of any romance. I would probably recommend this to a 12 year old looking for an adventure. 2/5
November 4, 2019
It started off pretty good. Kid gets chased by an assassin, and learns his dad is missing. But the longer the book goes on, the worse it gets. At some point I forgot he was looking for his father - it had turned into a bit of a Bear Grylls stuck in the desert 4 chapters. The Bushman kid that helps him has zero personality, and I think at one point Max is turning into a bird or a jackal or something? Fast forwarded to a few chapters later, where he (as the bird) was flying into some underground cave with albino alligators guarding it. Gave up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2023
The story line will be familiar to the reader. Years ago PBS showed a movie depicting the Robin Hood legend using child actors in all the roles. It worked. This book is sort of the same in that the primary characters are all children, although teenagers. The characters are depicted as experienced and capable of meeting difficult challenges. All the components have been used before, but with adults. The most interesting part is the inclusion of the vanishing African Bushman together with his skills and mythology. The mythology, wrought to life, brings final resolution.
March 5, 2017
Basically teenager James Bond with slightly less gadgets but compensated by special abilities. I listen to the audio book which definitely made it more enjoyable as there's a lot of action and shifting perspective but not much plot. I won't be continuing in the series because action stories don't really appeal to me, but it wasn't a bad book; just a bit too writing by numbers.
September 23, 2017
It was okay in places but was mostly rubbish with entirely mad plot points that made minimal sense and just served to make it worse. I didn't like it at all but forced myself to read it in the hopes that it would get better. Maybe read it if you like books that have some action and some weird spiritual bits that are mostly confusing.
August 15, 2018
Cuando compre el libro pensé que seria un libro de puro terror pero me encanto que mostrara lo mejor de Africa y sus habitantes y los problemas a los que se enfrentan, el peor enemigo en este libro es la naturaleza salvaje maravilloso libro. Espero muy pronto leee el siguiente libro y saber mas de las aventuras de Max.
June 5, 2020
Yet Another Great Page Turner
Once again David Gilman has deprived me of sleep with this excellent tale of power, greed, and action. With several twists and turns as the story develops and flows literally into the Devil's Breath it also provides a tantalising view into the lives of the native bushmen and their folk. Highly recommended.
Once again David Gilman has deprived me of sleep with this excellent tale of power, greed, and action. With several twists and turns as the story develops and flows literally into the Devil's Breath it also provides a tantalising view into the lives of the native bushmen and their folk. Highly recommended.
June 14, 2017
Action Packed. Reminded me of Alex rider which I loved reading when I was younger. The devils breath kept me interested all the way thru. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
October 24, 2017
If you are interested in African culture, history, current issues, and a terrific adventure, you should read this book.
November 26, 2019
Engaging page-turning plot, memorable characters, well researched details about Africa - great addition to the middle school library.
July 5, 2020
A well written tale but fairly predictable.
October 22, 2021
Entertaining however, the story line was a bit too incredible even for a fiction.
May 2, 2022
Wenn Max groß wird, kann er Nachfolger von James Bond werden.
September 13, 2021
I chose Africa for the continent to read a book from for September's Book Club. A different type of book I usually ready.
October 10, 2016
Max Gordon somehow always finds himself in some sort of trouble yet manages to just barely get out of it. Either he’s extremely lucky or extremely talented. Out of all of the three books in this series, I think the first one was actually the weakest one. I didn’t feel drawn into it as much and if it wasn’t for the fact that I didn’t realize that I had originally picked up the second book and was getting into it then realize that it wasn’t the first book, I might not have even finished Devil’s Breath. I still think the second book, Ice Claw, was the most intriguing one with the last book a close second.
While I have definitely more action-packed and “keeping my butt at the edge of my seat” kind of books, I do think Max Gordon and his adventures are quite interesting as well. The main reason is because he always finds himself in a crazy situation (i.e. finding himself at the mercy of a lion/tiger or trying to escape or enter a compound by getting through some whirling blades, etc.) yet somehow always gets out of it. Especially in the first book where he was in the safari in Africa and got poisoned by a scorpion which literally has like zero chance of survival, he somehow survives. Or the part where he was able to turn himself to a jaguar or bear to get out of situations. I mean, it was mentioned how he was able to do that but it wasn’t particularly clear. It was just crazy to see how a teenage boy was able to overcome such tough situations or outsmart a professional killer (multiples times!).
The one thing I have to say that I didn’t particularly enjoy was the writing style. For the most part, it was fine but there were multiples times when the author would purposely be like “Max was in the river and was not paying attention to what was lurking behind him. A crocodile was slowly sneaking up on him and suddenly its jaws sprang open and tear into flesh.” And that’s how he ends the chapter. So obviously when you read that, you’re like “oh shit! The crocodile totally bit into Max.” And then you turn the page and it’s like “JK, the crocodile bit into the dead body that JUST SO HAPPENED to be floating next to Max.” I mean, what are the chances of that? It was just so annoying and such a letdown half the time not because I wanted Max to get hurt but I wanted to know what would happen if he did get hurt because that would seem a lot more realistic.
The one thing I can say about Max is that he is extremely resourceful and intelligent. There were times he had to get himself out of tight places or he had to help his friend get out of tight places and he would come up with an idea that I think that most people would not have thought of. It also helped that he spent the last few years at that private school where the students were taught a lot of survival skills and basic training. Though it was never really described what exactly they were training for or why the school thought these skills were necessary. To be honest, the school that he went to sounded like one of those spy schools where they train the students to become spies or whatever.
Overall, I did find the series to be interesting. There were just a few things about the overall series that could have been better and would therefore have made the books so much better. However, if you have time and you’re into survival/adventure/thriller books, give these books a chance.
Click here to view entire review: http://holedupinabook.blogspot.com/20...
While I have definitely more action-packed and “keeping my butt at the edge of my seat” kind of books, I do think Max Gordon and his adventures are quite interesting as well. The main reason is because he always finds himself in a crazy situation (i.e. finding himself at the mercy of a lion/tiger or trying to escape or enter a compound by getting through some whirling blades, etc.) yet somehow always gets out of it. Especially in the first book where he was in the safari in Africa and got poisoned by a scorpion which literally has like zero chance of survival, he somehow survives. Or the part where he was able to turn himself to a jaguar or bear to get out of situations. I mean, it was mentioned how he was able to do that but it wasn’t particularly clear. It was just crazy to see how a teenage boy was able to overcome such tough situations or outsmart a professional killer (multiples times!).
The one thing I have to say that I didn’t particularly enjoy was the writing style. For the most part, it was fine but there were multiples times when the author would purposely be like “Max was in the river and was not paying attention to what was lurking behind him. A crocodile was slowly sneaking up on him and suddenly its jaws sprang open and tear into flesh.” And that’s how he ends the chapter. So obviously when you read that, you’re like “oh shit! The crocodile totally bit into Max.” And then you turn the page and it’s like “JK, the crocodile bit into the dead body that JUST SO HAPPENED to be floating next to Max.” I mean, what are the chances of that? It was just so annoying and such a letdown half the time not because I wanted Max to get hurt but I wanted to know what would happen if he did get hurt because that would seem a lot more realistic.
The one thing I can say about Max is that he is extremely resourceful and intelligent. There were times he had to get himself out of tight places or he had to help his friend get out of tight places and he would come up with an idea that I think that most people would not have thought of. It also helped that he spent the last few years at that private school where the students were taught a lot of survival skills and basic training. Though it was never really described what exactly they were training for or why the school thought these skills were necessary. To be honest, the school that he went to sounded like one of those spy schools where they train the students to become spies or whatever.
Overall, I did find the series to be interesting. There were just a few things about the overall series that could have been better and would therefore have made the books so much better. However, if you have time and you’re into survival/adventure/thriller books, give these books a chance.
Click here to view entire review: http://holedupinabook.blogspot.com/20...
October 23, 2014
The book, The Devil’s Breath, written by David Gilman, was an amazing fiction action book about a boy, Max Gordon, whose father is captured by a man Shaka Chang. Max must then go to the namibian desert and find Shaka Chang, but he gets twisted up in an adventure including a 1000 year old prophecy and a namibian tribe that will help him throughout his journey. Max has blue eyes, blond hair, and he is 14 but “with the height to pass off as a 17 year old”. His companion, !Koga is from the Namibian tribe, the bushmen. !Koga is dark skinned, brown haired, has brown eyes, and due to the fact that he lives in the desert, is stick and bones.
Throughout his journey, Max encounters lions, and almost goes through the blades of a large water-powered generator. When Max and !Koga are going through a plain, they notice the carcass of an animal. !Koga recognizes that the lions had brought it down, and they run but not after Max trips and alerts the lions. Luckily (for Max and !Koga), there were 2 men sent by Shaka Chang to find and kill Max. The lions find the 2 men instead of Max and !Koga and they are killed instead. For Max to be able to even get remotely close to a large water-powered generator, he must be doing some very dangerous things. To start off, Max climbs down a guiser so he could get into Shaka Chang’s castle to get his father. It erupts while he is in it and he is thrown down a smaller tunnel which just so happens to lead to one of the largest water-powered generators ever.
Max’s journey is all in the name of finding his dad and he does so in Shaka Chang’s fort. He was drugged heavily, beaten, and locked in a ‘dungeon’. When Max finds his father, he is then forced to leave without him so he could get ‘reinforcements’ from the army and take the castle by storm.
This book was interesting for many reasons. First of all, the story was a new twist in some aspects of it. There was a 14 year old boy just living his life until his father mysteriously disappears. He is then brought to the Namibian desert and turns out to be what a 1000 year old prophecy told about to save the bushmen. The descriptions of the settings and the metaphors used to describe those settings were amazing. One example was when h Max was in a cave and the stalagmites and stalactites were the teeth of the alligator of fate. Even with all of these amazing aspects, the author was flawed in other aspects of his story. Some of it was cliché in the sense that Max was raised in a super expensive school, studying super handy martial arts, and many other super great things that seemed to appear in many other stories.
If I had to recommend this to someone, i would. I would recommend this to a person who likes to read action packed stories, and ones with a little bit of mystery. This book was full of action, and fit the description for mystery amazingly.
Throughout his journey, Max encounters lions, and almost goes through the blades of a large water-powered generator. When Max and !Koga are going through a plain, they notice the carcass of an animal. !Koga recognizes that the lions had brought it down, and they run but not after Max trips and alerts the lions. Luckily (for Max and !Koga), there were 2 men sent by Shaka Chang to find and kill Max. The lions find the 2 men instead of Max and !Koga and they are killed instead. For Max to be able to even get remotely close to a large water-powered generator, he must be doing some very dangerous things. To start off, Max climbs down a guiser so he could get into Shaka Chang’s castle to get his father. It erupts while he is in it and he is thrown down a smaller tunnel which just so happens to lead to one of the largest water-powered generators ever.
Max’s journey is all in the name of finding his dad and he does so in Shaka Chang’s fort. He was drugged heavily, beaten, and locked in a ‘dungeon’. When Max finds his father, he is then forced to leave without him so he could get ‘reinforcements’ from the army and take the castle by storm.
This book was interesting for many reasons. First of all, the story was a new twist in some aspects of it. There was a 14 year old boy just living his life until his father mysteriously disappears. He is then brought to the Namibian desert and turns out to be what a 1000 year old prophecy told about to save the bushmen. The descriptions of the settings and the metaphors used to describe those settings were amazing. One example was when h Max was in a cave and the stalagmites and stalactites were the teeth of the alligator of fate. Even with all of these amazing aspects, the author was flawed in other aspects of his story. Some of it was cliché in the sense that Max was raised in a super expensive school, studying super handy martial arts, and many other super great things that seemed to appear in many other stories.
If I had to recommend this to someone, i would. I would recommend this to a person who likes to read action packed stories, and ones with a little bit of mystery. This book was full of action, and fit the description for mystery amazingly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2015
This book is in the same general vein as the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz: a capable and resourceful teenage boy from England travels to some sort of exotic locale and faces a variety of dangers before saving the day. Lots of action and gadgets, and Gilman introduces a mystical element with the inclusion of African shamanism. If you are looking for high-stakes adventure and plenty of action it may be worth checking this book out, but you will also need to be able to overlook some aspects of the writing that I found distracting.
Gilman is rather obviously accustomed to writing scripts for television shows. I counted at least fourteen distinct viewpoint characters while reading, and the book is just under 400 pages in length (American hardcover release). That makes for a lot of jumping around, even within scenes, and whenever it happens the story turns rather clunky. A television show is better designed for quick changes in viewpoint, and it can accommodate more viewpoints in a single episode than a novel can. (It did not help matters for me that some of the jumps seemed solely for the purpose of explaining why the adults in the story were keeping vital information from the teenagers, even when giving the teenagers that information would have vastly simplified matters for everyone involved. In other words, it felt very artificial as I was reading it.)
It was also just as obvious to me that one of the goals of this story is to impart information in order to educate the readers about environmental and social issues. When information and issues are so obviously presented as such in a novel -- when the main purpose and goal is not to tell a good story -- I tend to resent it, since I was expecting a story and not a lecture or lesson. Including morals and information and serious discussion in a story isn't bad -- it's actually quite important -- but they don't have to be blatant, and it is probably better if they aren't. For one thing, slowing (or stopping) the story in order to explain something can contribute to clunky writing, and in an action/adventure/thriller type story you really don't want to put a high-speed chase on hold in order to describe the countryside. It tends to throw the reader out of the story.
Gilman is rather obviously accustomed to writing scripts for television shows. I counted at least fourteen distinct viewpoint characters while reading, and the book is just under 400 pages in length (American hardcover release). That makes for a lot of jumping around, even within scenes, and whenever it happens the story turns rather clunky. A television show is better designed for quick changes in viewpoint, and it can accommodate more viewpoints in a single episode than a novel can. (It did not help matters for me that some of the jumps seemed solely for the purpose of explaining why the adults in the story were keeping vital information from the teenagers, even when giving the teenagers that information would have vastly simplified matters for everyone involved. In other words, it felt very artificial as I was reading it.)
It was also just as obvious to me that one of the goals of this story is to impart information in order to educate the readers about environmental and social issues. When information and issues are so obviously presented as such in a novel -- when the main purpose and goal is not to tell a good story -- I tend to resent it, since I was expecting a story and not a lecture or lesson. Including morals and information and serious discussion in a story isn't bad -- it's actually quite important -- but they don't have to be blatant, and it is probably better if they aren't. For one thing, slowing (or stopping) the story in order to explain something can contribute to clunky writing, and in an action/adventure/thriller type story you really don't want to put a high-speed chase on hold in order to describe the countryside. It tends to throw the reader out of the story.
January 21, 2013
I read the book The Devil’s Breath by David Gilman. It was an amazing book to read because all of the things that are happening and how all of this is happening to a teenager. To when he is being attacked by an assassin to finding his father. My opinion is that he has a really scary and fun life because he always has to fight crime and go on adventures. It would be fun to go into his life but always having to face a person who could kill you and you would always have to keep checking for someone following you waiting to get you alone for him to strike. It would keep you awake for days knowing that the assassin could barge in and eliminate you at any second. Max has to travel all over to find his dad. The evidence for this that max in the beginning has to face an assassin and is almost killed. Later when he is looking for his dad he has to land a plane and not knowing what to do and only given instructions through an earpiece. Once he landed he passed out from overworking himself all day without rest. I would like the adventurous life but now the part of knowing at anytime someone could assassinate me, I would just like the adventure and the fighting crime part not the assassins. I think that mostly all book readers would like to read it if they gave it a try, I would only say most because some people aren’t into the violent books. They rated it four out of five stars, I thought that it should have gotten five out of five stars because they made it feel like Max is a real person and is right there with you, and the plot is so detailed that is makes you feel like you are right there and being able to see and smell all the things Max can and it keeps you just so into the book and it has twists and turns like when Max gets his leg caught on the elevator wire and he is dangling upside down while there are guards right below him are ready to kill him once they find him and somehow he was able to get loose and not get caught. This book reminds me of frog and toad just not all the violence and dangerous adventures because they are always going on an adventure. They could just be sitting around and decide to go for a swim which can turn into a race up the hill and getting lost and have to find their way back home. They are always getting into some predicament and finding a solution.
November 11, 2012
Reviewed by Tasha for TeensReadToo.com
Max Gordon is on the run.
He was almost killed by an assassin, his dad has been kidnapped, and he only has one clue as to where he is. Still, he is determined to find him no matter what kind of danger faces him.
With the one clue he is given, he figures out that his father is in the deserts of Namibia exploring a company that is about to hurt thousands of people. Those people know that Max's dad has found evidence against them and think that Max has knowledge of this evidence, as well. While he is on the mission to find his father, regardless of the evidence, the company is determined to kill Max.
Max is aided with the help of Koga, a local bushmen, who has a very keen sense of the wild; Kallie van Reenen, a local girl who has a great knowledge of planes and the sky; and his best mate back in England. All three of these people form Max's support system as he embarks on the most grueling adventure imaginable, all in search of his father.
Will Max be able to beat the odds and survive - or will his captors get the better of him?
THE DEVIL'S BREATH is an action-packed book that any reader will find hard to put down. With every page turned, you don't know what's coming next, and you're on the edge of your seat. Throughout the book, you hear the story from different perspectives, whether it be the main story from Max, the antagonist's point of view, and even sometimes the story is heard from Max's two friends, who are helping him with his search to find his father. I thought that the use of alternating perspectives was interesting, but at times it got confusing because some of the characters sounded the same.
While the author did a great job building up the book with lots of suspense, I did find parts of the story to be very predictable and not that interesting. Other parts of the book, though, definitely made up for this, and I found myself intrigued.
At times the book got a bit violent, which I didn't think was necessary, but it may have been appreciated more by the male readership. Despite this fact, I think THE DEVIL'S BREATH would be a good read for all teens, and it was a good start to a potentially thrilling series.
Max Gordon is on the run.
He was almost killed by an assassin, his dad has been kidnapped, and he only has one clue as to where he is. Still, he is determined to find him no matter what kind of danger faces him.
With the one clue he is given, he figures out that his father is in the deserts of Namibia exploring a company that is about to hurt thousands of people. Those people know that Max's dad has found evidence against them and think that Max has knowledge of this evidence, as well. While he is on the mission to find his father, regardless of the evidence, the company is determined to kill Max.
Max is aided with the help of Koga, a local bushmen, who has a very keen sense of the wild; Kallie van Reenen, a local girl who has a great knowledge of planes and the sky; and his best mate back in England. All three of these people form Max's support system as he embarks on the most grueling adventure imaginable, all in search of his father.
Will Max be able to beat the odds and survive - or will his captors get the better of him?
THE DEVIL'S BREATH is an action-packed book that any reader will find hard to put down. With every page turned, you don't know what's coming next, and you're on the edge of your seat. Throughout the book, you hear the story from different perspectives, whether it be the main story from Max, the antagonist's point of view, and even sometimes the story is heard from Max's two friends, who are helping him with his search to find his father. I thought that the use of alternating perspectives was interesting, but at times it got confusing because some of the characters sounded the same.
While the author did a great job building up the book with lots of suspense, I did find parts of the story to be very predictable and not that interesting. Other parts of the book, though, definitely made up for this, and I found myself intrigued.
At times the book got a bit violent, which I didn't think was necessary, but it may have been appreciated more by the male readership. Despite this fact, I think THE DEVIL'S BREATH would be a good read for all teens, and it was a good start to a potentially thrilling series.
June 10, 2013
Max seems like a pesky protagonist, the kind who couldn't survive without his iPod for 5 minutes; but once you learn about the special school he attends and the adventures his father has taken him on, you'll be more inclined to root for him. In this extremely fast-paced, but detailed, book we find ourselves on a whirlwind journey to rescue a young boy's father in the heart of South Africa. After escaping from a near-assassination, and discovering his father is missing, Max finds himself lacking people to trust, but knowing he must find his father.
Thus begins the harrowing and awesome story that is The Devil's Breath. With a merry cast of characters ranging from a Bushman boy to a plane-flying, farmer's daughter to a refuge-turned-citizen at Max's school, this book delivers a stellar cast that carry the weight of this book quite well. For such a simple premise, this book is quite long at almost 400 pages. Let me assure it flies by as you see the story through multiple people's (both the good guys & the bad guys) views. The writing is engaging & informative, while leaving you enough room to imagine some things yourself. I really don't want to say any more than that because there are just so many little bits & pieces that you have to put together yourself to really appreciate the book, but trust me, it's worth it.
I really loved the thriller aspect of this book. The suspense & tension were (at times) almost unbearable because there really weren't many clues as to who you could completely trust in this story. The adventure part of the story added to the thriller component because in addition to the mystery shrouding Max's father's whereabouts and what he uncovered that got him in so much trouble, this is also a story about a 15 year-old English boy running around the South African desert with nothing more than the clothes on his back and a native teen for help. There is this perfect melding of both these genres in this one book and I think that's why it was so long, because in order to adequately tie up all the loose plots, it took some serious time.
Thus begins the harrowing and awesome story that is The Devil's Breath. With a merry cast of characters ranging from a Bushman boy to a plane-flying, farmer's daughter to a refuge-turned-citizen at Max's school, this book delivers a stellar cast that carry the weight of this book quite well. For such a simple premise, this book is quite long at almost 400 pages. Let me assure it flies by as you see the story through multiple people's (both the good guys & the bad guys) views. The writing is engaging & informative, while leaving you enough room to imagine some things yourself. I really don't want to say any more than that because there are just so many little bits & pieces that you have to put together yourself to really appreciate the book, but trust me, it's worth it.
I really loved the thriller aspect of this book. The suspense & tension were (at times) almost unbearable because there really weren't many clues as to who you could completely trust in this story. The adventure part of the story added to the thriller component because in addition to the mystery shrouding Max's father's whereabouts and what he uncovered that got him in so much trouble, this is also a story about a 15 year-old English boy running around the South African desert with nothing more than the clothes on his back and a native teen for help. There is this perfect melding of both these genres in this one book and I think that's why it was so long, because in order to adequately tie up all the loose plots, it took some serious time.
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