The Dragon's Eye

Erec Rex #1

by Kaza Kingsley

Life is not easy for twelve-year-old Erec Rex. His single mother can barely support her six adopted kids. And they've moved into an apartment so tiny that Erec sleeps with the washing machine. Worse, there is a strange force within Erec that is making him do odd things. His urge to obey these thoughts grows -- until it becomes impossible to resist them.

Then one morning, Erec's mother is missing. The force inside Erec commands him to find her, leading him on an adventure that will change him forever. When he arrives in Alypium, a hidden world where old knowledge of magic is kept, Erec learns that his mother and the entire kingdom are in peril. And he might be the only one who can save them.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, Dragons, Fiction, Adventure, Middle Grade

353 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

About the author

I'm a fantasy author, and have loved reading and writing fiction since I was tiny!

I put a small excerpt or two at the bottom of this page.

Check out my Twitter profile at:
http://twitter.com/kazakingsley

and my blog --
http://memorymogul.blogspot.com

and my website --
http://www.erecrex.com

My books - Erec Rex: The Dragon's Eye, and Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness, Erec Rex: The Search for Truth, and Erec Rex: The Three Furies, are available at all stores. Book Five, Erec Rex: The Secret of Ashona, is coming out February 7, 2012.

The books have won many awards and were a "Borders Original Voices" pick - very cool. Also, the series is out all around the world now! Check out the amazing audio versions read by the incredible Simon Jones. More details on my website.

I put a few interviews and a cool animated clip below - you can see a lot more interviews on YouTube!

Hope to meet you on my tours!

Reviews

[Kaza · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote it ... what can I say?
It's the story of a boy whose mother is missing. He finds she is held prisoner of an evil king. Erec has to help her escape, but he finds out the whole magical world is in danger ... and he has to save the day!!!

[Kat Hooper · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

When Erec Rex’s adoptive mother disappears into a tunnel under a New York City sidewalk, 12-year-old Erec and his new friend Bethany go looking for her. Below the city streets they find a new world full of magic and enter a contest which, if they win, will make them king and queen of Alypium.

The Dragon’s Eye, the first book in Kaza Kingsley’s EREC REX series, is a fun, fast-paced children’s adventure featuring a magical world that’s hidden from modern society but can be accessed through a magical version of Grand Central station. When they get there, Erec and Bethany meet tricksy ghosts, make potions, learn a new sport, and get their own pets. They live in a castle, which is a welcome change from the closet Erec is used to sleeping in.

The magical competition involves growing gills and swimming below a lake inhabited by a sea monster to meet the race of water sprites who live there. Another task involves a hazardous maze and another requires them to steal something from a dragon. Bethany, who happens to be a math genius, gets plenty of chances to impress people with her brilliance as they complete these tasks. Although she’s only 13, she can talk intelligently about calculus and linear algebra and even uses the correct jargon, despite having no formal education. During all this, the kids must, of course, avoid the traps laid by the mean rich boy and his cronies who are eager to see them fail. There are a few adults who seem evil, too.

A big surprise to Erec (but probably not to the reader) is that his name is famous in Alypium. All this time his adoptive mother, who had magically changed his appearance, had been trying to hide him in the world of the “Losers” above, but his name gave him away when he entered their world. I couldn’t help but wonder, if she was so worried about him being found, why she didn’t change his name, too. Oh, well.

I know what you’re thinking: “This is HARRY POTTER.” But you’re wrong. This is not HARRY POTTER. And that’s its problem. Some of the story is cute, but it’s never very clever, and nearly every part of the plot has a parallel to HARRY POTTER, even down to the soul-sucking Dementors (which are called "Destroyers" in Kingsley's work). It’s full of heavy foreshadowing and all of the adults are stupid. Despite the supposed danger, we never really worry about the characters.

The Dragon’s Eye is clearly meant to appeal to youngsters who haven’t yet read HARRY POTTER, or maybe are too young for how dark HARRY POTTER can get, and that’s fine. However, it’s hard to admire a work that’s so derivative but lacks the qualities that make the imitated work so brilliant. I think that most discerning readers who love Rowling’s series will be disappointed in The Dragon’s Eye. And if it didn’t want to be compared to HARRY POTTER, it shouldn’t have copied it.

I read the audio version which was produced by Simon & Schuster Audio and narrated by Simon Jones. Mr. Jones was a terrific reader. If you're going to read The Dragon's Eye, I recommend this version.

Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.

[Pamela · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just didn't like it. The premise was a little too similar to Harry Potter, which made it impossible not to compare. The characters were all just ridiculous. Like, we're choosing our next rulers, who will be our rulers for the next few centuries, and anyone can enter, and there is rampant cheating, and no one notices?? Seriously? A whole bunch of people cheat and nobody, NOBODY, notices? Or cares? The main character knows nothing about himself, but never bothers trying to find anything out. He's all whiny about it, but never bothers asking someone who might know.

Whatever. My 6 year old loves it. I hate reading it to him and keep trying to convince himself to read it to himself. The next two don't get any better. But he likes them so much I suppose I'll end up forcing my way through all five.

[Frogsterking · Rating 2 out of 5]

An extremely predictable and disappointing book that was almost painful to read. The characters are bland and stick very much to type ("Harry", "Snape", "Hermonie", and "Dumbledore"--to the button) and the author is determined to make sure absolutely nothing happens which could possibly make these characters grow beyond their familiar and "safe" traits. The plot is familiar and ridiculous "sad-orphan-boy-runs-away-develops-platonic-relationship-with-girl-orphan-travel-to-fantasy-realm-boy-finds-things-out-about-his-past" and if you can't figure out what these things are by reading the synopsis (the boy is missing his parents and the kingdom is missing their king,) maybe you will enjoy this book after all.

The book lacks a large amount of internal logic, the amount of magical power being thrown, much of it to children, makes it difficult to believe the world can sustain itself without being destroyed or invaded by some guy who just takes all these objects and uses them like an intelligent evil person. The villains are as you expect, devoting bizarre amounts of resources to menial things and then failing to stop an orphan child with no experience in their magical world from besting them. The plot spends some of its time involving a tournament where random children throughout the kingdom are competing in a contest to see who is king. It's one of the most unbelievable things I've ever read (not in that it is fantasy, but internally, the logic this fantasy realm could sustain such a thing is dubious,) but with the amount of magic being handed out like candy, and the strange creatures roaming around bringing out surprising bloodshed against children, if the characters were better developed and the set up more believable this could have been pretty exciting.

In arguably the only memorable sequence of the book (arguable in whether there are or are not any memorable sequences in this book,) one stage of the tournament is sabotaged, and a large amount of children are harmed and killed by a monster after completion of the event. The brutality is surprising and fresh. I feel this book could have been a good black comedy or parody of Harry Potter, ala the movie Scream, with it's stock-types and tournament poking fun at HP and the Tri-Wizard tournament. Unfortunately, Erec Rex is just vanilla, and very bad vanilla at that.

[Ryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry. It must be said.

This book is a cheap knock-off of Harry Potter. I read the interview with Kingsley included at the back of the novel and was hoping not to find many (I realize that some cliches are inevitable) similarities with JKR's series. Unfortunately, I was totally disappointed.

First of all, Dumbledore makes an appearance, although I'm willing to forgive this one. What book about a boy-hero doesn't include a kind, grandfatherly archetype? However, it only goes south from there. Snape is also present in this novel, albeit going by a different name, position, slightly different appearance, and much less evil. Harry-- sorry, I mean Erec-- has to go through the Triwizard Tournament-- I mean a contest to choose the future rulers of a magical land that is arrived at by approaching a magical platform under King's Cross station-- I mean... No, that actually is true.

Want more? One of the tasks is (sort of) a maze. With magical creatures in. Another is an underwater search for a treasure. There are dementors (although, again, they go by a different name). You escape them by pretty much being a Patronus (embodying all that is happiness and light and hope), except you don't call it that. Also, Erec has messy black hair, although I'm willing to forgive this one as well.

The spells are just ridiculous. 'Double, double, toil and trouble...' in baby-talk, if you can imagine. However, I guess some of the tasks and the children's gifts are nice, and I have a vague desire to know what happened to the triplets who are supposed to be the future rulers of the realm; I just wish I didn't have to read the books to fulfil this desire.

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is: if your kid is too young for HP, this is way to go, since it seems to a children's version of the boy wizard's story. I might try reading the rest of the series if I see the books on the shelf, but only out of curiosity to see whether Kingsley can manage to pull anything slightly more creative out of her hat.

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful first novel by Kaza Kingsley. The novel is pure fantasy, but like any great fantasy, it appears plausible and has just enough of the 'real world' in it so that you feel like you are part of the story. :)Doug

[Riris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ketika membaca Tunnels dan Septimus Heap, tidak serta merta inget sama Harry Potter walaupun ada label the next Harry Potter di covernya. Tetapi ketika membaca Erec Rex, dari awal hingga akhir cerita cenderung membanding-bandingkan sama HP walaupun tidak ada embel2 HP di cover. Iyah memang beda sih ceritanya, tapi ada beberapa karakter, stuff, dan situasi yang hampir sama kaya HP.

Ini yang menurutku mengingatkan sekali pada HP :

Erec -- Harry (tokoh utama, sama2 anak biasa yang ternyata mempunyai nasib dan takdir yang "wah" didunia lain)
Bethany -- Herminone (tokoh cewek yang sama2 pinter, cerdik, dan berpikiran terbuka, daaan sahabat dari tokoh utama tentunya)
Balthazar Ugry -- Prof Snape (sama2 dicurigai sebagai dalang dari semuanya tapi ternyata tidak)
Spartacus Kilroy -- Prof Quirell (sama2 orang dalam suruhan yang menyabotase keadaan)
Balor n the gank -- malfoy n the gank (sama2 jahat dan berkuasa karena status ortu mereka)
Topi pelenyap -- jubah gaib
Ramuan peledak -- ramuan polijus
Dr. Mumbai -- Madam Pomfrey (sama2 penyembuh di lingkungan kastil)
Bola pantul -- quidditch (sama2 permainan yang digandrungi para penyihir)
Kontes calon raja -- turnamen Triwizard (sama2 terdapat tugas2 didalamnya)
Port-O-Door -- Portkey, bubuk floo, dan perapian (sama2 berfungsi sebagai pintu kemana saja)
Stoney Rayson -- Lucious Malfoy (sama2 ortu yang punya kuasa dan ada dibalik semuanya)
Kaum lalai -- muggle
Kaum setia -- darah murni
Kacamata Erec -- cermin tarsah (agak beda sih, tapi sama2 memperlihatkan orang yang amat sangat dirindukan)
Remote n scepter -- tongkat sihir
Instagills -- gillyweed (sama2 buat nyelem kedalem air)
Cutie pie -- crookshank (sama2 kucing peliharaan sahabat cewek nya tokoh utama, dan sama2 nakal)
Baskania -- Lord Voldemort (ini dia, tokoh yang pintar, cerdas, dan ingin menguasai dunia)

Setelah merasa-rasakan apa sih yang bikin beda sama HP, ternyata (menurutku sih) adalah unsur sebab akibat yang nyata dalam HP. Tetapi di Erec, unsur sebab akibat dalam cerita dirasa agak mengganjal dan perasaan dari tiap-tiap karakter kurang dikeluarkan.

Tapi secara keseluruhan ceritanya bagus, fantasy banget, imajinasi yang oke. I like it.

Bagian yang mendebarkan adalah ketika Erec melawan segerombolan monster batu menggunakan tangan kayu dan kertas. Sensasinya sama kaya waktu memainkan game Harry Potter 3 pas bertarung melawan sekumpulan dementor. Ngeri dan tegang abis.

Dan yang belum terjawab hingga cerita selesai adalah sebenarnya Erec Rex itu anaknya siapa?trus kembar tiga itu sebenarnya siapa?masih hidup kah? Mungkin jawabannya ada dibuku ke2, tapi sayang, belom terbit.

Ada satu dialog yang aq suka di cerita ini :

Bertekad. Kau harus mengenali dirimu sendiri dan mempercayai diri sendiri. Setan bayangan akan berusaha menyeretmu keluar jalur, membuatmu ragu, mengingatkanmu akan ketakutan dan emosimu yang terdalam. Mereka memiliki kuasa besar atas sisi gelap manusia. Adalah sisi lain kita, kebaikan dan kepercayaan dalam sifat kita, yang bisa mengalahkan mereka. Maka untuk mengalahkannya, kau harus memenuhi dirimu sendiri dengan kepercayaan tentang tujuan yang akan kau raih, dirimu sendiri, dan kebaikan dalam dirimu. Kemudian melangkahlah menembusnya. Jika kau berhasil, dia akan menghilang. Jika tidak, kau akan mati"

(page 296)

[Rachel MacNaught · Rating 2 out of 5]

something was likeable, but it was sometimes as bad as it's cover art. it's definitely a young read, i'd put the target age at about 9 years old.

plot was lame. or rather, the way it went about was. it was quite a caper, but each problem ceases to exist the moment after it's mentioned. everything is so bloody convenient. if he needs something, the next character will happen by with the solution. if he's in a pickle, the only item he has is a surefire way. stuck in a situation with no way out? don't worry, author's got that covered - the boy gets 'cloudy thoughts' that force his body to do things and save people.
couldn't get into a damn thing because there was never a worry, never a question, never a set back. everything is no big deal, so it feels like no big deal.

some of the elements are just uncomfortably pathetic:
- the author's answer to Quidditch in this world is a game where.. people wear giant padded round suits.. and have a spring on their head and butt?
- one girl's beautiful, secret, score-getting talent is when.. she slides her leg across her thigh, she makes beautiful music..what. oh and her arms sound like an oboe.
- .. they use remote controls as a magic device.
- at one point, in what could have been an intense scene, he defeats an army with tiny pieces of paper and a WOODEN REACHY ARM that requires no skill because the arm moves as though it were your own by sheer will.
ugh. i wanted to throw the book.

and lord, if you're an adult and cannot assume who Erec is, or who his family is, by a few chapters in.. so help you god, you're thick. it's fed to us. we get it. the twins, erec, his mother. it's just spoonfed. which is fine, earnestly, as for a small child this book would be wonderous. but it doesn't hold up. unsure about reading the sequels because my friend enjoyed the series and claimed they get better as the author hits his/her stride... and there's something in there that i like i couldn't begin to tell you what it is, though.
maybe i just miss Harry Potter because the book ripped off absolutely every detail of The Goblet of Fire.

but that bonus chapter gave me a little hope. it was a little darker, a little more subtle. maybe the author just wrote the first book young because s/he's hoping her audience would grow up along side the series.

[Jonathan Terrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

When this novel was first released several years ago, I happened to stumble upon it at my local library. Aside from cinemas, sporting grounds and bookshops, libraries happen to be my favourite places on Earth to visit and for reasons such as the one I am detailing here. Where else could you stumble upon a new and magical adventure to read all about?

The plot, as best I remember it can be summed up in a similar manner to Gregor the Overlander in that you have the hero Erec Rex who has a parent go missing and so ventures into a strange and magical world. Erec happens to possess special powers and abilities which help him as he has to enter a series of contests to choose the next king of this strange world.

Of course a mere plot summary sounds rather derivative of many other children's fantasy novels you could read. And yet what made this book so memorable to me is that it wasn't so derivative. It worked with its particular sense of zany curiosity and charm, possessing a humour which stuck with me and led me to enjoy the story on the whole even if parts of it were predictable.

So now, as I continue to work with those books I have read and not yet reviewed, I simply wished to revisit this book and write a comment about the fact that the idea and memory of reading it has remained with me. I would therefore state that were I to suggest a list of books targeted at younger readers which are remarkably under-appreciated I would add this book to that list. Perhaps alongside: Mortal Engines and The Divide.

[brian tanabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The next Harry Potter? I truly can’t tell if Ms. Kingsley desperately wants to draw parallels to the wizarding wonder or if she desperately wants nothing to do with Mr. Potter. That being said, Kingsley creates a fast-paced young adult book that hits the ground running. There is very little hand-holding in Erec Rex which I surmise is empowering for her primary audience. Smooth-flowing dialogue and a effervescent imagination are some of the many gifts Ms. Kingsley employs. I look forward to reading the second book in the series which just came out.

[Kaza]

This is the first in the Erec Rex series that I wrote. It's about a boy whose mother is missing. He finds she's held prisoner by an evil king. He has to help her escape - but he finds out the whole magical world is in danger ... and he has to save the day ....

[Brooke · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNFed at 30%

After reading chapter nine I couldn't continue. I. Just. Couldn't. Do. It. I really don't have anything to say. It's so bad that it’s overwhelming. But for the sake of protecting other readers from this monstrosity, I'll attempt to express my thoughts.


When I first received The Dragon's Eye, I turned over the book and read the back. This is the first thing that greeted me:

"This is an action packed fantasy filled with rich characters kids will really relate to. Erec Rex is poised to take over Harry Potter's long reign." - Maria Schneider, senior editor Writer's Digest

Me being my innocent self thought, "Wow! Sounds great! I'm super excited to read about Erec Rex!"

Looking back I see how wrong I was to think this. I'm ashamed with myself.

Mrs. Schneider, I feel horrible for you. I don't know what was going on in your head when you came to this conclusion, but I think/hope you were joking. This isn't even CLOSE to Harry Potter's glory, and I'm angered that you compared this garbage to such a fantastic series.

Ok, so I'm going to make a list format for this portion of the review:

Writing like a five year olds ✅️
Terrible characters ✅️
Boring plot line ✅️
Confusing as heck ✅️
Weirdness (not in a good way) ✅️
Wanna be Harry Potter but failed miserably ✅️✅️✅️✅️✅️✅️✅️

Now I realize that this is a kid's book, but so was the Capture (Guardians of Ga'hoole) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This, however, stunk.

I can go on for hours but I'll keep it short. Don't read this.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appropriate for: age 12+

I liked this book. The challenges were all very interesting. It reminds me a little of Harry Potter but it's pretty different. The main characters were likable.
The beginning felt very rushed. There was no real introduction to the main character or his life. Very suddenly the action starts. The writing was good but not amazing.
There is some violence done on purpose by another human (as opposed to accidental or during a war), so I would recommend this book for tweens and up.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Samantha Clanton aka "Harlequin Twilight" for TeensReadToo.com

How would you feel if, when you were twelve years old, your mother disappeared and, in the quest to save her, you left the real world and entered a world of magic and kings and queens? That's exactly what happened to Erec Rex.

Erec is not your normal boy; he has a glass eye, his home contains things that are less than normal, and his brothers and sisters aren't as special as he is, but they are certainly unusual. When Erec gets a "cloudy thought," which are like visions, he knows his mother is in danger, and that he is the only one that can save her.

As Erec begins his search he meets Bethany, a girl who is being raised by her mean uncle and forced to work at his newsstand. Bethany knows a way to help Erec, and so she joins him on his journey. When the two go through an unnoticed door in the sidewalk, they enter a world much different than their own.

When they get to this world, called Alyphium, they find themselves in a contest to become the next rulers of the land. There are three rulers who will be replaced - King Piter, Queen Posey, and King Pluto. However, King Piter is sick and is slowly losing himself; the castle is quite literally on its side, and The Substance that holds the whole world together has gone askew. There is something very wrong in this magical world, and when things start happening and become dangerous, it's up to Erec, with the help of Bethany, to fix things.

Although I first thought this was a knockoff of Harry Potter (and there are some correlations), this is a story with characters that are all their own. Kaza Kingsley has created an array of characters that are easily lovable and have depth. The story is adventurous and fun, with an element of danger and a "wait, did that really just happen?" quality.

Once I finished, I was eager to continue onto the next book in the series, just to know what happens next! THE DRAGON'S EYE is a captivating read, and it stands to reason that with this cast of characters and the imagination of Ms. Kingsley, this could easily be the next phenomenon to sweep through the young adult fiction world.

There is plenty of humor for those who prefer lighthearted but still slightly dim stories. By the end of page one, I was already laughing so hard I had to put the book down. I also found myself oddly wanting Erec's alarm clock. There are many more instances like this throughout the rest of the book, and this is definitely a novel that I would recommend to everyone.

For the older audience, parts of the story are a bit predictable, but the writing and depth of the characters totally makes up for that. If you haven't heard of the EREC REX series before, or have overlooked it in the stores, then you should run, not walk, to the nearest bookstore and pick up your copy today!

[Book Elf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing!

If i can give a rate of seven, I will give it to this book. It superseded my high expectations on Erec Rex. From start to finish I was starving for this book. Some say it's like HP but it was totally different. Kaza Kingsley hit the target of what I wanted to write. Fantastic! There was no boring moment. I was on the peak of my flu but I cannot put the book down.

Let me tell you why: SPOILER ALERT!

1.THE CHARACTERS WERE ALL SPOT-ON!
- I like Erec Rex. He was not dumb. He didn't rely on his forgotten magic not relied on acquired magic, mainly he was just wise, lucky and courageous. He may have some weaknesses but he learned from it eventually.
- The presence of Bethany complemented Erec Rex. She was clever and generous. Erec's presence brought out the best of her.
- I like Jack. He was so helpful and trusting. I hope he is on the second book too.
- I don't know if I liked or hated Balthazar. He may be liken to Professor Snape. So I guess I like him, too. Although along the way, I was like Erec Rex, thinking the worst of him. So the plot has something to be dubious about.
- About Kilroy (does the name ring a bell?) - he not smart but he is genuinely kind.
- King Piter reminds me of Lord of the rings.
- The dragon Aoquesth was funny and generous to the rightful owner. It was fun reading his part, though short.
- The mother, June O'Hara was also something else.
- All the villains were needed to make the story effective.

2.THE PLOT WAS INGENIOUS!
- So many hidden agendas,plots, and so many secrets to reveal. As a matter of fact I have so many questions at the end of the book because it left me hanging and I MUST get the next book!
- It was like all my favorite books combined in this book. Perfect. So many things going on, yet I was not confused because Kaza wrote it very creatively. It was not forced rather just like the the dragon's eye, it fit perfectly!
- Vivid imagination! Great place and the magic was not exaggerated and corrupted.
- Suprise element everywhere! So, will keep you asking who did it?
- A matter of trust ~ but will question your judgement too as a reader of whom to trust.
- Dangerous yet it will thrill your bones!

3. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!

I would recommend it to all who loved HP and its magical world.

Kaza Kingsley, I officially declare that I am now your fan. Hats down on you!
Now, excuse me and I need to get the other sequels. Ta!
View Video of Book 3

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Erec Rex: the Dragon's Eye" by Kaza Kingsley

This book is an empowering original created by the crafty genius of Kaza Kingsley. A few times i was reminded of Harry Potter but this story is unique, Kaza Kingsley is a wordsmith so don't go in expecting J.K.Rawlings, they are both amazing but VERY different.

It's the story of a boy whose mother is missing. He finds she is being held prisoner of an evil king that has been hypnotized.

Erec has to help her escape!

Erec Rex finds out that the whole magical world is in danger and it's up to him to save the day.

Unfortunately, he's been branded with an "L" on his forehead for "Loser"!


"Erec Rex: The Monster's of Otherness", the delicious sequel to "Erec Rex: The Dragon's Eye", is basically about adoption and acceptance. Kingsley's gift is that her books just keep getting better and better as you read.

The ultimate question is CAN Erec figure out who he is in time to fulfill his inevitable destiny?

It's time to fall in LOVE with Kaza Kingsley. She is writing for future generations and truely her books inspire and will stand up as "Classic Literature" against time.


The J.K.Rawlings legacy of literacy continues, millions of readers (young to seasoned veterans) will soon know what everyone's been talking about...

Erec Rex!!!

[Kelley Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an extremely fun read! I was intrigued at page 1 and hooked by page 50. The book is the first in a series that I could easily see becoming as popular as Harry Potter. It’s written as a pre-teens fantasy, but will appeal to readers of all ages. Kingsley did a fantastic job of creating a fun, intriguing world with great characters that you could easily identify with. I loved how she took ordinary, every day things and twisted them up. For example, instead of just using the common name for a fast food place, she called them fastaurants. Just simple things like that added to the feel of the story. Kingsley did a great job of creating suspense, mystery and quite a lot of fun. There were times that I found myself laughing aloud, including a scene with a suit of armor that sent me into a flashback of the days when I watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail over and over again. This first book left quite a lot of mysteries and questions unanswered and I can’t wait to pick up the next novel to see what is revealed and to experience more of this great adventure.

I highly recommend this book to everyone that enjoys a great fantasy. And if you personally don’t like fantasy, but you have any kids in your life, you should definitely pick this up for them. It’ll be a hit!

Check out my blog on www.kelleysbooks.blogspot.com

[Mia Prasetya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelar dalam waktu 3 hari, suka covernya. Bayangin covernya si Erec mirip dengan freddie highmore dari rambut sampai senyum simpulnya.

Kesan setelah membaca 5 bab pertama :
- bingung, alurnya cepet sampai bolak balik lagi ke halaman depannya. entah karena lagi ga konsen atau penokohan yang hanya sepintas di awal.

- mau ga mau bandingin dengan Harry Potter dan Percy Jackson. Kalau dengan harpot mirip karena per bab ada gambar sketsa pensil gitu. Tapi yang bikin seru lumayan menggambarkan isi bab dan gambarnya bagus.

-karakter Bethany yang pintar eeerrr mau ga mau bandingin ma Hermione.

Formulanya agak ketebak, sudah curiga si Urgy ini koq mirip Snape? pasti doi tokoh yang baik, dan orang yang sama sekali tidak ketebak malah si pembuat kacau dunia Alypium.

Secara keseluruhan seru juga, favorit saya adalah pertandingan menjadi raja. Kontesnya seru. Kembali lagi kita bertemu dengan sosok naga yang nyeleneh tapi nyenengin, si Aoquest. Tokoh favorit : raja Pitter yang kebapakan banget.

Bakal ada 8 buku yak? Sepertinya perjuangan Erec masih panjang, mudah-mudahan buku selanjutnya lebih bagus dari seri pertama karena masih dikit banget penjelasan tentang siapa si Erec ini.

[DavidO · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is trying very hard to be Harry Potter, as seen by it's cover, formatting, and the style of the pictures inside (not to mention a very similar plot). Unfortunately it has none of the humor. None of the characters are memorable, while I still remember most of them from Harry Potter years later. The characters each had their own names, but not their personalities were either "yet another generic nice kid" or "yet another generic selfish kid". Will not be continuing the series.

[Erika Schoeps · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is the most ridiculous pointless knockoff of Harry Potter. I quit reading after 5 or 6 chapters because I was annoyed and fedup. The book's layout and chapter headings even copy Harry Potter. A ploy to make some money off of Harry Potter's well earned success.

[Becca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only got to Chapter 5 and gave up. It is one of those books that tries to hard to be different,weird, and overly magical. I like more subtle fantasy.

[Ethan Muhlestein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erec Rex by Kaza Kingsley is a Magical fiction book with plenty of twists turns and monsters. Erec Rex is an average kid only he has a glass eye and he has these things he calls cloudy thoughts. Cloudy thoughts are like thoughts that he suddenly gets and has to obey, but they have always been for something good. One day Erec Rex wakes up and his mom is gone, but he gets a cloudy thought to go and save her. Suddenly he and this one girl he meets go into a magical place called the kingdoms of keepers. He and the girl Bethany become friends and abruptly get into this contest along with 500 other people to be the king. Bethany and Erec are the only people form the upper earth and not from kingdom of keepers. This is just the start of Erecs journey it holds many surprises along the way.
This book was great I read it in two days because it just kept me reading. I really liked how it referred to places in the real world even though it was underground. I also really really liked how it had a lot of magical creatures and foods. It made me want to be there and experience it, but sadly I can’t. Some things that weren’t really that well about the book was the characters all seemed dumb and it seemed like the writer wasn’t too good either. It seemed like the characters were all dumb because like when something really obvious happened or is going to happen they didn’t know, like in other books that happens a little sometimes but I can understand that, but it happened a ton in this book. This also ties in with the writer, the writer had a really good idea but he didn’t write it so well, like how the characters were really dumb it also seemed unrealistic some things, and it didn’t explain characters or objects so well.
It was a great book other than some flaws but it will keep you up all night. It also described some life lessons like be thankful for what you are given or have. Erec Rex at the start of the book didn’t like his cloudy thoughts but as the book soon progressed he started to change. By the end of the book Erec was thankful for his cloudy thoughts they also saved him a couple of times. In the book it proclaims how Erec was actually wanting a cloudy thought to get him out of a sticky situation.

[Sophie -( HOLIDAYS!)- · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. But, it’s kind of Weird. Also, it’s a lot like HP. And, Who in the world would just randomly be missing an eye? But, I love the cover.

Ps: Ok, now that I think about it, I will have to FORCE myself to read the rest of these books. I’m already at book three.

Pss: Ahhhhhhhh! Gosh, why does reading these books make me think that this reminds me of my own book! Confirming what I already thought! Ahhhh! ( sorry for the strange order of words.)

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isn’t this for children? Yes.

[James Maxon · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a trip to Chicago, Kingsley took a set of mythology books with her. The stories she read from Jason and the Golden Fleece to The Trolls of Norway were so vivid and beautiful that they inspired her. On New Year’s Day of 2004, she sat down to collect her thoughts of what became Erec Rex. As she plotted the series, bits of mythology wove their way into her ideas, and, on April 7, 2009, the first book was published.

Story overview:
Twelve-year-old Erec Rex lives as one of several adopted children–moving from one place to the next–supported by a woman (who he calls his mother) with little income. His biggest problem is a strange voice that makes him do odd things. Thankfully, so far, the things have all been good.

Shortly after the story begins, the voice sends him out to seek for his mother, who had been missing since the morning. After meeting a strange girl, Bethany, he is lead down a mysterious stairway and into a magical world.

Coming across unusual characters, Erec is directed to a meeting place where a large group of children are preparing to complete in a set of games. The games are being held to determine who will replace the current rulers of Alypium, Ashona, and Aorth. As Erec searches for his mother, he finds himself caught up in the events of this magical world.

My thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book. I know it’s dreadful to say, but I liked it better than Harry Potter. There were a few things borrowed from the Potter world, such as the games (particularly the one which requires an underwater goal), but as many experts say, imitation produces great results. Then again, since the author heavily researched mythology before writing this tale, there’s a good chance she didn’t borrow from Potter at all. Regardless, I highly recommend this story. So far, it’s my best read of the year.

See full review at http://booksforyouth.com.

[Stas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not care to be impatiently yanked along for an adventure I am not sure I want to be having.

Make no mistake, I love being dropped into the fray from straight out.
But I absolutely loath authors being all rush-rush - the exact thing that happens straight away in this book. It's like I was having my back impatiently pushed to "Go on, go on! NO dawdling! Adventure ahead! GO ON!" Annoying is what it is.

The cloudy thoughts thing? That's enough to put me off reading these books altogether. That's too convenient a device, something that is sure to be most thoroughly abused. Not to mention this implies a very real lack of free will - a big resounding NO.

If the first few chapter are anything to go by, the solutions will magically pop up all on their own, with no real effort put in by the protagonist. That's no way to go. Abysmal.

I would not put this book in the hands of an adult, let alone a child. I find it disturbing that a lack of free will on a person's part can inspire a loyal following. I cannot for the life of me understand how depriving someone of their right to make a choice can be seen as a good thing.

What kind of message does this give you?

I would not want my kids to come away believing that some invisible intangible force shall make them do the right thing. That's not how people work. Our choices define us.

Frodo made a choice to carry the Ring.
Harry Potter chose to fight.
Coraline chose to act.
Alice chose to follow the white rabbit.

Not to mention no solutions magically appear before us on a silver platter in the nick of time.

I have not read far enough into the story to make any comparisons to Harry Potter series - as many of the reviewers are wont to do. There's hardly any need. I have seen enough to draw my own conclusions.

!!!WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE, PLEASE STIR CLEAR!!!

[Niffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first started this book I thought, "This reminds me a bit of Harry Potter." I also thought, "This reminds me a bit of Percy Jackson." and "This reminds me of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." and "This reminds me of The Magickers." and "This reminds me of Charlie Bone." Reading through the reviews, there's a lot of people who seem to be unhappy with this story because "it's a Harry Potter rip off." And while I suspect that it was heavily influenced but Harry Potter, I don't think every story with an orphan boy and magic and a red herring bad guy are automatically ripoffs any more than I consider every fantasy book with a wizard and a warrior and an elf to be a Lord of the Rings rip off.

I really would have been okay with the resemblance to Harry Potter if the story had really been able to stand on its own, and IMO it really doesn't. There's a lot of loose threads and plot holes that make no sense. Like we never really find out who the mysterious "baby sitter" at the beginning of the story. She appears, the main character gets away from her, later we discover that she's gone and the real babysitter is there. But that's it.

Likewise Erec's "fuzzy thoughts" are a huge thing at the beginning of the story--but all they really do is get him out of the house. Then they are not mentioned again for so long that when they are finally brought up again I'd actually forgotten what the author was talking about. If the "fuzzy thoughts" are that useful, I feel like they should have been a larger driving force through the story.

I never felt drawn into this story, never really felt like I cared much one way or the other for the main characters, got tired of/bored with the many contests, and by the end of the book I was more than ready to put the book down and never read more of Erec Rex.

It just wasn't a strong story.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in one of the Goodreads drawings, and I have to say this was the best thing to be mailed to me in a while. The book is Eric Rex -The Dragon Eye by Kaza Kingsley. I received this book on Saturday, opened it and read it in one sitting. It was really, really good. I think the comparison to Harry Potter is inevitable, but there are not really that many similarities. The story is about a boy who ends up trying to find his mother after she goes missing. He ends up finding a magical world, where he goes on a huge adventure. I cannot give too many examples for fear of spoiling something. I really enjoyed the read. It was easy and very engaging. The author makes a great effort to make the characters very likable, and I believe she succeeded quite admirably. I would say that it is a great read for all of the Harry Potter fans looking for another magical adventure. I will be heading out to get the other books ASAP.

[Tam Tam · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book! It's just a fun adventure of this boy Erec Rex who is adopted by this woman who's got connections to the magic world. She gets kidnapped and Erec goes to find her...and she happens to be in this magic world. While there, there is a contest to be the new kings (there are three in the magic world) and all three need to be replaced. But something fishy is going on.

This one kept me up late reading...and I even picked it up in the middle of the night if I'd wake up sometimes. I would recommend it to fantasy lovers. It's a great book and I think there's going to be 8 in the series...and either 2 or 3 are out now.

Even though it's a series, I don't think you'll be killing yourself over starting one that isn't finished. There are lots of questions left unanswered, but it's such a good book!

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is dedicated to my brother-in-law, Karl, who can never read enough books with dragons in them. This is another fantasy series along the lines of Harry Potter. Erec Rex, a young boy living in New York, discovers another world that co-exists with ours. He soon finds himself in a contest to become one of the three kings/queens of this magical world and he uncovers secrets about his past along the way.

The book has a bit of a slow beginning, but by the end I was really enjoying the story. There are many elements that reminded me of Harry Potter, but it's different enough to keep your interest as well. This seems to be a promising beginning to this series and I'm looking forward to reading the other books.