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Hero's Sword #1
Power Play
All Jaycee Hiller wants to do is survive eighth grade. Mostly that means hanging with her friend, Stu, avoiding the cheerleading squad, secretly crushing on Nate Fletcher, and playing her favorite video game, Hero’s Sword.
When she receives a new video game controller, Jaycee finds herself magically transported into the Hero’s Sword video game world. Survival takes on a whole new meaning. No longer battling with a plastic joystick, Jaycee picks up a real sword and bow & arrow and readies herself for battle.
Can she save Lady Starla’s rule in Mallory, keep herself in one piece, and maybe even learn something about surviving middle school?
All tweens, especially reluctant readers, will enjoy traveling with Jaycee in her fantasy adventures as she learns life skills needed to navigate the world of middle-school.
When she receives a new video game controller, Jaycee finds herself magically transported into the Hero’s Sword video game world. Survival takes on a whole new meaning. No longer battling with a plastic joystick, Jaycee picks up a real sword and bow & arrow and readies herself for battle.
Can she save Lady Starla’s rule in Mallory, keep herself in one piece, and maybe even learn something about surviving middle school?
All tweens, especially reluctant readers, will enjoy traveling with Jaycee in her fantasy adventures as she learns life skills needed to navigate the world of middle-school.
Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2015
260 people want to read
About the author
M.E. Sutton
8 books221 followersMary Sutton has been making up stories, and creating her own endings for other people's stories, for as long as she can remember. After ten years, she decided that making things up was far more satisfying than writing software manuals, and took the jump into fiction.
She writes the HERO'S SWORD middle-grade fantasy series as M.E. Sutton and finds a lot of inspiration in the lives of her own kids. A lifelong mystery fan, she also writes crime fiction, including THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS MYSTERIES, under the pen name Liz Milliron. Her short fiction has been published at Uppagus.com, Mystericale.com (Fall 2013), and in LUCKY CHARMS: 12 CRIME TALES (December 2013).
Like her LAUREL HIGHLANDS characters, Mary lives in Southwestern PA (but, unfortunately, she doesn't have a dog). She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Pennwriters.
Visit her on the web at http://marysuttonauthor.com and follow her on Twitter (@mary_sutton73).
She writes the HERO'S SWORD middle-grade fantasy series as M.E. Sutton and finds a lot of inspiration in the lives of her own kids. A lifelong mystery fan, she also writes crime fiction, including THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS MYSTERIES, under the pen name Liz Milliron. Her short fiction has been published at Uppagus.com, Mystericale.com (Fall 2013), and in LUCKY CHARMS: 12 CRIME TALES (December 2013).
Like her LAUREL HIGHLANDS characters, Mary lives in Southwestern PA (but, unfortunately, she doesn't have a dog). She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Pennwriters.
Visit her on the web at http://marysuttonauthor.com and follow her on Twitter (@mary_sutton73).
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 6, 2013
My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 unicorns - I loved it!!
** Received ebook for free via Story Cartel for an honest review
Okay when I saw the cover and the blurb, I thought it was the perfect book to read with my son who is 12. The cover says adventure with a scary pig, sword, and game controller on it, and even attracts boys who aren’t interested in girls. :)
I started reading this with my son, but only got to chapter 3 before he went to bed. I continue on and finished the story but will go back and read it again with him. My son loves it so far and was sort of mad that I was going to keep reading it without him until I said I would still read it with him. He would rather I do the reading with silly voices and attitude for each character.
This is my first time reading M.E. Sutton’s work, and I loved it. Her writing is fantastic to just get sucked into the story much like Jaycee was sucked into her game. Jaycee is a spunky 8th grader who has to deal with all the cruelty of kids in school because she is not exactly like them. My son really related to that part of the story with Jaycee because like her, he is not popular or athletic. Kids pick on him, and I always try to tell him kids are cruel and that it is not just him being picked on (even though I despise it happening at all). So this story is perfect to help him see this and to just be himself, smart & witty like Jaycee or Lyla and everything will be okay as long as he doesn’t give up. This is a fantastic read to inspire kids against giving up as well as keep their imaginations going because I totally see my son imagining this happening to him as he runs through the house with his sword (could be anything from wrapping paper roll to a stick) noises like he is in a sword fight. I can't wait to finish reading it with him & continuing the series.
I highly recommend this story to anyone with middle graders girls or boys. Take time to read with your kids and use silly voices because they still love it in middle school as much as they did when they were 5 :)
** Received ebook for free via Story Cartel for an honest review
Okay when I saw the cover and the blurb, I thought it was the perfect book to read with my son who is 12. The cover says adventure with a scary pig, sword, and game controller on it, and even attracts boys who aren’t interested in girls. :)
I started reading this with my son, but only got to chapter 3 before he went to bed. I continue on and finished the story but will go back and read it again with him. My son loves it so far and was sort of mad that I was going to keep reading it without him until I said I would still read it with him. He would rather I do the reading with silly voices and attitude for each character.
This is my first time reading M.E. Sutton’s work, and I loved it. Her writing is fantastic to just get sucked into the story much like Jaycee was sucked into her game. Jaycee is a spunky 8th grader who has to deal with all the cruelty of kids in school because she is not exactly like them. My son really related to that part of the story with Jaycee because like her, he is not popular or athletic. Kids pick on him, and I always try to tell him kids are cruel and that it is not just him being picked on (even though I despise it happening at all). So this story is perfect to help him see this and to just be himself, smart & witty like Jaycee or Lyla and everything will be okay as long as he doesn’t give up. This is a fantastic read to inspire kids against giving up as well as keep their imaginations going because I totally see my son imagining this happening to him as he runs through the house with his sword (could be anything from wrapping paper roll to a stick) noises like he is in a sword fight. I can't wait to finish reading it with him & continuing the series.
I highly recommend this story to anyone with middle graders girls or boys. Take time to read with your kids and use silly voices because they still love it in middle school as much as they did when they were 5 :)
February 20, 2013
A lot of people, kids as well as grown-ups, tend to get so completely immersed in role-playing games that the games become more real to them than their own lives.
What would happen if that scenario actually happened?
Take Jaycee Hillyer, for example. She is a thirteen-year-old adolescent, just trying to survive middle school. This is not terribly easy, as she and her friend Stu are gamers to the extreme. Their lives revolve around "Hero's Sword", a massive multi-player online game. Others around her, especially the bullying cherleaders, don't understand this world, and therefore treat her miserably.
So, life in the real world stinks. She would love to do what her avatar, Lyla Stormbringer, can do: riding, archery, beating down the bad guys, etc.
One especially trying afternoon is made so much better by the arrival of a new piece of hardware--The Controllix 500. But does she control it, or vice versa?
Happily playing the game, she receives a message onscreen: "Lady Starla is in trouble from bandits. Do you accept the quest?" She chooses to do so, and is suddenly plunged into the world, and the person, of her avatar.
Together with the steward of the Lady's lands, Roger Woodbridge, she sets out to fulfill the quest she has sworn to accomplish. But who is the villain behind the bandit raids, and what does the fiend hope to achieve? She will need all of her newly-acquired skills to succeed.
Ms. Sutton has written a very cute YA book here. What I like is that it is not merely a quest fulfilled, it is a life redeemed. Jaycee can face the ups and downs of her own life much more easily, and more maturely, after her adventures inside the game. There are undertones of first-love, of jealousy, of friendships tested. It is a coming-of-age that almost everyone can relate to on some level. This book is not only for young adults; most people can relate to what happens to Jaycee in her real life.
Written with wonderful humor and a real sense of the mindset of youth, "Power Play" is a story not to be missed. I hope we get to hear about Jaycee as she grows up into the mature young woman she is capable of being.
What would happen if that scenario actually happened?
Take Jaycee Hillyer, for example. She is a thirteen-year-old adolescent, just trying to survive middle school. This is not terribly easy, as she and her friend Stu are gamers to the extreme. Their lives revolve around "Hero's Sword", a massive multi-player online game. Others around her, especially the bullying cherleaders, don't understand this world, and therefore treat her miserably.
So, life in the real world stinks. She would love to do what her avatar, Lyla Stormbringer, can do: riding, archery, beating down the bad guys, etc.
One especially trying afternoon is made so much better by the arrival of a new piece of hardware--The Controllix 500. But does she control it, or vice versa?
Happily playing the game, she receives a message onscreen: "Lady Starla is in trouble from bandits. Do you accept the quest?" She chooses to do so, and is suddenly plunged into the world, and the person, of her avatar.
Together with the steward of the Lady's lands, Roger Woodbridge, she sets out to fulfill the quest she has sworn to accomplish. But who is the villain behind the bandit raids, and what does the fiend hope to achieve? She will need all of her newly-acquired skills to succeed.
Ms. Sutton has written a very cute YA book here. What I like is that it is not merely a quest fulfilled, it is a life redeemed. Jaycee can face the ups and downs of her own life much more easily, and more maturely, after her adventures inside the game. There are undertones of first-love, of jealousy, of friendships tested. It is a coming-of-age that almost everyone can relate to on some level. This book is not only for young adults; most people can relate to what happens to Jaycee in her real life.
Written with wonderful humor and a real sense of the mindset of youth, "Power Play" is a story not to be missed. I hope we get to hear about Jaycee as she grows up into the mature young woman she is capable of being.
February 4, 2014
I tore through this whole book in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. Then, I shared the book with my daughter who went on to read it all in one sitting as well! She loved it and I loved it!
Like it or not, our kids are growing up in an era of video games and my son and daughter both love them too. In the story, the main character – geeky 13 year-old Jaycee – is magically transported into her favorite video game, Hero’s Sword, where she encounters the characters from the game and where she must wield a sword and shoot a bow and arrow (turns out she’s a natural). In short, SHE becomes the hero of the video game. I just love the premise behind this book – awesome!
Power Play: Hero’s Sword (Vol. 1) features a relatable main character, fast-paced action, devious enemies, and an exciting plot that will absolutely capture the intended audience’s imagination. I think (and my daughter fully agrees!) that M.E. Sutton has hit on a winning series. I highly recommend Power Play: Hero’s Sword to all tweens, but to reluctant readers in particular, due to the ease of language, the video game setting, and the fast pace and physical length of the book at 64 pages.
* I received a copy of this book free-of-charge from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.
Like it or not, our kids are growing up in an era of video games and my son and daughter both love them too. In the story, the main character – geeky 13 year-old Jaycee – is magically transported into her favorite video game, Hero’s Sword, where she encounters the characters from the game and where she must wield a sword and shoot a bow and arrow (turns out she’s a natural). In short, SHE becomes the hero of the video game. I just love the premise behind this book – awesome!
Power Play: Hero’s Sword (Vol. 1) features a relatable main character, fast-paced action, devious enemies, and an exciting plot that will absolutely capture the intended audience’s imagination. I think (and my daughter fully agrees!) that M.E. Sutton has hit on a winning series. I highly recommend Power Play: Hero’s Sword to all tweens, but to reluctant readers in particular, due to the ease of language, the video game setting, and the fast pace and physical length of the book at 64 pages.
* I received a copy of this book free-of-charge from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 6, 2013
Jaycee is a thirteen year old girl who is bullied at school. She loves to play her online game "Hero's Sword". There she can escape into a fantasy kingdom she created as the hero.
She rushed home from school to retrieve her new controller, and is magically transported into the game. In the game she has all of the hero abilities and the confidence to bring evil doers to justice.
Her problem ends up being how to bring those traits back with her to the real world, and how will she get back to the kingdom?
This is a quick and fun read. The language is simple, so it is perfect for the intended audience of a middle grade child. It is full of action and I think kids will love the concept of falling into their favorite video game and living out the fantasy.
She rushed home from school to retrieve her new controller, and is magically transported into the game. In the game she has all of the hero abilities and the confidence to bring evil doers to justice.
Her problem ends up being how to bring those traits back with her to the real world, and how will she get back to the kingdom?
This is a quick and fun read. The language is simple, so it is perfect for the intended audience of a middle grade child. It is full of action and I think kids will love the concept of falling into their favorite video game and living out the fantasy.
February 14, 2013
A fast moving plot and action packed adventure make for a fun read. I will recommend this to my middle school students!
June 2, 2016
This was such an amazing book. I like to play video games as well. The book made it seem like I was actually there in the story. I recommend it to anyone who likes adventure
June 24, 2013
Review coming soon...
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April 21, 2014sorry, I havent read this book yet, no idea how a rating popped up under my name.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews