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The Moon Stealers #1
The Moon Stealers and the Quest for the Silver Bough
Peter Crisp, a boy with an unusual gift of being able to see things that others cannot, goes missing after spending the night in a graveyard. Two of Peter's school friends, join forces with a Knight of King Arthur to attempt to find him but come across some mysterious engravings which propel them on an adventure beyond their imagination.
Meanwhile MI6 operative Steven Knight is sent from London to investigate a meteor landing site, but Steven is advised by his own boss not to trust the puppeteers that hold the strings to his investigation. Within the core of the meteor is an alien bacteria that evolves at an alarming rate that not only puts Steven's life at risk, but the entire human race.
By unravelling ancient codes and riddles the children journey within the bowels of Edinburgh Castle as they attempt to find the key to Peter’s disappearance. The children not only need to save Peter, they need to save the world while they’re at it.
Meanwhile MI6 operative Steven Knight is sent from London to investigate a meteor landing site, but Steven is advised by his own boss not to trust the puppeteers that hold the strings to his investigation. Within the core of the meteor is an alien bacteria that evolves at an alarming rate that not only puts Steven's life at risk, but the entire human race.
By unravelling ancient codes and riddles the children journey within the bowels of Edinburgh Castle as they attempt to find the key to Peter’s disappearance. The children not only need to save Peter, they need to save the world while they’re at it.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2012
544 people are currently reading
664 people want to read
About the author
Tim Flanagan
20 books47 followersAt some point in Tim's childhood, he was abducted by aliens and sent on a voyage of knowledge and discovery across the universe. Eventually the aliens realised how pointless this was and, as a failed student, he was returned to Earth and left with a family who brought him up as a human bean. But, the persistent memories of new worlds, dragons and other creatures, continued to knock at his frontal lobe, desperately trying to break out. To avoid making a mess and calm his imagination, Tim began writing as a way to communicate with Earthlings. Fuelled by Chilli and Nachos and a bottle of wine, Tim manages to balance a love of loud rock music and fast cars (preferably red!) with emotional chic flicks, smart leather shoes and a well tailored suit. He has successfully infiltrated the humans and hides behind the façade known as a family. He learns from his children, but is regularly told to stop acting like a child by his wife. Naturally shy and unsociable by nature, he is selective of the human company he keeps, preferring to be around old books, bonsai and art. He cries at 'It’s a wonderful life' but sulks if fed evil vegetables disguised as Parsnips or Peas. He is bored by mundane conversation, excited by architecture and castles and fuelled by Caramel Latte Macchiato's. Occasionally, he likes to catch up with old acquaintances on Tatooine, Westeros, and Middle Earth, and stare at fantasy and concept art as if it is a window to his childhood adventures. He is always trying to learn lessons from the masters; Mr Charles Darwin and Mr Lionel Ritchie, about life and love. Tim's galactic mission is to translate his brain activity into a language that inspires and entertains you, transports you to different worlds and grants you an audience with the characters you have dreamt about, but never dared to remember. All of this in an attempt to redeem himself with his childhood alien abductors and travel the stars once more.
Follow Tim at:
Facebook - www.facebook.com/timflanaganbooks
Twitter - www.twitter.com/timflanauthor
Blog - www.timflanaganauthor.wordpress.com
Follow Tim at:
Facebook - www.facebook.com/timflanaganbooks
Twitter - www.twitter.com/timflanauthor
Blog - www.timflanaganauthor.wordpress.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
September 6, 2023
4.5 stars for this freebie [go to Amazon --> the Kindle ebook is free (you'll thank me later :D)].
The Moon Stealers and the Quest for the Silver Bough is the first novel in a 4-book series inspired by Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
A young boy, Peter Crips has disappeared after he spent a night in the cemetery, due to a challenge given to him by his mean colleagues.
Then we have a dual POV throughout the book. Firstly, we get to see Joe, Scarlet and Max meeting an old man named Edgar, who is actually a descendent of Arthur himself. He tells the kids that he knows where the boy has gone to and in order to get to him, they need a so-called Silver Bough.
Secondly, we follow Steven, an adult working for MI6 in London. He is sent to Parsley Bottom where Peter Crisp has disappeared (whom the police is looking for) and check out this alien bacteria who fell from a meteorite shower.
The doom and despair follow. The story is fast-paced and you don't have any chance to get bored. It's like watching an old-ish sci-fi horror movie while eating popcorn, but at some point you forget eating, because the story gets so intense!
Maybe it is a bit problematic, especially that the parents seem to disappear. To give a clear example I could not not notice, Joe and his friends told their parents they will be sleeping to some of their friends during one night, but the action continues in the span of another night or two, and we don't get to see anything else from their parents nor the kids say anything about it. And this was a bit unrealistic.
But other than that, I really liked this story, the Edinburgh castle ruins, the creepy scenes, the adventure and discoveries and everything in between.
The book ends on a cliffhanger for both perspectives, which set the tone and plot for the next book (which I just bought from Amazon as a kindle edition - mwhahah) :D.
Looking forward to continue with this series. :)
P.S. I repeat, this one is free and you can take it right now (which I recommend you do if you like reimagined stories of medieval times, fantasy, aliens or creepy scenes).
Happy Reading! ;)
The Moon Stealers and the Quest for the Silver Bough is the first novel in a 4-book series inspired by Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
A young boy, Peter Crips has disappeared after he spent a night in the cemetery, due to a challenge given to him by his mean colleagues.
Then we have a dual POV throughout the book. Firstly, we get to see Joe, Scarlet and Max meeting an old man named Edgar, who is actually a descendent of Arthur himself. He tells the kids that he knows where the boy has gone to and in order to get to him, they need a so-called Silver Bough.
Secondly, we follow Steven, an adult working for MI6 in London. He is sent to Parsley Bottom where Peter Crisp has disappeared (whom the police is looking for) and check out this alien bacteria who fell from a meteorite shower.
The doom and despair follow. The story is fast-paced and you don't have any chance to get bored. It's like watching an old-ish sci-fi horror movie while eating popcorn, but at some point you forget eating, because the story gets so intense!
Maybe it is a bit problematic, especially that the parents seem to disappear. To give a clear example I could not not notice, Joe and his friends told their parents they will be sleeping to some of their friends during one night, but the action continues in the span of another night or two, and we don't get to see anything else from their parents nor the kids say anything about it. And this was a bit unrealistic.
But other than that, I really liked this story, the Edinburgh castle ruins, the creepy scenes, the adventure and discoveries and everything in between.
The book ends on a cliffhanger for both perspectives, which set the tone and plot for the next book (which I just bought from Amazon as a kindle edition - mwhahah) :D.
Looking forward to continue with this series. :)
P.S. I repeat, this one is free and you can take it right now (which I recommend you do if you like reimagined stories of medieval times, fantasy, aliens or creepy scenes).
Happy Reading! ;)
May 26, 2015
Tim Flanagan’s The Moon Stealers and the Quest for the Silver Bough is the first of four books in the Moon Stealers series. This book (and presumably the rest of the series) offers an interesting mix of science fiction and fantasy told through two different story arcs. One centers on Steven Knight, an agent in the Unexplained Foreign Activity Department of Britain’s MI6. Unlike the FBI’s Fox Mulder of X-Files’ fame, he’s has spent most of his career doing paperwork debunking hoaxes – until mysterious meteorites are found in Parsley Bottom. The other thread focuses on a group of middle-school aged children from Parsley Bottom. While investigating the disappearance of a classmate, they meet Edgar, a peculiar older man with a unique connection to the past.
Thrilled with the opportunity to get into the field, Steven goes undercover to Parsley Bottom where he deploys the latest technology to probe the connection between the meteorites and a fast growing flesh eating microbe. Simultaneously, the children embark with Edgar on a quest to solve a riddle and reveal the location of the silver bough, which is an ancient key to unlocking the entrance to the fairy world. Mr. Flanagan skillfully switches action between the science and technology of Steven’s world to the fantasy and magic of Edgar’s as the plot twists the two opposing aspects together. He cleverly creates cliff-hangers in each tale just as he deftly drops one thread to re-enter the next.
Mindfully written for tweens there is no foul language or sexual content of any kind. The Moon Stealers and the Quest for the Silver Bough is fast paced and features a lot of action. There are a fair number of deaths with some descriptions that are just detailed enough to elicit an ‘eew’ from most readers, but not quite gruesome enough to bring on nightmares. If it was a movie its mild slime factor would earn a PG rating. With that qualification, I recommend The Moon Stealers and the Quest for the Silver Bough to any tweens (and their parents) interested in a compelling mix of fantasy and science fiction.
Thrilled with the opportunity to get into the field, Steven goes undercover to Parsley Bottom where he deploys the latest technology to probe the connection between the meteorites and a fast growing flesh eating microbe. Simultaneously, the children embark with Edgar on a quest to solve a riddle and reveal the location of the silver bough, which is an ancient key to unlocking the entrance to the fairy world. Mr. Flanagan skillfully switches action between the science and technology of Steven’s world to the fantasy and magic of Edgar’s as the plot twists the two opposing aspects together. He cleverly creates cliff-hangers in each tale just as he deftly drops one thread to re-enter the next.
Mindfully written for tweens there is no foul language or sexual content of any kind. The Moon Stealers and the Quest for the Silver Bough is fast paced and features a lot of action. There are a fair number of deaths with some descriptions that are just detailed enough to elicit an ‘eew’ from most readers, but not quite gruesome enough to bring on nightmares. If it was a movie its mild slime factor would earn a PG rating. With that qualification, I recommend The Moon Stealers and the Quest for the Silver Bough to any tweens (and their parents) interested in a compelling mix of fantasy and science fiction.
May 7, 2015
The description says young adult. The children characters are too immature for teenagers and the plot and content too intricate for younger children. The author can't seem to decide if he is writing a zombie horror story, a sci fi Scully and Muldar episode, a fantasy of fairies, a dystopian future, or a historical knights of the round table mystery. Having all of these, the story jumps around from places and people ending with a cliffhanger of buy the next book. After 200 pages on the kindle reader all we have accomplished is SPOILER ALERT 1) aliens have invaded, 2) they are gross zombie type eating all the humans, 3) the government knew it was happening and did not warn the people, 4) the Knight and the kids have found the artifact and entered the gate to fairieland, and 5) a radio announcement to survivors to gather in London. It is a hodgepodge of a little of everything with no real substance.
Also, as a reader, I am really annoyed with authors who write books as if we watching 1960s Saturday morning TV with a tune in next week to the same bat station to see if our hero will survive attitude. When we like a character and an author we want to read more stories about those characters. Authors like David Weber, James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, Jim Butcher should be your example. They have written numerous books and made a lot of money from their series such as Honor Harrington and Alex Cross. Without leaving the reader with an unfinished story, we are still compelled to buy their next book.
Also, as a reader, I am really annoyed with authors who write books as if we watching 1960s Saturday morning TV with a tune in next week to the same bat station to see if our hero will survive attitude. When we like a character and an author we want to read more stories about those characters. Authors like David Weber, James Patterson, Janet Evanovich, Jim Butcher should be your example. They have written numerous books and made a lot of money from their series such as Honor Harrington and Alex Cross. Without leaving the reader with an unfinished story, we are still compelled to buy their next book.
October 15, 2012
I have to say though I wasn't super interested in the beginning, this book really picked up the pace towards the end and I want to read the next one! SPOILER ALERT. I mean, alien flesh-eating bacteria morphing into flying black one-eyed things and kids following a knight of the Round Table into the Underworld? That's pretty freakin interesting. Anyway, I enjoyed it a lot and was sad that it left me on a cliffhanger. Would love to get the next one!
January 24, 2015
This book has an odd feel to it; it is somewhat like two books entwined into one. One is an old-school rural fantasy adventure in which a handful of kids go on a sort of treasure hunt around the countryside trying to find the item that will unlock the doorway to another realm and help them find a missing kid. I cannot actually recall what part the parental units played in allowing the kids to run off with a strange elderly gent, or even whether they were consulted at all. Also, they were undergoing all this effort to find someone they didn't even really know and who was mostly regarded as an oddball loner. It felt a little non-convincing. Although I suppose you could argue that kids love a good adventure.
The other story is a horror mystery story in which two MI6 operatives investigate ET life in the form of a bacteria that grows at terrifying rates and mutates quickly. It is basically more gruesome horror. Together the two do not quite work, as it is unclear how they intersect.
I had various issues with this tale, although it was readable enough. The most obvious was the writing style, which was amateurish and poorly edited. It has been spell-checked but little else. The narrative is a prime example of "tell" with many sentences containing redundancies such as "Scarlet and Max both nodded together at the same time". Plus the use of bizarre comma use when ? came into speech, random capitalisation and occasionally correctly-spelt but incorrectly-used words (homophones). My favourite was the "...pealing paint..."
Overall, this was not a great book. It was readable, and parts of it were quite enjoyable, if you could set the internal editor aside and just enjoy the journey. My internal editor loved this opportunity and passages of this would prove fine samples for my writing group to practise their editing and showing skills.
The other story is a horror mystery story in which two MI6 operatives investigate ET life in the form of a bacteria that grows at terrifying rates and mutates quickly. It is basically more gruesome horror. Together the two do not quite work, as it is unclear how they intersect.
I had various issues with this tale, although it was readable enough. The most obvious was the writing style, which was amateurish and poorly edited. It has been spell-checked but little else. The narrative is a prime example of "tell" with many sentences containing redundancies such as "Scarlet and Max both nodded together at the same time". Plus the use of bizarre comma use when ? came into speech, random capitalisation and occasionally correctly-spelt but incorrectly-used words (homophones). My favourite was the "...pealing paint..."
Overall, this was not a great book. It was readable, and parts of it were quite enjoyable, if you could set the internal editor aside and just enjoy the journey. My internal editor loved this opportunity and passages of this would prove fine samples for my writing group to practise their editing and showing skills.
August 14, 2012
This book was a really nice surprise the book was really well written and had such rich detail that made the book shine and come to life. While I would have loved the book to have been longer (did not want the book to end) I felt the author packed the book with everything I needed...Action, mystery great adventure and lots more that I was hooked.
While some of the books I read have a really slow start this book was different the book had a spooky and chilling start that begged you to continue reading while you prayed the characters would be alright. The characters were well thought out and easy to read about as they made the book that much more interesting and exciting.
When I look back at the book I find that I see it like an amazing jigsaw that slowly comes together as you read along. The whole way I was at the edge of your seat waiting for the next piece to fall into place and find out what happened next and I'm so pleased I read the book because it was so different unlike anything I had read before and now i just want more!
I gave this book 5 stars and I can't wait to see what the author writes next.
While some of the books I read have a really slow start this book was different the book had a spooky and chilling start that begged you to continue reading while you prayed the characters would be alright. The characters were well thought out and easy to read about as they made the book that much more interesting and exciting.
When I look back at the book I find that I see it like an amazing jigsaw that slowly comes together as you read along. The whole way I was at the edge of your seat waiting for the next piece to fall into place and find out what happened next and I'm so pleased I read the book because it was so different unlike anything I had read before and now i just want more!
I gave this book 5 stars and I can't wait to see what the author writes next.
October 4, 2012
I was given this book in return for an honest review. The story starts in the graveyard, where misfit Peter is spending the night by himself, to prove he isn't afraid. The scene that follows is wholly creepy and Peter is gone. Two kids from his school (Joe and Max), not what I would even consider real friends, as he didn't really have any, decide to investigate. Their quest will lead them to places they never imagined when starting out. They will hook up with a Knight of King Arthurs Court for help. They discover ancient codes and riddles, travel, and discover that this is not a normal mystery. In a side story, M16 operative and researcher, Steven, is sent to investigate a meteor that contains a bacteria that spreads so rapidly, that if unstopped, could wipe out humans altogether. Over the course of the book Joe, Max, the Knight, and Steven must come together to save the world. This book has action, adventure, supernatural, mystery, alien creatures, and a lovely gross out factor that kids will love. I think this is a book boys and even some girls could really sink their teeth into. I enjoyed it.
August 10, 2012
My Opinion of this book was that I found it very interesting. It was something I haven't read about like sci-fi aspect. Not my cup of tea but this was one of best books I read on that subject so far! A lot of adventures and some parts kept my guessing. Then there was points that was not gross but I dont know what the right word would be lol just gross we can stick to that for now. It seems to put some pressure on the main character sometimes to keep the story alive but that is the purpose of main characters in books. I found the descriptive words of each character very telling and the story itself "the plot" was great. I would think that this book is more aimed for teenagers/young adults. I think it will be a big hit with the boys due to the gross aspect parts of this book.
All in all a very great read! I will read the next in this series and will look forward to reading the entire series! Great job to Tim Flanagan nice start to this series :)
All in all a very great read! I will read the next in this series and will look forward to reading the entire series! Great job to Tim Flanagan nice start to this series :)
January 3, 2013
The Moon Stealers book 1
The Quest for the Silver Bough
By Tim Flanagan
Rating 4****
Well I will say this book was a step out of my usual genres. The mix of a blend between sci fi with a throwback of King Arthur lore made for an interesting read. As a nurse, the comparisons to the flesh eating bacteria to the ooze found in the book hit a little too close to home. But for the average boy, especially teen and preteen.....they will be totally enthralled.
I found the two underlying storylines a bit distracting at times. I was much more interest in the quest of Edgar and the kids than I was the investigations by the M16 team. Both storylines were very detailed and developed, I guess the attraction just depends on the readers personal taste.
This book would be great and enjoyable for the adolescent teen on your list who like sci with a paranormal twist!
The Quest for the Silver Bough
By Tim Flanagan
Rating 4****
Well I will say this book was a step out of my usual genres. The mix of a blend between sci fi with a throwback of King Arthur lore made for an interesting read. As a nurse, the comparisons to the flesh eating bacteria to the ooze found in the book hit a little too close to home. But for the average boy, especially teen and preteen.....they will be totally enthralled.
I found the two underlying storylines a bit distracting at times. I was much more interest in the quest of Edgar and the kids than I was the investigations by the M16 team. Both storylines were very detailed and developed, I guess the attraction just depends on the readers personal taste.
This book would be great and enjoyable for the adolescent teen on your list who like sci with a paranormal twist!
August 29, 2012
Peter Crisp disappears after spending the night in a graveyard, a couple of his friends set out to find him, but when they discover strange engravings,they are sent on a wild adventure that puts them in Edinburgh Castle. All the while, Steven Knight is sent to investigate a meteorite, but discovers it contains a deadly bacteria. Now the kids don't only need to find Peter, but they also have to save the world.
This is a very entertaining book, I enjoyed it and so did my teenager. It's appropriate and the characters are tasteful, this is a book that anyone can enjoy! There's three more to this series, I can't wait for the next one.
This is a very entertaining book, I enjoyed it and so did my teenager. It's appropriate and the characters are tasteful, this is a book that anyone can enjoy! There's three more to this series, I can't wait for the next one.
May 11, 2016
This book was absolutely amazing because it had a lot of action which I like and also it is sci-fi and fantasy which makes it that anything can happen which can create a change in events. The plot is one that you would general find in almost any other book where it gives the main character some ability which makes him unique and allows him to embark on a journey. ON the journey he will encounter danger and will usually have someone to guide him. This book creates a scene of the past where it has the knights help and the use of swords relevant. Overall this book was a great one with a lot of action and is recommended for long-reads that like to take their time.
September 10, 2012
Lots to like about this book. Action, adventure, mystery, danger, fantasy, even aliens! An epic quest and 'flesh-eating bacteria-creatures'. Spunky kids and one of King Arthur's knights. Undercover agents and national security issues. It all starts with a boy spending the night in a creepy graveyard to prove that he's not afraid. This was a fun read even though I'm not the 'target audience'. It's totally appropriate for middle graders and up, even adults who enjoy light scifi/fantasy will find this book to be a fun read. I received a free copy for review.
August 26, 2013
I loved this! It had great adventure, and a wonderful mix of old folklore and new-age horror/sci-fi.
June 10, 2015
Very good so fare
I really like this book so fare because I am not done yet .but it is very good and the characters are very interesting but it needs pictures
I really like this book so fare because I am not done yet .but it is very good and the characters are very interesting but it needs pictures
May 17, 2019
The Moon Stealers and the Quest for the Silver Bough(Book1) Tim Flanagan
I liked this book, not loved and not hated. This could have been a lot better than it was but there were some style decisions that got in the way. I could have let some of that slide if there had been a serious effort at editing the whole work.
This is a sort of Dystopic future horror novel that has a lot of bloody gory scenes like you get from the usual zombie terror movies. It starts out almost like a juvenile fiction but quickly takes that horrible turning twist into something that at the very best is Young Adult. It reads like a parallel story of young adult to juvenile fiction because there are two separate stories going though it that center around the same sleepy little town.
The characters are not greatly fleshed out but they are interesting enough to draw the reader in though it takes a little time for that connection to grow and then the author seems to toss it aside in favor of making room for the tense drama of the horror. The story and plot itself are quite interesting and stand well on their own.
The problem lies in the serious number of awkward sentences. I have read many books that have long sentences and when handled well they can really enhance the flavor of the story. These sentences leave a bad taste in the mind. There are a huge number of comma splice sentences that have trouble keeping the same thought throughout and should have been separated into their respective sentences. The sentences that did carry the thought throughout were often not punctuated at all or poorly punctuated. There might be a handful of other grammar problems but the bulk of the problems are these strangely constructed sentences. I could live with one sentence paragraphs if they were constructed properly but too many times I was baffled by them.
As a side note there is an oddity here that runs throughout and it includes the use of the word whilst. Again had there been some consistency maybe I wouldn't have noticed, but the word whilst shows up 66 times and the word while shows up 22 times. In all instances they are interchangeable so the question is; since we use whilst so often why even bother with while. And of course for me the oddity of it is that I was fully aware of all the whilst while I read but did not notice the whiles so much. Now had the while been used as nouns only then that would have made sense but since both are use in conjunctions and the place within the sentence is mostly the same with the same meaning it just raises a question of why not stick to the one over the other.( This is just me and has nothing to do with the quality of the work.)
So if you like YA dystopic horror with all the gore this will fill the bill but be warned that it seems to fall into that new genre of serial novels that Amazon seems to have spawned and I think that the four books in the series could easily have been two without overwhelming the reader. At least they are each over a hundred and thirty pages which is twice the usual 60 page ones I have seen; that always end poorly.(Cliffhanger-ish)
J.L. Dobias
I liked this book, not loved and not hated. This could have been a lot better than it was but there were some style decisions that got in the way. I could have let some of that slide if there had been a serious effort at editing the whole work.
This is a sort of Dystopic future horror novel that has a lot of bloody gory scenes like you get from the usual zombie terror movies. It starts out almost like a juvenile fiction but quickly takes that horrible turning twist into something that at the very best is Young Adult. It reads like a parallel story of young adult to juvenile fiction because there are two separate stories going though it that center around the same sleepy little town.
The characters are not greatly fleshed out but they are interesting enough to draw the reader in though it takes a little time for that connection to grow and then the author seems to toss it aside in favor of making room for the tense drama of the horror. The story and plot itself are quite interesting and stand well on their own.
The problem lies in the serious number of awkward sentences. I have read many books that have long sentences and when handled well they can really enhance the flavor of the story. These sentences leave a bad taste in the mind. There are a huge number of comma splice sentences that have trouble keeping the same thought throughout and should have been separated into their respective sentences. The sentences that did carry the thought throughout were often not punctuated at all or poorly punctuated. There might be a handful of other grammar problems but the bulk of the problems are these strangely constructed sentences. I could live with one sentence paragraphs if they were constructed properly but too many times I was baffled by them.
As a side note there is an oddity here that runs throughout and it includes the use of the word whilst. Again had there been some consistency maybe I wouldn't have noticed, but the word whilst shows up 66 times and the word while shows up 22 times. In all instances they are interchangeable so the question is; since we use whilst so often why even bother with while. And of course for me the oddity of it is that I was fully aware of all the whilst while I read but did not notice the whiles so much. Now had the while been used as nouns only then that would have made sense but since both are use in conjunctions and the place within the sentence is mostly the same with the same meaning it just raises a question of why not stick to the one over the other.( This is just me and has nothing to do with the quality of the work.)
So if you like YA dystopic horror with all the gore this will fill the bill but be warned that it seems to fall into that new genre of serial novels that Amazon seems to have spawned and I think that the four books in the series could easily have been two without overwhelming the reader. At least they are each over a hundred and thirty pages which is twice the usual 60 page ones I have seen; that always end poorly.(Cliffhanger-ish)
J.L. Dobias
July 3, 2019
This book jumps back and forth between MI6 and their investigation and the kids trying to find Peter with the help of an unexpected ally. My thoughts were all over the place while reading, and I wanted to yell at the characters multiple times. I felt kind of like a parent thinking, "Don't trust him. Don't touch that. That guy is lying."
At first, the journey the kids were taking stressed me out, because they decided to completely trust some random person, and not only talk to him, but straight up leave with him. True, he does tell the kids who he is, but his story sounds completely made up. They do question it for a minute, but then decide to go with it, without ever telling their parents that they are going anywhere. That is one of the things I do wonder about, have the parents not realized that their kids have been missing for days now? Maybe so much has happened around town that they are focusing on other things? I hope by the end of the series there is a reaction from the parents.
Now that I'm not as worried about the kids, the adults are stressing me out. At the very beginning, Steven is told to not trust what he is told by the people that send him to the site of the meteor landing. While he wants to believe that they are not really people to watch out for, events keep happening that make him question their true motives and leave him with few people he feels he can really turn to.
I enjoyed seeing the story develop. It wasn't a huge event from the start, you can see how the little things grew into something out of control. The reader is taken on the journey from the very beginning, and not just dropped down in the middle of the action wondering what led up to this point.
I'm not big on sci-fi, but this book has so much going on that it wasn't a problem for me.
Author: Tim Flanagan
Publisher: Createspace
Publication Date: June 23rd 2012
At first, the journey the kids were taking stressed me out, because they decided to completely trust some random person, and not only talk to him, but straight up leave with him. True, he does tell the kids who he is, but his story sounds completely made up. They do question it for a minute, but then decide to go with it, without ever telling their parents that they are going anywhere. That is one of the things I do wonder about, have the parents not realized that their kids have been missing for days now? Maybe so much has happened around town that they are focusing on other things? I hope by the end of the series there is a reaction from the parents.
Now that I'm not as worried about the kids, the adults are stressing me out. At the very beginning, Steven is told to not trust what he is told by the people that send him to the site of the meteor landing. While he wants to believe that they are not really people to watch out for, events keep happening that make him question their true motives and leave him with few people he feels he can really turn to.
I enjoyed seeing the story develop. It wasn't a huge event from the start, you can see how the little things grew into something out of control. The reader is taken on the journey from the very beginning, and not just dropped down in the middle of the action wondering what led up to this point.
I'm not big on sci-fi, but this book has so much going on that it wasn't a problem for me.
Author: Tim Flanagan
Publisher: Createspace
Publication Date: June 23rd 2012
October 14, 2019
Enjoyed the British flavour and the flesh eating bacteria was interesting but the story was kind of all over the place and didn’t seem like it was written with young readers in mind. I saw another review say this one ends on a cliffhanger and that makes me doubly glad I stopped. First novels should have endings. (Well, I’d argue that all do, but we give more slack for the penultimate in a series.)
Definitely indie. Lots of typos and he could’ve used an editor to bring it into a more cohesive whole. I’d be interested in reading this author after a few more years of experience and several rounds of editing.
Definitely indie. Lots of typos and he could’ve used an editor to bring it into a more cohesive whole. I’d be interested in reading this author after a few more years of experience and several rounds of editing.
April 27, 2018
Holy crap! What a ride! Action, adventure, gross things, spooky, mysterious and creepy. Great characters, imagination run amok! What more would any kid (and adults) want?!!
Well written and a lot of fun to read. Indicative of what Skyhorse publishes! Loved it!
Well written and a lot of fun to read. Indicative of what Skyhorse publishes! Loved it!
January 26, 2019
War of the Worlds meets King Arthur
This is truly what you would get if you combined War of the Worlds, Supernatural and King Arthur. Make sure to read the “about the author “ it’s unforgettable
This is truly what you would get if you combined War of the Worlds, Supernatural and King Arthur. Make sure to read the “about the author “ it’s unforgettable
July 28, 2019
What i think of this book
This book has the best action and it's for free
I wouldn't say to raise the prices but to add a side thing for donations for the company who got this and especially for the author!!!😀😀
This book has the best action and it's for free
I wouldn't say to raise the prices but to add a side thing for donations for the company who got this and especially for the author!!!😀😀
September 4, 2018
An amazing book
This is a good horror book which could show what would happen if a flesh eating alien bacteria was to find itself on earth
This is a good horror book which could show what would happen if a flesh eating alien bacteria was to find itself on earth
June 30, 2019
Great book
It was a good read. Was a bit slow in the beginning but other than that I loved it. Can’t wait to read the next 3 books
It was a good read. Was a bit slow in the beginning but other than that I loved it. Can’t wait to read the next 3 books
October 11, 2019
Original
First time reading this author . Well written . At times hard to put down . I'll definitely be reading more of his works. Well done Mr Flanagan
First time reading this author . Well written . At times hard to put down . I'll definitely be reading more of his works. Well done Mr Flanagan
February 28, 2021
Amazing hooking and nice
I love the book it has so much action and excitement. This book is great if you like adventure and cliffhangers. Also I love the about the author ;)
I love the book it has so much action and excitement. This book is great if you like adventure and cliffhangers. Also I love the about the author ;)
January 14, 2018
Great it really,sucks you in
August 4, 2014
Twelve-year-old Peter Crisp goes missing after spending the night in the Parsley Bottom graveyard. As the new kid in town, he wants desperately to fit in. Spending the night in the graveyard will prove to everyone that he is brave and would abolish his "school weirdo" epithet.
Meanwhile, the Unexplained Foreign Activity Department(UFA)of MI-6 receives some disturbing information that during a recent meteor shower, some alien bacteria survived in the core of a meteorite. The UFA dispatches Steven Knight, a researcher, inexperienced in field operations, to investigate.
Back in Parsley Bottom, the police have started an investigation into Peter's disappearance and the police chief's son and his friend, school mates of Peter's, have set off to find Peter themselves. So starts the real story.
I waited in anticipation for this Good Reads First Reads book. I thought I had signed up for a children's mystery sci fi and was really excited about this, hoping it would be wonderful. This is anything but a children's novel. The first few chapters are scary, opening with Peter's mysterious disappearance. The prospect of alien bacteria, I found terrifying. That coupled with the different story lines all happening at the same time, makes this too difficult for younger readers...YA or adult would be a better designation. As the story progresses, it becomes clearer why this book was put into the children's category: when Peter's friends join the hunt for Peter, they are swept up into a more typical children's story with clues to follow and "safe" adventures, where creatures attack, but everyone manages to escape unhurt. So, the bottom line is that the author needs to decide for whom he is writing: adults or children. Currently, it is not suitable for young readers and not exciting enough for older ones.
I am wondering if this book is a proof copy because, if it is, I will give a sigh of relief. I managed to get through the first half a dozen chapters before getting seriously bogged down. This book needs a good copy editor and if it is to be sold in the USA, a good American English editor, as well. For example, unless I am totally mistaken, I think that while most American readers are familiar with English words such as "tea" and "bonnet", most will not know terms such as "jape" and "abbatoir." Also, punctuation, word choice, run-on sentences, and spelling and grammatical errors, among others, abound.
Finally, this book has the makings of a good story but I gave it a 1 star because it is still a rough draft and needs a re-write. I'd like to see it after it is in final copy status.
Meanwhile, the Unexplained Foreign Activity Department(UFA)of MI-6 receives some disturbing information that during a recent meteor shower, some alien bacteria survived in the core of a meteorite. The UFA dispatches Steven Knight, a researcher, inexperienced in field operations, to investigate.
Back in Parsley Bottom, the police have started an investigation into Peter's disappearance and the police chief's son and his friend, school mates of Peter's, have set off to find Peter themselves. So starts the real story.
I waited in anticipation for this Good Reads First Reads book. I thought I had signed up for a children's mystery sci fi and was really excited about this, hoping it would be wonderful. This is anything but a children's novel. The first few chapters are scary, opening with Peter's mysterious disappearance. The prospect of alien bacteria, I found terrifying. That coupled with the different story lines all happening at the same time, makes this too difficult for younger readers...YA or adult would be a better designation. As the story progresses, it becomes clearer why this book was put into the children's category: when Peter's friends join the hunt for Peter, they are swept up into a more typical children's story with clues to follow and "safe" adventures, where creatures attack, but everyone manages to escape unhurt. So, the bottom line is that the author needs to decide for whom he is writing: adults or children. Currently, it is not suitable for young readers and not exciting enough for older ones.
I am wondering if this book is a proof copy because, if it is, I will give a sigh of relief. I managed to get through the first half a dozen chapters before getting seriously bogged down. This book needs a good copy editor and if it is to be sold in the USA, a good American English editor, as well. For example, unless I am totally mistaken, I think that while most American readers are familiar with English words such as "tea" and "bonnet", most will not know terms such as "jape" and "abbatoir." Also, punctuation, word choice, run-on sentences, and spelling and grammatical errors, among others, abound.
Finally, this book has the makings of a good story but I gave it a 1 star because it is still a rough draft and needs a re-write. I'd like to see it after it is in final copy status.
August 15, 2012
No, it's not Cowboys and Aliens but it could be Fairies and Aliens. At least, that's the direction in which this short novel appears to be heading in the first of a four-book series.
Will I be ordering the other three? Probably not--if only because I get enough of marking grammatical errors and mispellings in my students' writing. Honestly, I realized I might struggle with reading this book as soon as I received my copy, won through a First Reads giveaway. When I skimmed the back cover, I immediately discovered a comma placed between the subject and its verb in the second sentence of the plot description. A necessary apostrophe is also missing in that sentence.
Throughout the book, I found many errors that I believe to be typos. I'm not going to list them all here, but some examples include: who's instead of whose (p. 15); Your instead of You're (p. 23); loose instead of lose (p. 25); difference instead of different (p. 49); made instead of make (p. 111). There are also a number of switched tenses within sentences--and too many punctuation errors for me to count.
I do hope the author is able to make corrections if he reprints this book. Copy editors can be hired to catch such trivialities. Although I'm sure some readers won't be as likely as an English professor to notice such glitches, I do believe that authors and publishers should be especially conscientious about grammar and spelling when their intended audience is still learning reading and writing skills. So many children already have difficulty mastering the rules of Standard English. If writers are going to incorporate dialect with non-standard mechanics, they should have a clear motive for doing so. That does not appear to be the problem here. I do think the author knows the rules. The nonstandard usage appears to be unintentional. Tim Flanagan just needs a more rigorous copy editor to catch the stray or missing punctuation as well as the occasional mispellings and tense shifts.
Will I be ordering the other three? Probably not--if only because I get enough of marking grammatical errors and mispellings in my students' writing. Honestly, I realized I might struggle with reading this book as soon as I received my copy, won through a First Reads giveaway. When I skimmed the back cover, I immediately discovered a comma placed between the subject and its verb in the second sentence of the plot description. A necessary apostrophe is also missing in that sentence.
Throughout the book, I found many errors that I believe to be typos. I'm not going to list them all here, but some examples include: who's instead of whose (p. 15); Your instead of You're (p. 23); loose instead of lose (p. 25); difference instead of different (p. 49); made instead of make (p. 111). There are also a number of switched tenses within sentences--and too many punctuation errors for me to count.
I do hope the author is able to make corrections if he reprints this book. Copy editors can be hired to catch such trivialities. Although I'm sure some readers won't be as likely as an English professor to notice such glitches, I do believe that authors and publishers should be especially conscientious about grammar and spelling when their intended audience is still learning reading and writing skills. So many children already have difficulty mastering the rules of Standard English. If writers are going to incorporate dialect with non-standard mechanics, they should have a clear motive for doing so. That does not appear to be the problem here. I do think the author knows the rules. The nonstandard usage appears to be unintentional. Tim Flanagan just needs a more rigorous copy editor to catch the stray or missing punctuation as well as the occasional mispellings and tense shifts.
January 28, 2013
I was given an e-copy in exchange for my honest review. Right before reading it, I noticed that it was a free download, so I downloaded a copy to be sure that I had the most current edition.
The story begins with Peter getting ready to stay the night in a graveyard. Later we find out that it was due to a dare by one of the kids that pick on Peter. During his stay, strange noises are heard and Peter begins to worry about what is out there with him. Peter disappears. His one friend joins a few other kids and an older gentleman in the search for Peter (one of the kids happens to be the officers son that is working on the missing person case) and what cased his disappearance. During the same time, special M16 operatives are investigating meteor landing sites, and the strange activities that are happening in those areas.
When I first started the book, it seemed to be aimed for children (9-12) range, but part way through the book, it seemed to switch over for young adults. There were several editing issues and run on sentences throughout the book. I must admit that it seemed to take forever to get through the first half because of the writing style and issues, I just couldn't get into the book. After I hit the half way mark, the writing style and storyline switched tracks, and I became a little more interested. I am sure it would be much better with more editing and structure. The book does have a good plot.
Even though I had an had issue with the first half of the book, I am still interested to know what happens in the end. Still not sure if I am interested in purchasing the rest of the series to find out or not.
Originally posted on The Mystical World of Book Reviews.
The story begins with Peter getting ready to stay the night in a graveyard. Later we find out that it was due to a dare by one of the kids that pick on Peter. During his stay, strange noises are heard and Peter begins to worry about what is out there with him. Peter disappears. His one friend joins a few other kids and an older gentleman in the search for Peter (one of the kids happens to be the officers son that is working on the missing person case) and what cased his disappearance. During the same time, special M16 operatives are investigating meteor landing sites, and the strange activities that are happening in those areas.
When I first started the book, it seemed to be aimed for children (9-12) range, but part way through the book, it seemed to switch over for young adults. There were several editing issues and run on sentences throughout the book. I must admit that it seemed to take forever to get through the first half because of the writing style and issues, I just couldn't get into the book. After I hit the half way mark, the writing style and storyline switched tracks, and I became a little more interested. I am sure it would be much better with more editing and structure. The book does have a good plot.
Even though I had an had issue with the first half of the book, I am still interested to know what happens in the end. Still not sure if I am interested in purchasing the rest of the series to find out or not.
Originally posted on The Mystical World of Book Reviews.
November 5, 2012
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I think this book is confused. Yes the book not me. I felt like half of the book was for children while the other half was for YA maybe adults. But with those halves put together, I don't know who this book is for. Some parts are too gruesome for children, while other parts are too childish for YA. It felt like two completely different stories. One about children, immortals and possibly fairies, while the other is about aliens and secret agents I guess you could call them. I didn't feel like it came together at all in this book, except for minor crossovers with the aliens.
The characters are oaky. Peter showed up for two minutes. Joe and max are desperate to find Peter even though they aren't even friends, which is series to me. Scarlet is an empty character. She is there to "save" the boys once and then just fill space. Now Georgia atleast killed an alien and found a severed hand. Steven is a nerd, with a jobbing chasing hoaxes. Then there is creepy Edgar who hangs out with little kids and claims to be from the past and that there is a realm of fae. Which we don't see at all in this book. My favourite character was Tracker for obvious reasons. He can shoot a gun, he knows how to stay alive when there is an Apocolypse and I'm sure that her is ruggedly handsome. Enough said.
Overall I liked the book. It just had two separate stories combined into one. I just wish that the author had made two books instead. Most likely I will read the next book to see if fairies make an appearance.
I think this book is confused. Yes the book not me. I felt like half of the book was for children while the other half was for YA maybe adults. But with those halves put together, I don't know who this book is for. Some parts are too gruesome for children, while other parts are too childish for YA. It felt like two completely different stories. One about children, immortals and possibly fairies, while the other is about aliens and secret agents I guess you could call them. I didn't feel like it came together at all in this book, except for minor crossovers with the aliens.
The characters are oaky. Peter showed up for two minutes. Joe and max are desperate to find Peter even though they aren't even friends, which is series to me. Scarlet is an empty character. She is there to "save" the boys once and then just fill space. Now Georgia atleast killed an alien and found a severed hand. Steven is a nerd, with a jobbing chasing hoaxes. Then there is creepy Edgar who hangs out with little kids and claims to be from the past and that there is a realm of fae. Which we don't see at all in this book. My favourite character was Tracker for obvious reasons. He can shoot a gun, he knows how to stay alive when there is an Apocolypse and I'm sure that her is ruggedly handsome. Enough said.
Overall I liked the book. It just had two separate stories combined into one. I just wish that the author had made two books instead. Most likely I will read the next book to see if fairies make an appearance.
January 31, 2013
I received a digital copy of this book to review for Addicted to Books.
I think this is a YA book, and it’s a pretty good example of why I don’t read much in this genre: it’s by turns simplistic and overly expositional, written for younger teens and tweens, without much appeal to an older audience. There is some attempt to counteract that with a B story about an MI-6 agent and aliens, and those chapters are markedly different in writing style and tone than the ones that focus on the main plot. I'm not sure how the disparate stories are intended to connect with each other.
I had trouble making myself read this one - there are too many “main” characters and the story itself wasn’t very compelling to me. I found myself skimming paragraphs, trying to find a more interesting piece of the puzzle.
In addition, it ends at a very odd place, not right in the middle of a scene, but close to it. Obviously, the author plans to release a sequel or sequels; I am not interested enough to read more.
I think this is a YA book, and it’s a pretty good example of why I don’t read much in this genre: it’s by turns simplistic and overly expositional, written for younger teens and tweens, without much appeal to an older audience. There is some attempt to counteract that with a B story about an MI-6 agent and aliens, and those chapters are markedly different in writing style and tone than the ones that focus on the main plot. I'm not sure how the disparate stories are intended to connect with each other.
I had trouble making myself read this one - there are too many “main” characters and the story itself wasn’t very compelling to me. I found myself skimming paragraphs, trying to find a more interesting piece of the puzzle.
In addition, it ends at a very odd place, not right in the middle of a scene, but close to it. Obviously, the author plans to release a sequel or sequels; I am not interested enough to read more.
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