Sorcerers and Seers

Tennis Shoes #11

by Chris Heimerdinger

Your favorite Tennis Shoes heroes return in a whirlwind of nail-biting action and suspense across the vivid spectrums of space and time! Join Jim Hawkins as he walks side by side with the mortal Messiah on His eternal pilgrimage to save the souls of humankind. Journey with Joshua Plimpton, a chief captain of the Nephites, as he pursues the vilest villains to rescue the golden plates of the Book of Mormon. Experience the exhilarating and heart-wrenching exploits of Apollus, Steffanie, Gidgiddonihah, and the rest of the Tennis Shoes clan who seek to outwit the most mysterious and dangerous adversaries of their lives. All of the teeth-gnashing forces of the Lamanites and Gadiantons converge on the Hill Cumorah as the prophets Mormon and Moroni desperately strive to avert one of history's most terrible battles while at the same time Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, faces the wrath and rejection of followers and foes who cannot comprehend His full earthly mission as Gethsemane and Golgotha loom ever nearer. It's an adventure of breathtaking magnitude as the most common and fallible of human characters must embrace the unconquerable light of heaven and defeat the raging forces of evil to save their loved ones, themselves, and the fragile fabric of the universe!

Genres: Lds Fiction, Fantasy, Lds, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure, Fiction

Audio CD

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

Chris Heimerdinger is an author and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) who has presently written sixteen adult and young adult novels, most of which center on religious themes familiar to LDS members. Most are published with Covenant Communications in American Fork, Utah. One title, A Return to Christmas was also picked up by Random House/Ballantine in 1995. When the title was released by Ballantine in 2004, it was republished by Covenant Communications.

Reviews

[Margie]

I started this book with great anticipation; however, I came away from it angry for the following reasons: 1) it blathers on gratuitously. I felt that the background descriptions to the story were superfluous and more that the author wanted to take up pages than actually tell the story (warning: spoiler example follows): Josh and Marcos in Frost Cave coming to the rainbow/galaxy room which has now evolved into the "pure space" room. Josh tries to describe what it looks like by using the word blackness no less than 4 times. Then in what sounds artificially contrived, Marcos decides he can say the word blackness in a different way for another two pages. Why couldn't they say "it looked like the night sky without any moon or stars?" There. I said it in one sentence. 2) it is unnecessarily gory. I felt the long descriptions of how each person was being afflicted was completely over-the-top especially with the contrived "pain" of the characters arguing as story-tellers in front of the reader about not wanting to tell this part. That was a dumb idea. (warning: spoiler example follows): a Gadianton robber - new special ops division that can materialize out of thin air, materializes in front of Megan, blows acid power into her face and we get to read in gory detail about how the powder is burning and eating her eyes away while she screams in sheer agony for hour after hour. Not necessary to the story. 3) it blathered on so long that we will have to endure another book of blathering if we even care at this point to find out what happens to the characters. The author could have finished this story that he made us wait 5 years for as a continuation of the last book, but he blathered, dithered, doddled, meandered and palavered through the book making it now twice as long (we can only hope not three times as long) as it should have been. As it was, I had to skim several sections to keep from pulling my hair out waiting for him to get to the point. 4) it was painful to realize that the book I had waited for for 5 years from one of my favorite authors didn't deliver. I can't imagine why, since he waited so long to write this one, that he would not only not finish it, but write it poorly and expect us to want to buy the next one.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those who are avid fans of Chris Heimerdinger will commiserate with me in the agony that has been the last five years. One began to wonder if we would ever find out how the story would go on. And now that the wait is over, I can say, with complete assuredness, that the wait was definitely worth it. Every second. But please, please, Mr. Heimerdinger, don’t make us wait that long ever again.

Though all the Tennis Shoes books are one continuous story, the “beginning” of this particular part of the story actually started in Book 8. And I’m simultaneously sorry and happy to say that it doesn’t end in Book 11. When we left our dear friends, they were separated into three groups, but everyone was relatively safe and well. Of course, it’s not long before they are all in mortal peril once again. This book is a rollercoaster of action and emotion. And along the way, we meet new characters, some of whom we immediately love. I loved this book. As I say to anyone to whom I am recommending these books, “They just get better and better.” And that’s not to diminish the worth of the earlier books. It’s just that there always seems to be something new and unexpected and completely amazing around every corner.

Something that, I feel, truly sets these books apart is the absolute sincerity of the Spirituality and Emotion. You will not find patronizing words or blanket statements in these pages. The spiritual journeys of the characters are so real, you feel as if it could be your own. I cannot count all the moments when the words would blur through the tears in my eyes.

I am continually in awe of the genius, imagination, organization and inspiration that is Chris Heimerdinger. But I don’t pause long to question it. I can only be grateful that he has chosen to share it all with the world.

[Shayla Salazar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book starts to get really crowded and your favorite storyline may not get seen for over 100 pages. It is a bit more difficult read for that reason.

[02AmandaL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorcerers and Seers

By: Chris Hemierdinger

I absolutely LOVED this book because it has romance, adventure, mystery and lots of suspense. I could barely put this book down. It is a continuation of three other books before this one. So before this book Joshua and Rebecca get kidnapped by Todd Finley and he forces them to show him the way through Frost Cave and back in time so he can find a sword that he is obsessed with. So there babysitter Mary calls and lets everyone know and then Apollos comes back and they set out to find them. So then where this book starts off is where Jim and Jenny are walking with Jesus Christ. They have been rescued by his family and so when they were out with them one day, Jim saw a young maiden with his baby and he then set out to find his baby. So he goes to the top authorities in the city and they want to kill him so he escapes and then he finds a hiding place that he thinks that no one would find him in. The next morning he is awaked by the same maiden that had his baby. Her name is Hamira. Hamira is also a time traveler and the place that she coms from is where Joshua is at that moment. He and Hamira are in love and they met because Josh was put in prison and he escaped and came to the land of the Nephites and there he met Mormon and Moroni. He had aged a couple years though. Before he was only 12 and now he is 19 years old. He becomes captain of a Nephite war division which is fighting against the Lamanites. He and his dad are reunited and then they get sent on a quest to keep the Golden Plates safe from the wicked Nephites. So they go out and his father Garth gets hurt and he has to stay behind but he sends Josh on his way. So while Josh is going he finds his cousin wandering around and the unite and set out together. They walk into a cave but what they don't know is that this cave another time traveling cave. So then they get sent to another time period and they are attacked by women warriors. They get to know these people and become friends. This is where Hamira came from. They get separated from the rest of the village when they try to save on of the queens and get stuck. They then are trying to find their way back to their families. But in another part of the world. Apollos, Megan, Mary, Rebecca, Ryan, Gid, Pagag,Jesse, Micha, and Harry are trying to get to Hill Cumorah but they get attacked by "Ghost Warriors" who are a group of people sworn to secrecy and there most sacred oath is never to let anyone who has seen them survive or ever be able to see again. So while they are heading back, one of the "Ghost Warriors" shows up and blows poison into Megan's eyes. So she becomes blind. So what it all boils down to is that they are all in a race to get back to safety before the war of the century breaks out! I think that anyone who likes to read historical fiction, romance books, adventure, and mystery books are in for a treat when they read this book series. IT IS AMAZING!!!!!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's beginning to bother me how much of our religious history has been co-opted by these books. If these weren't fiction, we would owe everything we know and believe about the Savior to these two families. Move over Moses and Abraham, Jim Hawkins and Garth Plimpton are here to save the day. I'm just saying, a little of that goes a long way, and we're well beyond a "little."

[Daryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

And the stories keep going.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME!

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. Back and forth on some things. Some personal things that kept me from really getting into this book for a while. And I'm starting to get annoyed with his writing style. Or was that this book? I don't know. It's been so many years since I read the last one. With all the years that go in between these books, it is hard to read it cohesively unless I re-read all of the books each time a new one comes out. (Which I certainly don't have time for, but which my sibling mailed all of family's copies so I could refer to them if need be. I still haven't found time to refer to the parts I'm confused about!)

The progression of the story is still interesting to me. I'm getting a bit confused and even a little irritated by jumping to all of these different POVs. There are some voices I like, and I don't feel I get to hear from them enough. And trying to remember who is where and who has experienced what and oh my goodness. I need a Tennis Shoes timeline or something to keep the headache at bay. Perhaps when the series is complete, I will be able to read all of them straight through and have a more "whole" opinion of it all.

For now, I am not surprised that I was not as drawn back to reading the book. But I didn't hate it. I just didn't "thrill to it." (There's an Anne statement if ever there was!) Perhaps it is because I have read so many other things since the last book, and that I'm not quite who I was when I was a teenager (thank goodness). And one thing really irked me: very often the relationships in these books start off with friction between the two parties followed by a comparatively fast switch to admiration and love. I don't mind relationships like that. But when it feels like 90% of all of them in the series are like that, it starts to bug me.

Anywho. I'm still going to wait for the next one.

[Michelle Llewellyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am VERY dissapointed! My favorite LDS authors from the 90's-Heimerdinger, Lund, Stansfield just don't care about telling a good story anymore instead they force upon the reader page after page of preachy feel-good endless mindless drivel; eye-rolling plots and characters that are so perfect they could only exist in LDS fiction.
A few questions: Have you been reading the Baby-Sitters Club Series lately Brother Heimerdinger? It really distracting as your characters keep interrupting each other while writing in the "club notebook". If Jenny managed well enough without makeup and other modern conveinences when she lived among the Nephites, why was she so surprised at the physical appearance of Mary the mother of Jesus? and finally can you PLEASE pick up the pace? Like millions of others on this earth, I have a testimony of the Savior but I don't appreciate having yours constantly shoved in my face. Featherd Serpent II was a MUCH better book and I'd love to see your writing reflect that style again.
On a more positive side, I found the end chapter notes more interesting than the actual story so kudos to you on your research and dedication to keeping all your facts straight.
I do plan on reading Thorns of Glory the next book in the series. You seem to have written yourself into a corner and as a novice writer and fan of the series since 1996 I've invested a lot of time in these characters, grown quite fond of Jim and the gang and I'm looking forward to finding out how you plan to resolve these cliffhangers. Good luck!

[Charissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, but the intricate plot hasn't come to an end (and #12 isn't out on the shelf yet...agh!). I hate waiting! I loved this, and I couldn't hardly put it down, but I didn't like it quite as much as #10. The plot has gotten so insanely twisted and complicated that I can hardly keep all the characters and where they are in time and space organized in my mind. At times, I felt the story was too involved with certain characters I didn't quite care as much about and didn't address the ones I was dying to be involved with every second. Hopefully all my miseries will end once #12 comes out and it hopefully reaches a conclusion. The thing I love about these books is I find myself turning to the scriptures to figure out what really happened. In this book we have characters spread out from the beginning of the Jaredite nation on the new world, to Jerusalem at the time of Christ, to Cumorah in 432 A.D. when the Nephite nation is about to be destroyed. It's really good.

PS--Just read this again in preparation to read the last book, and it's still pretty awesome! I don't know how the author keeps all the plots untangled in his head though. It's hard for me, but I love it to death and now must start reading #12. Yea!

[Lisa Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally love this series but this is not my favorite book.... but, like Chris says, I will be patient.....but patience is not my best quality so Chris, if you read this, make it worth our patience!!!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't a huge fan of the parts narrated by Jim, but other than that this was a wonderful book!! I love these books!

[James T · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

The Tennis Shoes series is one of my old favorites. I only read Book 11 once before, more than five years ago. This time around, I liked 11 more than I thought I would as a more experienced reader, but some issues with its organization make it seem weaker than previous books in the series.

The arc that began with book 8 Warriors of Cumorah continues to build in complexity, and the new possibility of traveling to any time is the plot device that keeps on giving. All through books 10 and 11, three different sets of characters participate in three essentially separate storylines. While rereading both books, I often thought that the story might have been more cohesive and kept better pacing if the author had spent a book focusing on one group at a time (as he did in Tower of Thunder). He tends to overuse the trope of leaving a chapter at a cliffhanger and switching viewpoints to an unrelated storyline, theoretically to increase tension. The storylines are interesting individually, but they don't progress as much or lead to the payoffs that would be possible if he treated each cohesively. The threads do start to tie together close to the end, but the ramifications of this are not spelled out, and all three end on rather abrupt cliffhangers that don't feel like a cohesive ending. One example of where this was less satisfying - (Spoiler but without character names) Two characters from Timeline A appear in Timeline B, before they are shown to leave Timeline A. This would be really fun narratively except that they have still not left Timeline A by the end of the book. I think the author missed the opportunity to build tension and pay it off: it would have been a really cool twist to reveal that Said Characters had hopped timelines, and then exploit that sense of dread by showing the events that led to it happening. The fact that it didn't happen adds to the feeling that the book ended abruptly in the middle of several plot arcs.

I should emphasize here that I liked the plot and enjoyed the scenes as I was reading. It kept me turning pages, despite the places where I thought the organization could have been better.

The fact that each chapter switches to a different timeline, oddly enough, keeps the historical endnotes from being too jarring for me. They're not interrupting a scene so much as interjecting during scene changes. It does kick me out of the story even so, so I wish he had kept them to an appendix as in Warriors of Cumorah.

Romance: Heimerdinger really likes the flashy love-at-first-sight romances, and the more I read of this trope the less I like it. It doesn't always present a healthy picture, especially when the person the viewpoint character "Zings" with has some acknowledged red flags. That said, the Pagag/Steffanie romance (not a spoiler if you've read book 10) is in my opinion one of the better-crafted romances in the last few books, second to Meagan/Apollus. Pagag and Steffanie have traits that complement each other well narratively, and they're put into situations where their strong personalities have the chance to both conflict and connect. (Braiding roses, as Brandon Sanderson and other authors have put it.) Even in that romance, though, some of the dialogue occasionally made me cringe.

There are many spiritual themes throughout, but I'd say the two big themes of this book are (a) relying on God and praying in difficulty, even when we don't see an end in sight, and (b) knowing that we are accountable for our action and inaction, even when we do see a bad end in sight and are tempted to just be spectators.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I read Heimerdinger's first Tennis Shoes book when I was under age ten. My dad knew Chris from college, and when my dad said, "My friend wrote this!" and handed me the first book in the series with those high-top shoes on the cover, I was really excited to dive into it. It was love at first read, even though some of the deeper aspects of it went over my head at the time. I quickly continued with Gadiantons and the Silver Sword, and reread it multiple times into my teen years. I even read it out loud to friends!

The two Feathered Serpent books were harder for me to get through because they were more mature and featured some tough subject matter. But then, as a Christmas gift in 1999 (if memory serves), my brother and I got The Sacred Quest (then titled The Seven Churches) and I got The Lost Scrolls.

I got so impatient that I read my book before my brother finished his, even though his came chronologically before mine, and I didn't know what was going on! Despite that, Meagan and Harry quickly became my new favorite characters over Jim Hawkins, but I kind of lost track of the series for a few years after that.

It wasn't until high school that I picked up The Golden Crown after I saw it on a friend's shelf, but that book really launched me back into things and renewed my love for the characters. I adored both parts of the story line—Harry's and Meagan's—especially the budding romance between Meagan and Apollus. It still gives me butterflies years later.

However, though I still bought and devoured books 8 and 9 when they came out, I started to feel that the Tennis Shoes books were slowly beginning to lose their steam.

It started when the characters began splitting off into several different geographical areas and time periods of history within the same book. It just become too confusing and complicated, and having to keep track of so many different narrators was hard for me. Two, maybe even three, are fine, but seven? Eight? Nine?? Too much!

It got to the point that I was just trying to get through the parts that didn't interest me and back to the character(s) I liked most. Also, as the books went on, some of the characters didn't seem to have a purpose anymore (Ryan), and we didn't get to hear anything from Mary, another of my favorite characters.

I still think Chris has an amazing imagination, and I love his exploration of the scriptures, but I can't keep up with the overstuffed story anymore. The only thing that kept me reading through this latest one was wanting to know what happened with Meagan/Apollus and Steffanie/Pagag. Yeah, yeah, I know—I'm a hopeless romantic.

But all the stuff with the Jaredites, Jerusalem, and the Nephites and Lamanites going on simultaneously got overwhelming. Plus, Jim Hawkins and his sister, Jenny, had a really slow plot line.

I did appreciate Chris's portrayal of the Savior. It gave me a lot to think about. And his idea of Judas was interesting, too. The showdown between Mormon/Moroni and Fire Born/Jaguar Paw at the end was fittingly climactic. Also, Meagan's reaction to a horrible thing that happens to her was very realistic and probably the way I'd react.

That said, this series is getting to be too much. I'll still probably read all the books when they come out to get the closure, and I'll always be a fan, but I'm sad to see my enthusiasm dying like this. I still highly recommend books 1–9, though!

Update April 2023:

I have been reading the series again this month starting from book 5 (books 5–7 contain my favorite storyline of the set), and I am now reading this book, #11, for the second time. (I've read books 2 through 9 multiple times since I was a teen, but books 10 and 11 didn't impress me, so I stopped keeping up with the series for years. But I recently learned that there is a book 13 out, so I decided to catch up and try again to read the more recent offerings. I just finished book 10 and actually loved it this time, which made me so happy! I really can't remember why I didn't like it before. See the review.)

I had forgotten everything that happened in this volume, so it's almost like reading it for the first time. I'm not done yet, but I want to put down some thoughts as I go.

Whew, this book is exhausting! Each storyline is full of strong, strong emotions and peril and tragedy, and it's bleak and really hard to take. Two of the storylines are right before or during the destruction of two groups of people, and one is right before the Savior's crucifixion, which itself was just a few decades before the destruction of Jerusalem (already depicted in a heartbreaking way in books 5 through 7 of this series).

It's just like Apollus says in chapter 8: "The tragedy. The utter hopelessness. There is no comparison in all of the personal accounts that your family has presented about their exploits in time. Were I the reader, I would stop here at this chapter. I could not bear it." (I love Apollus, and he really does suffer in this one.)

It's also frustrating to jump between the storylines, just like I said before. I find myself wanting to skip so I can get the full story of one group and then go back to do it for the others. But I know some of them combine eventually. I want to know what's going to happen, but I had to stop reading for a little while to take a break!

But I have to hand it to Heimerdinger-- he has written characters who have inspired my affection and interest for years! He is great at voicing the thoughts of the characters and exploring impossible historical situations.

I'll finish this review later. Oh, one more thing--I loved Meagan in books 5–7, and I still like her after, but it seems like most of what she does (when lives aren't in peril) is make fun of Apollus or chide him for being a "chauvinist." It's honestly really annoying to me. She should be grateful that a man like him wants to be with her. Not that she hasn't proven her mettle, and they have an unbreakable bond from previous adventures, but if I were her, I wouldn't be giving Apollus a reason to rethink being with her. She does seem to figure that out eventually, thankfully.

Also, Steffanie really needs to get over the idea that she's physically as strong as a man. I wonder why Heimerdinger is devoting so much energy to this kind of ideology in his most recent story arc, including with the new character Hamira. Warrior women aren't very compelling to me because they're so unrealistic. And yes, I know the whole series is fantasy/sci fi, but the characters are (mostly) very believable, which is what makes me love them.

Okay, I've finished! I found this book less enjoyable than book 10, but it was still good. It felt much harder to get through, though. I liked Joshua's inner turmoil over the silver sword/sword of Coriantumr/sword of Akish. He grows a lot. The people of Omer plot point he and Marcos got involved in was interesting.

Speaking of Marcos, it was cool to get to know him more.

I loved when Mary got stern with Meagan at a particular point and then the scene between Meagan and Apollus afterward. It was beautiful. I just really want everyone to get back to safety in modern times and be happy!!

[Andrewwyckoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorcerers and Seers is the 11th book in the Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites series. It is such a great book. There is a lot of emotion woven into the story. Chris Heimerdinger is a very good author who obviously spends a ton of time doing research and writing his books. I loved reading this book and I really liked the story. It is full of action, stress, and love. All of the characters are amazing. It is amazing the way it shows every character’s personality and feelings. One of my favorite characters in the book is Gidgiddonihah. Gid is a hardened warrior who always tries to protect everyone. He is super caring and loving. He is very trustworthy and intelligent. My least favorite character is Akish. He is very evil and murderous. Akish stole the gold plates to get his evil magic sword back. He is a sorcerer who dwindles in the dark arts. One of my favorite quotes from the series is “Miracles happen all the time, Dad. But it’s not likely you’ll know about ’em if you’re not where the Lord wants you to be, and doin’ what he wants you to do.” I loved reading this book and encourage others to read it too.

[Scott09g · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole book is just more plot thickener. Sure glad I didn't read this one on release because it's book 4 in a 5-book series, and the excessive number of cliff-hangers are aggrivating. I complained about the last book being a convoluted mess, but this book - while quite a bit more entertaining than book 3 - just scatters that books mess all over the room. Every arc continuation gets more complicated and every sub-plot becomes harder to follow. I'll give it to Heimerdinger, this Tennis Shoes adventure is very ambitious, but dang I'm ready for some resolution already. I'll go ahead and read Drums of Desolation, but after that I think I'll give the Hawkins and Plimpton clans some space for a while. Thorns of Glory will have to remain on hold until they're complete and I can blitz through them.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know why Jim’s portions of the book are so blah to me, but they are. The rest was great, except for a bit too much talking directly to “the reader” to preface some action, that was blah too.
Spoilers:
In the end- Ryan is transported back to salt lake valley, Pagag is transported back to his family as they are building the vessels to cross the sea.
Jim, Jenny & now Melody are In Jerusalem during the last week of the Saviors life.
Josh & Marcos are in the time of the Jaredites of king Omer & Akish.
Apollus, Megan, Stephanie, Harry, Mary, Gid Garth & Becky are at the hill Cumorah, 2 days before the destruction of the Nephites. Megan is blind from the acid of a Gadianton ghost.

[Quinton Baran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the book - I find this to be fun, but also quite different from reading the book. Some of the voice acting bothers me a bit. There is quite a bit of shouting and yelling, which can get to be a bit too much. I also think that some of the story telling is a bit overdone.

Still, I enjoy this series and there are some really great moments. The book ends on another cliff hanger. The next book was written in 2014, and Chris is still working on (maybe?) the last book. There is also a Passage to Zarahemla series that I believe crosses over with this.

[Betina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series! I had the first several books on cd and I fell asleep listening to them almost every night as a teenager. The sound of Chris Heimerdinger’s voice is majorly nostalgic to me! My husband tried listening to the later ones with me, but he thought they were “too cheesy.” Perhaps, it’s something you had to have grown up with to enjoy? It’s the kind of book that rarely comes up in conversation, but when it does you see grown men and women turn into eager groupies that shout, “You loved Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites too?!” It has a way of creating instant camaraderie.

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series continues to add more characters and more venues to a point it is hard to keep track. Each time there is a chapter transition it takes a minute to remember who and where the characters are and what has happened since the last time they were the center of the story. I have figured out why the author has taken so long to try to finish the series. He has too many loose end to tie up!

[Steve Center · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is part four of five of this chapter of the Tennis Shoes series. This was a very dark chapter. To the point that it was hard to read. The story is impressively complex and Heimerdinger is really flexing his writing muscles.

[James Biser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another great story about some time-traveling members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In this adventure they join with and battle along side of Mormon, Moroni and Moronihah. The story is excellent.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book just got so complicated it was really hard to follow all the story lines listening to the audio book, and then not a single thing was resolved in the whole story after all that time... not my favorite book.

[Aaron Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished listening to the audiobook version of the story. Our heroes are all scattered across time. War is imminent; betrayal, wickedness, battles, triumph, courage, despair, and happy reunions. The story lands on several cliffhangers, so hopefully it will end well in the final book.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great! Ate it up. Felt like I was watching a movie. Didn't even notice when I turned the pages. Time flew!
(If you see this review repeatedly for the other books, it is because this is how I felt about ALL those books!)

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

These books have veered far from the what made them great. Too long. Too much time travel. Too much participation/interference in real events rather than observation. Too many characters. Too many plots. Etc. etc. etc.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books full of adventure. I'm going to be devistated when i finish the series. They end on such cliffhangers. I hope he continues to write them. I read this book for the prompt A is for Alpha as one of the characters is Jesus a well know Alpha. (52 books- May mini challenge)

[Monica S · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing

[Nicole Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

My family loves this series!!! We read it each night as a family! Full of adventure & fantasy!

[Jesse Whitehead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some authors handle complex stories brilliantly. They all have their limits however. The problem is that most of them don’t realize it. Robert Jordan’s series is beautiful, and then it starts to crumble around the edges. Then it cascades in a giant waterfall of uncountable subplots and side characters. In fact every long series that I’ve read has this same problem. It’s an understandable problem. When you’ve got hundreds or even dozens of characters scattered all across time and space and working toward seemingly different goals things get complicated. Add to that the fact that people want each book to have its own complete arc with a climax for each group of characters, all roughly at the same time and also making progress toward the overall story for the series. Oh yeah, also make sure that each group has equal page time and is working toward the same things in the end, although it’s not readily apparent that that’s the case. Then make all of them converge to the same place and time for the ultimate showdown/last battle/what have you.

Try it sometime. Doing all of this in a single book is a monumental task. Doing it over a trilogy is a lifetime pursuit. Doing it over five books is theoretically feasible. Once you add more books than that you’re going to have to accept tradeoffs. I’ve only rarely seen a series that can remain cohesion for more than five books. After that it becomes a civil engineering disaster.

Heimerdinger is beginning to have some of those problems. I saw some hints in the last book but they’re more apparent in this one. He says the end of this series will take only one more book. I have my doubts – but it could be possible. His biggest problem is that of pacing.

That sounds misleading. Heimerdinger is, as always, very fast paced. Things happen all the time and frequently but not so much that it becomes droll. The pacing that I refer to is the balance between characters. Certain characters seem to have almost pointless plotlines for a couple of books until their story takes front and center and becomes the biggest adventure yet. This is one of those tradeoffs that I mentioned earlier. If he gave each story equal time in each book the pace of the story would slow to that of a lazy stroll. Instead he chooses to stagger it. I’m undecided whether or not this is a complaint. On one hand the pointless parts are… pointless. The exciting parts are pure adrenaline. On the other hand I’ve seen authors try the other way and it is infuriating and painful to wait six years to read a book and then find out after a thousand pages that the overall net effect of the book was that nothing happened.

What I am saying is that, while this current series of Tennis Shoes Adventure books is quite enjoyable and very exciting, they are a bit uneven. As the boy scouts say – and Scar from the Lion King as it happens, he must have been a boy scout – “Be Prepared.”

This story is at least as exciting as the last one and gives more development to some of the characters that seemed gratuitous in the last book. There’s some really cool harkening back to previous books that goes on as well.

There are a few things that are annoying about this book in particular and it applies to Heimerdinger’s writing in general. Things are explained way too explicitly. Writers have to trust their readers to get it. When somebody says to the bad guys, “Hey, here’s my friends, now where’s my reward?” the author does not need to spend a page and half explaining that a betrayal just happened. The people who are too dim to get that probably can’t read anyway.

I also hate the banter between narrators. Heimerdinger has chosen to write these books in first person but with multiple viewpoints. This is a tricky thing to pull off anyway as each character needs to write with a different voice and style – Heimerdinger both succeeds and fails at this to varying degrees but generally makes it work well enough. For a really good example of this kind of story-telling read Bram Stoker’s Dracula, it’s astonishing. The thing that gets annoying is when the narrators will spend the first two pages of the chapter arguing about who will tell which part. Usually this happens when he couldn’t come up with an opening hook for the chapter so he has the characters argue about who will tell the story while dropping hints. It’s a cheap trick and it feels like a cheap trick.

The flaws, however egregious, are actually only perpetrated upon the reader on a few occasions, rendering this volume very good but short of brilliance.