The Eleventh Hour

Agent Nomad #1

by Skye Melki-Wegner

Spies. Secrets. Sorcery.

Natalie Palladino was a normal fifteen-year-old, at a normal school, about to face a normal maths test.

Now her codename is Nomad, and she’s training to become a secret agent for HELIX.

No one can know that sorcery exists. No one can know that HELIX protects humanity from the Inductors.

And no one can know that Nomad is a Witness, with a dangerous magical gift. The Inductors are hunting her. If they find her, they will kill her.

But there’s a traitor inside HELIX, and only a Witness can identify them. The problem is, Nomad hasn’t mastered her powers. She can’t levitate, fight or wield magic like her fellow recruits.

If she’s the only hope to stop a sorcerous bomb being detonated, the world is in trouble.

The eleventh hour is coming . . .

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2017

About the author

Hello and thanks for visiting my Goodreads profile! I'm a writer of fantasy/ adventure books from Melbourne, Australia.

If you'd like to get in touch, please come and say hi on Twitter, Facebook or my website.

Reviews

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The argument with her best friend Billie felt strange – fifteen year old Natalie had never had a fight with her, so why this time? And what caused it? But that was put out of her mind when someone tried to break into her darkened home. Natalie was on her own as her Dad was at work and Billie had left in a huff; but she knew she had to get away, especially when she saw what was happening to the front door. The storm she dashed into was wild and frightening, but it covered her tracks – didn’t it?

Natalie’s sudden direction toward Melbourne on the late night train was rushed – but she knew she was on the right track. Would she make it to her destination in time though?

Code name Nomad, she joined her fellow cadets in the most important schooling of her life. HELIX was to be her new home; the danger was the Inductors. Because Nomad was a Witness and her gifts were more powerful than the majority of other Agents. With a suddenness that shocked her, Nomad found herself joining her fellow cadets in a race against the clock – the eleventh hour was fast approaching…

Wow! What a brilliant start to a new series! Agent Nomad – The Eleventh Hour by Aussie author Skye Melki-Wegner is the first in the Agent Nomad series and I’m blown away! A young adult fantasy novel, it ticked all the right boxes for me. Lots of action, fast paced and great characters – what’s not to love! I’ll be reading Agent Nomad #2: Deadly Magic, very soon. Highly recommended!

[Ryan Buckby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spies. Secrets. Sorcery.

I was pretty surprised with this book, it wasn't the greatest but i really did enjoy this book it was a quick, easy and fast paced story.

I enjoyed all the characters they were all well-written, the story was action packed and moved very quickly which i really enjoyed. I learnt so much in such a short amount of pages and i do hope that this gets another book because i would like to see where this series goes.

[shuut · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot is basically just like the "normal girl swept in some magic school has friends and turns out to be unique" trope which I have read many books of but I enjoyed the "top-secret spy twist"

But this book is quite easy-going with a few fun plot twists. Not something special but a good book to be passing time with.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable, fast paced ride! I really liked the recognizable settings in both country Victoria and Melbourne, and then London. Great characters and plot twists, just as I've come to expect from this talented author. Really accessible and fun for upper primary though to the young at heart.

[Lauredhel]

Contemporary young-YA chosen-one magical-war urban fantasy based in Australia. I found this more formulaic than Melki-Wegner's previous books, which tempered my enjoyment a little. Still, the pages kept turning and I enjoyed the read.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm, need to chat about this one.

But it is exciting, and offers something different to the kid-with-powers trope.

[Grace]

I tried quite a few times to read this. The world itself seems pretty interesting but I just can’t get over the fact that she is attacked in her own house and runs away then just randomly trusts this random dude she meets cause he has a letter that is supposedly from her father. That’s it. And she just immediately trusts him. The letter could’ve been fake or forced to be written. She doesn’t even ask to talk to her father or for the dude to prove it or anything. I put the book down and tried to come back to it many times thinking my brain would maybe forget how annoying that is and just enjoy the story and roll with it. But nope. After a few years of this on my come back to shelf I’m finally just gonna give up. I’m sure it’s a good book though…

[McFitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable fast read, at times I thought 'yeah predictable' but then the plot would twist. Did not predict the ending. Will read the 2nd book. One question...Do the Beefeaters guard Buckingham Palace? I think they might be called the Queen's Guard. The Yeomen are the Beefeaters at the Tower.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always great to read YA. It kinda cleanses the pallet. This 1st book was great for a couple of reasons. It's still paranormal(ish), it's set here in Melbourne, and ok the kids are sorcerers, but its not hmm over the top stupidity. The kids are 15ish and they are cadets. They don't automatically have magic and know how to use it.
Any who I liked it. I bought 1 & 2 just in case. On to 2 :)

[Melanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, I wanted to like this as it was set in Australia (I'm Australian), I enjoy young adult fantasy, and 'magic school' type books are a guilty pleasure. But… I got bored and couldn't finish it; tried twice and didn't get close either time, and that's despite skimming large chunks.

[Marj Osborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. Fun but lightweight and a little predictable.

[Sk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am speechless... This is an amazing story! Nothing more to say here.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the Melbourne setting. Plenty of action and good world building. A couple of twists I didn't see coming.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5
I'm a long-term fan of Skye Melki-Wegner's. I have signed copies of all of her books, and I recommend them to students all of the time. That been said, I was a bit disappointed by The Eleventh Hour. Where Skye's writing is normally seamless and flowing, this novel wasn't. Especially in the beginning, where everything about the set-up felt forced. I can't help but feel that setting this novel in the real world wasn't the best move. Skye's own worlds feel so real, but this one didn't. Eventually, things did get better and the novel really started to flow, but I still don't feel that it was a strong as her earlier novels. I'll still be reading Agent Nomad #2: Deadly Magic, and looking out for Skye's next novels, but I do have to say that I was a little disappointed in The Eleventh Hour.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Eleventh Hour is a fast paced interesting take on the “kid with new powers” trope we see in YA. The story initially evolves quite slowly as Natalie Palladino in a quiet Victorian classroom has the typical issues of a 15 yr old - friends, boy interests and looming maths tests. A mysterious assembly, with the enigmatic guest speaker John Smith, leaves Natalie shaken and unsure. Within hours she is chased and running for her life from would be assailants and the pace dramatically increases. She escapes to Melbourne where she finds that she has latent magical skills and she can manipulate “quintessence’’ - a skill she inherited from her parents. Taken in by the organisation HELIX she assumes the codename Nomad, and along with other teens with magical powers she learns to control her new found powers until she is ready to go on her first mission. This will appeal to both male and female readers who enjoy action and suspense. Book 2 will be released in May.

Suitable for 11+ - action, suggested violence, suspense.

[Aaron Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melki-Wegner has done it again... She has a knack for writing fast paced stories that are absorbing for Young Adults of all ages. Love the interactions between the various characters and their quirkiness. Love the surprise elements that are woven into the story line. Love the unique and believable magic system. Can't wait for the next in the series...

[Shaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant twists! Very enjoyable.

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars - a good story, but it was rushed... Tried to do to much and had to develop characters quickly... But still a good story line that keeps you interested...

[St Stephen's C C]

Natalie Palladino was a normal fifteen-year-old, at a normal school, about to face a normal maths test. Now her codename is Nomad, and she’s training to become a secret agent for HELIX.
No one can know that sorcery exists. No one can know that HELIX protects humanity from the Inductors. And no one can know that Nomad is a Witness, with a dangerous magical gift. The Inductors are hunting her. If they find her, they will kill her.
But there’s a traitor inside HELIX, and only a Witness can identify them. The problem is, Nomad hasn’t mastered her powers. She can’t levitate, fight or wield magic like her fellow recruits. If she’s the only hope to stop a sorcerous bomb being detonated, the world is in trouble.
The eleventh hour is coming . . .