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The Ninja Kat #3
Velcro: The Masquerade
Velcro returns to her home village of Highland, only to find it completely in ruins. The one responsible, a mysterious foe in an eagle mask, is patiently awaiting her arrival in order to deliver his message in person, and Velcro is lured by this new enemy into a Magical challenge, one in which the outcome will determine the final fate of her home and her friends, and possibly even the world over.
Meanwhile, in the village of Redfield, the Elder Chow is grooming Max to lead their brigade in the impending war against the Devil Corps. But Max won't have to wait long to be put to his first test, as war comes to their home gates in the form of this new threat running rampant known as The Masquerade. And elsewhere, unaware of all these developments, Charlie has sought out the Devil Dog for his own personal means.
Velcro: The Masquerade adds a new unforeseen element to the equation, as the Country of Widows prepares for war. More and more, the past will catch back up with our heroes, and history will be written during their present hardships. And as Velcro faces off against her most powerful adversary yet, she'll be forced to look within and question what it truly takes to bring peace the world over.
Meanwhile, in the village of Redfield, the Elder Chow is grooming Max to lead their brigade in the impending war against the Devil Corps. But Max won't have to wait long to be put to his first test, as war comes to their home gates in the form of this new threat running rampant known as The Masquerade. And elsewhere, unaware of all these developments, Charlie has sought out the Devil Dog for his own personal means.
Velcro: The Masquerade adds a new unforeseen element to the equation, as the Country of Widows prepares for war. More and more, the past will catch back up with our heroes, and history will be written during their present hardships. And as Velcro faces off against her most powerful adversary yet, she'll be forced to look within and question what it truly takes to bring peace the world over.
143 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2016
1 person want to read
About the author
Chris Widdop
10 books3 followersChris Widdop grew up with his cat, Velcro. And together, the two would constantly escape into the fantasy world that was their vivid imaginations, where they took part in many adventures. Now, as a young, new writer, Chris wants nothing more than to share those adventures with the world.
When he's not working on his writing, he enjoys watching movies with a critical eye and voicing his opinions on them in his movie review blog. He's a big film buff, and has begun work on his own film projects.
He also reputably likes chicken. Chicken is delicious.
When he's not working on his writing, he enjoys watching movies with a critical eye and voicing his opinions on them in his movie review blog. He's a big film buff, and has begun work on his own film projects.
He also reputably likes chicken. Chicken is delicious.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 2, 2017
Chris Widdop It’s not often I read a book twice before reviewing it, but that was the case with Chris Widdop’s third installment in the Velcro series. The first time I read it, I was on a plane headed to Los Angeles, a redeye flight, sandwiched between two women, surrounded by snores, slight movements, and white noise. The second time, I was at home, still surrounded by white noise, but much more relaxed. You see, this was a book I felt I needed to give a second read to, a second round on the rodeo. Coincidently, I’m on a flight now writing this review, only this time I have a row of seats to myself. So Imagine, if you will, a redeye redux, sans the snores and the white noise. That’s what this book gives, as it opens with Charlie, who we’ve come to know as ambitious, jealous of Velcro, and seeking power in a way that I assume will eventually bring his downfall. This is the smooth part of the flight, where we sit back, relax, and ruminate on the things we expect. Because at this point in the book, it’s everything we thought it would be. We expected to see Charlie in this position after the Green Lion. But then, there’s turbulence. There’s not always turbulence on a flight, but in a book, any good book I should add, there’s always turbulence. And so we meet our friend, Wing Mask, the turbulence. Wing Mask of the masquerade (a secret organization dedicated to spreading and reviving magic across the lands), rampages the Village of Highland in an attempt to lure Velcro into a fierce battle. As such, Wing Mask kidnaps Rocky and leads Velcro, Lily, Buzzbee, and Vini on a chase.
And so, as expected with any flight, the turbulence calms. We’re back sailing through the sky, venturing through the things we expect like Max’s struggle with asserting authority and preparing for war with no experience and Charlie’s tango with black magic as he grows increasingly interested in the rabbit, known to us as the Boogie Man. But then, there’s a bump, or a dip if that’s better to imagine. It’s not turbulence, but it’s definitely cause for alarm. You know, it’s that gradual descent and ascent that sends our tummies into fits. It’s that moment where you think to yourself “should I think this is bad? Yes, this is definitely bad.” I’d like to think that’s the moment where Max met Kip, hidden behind a blue mask that resembled a turtle. Of course, as with most new leaders, they’re over confident. That was Max, until he realized “yes, this is definitely bad.” And following that common theme with these masquerade individuals, Kip’s ultimate goal was to lure out the Elder Chow, as it was overwhelmingly evident that Max, Song, and Mon are no match for Kip. Then, the Elder Chow arrives. After his arrival, we learn the reason for this dip in our journey. We learn that Molly, Kip’s crush, was sentenced to death after using magic that ultimately saved the lives of the Elder Chow and Kip. Molly was turned in by the Elder Chow, and so we have our motive. We have the reason for our dip. This gradual descent and ascent continues as the Elder Chow, wielding magic neutralizing blades and Kip, wielding blue magic engage in battle. Here, we see Widdop’s imagery in full flight, as the Elder Chow falls to Kip after being submerged by a whirlpool. The calm returns. We’re sailing again, only this time with more resolve, because we’re battle tested like Max. We’ve taken a hit, and we soar to the rest of our destination with the same determination Max had to avenge the death of the Elder Chow.
We’re nearing the end of our flight at this point, and as with most flights we’re waiting on it. “There’s going to be more turbulence, isn’t it?” We know it’s coming. It’s isn’t a surprise. That’s where we find Charlie and Velcro. Charlie battles with the Boogie Man, and I’m disappointed to say we didn’t get to see it. So many questions arise from that battle. How strong is Charlie? Has he mastered black magic? How was his battle with the boogie Man in comparison to Velcro’s? Hopefully we get these answers in Widdop’s next installment. Then we’re back with Velcro, Lily, and Vini. They finally catch up to Wing Mask. Lily engages Wing Mask a number of times before ultimately meeting her demise. Velcro, of course, doesn’t take this lightly. The battle rages on. Again, Widdop’s imagery is on display in this battle, as we’re given an onslaught of turbulence through green magic clashing with white magic. We see just how much Velcro has progressed when She’s able to build a tree that made me think of the whomping willow in Harry Potter. However, through all of this progression, as with most turbulence, we find something worrisome. We see Velcro, who vigorously works to defeat Wing Mask, is woefully outmatched. She’s so outmatched with Wing Mask that he barely moves. And so we begin our descent, always uneventful after a bumpy ride. Velcro ends up talking her way out of an almost certain death, explaining to Wing Mask how the Devil Corps want to spread black Magic across the Country of Widows, and since Wing Mask is against black magic, this of course peaks his interest. Wing Mask ends his quarrel with Velcro. The calm returns. Velcro rescues a shaken Rocky and buries Lily. Velcro’s battle with Wing Mask, while stunning in imagery and eloquent prose, was a bit anticlimactic, but most flights are.
And so as we’re rolling down the runway to the end of our destination, there’s one last bump. This is the epilogue, where Wing Mask confronts Tails Mask and an unknown animal about the Masquerade’s plans. This would ultimately be the end of Wing Mask, as Tails Mask took him down with ease using red magic. We’re left with these final words from the unknown one, “The war begins now.”
Widdop, as I’ve come to know, shines most in battle sequences. The beats he throws in and attention to details are things that sometimes makes you forget that these are animals we’re dealing with, because in some respects the beats are so human like. The battle sequences he imagines are like a dance, one step, two step, a twist or turn here and there. There’s an elegance to it. You see the thought he’s put into his craft, whilst reading about an entire forest being laid to waste by a massive sphere of water.
Widdop’s distinct fashion of writing makes for a quick read. Every sentence has a purpose. Widdop doesn’t mince words, and he certainly doesn’t make use of extraneous, verbose language. He’s straight to the point. Rum, no coke. Vodka, no cranberry. This is what I’ve come to respect about his style of writing. Widdop, who we see has progressed as a writer, writes with a consistency from book to book that makes it feel like you’re reading one long novel, one that keeps getting better and better. And so, as I walk off of my flight, bag strung across my back with Widdop’s book hanging loosely in my right hand, I can only think of one thing. “Damn, I’d take that flight again.”
And so, as expected with any flight, the turbulence calms. We’re back sailing through the sky, venturing through the things we expect like Max’s struggle with asserting authority and preparing for war with no experience and Charlie’s tango with black magic as he grows increasingly interested in the rabbit, known to us as the Boogie Man. But then, there’s a bump, or a dip if that’s better to imagine. It’s not turbulence, but it’s definitely cause for alarm. You know, it’s that gradual descent and ascent that sends our tummies into fits. It’s that moment where you think to yourself “should I think this is bad? Yes, this is definitely bad.” I’d like to think that’s the moment where Max met Kip, hidden behind a blue mask that resembled a turtle. Of course, as with most new leaders, they’re over confident. That was Max, until he realized “yes, this is definitely bad.” And following that common theme with these masquerade individuals, Kip’s ultimate goal was to lure out the Elder Chow, as it was overwhelmingly evident that Max, Song, and Mon are no match for Kip. Then, the Elder Chow arrives. After his arrival, we learn the reason for this dip in our journey. We learn that Molly, Kip’s crush, was sentenced to death after using magic that ultimately saved the lives of the Elder Chow and Kip. Molly was turned in by the Elder Chow, and so we have our motive. We have the reason for our dip. This gradual descent and ascent continues as the Elder Chow, wielding magic neutralizing blades and Kip, wielding blue magic engage in battle. Here, we see Widdop’s imagery in full flight, as the Elder Chow falls to Kip after being submerged by a whirlpool. The calm returns. We’re sailing again, only this time with more resolve, because we’re battle tested like Max. We’ve taken a hit, and we soar to the rest of our destination with the same determination Max had to avenge the death of the Elder Chow.
We’re nearing the end of our flight at this point, and as with most flights we’re waiting on it. “There’s going to be more turbulence, isn’t it?” We know it’s coming. It’s isn’t a surprise. That’s where we find Charlie and Velcro. Charlie battles with the Boogie Man, and I’m disappointed to say we didn’t get to see it. So many questions arise from that battle. How strong is Charlie? Has he mastered black magic? How was his battle with the boogie Man in comparison to Velcro’s? Hopefully we get these answers in Widdop’s next installment. Then we’re back with Velcro, Lily, and Vini. They finally catch up to Wing Mask. Lily engages Wing Mask a number of times before ultimately meeting her demise. Velcro, of course, doesn’t take this lightly. The battle rages on. Again, Widdop’s imagery is on display in this battle, as we’re given an onslaught of turbulence through green magic clashing with white magic. We see just how much Velcro has progressed when She’s able to build a tree that made me think of the whomping willow in Harry Potter. However, through all of this progression, as with most turbulence, we find something worrisome. We see Velcro, who vigorously works to defeat Wing Mask, is woefully outmatched. She’s so outmatched with Wing Mask that he barely moves. And so we begin our descent, always uneventful after a bumpy ride. Velcro ends up talking her way out of an almost certain death, explaining to Wing Mask how the Devil Corps want to spread black Magic across the Country of Widows, and since Wing Mask is against black magic, this of course peaks his interest. Wing Mask ends his quarrel with Velcro. The calm returns. Velcro rescues a shaken Rocky and buries Lily. Velcro’s battle with Wing Mask, while stunning in imagery and eloquent prose, was a bit anticlimactic, but most flights are.
And so as we’re rolling down the runway to the end of our destination, there’s one last bump. This is the epilogue, where Wing Mask confronts Tails Mask and an unknown animal about the Masquerade’s plans. This would ultimately be the end of Wing Mask, as Tails Mask took him down with ease using red magic. We’re left with these final words from the unknown one, “The war begins now.”
Widdop, as I’ve come to know, shines most in battle sequences. The beats he throws in and attention to details are things that sometimes makes you forget that these are animals we’re dealing with, because in some respects the beats are so human like. The battle sequences he imagines are like a dance, one step, two step, a twist or turn here and there. There’s an elegance to it. You see the thought he’s put into his craft, whilst reading about an entire forest being laid to waste by a massive sphere of water.
Widdop’s distinct fashion of writing makes for a quick read. Every sentence has a purpose. Widdop doesn’t mince words, and he certainly doesn’t make use of extraneous, verbose language. He’s straight to the point. Rum, no coke. Vodka, no cranberry. This is what I’ve come to respect about his style of writing. Widdop, who we see has progressed as a writer, writes with a consistency from book to book that makes it feel like you’re reading one long novel, one that keeps getting better and better. And so, as I walk off of my flight, bag strung across my back with Widdop’s book hanging loosely in my right hand, I can only think of one thing. “Damn, I’d take that flight again.”
January 7, 2017
The more I read these books the better they are and this one in particular has moments of emotional depth that I really grab onto. Oddly one of my favorite parts was reading about Kip's backstory and I found him a relatable character in the past, though not so much in the present. I also enjoyed Lily and her role and bravery in the story. As well as Velcro (and ultimately Vini who provides some much needed comedic relief). The strongest points, I feel, are the world building and there's clearly a well thought out world and organization in place. There are things happening just beyond the shadows that our characters don't know of yet. And, I have to say, the epilogue kind of shocked me.
That being said, and I may have said it before, I feel like this would be a more effective story in a visual format. Mostly because the pacing is more like reading a set of serialized comics than anything. Which is not a bad thing exactly but I don't think in novel format it shines as much as it could potentially. There is this one part with Velcro in the lake that I can see in a manga panel-- the quietness and deepness and the worry except with almost a serenity.
Other than that and some slight editing fixes, I liked this. It continues the story of Velcro and her friends/allies/enemies etc very well and is a nice addition to the series.
That being said, and I may have said it before, I feel like this would be a more effective story in a visual format. Mostly because the pacing is more like reading a set of serialized comics than anything. Which is not a bad thing exactly but I don't think in novel format it shines as much as it could potentially. There is this one part with Velcro in the lake that I can see in a manga panel-- the quietness and deepness and the worry except with almost a serenity.
Other than that and some slight editing fixes, I liked this. It continues the story of Velcro and her friends/allies/enemies etc very well and is a nice addition to the series.
January 3, 2017
The best Velcro book yet delivers a major bang! Widdop does a wonderful job of advancing the story while at the same time expanding the scope of the story. In Velcro: The Masquerade, we get backstories on old grudges that shed light on the sinister mission of The Devil Corps, and are also introduced to a new faction of magic wielders that threaten the well-being of the country of Widows and might possibly throw a wrench in Velcro's plans for protecting her country from The Devil Corps. The heroes of the story face their toughest threats yet and the stakes are high with a few surprises, heartwarming and heartbreaking, thrown in. Velcro must fight the strongest opponent she's ever come up against in order to save a friend and get to the bottom of who has been bringing down destruction on her village and that of her allies. Her comrades are forced to go on their own missions in order to learn more about the new threat that has appeared and what it means for their future and the fight against The Devil Corps. Interpersonal relationships between the characters are also tested and strained. This Velcro book is so well-balanced in terms of backstory and forward momentum, that it could stand on its own as a fast-paced read about people (animals) facing challenges, growing closer together, losing and gaining family, and being thrust into positions of leadership as the world around them begins to fall apart. However, I highly recommend reading the whole series. The books are great for middle grade and above readers, but given the depth of character growth and interpersonal relationships, readers of all ages and levels are likely to find aspects that captivate them, whether that be in rooting for the unlikely heroes to defeat their foes in battle, or hoping for peaceful reconciliation between estranged siblings.
January 30, 2017
The third installment in this series picks up right where Book 2 left off. I especially enjoyed getting Kip the Chow's backstory and the epic magic fights. I liked getting to explore a little bit of the Masquerade and what they were after and I look forward to seeing how bad (in a good way) they get.
If I have a complaint at all, it's that this book (like its predecessors) is such a quick read that it's over before I know it and I must patiently wait for the next installment.
If I have a complaint at all, it's that this book (like its predecessors) is such a quick read that it's over before I know it and I must patiently wait for the next installment.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews