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Sage Alexander #1
Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares
The world is darker than it seems.
Demons, vicious half-humans and evil creatures of myth and legend prowl the earth, unseen to human eyes – but not to the eyes of 14-year-old Sage Alexander. Descended from humans and angels, Sage has the power to see and fight all these creatures, and in fact he must.
The human race is in danger, controlled unknowingly by the Seven Princes of Hell, the seven deadly sins. Greed, Sloth, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Wrath and Pride all breathe their sin into weaker human ears and take those souls for their own, as they have for centuries. And now Mammon, Greed incarnate, has possessed Sage’s father and threatens to keep him forever. The Angelic Response Council, a committee of angels, archangels, guardians and half-angelic humans, has fought the forces of blackest evil for centuries, but their numbers are dwindling.
There is prophecy of a gifted warrior, who will come in the Council’s darkest hour to bring about the demise of the fallen angels cast out from heaven and all of their nefarious descendants. His name will be Sage Alexander.
Sage must face danger and death as he assembles a supernatural team and battles his way through time and Godspace in order to save his family from the grips of Greed. But he has an even bigger quest ahead of him. … This is only the beginning.
Demons, vicious half-humans and evil creatures of myth and legend prowl the earth, unseen to human eyes – but not to the eyes of 14-year-old Sage Alexander. Descended from humans and angels, Sage has the power to see and fight all these creatures, and in fact he must.
The human race is in danger, controlled unknowingly by the Seven Princes of Hell, the seven deadly sins. Greed, Sloth, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Wrath and Pride all breathe their sin into weaker human ears and take those souls for their own, as they have for centuries. And now Mammon, Greed incarnate, has possessed Sage’s father and threatens to keep him forever. The Angelic Response Council, a committee of angels, archangels, guardians and half-angelic humans, has fought the forces of blackest evil for centuries, but their numbers are dwindling.
There is prophecy of a gifted warrior, who will come in the Council’s darkest hour to bring about the demise of the fallen angels cast out from heaven and all of their nefarious descendants. His name will be Sage Alexander.
Sage must face danger and death as he assembles a supernatural team and battles his way through time and Godspace in order to save his family from the grips of Greed. But he has an even bigger quest ahead of him. … This is only the beginning.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published April 10, 2017
12 people are currently reading
688 people want to read
About the author
Steve Copling
14 books26 followersSteve Copling has spent more than 35 years in law enforcement and corporate security. Over the years, he has worked in field training, crime prevention, SWAT, criminal investigations, narcotics and internal affairs. He has also held multiple supervisory positions at sergeant, lieutenant and captain ranks. He currently serves as a captain in the Plano, TX police department.
Copling’s career as an author began as a favor to his sister who happened to be writing a screenplay about a murder. Because her background didn’t include police work or investigations, she asked him to take a look at it. He immediately recognized that her fictional suspect would have gotten caught within five minutes in the real world. He agreed to write the story for his sister as a manuscript that she could later convert into a screenplay.
Even though that first manuscript never saw the light of day, Copling was hooked. He went on to write two crime novels, The Listener and The Shooting Season. His professional background and knowledge of police procedurals informed his writing, and he often draws from his experiences when writing crime fiction. However, unlike most crime writers in today’s marketplace, his writing is profanity free. Appealing to a wide audience, Copling’s books are clean enough for teenage fans of police narratives yet still intriguing enough to captivate suspense readers of any age. He is working on a third crime novel titled, The Noise Before Defeat.
Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares is his first foray into young adult fantasy and serves as the foundation for a seven-book series based on the seven deadly sins. It was born out of an endearing request from his grandson Sage, who asked Copling to write him a book for Christmas. His ultimate goal with this series is to simply write stories that Sage and his brother Nikhil will love reading.
Copling has three sons and five grandchildren. He and his wife of nearly 40 years live in Plano, TX.
Copling’s career as an author began as a favor to his sister who happened to be writing a screenplay about a murder. Because her background didn’t include police work or investigations, she asked him to take a look at it. He immediately recognized that her fictional suspect would have gotten caught within five minutes in the real world. He agreed to write the story for his sister as a manuscript that she could later convert into a screenplay.
Even though that first manuscript never saw the light of day, Copling was hooked. He went on to write two crime novels, The Listener and The Shooting Season. His professional background and knowledge of police procedurals informed his writing, and he often draws from his experiences when writing crime fiction. However, unlike most crime writers in today’s marketplace, his writing is profanity free. Appealing to a wide audience, Copling’s books are clean enough for teenage fans of police narratives yet still intriguing enough to captivate suspense readers of any age. He is working on a third crime novel titled, The Noise Before Defeat.
Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares is his first foray into young adult fantasy and serves as the foundation for a seven-book series based on the seven deadly sins. It was born out of an endearing request from his grandson Sage, who asked Copling to write him a book for Christmas. His ultimate goal with this series is to simply write stories that Sage and his brother Nikhil will love reading.
Copling has three sons and five grandchildren. He and his wife of nearly 40 years live in Plano, TX.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 2, 2017
**DISCLAIMER: I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is probably closer to a 3.5 star read for me.
This story is super fast paced! I felt engaged the entire time reading it because it was very action packed! It felt a lot like Percy Jackson in certain aspects with the characters being involved in the fighting of monsters, having to go into something similar to Hell, etc.
I did find some things felt a little unrealistic for me, and I don't mean the fact that there are half angel humans or magic powers, etc. But for example, our main character Sage is 14. In his 14 years he had time to train hard for a while and quit a few years ago before this story begins. It felt like not enough time passed in his life for Sage to be where he was in his irritation with his life/destiny/etc.
Some of the magic also didn't make a lot of sense. The fact that Sage is a destined warrior made it a very easy fix when he does end up having to fight after not training for most of his life essentially - remember he's only 14. If he had been aged up, and quit at 16 and was now 18 that might have been a little less frustrating for me. I also found it convenient that in the alternate hellspace nobody has ever seen, nothing attacks our inexperienced main character(s) unless provoked. That was just too easy in my opinion, especially after Leah so blatantly proves Sage isn't ready right before he goes. I think I would have loved a book of his learning to train before he ever had to go into the Hellspace.
But there were lots of things I did like about this story! Theo was a great character. I absolutely adored him and Sage's grandfather. They are both very endearing. I also found David and Kato hilarious while still being bad ass in their own magic. I loved the teamwork in this story too! All of the battles we see throughout the story were also well crafter, significant, and unique from each other.
Like I said earlier, this book was a very quick read for me! Despite my issues, I found this book to be captivating every time I picked it up. I will be doing a spoiler free review on my channel as well very soon!
This is probably closer to a 3.5 star read for me.
This story is super fast paced! I felt engaged the entire time reading it because it was very action packed! It felt a lot like Percy Jackson in certain aspects with the characters being involved in the fighting of monsters, having to go into something similar to Hell, etc.
I did find some things felt a little unrealistic for me, and I don't mean the fact that there are half angel humans or magic powers, etc. But for example, our main character Sage is 14. In his 14 years he had time to train hard for a while and quit a few years ago before this story begins. It felt like not enough time passed in his life for Sage to be where he was in his irritation with his life/destiny/etc.
Some of the magic also didn't make a lot of sense. The fact that Sage is a destined warrior made it a very easy fix when he does end up having to fight after not training for most of his life essentially - remember he's only 14. If he had been aged up, and quit at 16 and was now 18 that might have been a little less frustrating for me. I also found it convenient that in the alternate hellspace nobody has ever seen, nothing attacks our inexperienced main character(s) unless provoked. That was just too easy in my opinion, especially after Leah so blatantly proves Sage isn't ready right before he goes. I think I would have loved a book of his learning to train before he ever had to go into the Hellspace.
But there were lots of things I did like about this story! Theo was a great character. I absolutely adored him and Sage's grandfather. They are both very endearing. I also found David and Kato hilarious while still being bad ass in their own magic. I loved the teamwork in this story too! All of the battles we see throughout the story were also well crafter, significant, and unique from each other.
Like I said earlier, this book was a very quick read for me! Despite my issues, I found this book to be captivating every time I picked it up. I will be doing a spoiler free review on my channel as well very soon!
April 3, 2017
It's a great read. My 10 year old and 13 year old both loved it. I read it and loved it just as much. Can't wait for the second book!
June 14, 2018
I honestly enjoyed following Sage on his journey to save his father. Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares was a solid start to this series. It was a entertaining journey to follow, although I have to agree with some of the reviews I read, it was very unrealistic at certain parts when you take into account how old Sage actually is in this book. I love how some historical figures were mentioned (like Beowolf and Brothers Grimm), it was something I was not expecting but a pleasant surprise and hope to see more of it in the future books.
January 18, 2018
This book was a surprisingly good read. I did not know what to expect and I'm glad I went into this book blind. This book was very fast paced and kept me interested the whole time. I would continue on with this series.
January 13, 2018
There were some inconsistencies in the text, but overall I was enthralled. I fangirled over this one so hard. I cannot WAIT until the next in the series comes out.
May 30, 2018
**Full review to be found at www.abelleinbookshop.com**
I have a 15 year-old and a soon to be 13 year-old, and I'm constantly on the hunt for fresh mid-grade and YA reads. Stories that move quick and provide fun, books that are diverse and carry a strong message of courage and honor, and reads that are of course - appropriate. It takes a LOT to keep my nearly-teenaged son engaged and interested, in particular. He was late to the reading game due to a learning disability involving short term memory and speech issues, so he'd much rather set up shop in front of YouTube rather than a book. When I can get him to read for pleasure, he much prefers sinking into a graphic novel versus a lofty tome - which is perfectly alright - but I am trying to broaden his horizons just a tad.
We are getting there, summer by summer, and I am hoping that he will continue on with his yearly reading tradition long after he leaves the nest. Reading is so important, and not only for the extended vocabulary it affords you and the personal library you begin to grow. It helps to keep the mind sharp, exercising a muscle if you will, and it opens your world to characters/people you may never have known existed. Where else can you fly away to a camp for demigods or spend the summer at a school for witchcraft and wizardry?
I'd been following the progress of the television production of Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares for a few months when I was approached to take a complimentary novel and have a read. I know that as a reviewer, I am under no obligation to read and/or review the books that are sent to me from publishers and authors, but I always try to get it done - even if it takes a while. My review schedule is set months in advance, as I only do one review per week and there are only 52 slots. I am working this year on pushing more books out on Fridays, but since I am so dedicated to giving each book the proper read-review-social media exposure I can, sometimes this doesn't always happen every week.
The Sage Alexander web series is something I've been keeping an eye on via social media and various local news outlets, both for its targeted age group and its saturation of fantasy. Whenever I can bridge the gap between film and books for my son, I know I've got a fighting chance at getting (and keeping) him intrigued and I knew this series was based off a book. My son relates to film easier than to books for a variety of reasons (one being that his learning disability causes his mind to almost reset itself every few minutes while reading text, which can become a problem when you're trying to recall pertinent details or when there is a gap in between reading sessions) and as a result, if he can watch the characters come to life on-screen first, he has a much easier time wrapping his imagination around the story in the book. Visual learning is imperative for his growth, so I love it when we can enjoy a film and then the book.
Last summer was all about Percy Jackson and the demigod's clumsy exploits and adventures spent while navigating the world of his birthright. I think we watched those two films 100 times last year, all while the temperatures rose over 100 degrees and sucked every bit of happiness out of being out of doors. So, I've been anxiously awaiting this new Sage Alexander series, which seems to have recently wrapped up filming and is set to debut this summer. The mid-grade to teen age group represented is spot-on for my boy and I knew I had to pick up the book soon. Lucky for me, a publicity agent for the book reached out and sent me a review copy at just the right time.
Enough of my blabbering - on to the story.
14 year-old Sage Alexander is a regular kid growing up in a regular town. To the outside eye, at least.
Behind closed doors, he is struggling. He hears voices, sees visions - particularly in the form of Leah, a spirit professing to be his guardian. Following him around night and day and pushing as much training on him as she can, Leah is intent upon teaching Sage everything about his past, present, and future. She believes that he is the warrior that the prophecy speaks of, the one who will save the human race from hell and all of its demons.
But all Sage wants to do is be accepted at school, spend a normal summer playing video games with his brother, and maybe make a friend or two. And every time he has mentioned Leah to his family, they have dragged him off to see another therapist. Hearing voices is apparently never a good thing.
While once upon a time young Sage took pleasure in wielding the ancient and rare weapons a local shopkeeper in town generously bestowed upon him in secret, he has since abandoned his training. When would he ever use a broadsword? When would he ever have an opportunity to throw a Chinese star or slice a demon with a dagger? Never. His town is about as boring as they come, and although Leah insists that he take his physical training up again on top of studying all of the curious tomes she supplies, their pages full to the brim with information about other warriors and their supposed gifts, surely its just a waste of his time.
Until, it isn't.
When Sage discovers that his father's soul has been taken prisoner by one of the dreaded Seven Princes of Hell, he knows he must act. Aided by his grandfather and his trusted companions - a legendary beast of a man named Ronan and a worthy Seer named Theo - Sage will unlock the secrets of his destiny and begin the journey of a lifetime.
Demons walk among humans every day, their treacherous misdeeds weaving into the minds of the innocent like poisoned tentacles. The Seven Princes of Hell are the masters of all that is evil and unkind, and it is up to the Angelic Response Council to use their God-appointed gifts and stop the madness to save mankind. Sage is indeed the boy the prophecy has spoken of, the one who will come to the Council's aide when they fear all is lost, while doing his part to help in the restoration and balance of good in the world. Somehow, he will play an integral part in driving out the overlords of the nefarious and wicked, as well as the darkness their deadly sins bring with them. He will take it upon himself to not only save his father's soul but help to locate the members of the Council who have been long disappeared.
And yes, he's only 14.
Slipping into another dimension against his grandfather's advice, Sage ends up in a kingdom forged from misery. A Hellspace. The place wreaks of greed, sloth, envy, lust. Down a long hallway filled with locked chambers, Sage will find adventure after adventure, but he will also find danger and misguidance. He will find death.
Will Sage be able to withstand the evils of the Princes and fulfill his destiny? Can any of the missing Council members be found, or is all hope lost? Is he really destined to become prey to the worst horrors imaginable, while losing everything that has ever mattered to him in the process?
Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares is written by Steve Copling, a Texas police captain and family man. While new to the world of mid-grade/YA fantasy, he has penned novels before by way of intricately woven crime stories that no doubt have been inspired by his many years on the job in law enforcement and security.
For a debut into the fantasy world, I was very impressed. The mid-grade/YA fantasy genre is saturated with magic, mythical creatures, and quests. It can often be difficult for writers to find their niche and to make themselves stand out or make an impact. Copling, however, has met his mark.
One thread of plot that was sewn into the story was very unique - taking the seven deadly sins, assigning them a face (if you will) and giving them character status. Sage takes on the most basic horror for mankind - the Princes of Hell. And while Sage steps up to the plate and accepts his fate with honor, Copling does not throw the young hero out there alone (as a lot of fantasy books do, leading readers to believe that the heroes simply learn as they go along, do it all on their own, and emerge victorious). Instead, Sage is armed with an educated and willy pack of sidekicks to help him find his own strength and courage. Hero-building is something that I love about mid-grade books. When you can show that age group that things do not come easy and that work must be put in, it helps to teach lessons - even if they don't quite realize what they are being taught at the time. Percy Jackson, anyone?
The book was never preachy, but the underlying Christian theme was there if you were looking for it. There were plenty of Biblical Easter eggs to be found if you know even a little bit about the cornerstones of Christianity. It was apparent that extensive research went into these aspects of the novel, and I enjoyed how Copling pulled from Biblical stories and put his own spin on things.
The language and subject matter was clean and tasteful. The show of morality was there in spades. Very clean cut good versus evil. It was strong and very well-edited, full of action and adventure, and left the door open for so much more to come. Some of the magic was a little hazy, especially when it came to the gifts bestowed upon the Council members. I had a hard time remembering who was gifted with what and what that particular gift did, and spent some time thumbing back to the first few chapters of the book to remind myself. The time-traveling aspect did have a few holes, but hey - it's a fantasy book, so a lot of creative license is given.
All in all, I give Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares 4 out of 5 stars, and recommend it to children ages 10+. This is the epitome of a good summer read for children and young adults, and for parents looking to introduce their children to themes such as good versus evil, coming of age, and overcoming the odds. Junior readers who enjoy Tolkien and Percy Jackson will be satisfied with the quest storyline, and will also enjoy the use of archaic weapons and revered fighting styles. Female readers will not be left out as there is strong and intelligent companion for young Sage Alexander to look up to and fight alongside.
(As we all know, Harry would have died in Book 1 without Hermione.)
A great adventure for young readers, and the story continues in the recently released Sage Alexander and The Blood of Seth.
I have a 15 year-old and a soon to be 13 year-old, and I'm constantly on the hunt for fresh mid-grade and YA reads. Stories that move quick and provide fun, books that are diverse and carry a strong message of courage and honor, and reads that are of course - appropriate. It takes a LOT to keep my nearly-teenaged son engaged and interested, in particular. He was late to the reading game due to a learning disability involving short term memory and speech issues, so he'd much rather set up shop in front of YouTube rather than a book. When I can get him to read for pleasure, he much prefers sinking into a graphic novel versus a lofty tome - which is perfectly alright - but I am trying to broaden his horizons just a tad.
We are getting there, summer by summer, and I am hoping that he will continue on with his yearly reading tradition long after he leaves the nest. Reading is so important, and not only for the extended vocabulary it affords you and the personal library you begin to grow. It helps to keep the mind sharp, exercising a muscle if you will, and it opens your world to characters/people you may never have known existed. Where else can you fly away to a camp for demigods or spend the summer at a school for witchcraft and wizardry?
I'd been following the progress of the television production of Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares for a few months when I was approached to take a complimentary novel and have a read. I know that as a reviewer, I am under no obligation to read and/or review the books that are sent to me from publishers and authors, but I always try to get it done - even if it takes a while. My review schedule is set months in advance, as I only do one review per week and there are only 52 slots. I am working this year on pushing more books out on Fridays, but since I am so dedicated to giving each book the proper read-review-social media exposure I can, sometimes this doesn't always happen every week.
The Sage Alexander web series is something I've been keeping an eye on via social media and various local news outlets, both for its targeted age group and its saturation of fantasy. Whenever I can bridge the gap between film and books for my son, I know I've got a fighting chance at getting (and keeping) him intrigued and I knew this series was based off a book. My son relates to film easier than to books for a variety of reasons (one being that his learning disability causes his mind to almost reset itself every few minutes while reading text, which can become a problem when you're trying to recall pertinent details or when there is a gap in between reading sessions) and as a result, if he can watch the characters come to life on-screen first, he has a much easier time wrapping his imagination around the story in the book. Visual learning is imperative for his growth, so I love it when we can enjoy a film and then the book.
Last summer was all about Percy Jackson and the demigod's clumsy exploits and adventures spent while navigating the world of his birthright. I think we watched those two films 100 times last year, all while the temperatures rose over 100 degrees and sucked every bit of happiness out of being out of doors. So, I've been anxiously awaiting this new Sage Alexander series, which seems to have recently wrapped up filming and is set to debut this summer. The mid-grade to teen age group represented is spot-on for my boy and I knew I had to pick up the book soon. Lucky for me, a publicity agent for the book reached out and sent me a review copy at just the right time.
Enough of my blabbering - on to the story.
14 year-old Sage Alexander is a regular kid growing up in a regular town. To the outside eye, at least.
Behind closed doors, he is struggling. He hears voices, sees visions - particularly in the form of Leah, a spirit professing to be his guardian. Following him around night and day and pushing as much training on him as she can, Leah is intent upon teaching Sage everything about his past, present, and future. She believes that he is the warrior that the prophecy speaks of, the one who will save the human race from hell and all of its demons.
But all Sage wants to do is be accepted at school, spend a normal summer playing video games with his brother, and maybe make a friend or two. And every time he has mentioned Leah to his family, they have dragged him off to see another therapist. Hearing voices is apparently never a good thing.
While once upon a time young Sage took pleasure in wielding the ancient and rare weapons a local shopkeeper in town generously bestowed upon him in secret, he has since abandoned his training. When would he ever use a broadsword? When would he ever have an opportunity to throw a Chinese star or slice a demon with a dagger? Never. His town is about as boring as they come, and although Leah insists that he take his physical training up again on top of studying all of the curious tomes she supplies, their pages full to the brim with information about other warriors and their supposed gifts, surely its just a waste of his time.
Until, it isn't.
When Sage discovers that his father's soul has been taken prisoner by one of the dreaded Seven Princes of Hell, he knows he must act. Aided by his grandfather and his trusted companions - a legendary beast of a man named Ronan and a worthy Seer named Theo - Sage will unlock the secrets of his destiny and begin the journey of a lifetime.
Demons walk among humans every day, their treacherous misdeeds weaving into the minds of the innocent like poisoned tentacles. The Seven Princes of Hell are the masters of all that is evil and unkind, and it is up to the Angelic Response Council to use their God-appointed gifts and stop the madness to save mankind. Sage is indeed the boy the prophecy has spoken of, the one who will come to the Council's aide when they fear all is lost, while doing his part to help in the restoration and balance of good in the world. Somehow, he will play an integral part in driving out the overlords of the nefarious and wicked, as well as the darkness their deadly sins bring with them. He will take it upon himself to not only save his father's soul but help to locate the members of the Council who have been long disappeared.
And yes, he's only 14.
Slipping into another dimension against his grandfather's advice, Sage ends up in a kingdom forged from misery. A Hellspace. The place wreaks of greed, sloth, envy, lust. Down a long hallway filled with locked chambers, Sage will find adventure after adventure, but he will also find danger and misguidance. He will find death.
Will Sage be able to withstand the evils of the Princes and fulfill his destiny? Can any of the missing Council members be found, or is all hope lost? Is he really destined to become prey to the worst horrors imaginable, while losing everything that has ever mattered to him in the process?
Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares is written by Steve Copling, a Texas police captain and family man. While new to the world of mid-grade/YA fantasy, he has penned novels before by way of intricately woven crime stories that no doubt have been inspired by his many years on the job in law enforcement and security.
For a debut into the fantasy world, I was very impressed. The mid-grade/YA fantasy genre is saturated with magic, mythical creatures, and quests. It can often be difficult for writers to find their niche and to make themselves stand out or make an impact. Copling, however, has met his mark.
One thread of plot that was sewn into the story was very unique - taking the seven deadly sins, assigning them a face (if you will) and giving them character status. Sage takes on the most basic horror for mankind - the Princes of Hell. And while Sage steps up to the plate and accepts his fate with honor, Copling does not throw the young hero out there alone (as a lot of fantasy books do, leading readers to believe that the heroes simply learn as they go along, do it all on their own, and emerge victorious). Instead, Sage is armed with an educated and willy pack of sidekicks to help him find his own strength and courage. Hero-building is something that I love about mid-grade books. When you can show that age group that things do not come easy and that work must be put in, it helps to teach lessons - even if they don't quite realize what they are being taught at the time. Percy Jackson, anyone?
The book was never preachy, but the underlying Christian theme was there if you were looking for it. There were plenty of Biblical Easter eggs to be found if you know even a little bit about the cornerstones of Christianity. It was apparent that extensive research went into these aspects of the novel, and I enjoyed how Copling pulled from Biblical stories and put his own spin on things.
The language and subject matter was clean and tasteful. The show of morality was there in spades. Very clean cut good versus evil. It was strong and very well-edited, full of action and adventure, and left the door open for so much more to come. Some of the magic was a little hazy, especially when it came to the gifts bestowed upon the Council members. I had a hard time remembering who was gifted with what and what that particular gift did, and spent some time thumbing back to the first few chapters of the book to remind myself. The time-traveling aspect did have a few holes, but hey - it's a fantasy book, so a lot of creative license is given.
All in all, I give Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares 4 out of 5 stars, and recommend it to children ages 10+. This is the epitome of a good summer read for children and young adults, and for parents looking to introduce their children to themes such as good versus evil, coming of age, and overcoming the odds. Junior readers who enjoy Tolkien and Percy Jackson will be satisfied with the quest storyline, and will also enjoy the use of archaic weapons and revered fighting styles. Female readers will not be left out as there is strong and intelligent companion for young Sage Alexander to look up to and fight alongside.
(As we all know, Harry would have died in Book 1 without Hermione.)
A great adventure for young readers, and the story continues in the recently released Sage Alexander and The Blood of Seth.
February 1, 2018
3.5 I had a very mixed experience of this book. My interest in it really seemed to fluctuate, perhaps just because of the length and my shitty attention span. I liked Sage as a main character as well as the characters he knows and meets along the way. I also like when characters already know they have powers and stuff before the action starts (like in this book) rather than the "Oh! I didn't even realize I could make a class wall disappear and release a snake with my mind!" approach. So, maybe it was the story that really lost me at times. I dunno.
May 16, 2017
4.25 Stars
May 16, 2017
Very fun read
June 20, 2017
Alright...where should I start.
So after reading the author's bio I could where he was coming from in terms of writing.
To make matters short, writing books for adults is a different beast than writing YA. Also, there's the magic thing.
It's kind of funny how obvious it is to tell who has not written fantasy before.
But I am getting a little ahead of myself.
Let's get started with the YA vs Adult story style. There were way too many insignificant details. I don't care about copious amounts of details on relationships and what people look like. I don't need random mythology facts that has nothing to do with the current situation. If all of the information was removed, at least 10 pages will be removed from the book?
However it was quite hilarious that I was in the dark about Ronan for so long. I didn't understand why he was friends with Sage's grandfather, how old he was, ect. I even went back in his first appearance
Also there are weird repetitions at the end of a chapter. I know it is for dramatic effect but it's kind of dumb.
Ex: "blah blah blah Jack the Ripper!" exclaimed Sage. "Jake the Ripper!"
I don't know the exact wording but that was the end of a chapter. It happened at least twice and I rolled my eyes both times.
Now the bigger issue, the magic.
I'm all up for making your own magic system BUT STAY CONSISTENT IN YOUR OWN SYSTEM. And explain it. Sage might understand the magical powers of this world but the audience doesn't.
There was a scene early on where Leah and Sage Memory Share. Later on Sage needs to go to a special location to do a Memory Share. Why? It was not addressed. Sure Leah is a guardian angel but it never stated that she was exempt from that rule.
Also the Council. At first I thought it was all angels from above but apparently they aren't I found out at the end.
And apparently everyone speaks English, even people from ancient Africa.
Also there is the whole time travel thing.
What in the world is going on there.
Like they changed the past. That would have affected the future. Like what. Did these people "disappear" in history or were they living their lives until the point that Sage saved them?
Yeah. Time travel always adds a layer of complicated.
I guess I'll end the review with a few comments on the characters.
There really isn't much to say?
There were characters, they did their thing. I don't really have any comments to say.
I was disappointed that the two "Might" powered characters were dudes. Come on now, guys are known for their strength but still. Also...a jawbone? Was he using it like a brass knuckle? I'm confused.
And now for the big thing that annoys me the most.
That insta-love.
Sure it seemed to be only Sage to Elsbeth and it seemed to be one-sided due to to the Memory Share but no. NOPE. Enough with this.
Will I check out the next book? Probably not. There wasn't enough to keep me interested.
May 27, 2017
Sage is a VERY impressive first effort in this genre for author Steve Copling. The world he constructs is fascinating and the mythological, biblical and historic references he brings together integrate well and provide a complex mirror of ourselves that young readers will enjoy and mature readers will appreciate. Just plain cool.
September 13, 2019
This has potential, as a story, to be 3 stars or maybe four. It reads however as though never reviewed by a professional editor - it is difficult to make it past the first page. Shame on the publication house.
January 23, 2020
I probably would have really enjoyed this book when I was younger. It’s really dense, and in my opinion quite a bit could have been chopped. I haven’t read more of the series yet though so maybe there’s a reason for some of those bits being in it. It is a creative story and I enjoyed the action. The characters are kinda flat and there’s not very good dialogue but I partially think that’s probably like that because of the target audience. I’d assume that stuff would probably be an after thought if this was just being written for grandsons and then later turned into actual books.
I’m not sure if i’ll read more of the series or not. I’m vaguely interested in what happens but it wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t ever get around to reading more. Plus I hate waiting on books to come out so maybe in a few years i’ll read the rest.
I’m not sure if i’ll read more of the series or not. I’m vaguely interested in what happens but it wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t ever get around to reading more. Plus I hate waiting on books to come out so maybe in a few years i’ll read the rest.
September 24, 2017
DNF at page 205.
I tried to finish this book because I wanted to have a clear sense of why I didn't like it. But I couldn't make it to the end.
I tried to finish this book because I wanted to have a clear sense of why I didn't like it. But I couldn't make it to the end.
March 16, 2018
Interesting concept. Some holes within the abilities Sage gains, especially the teleportation. I wonder how some of the council members lived while others died.
September 7, 2020
It was an interesting world. Definitely aimed at a younger audience.
September 24, 2020
Fabulous adventure. Very Percy Jackson excitement with clean language, whicg I love for YA.
September 8, 2018
I received this book from Innersight Entertainment in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If I were to describe Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares in two words, they would be - origin story. It really did feel like I was reading the origin story for a superhero and his band of heroes. There were many elements to this that felt very origin-story/Percy Jackson vibes going off. For one thing, we have a young boy who's pretty resistant at the beginning of the story to his destiny and the powers in which he's been bestowed to save the world. We have a pretty girl who's more than just a pretty face - she can keep up with the best of our heroes. We've got some pretty great side heroes (notice I don't use the word "sidekick" - these are definitely not those). And this book seems to really set up the cast of characters that would be heavily featured in the subsequent novels to the series (I'm making an educated, well-read reader's assumption here).
I thought that the pace of the story was quick and well-matched to the adventure and action that took place. Unlike other "origin stories", Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares jumps right into the story - with a few explanation along the way - and I liked that about the story. I get impatient in stories that take forever to give you the introductions needed for the story to pick up. Here, we're swept away in different dimensions and you learn to figure out the characters as you go along.
There are a multitude of stories, mythical creatures, historical figures, and legends thrown into the mix here. You get a bit of the Greek myths, English saga figures, and modern technology. And while one might think it was a strange mix and cast of elements, it worked surprisingly well together.
I found myself enjoying this novel more than I had expected upon first reading of the synopsis. I was a little unsure about the whole Seven Princes of Hell aspect of it, but I got caught up in the story and found myself finishing it in no time. This is a series worth reading and looking into if you like Percy Jackson, Greek mythology, adventure, action and science fiction/fantasy.
If I were to describe Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares in two words, they would be - origin story. It really did feel like I was reading the origin story for a superhero and his band of heroes. There were many elements to this that felt very origin-story/Percy Jackson vibes going off. For one thing, we have a young boy who's pretty resistant at the beginning of the story to his destiny and the powers in which he's been bestowed to save the world. We have a pretty girl who's more than just a pretty face - she can keep up with the best of our heroes. We've got some pretty great side heroes (notice I don't use the word "sidekick" - these are definitely not those). And this book seems to really set up the cast of characters that would be heavily featured in the subsequent novels to the series (I'm making an educated, well-read reader's assumption here).
I thought that the pace of the story was quick and well-matched to the adventure and action that took place. Unlike other "origin stories", Sage Alexander and the Hall of Nightmares jumps right into the story - with a few explanation along the way - and I liked that about the story. I get impatient in stories that take forever to give you the introductions needed for the story to pick up. Here, we're swept away in different dimensions and you learn to figure out the characters as you go along.
There are a multitude of stories, mythical creatures, historical figures, and legends thrown into the mix here. You get a bit of the Greek myths, English saga figures, and modern technology. And while one might think it was a strange mix and cast of elements, it worked surprisingly well together.
I found myself enjoying this novel more than I had expected upon first reading of the synopsis. I was a little unsure about the whole Seven Princes of Hell aspect of it, but I got caught up in the story and found myself finishing it in no time. This is a series worth reading and looking into if you like Percy Jackson, Greek mythology, adventure, action and science fiction/fantasy.
April 17, 2020
Out of the first three books I think I liked this one the best so far. What was particularly intriguing to me was the exemplification of how a particular sin has an effect on a person and ripples out into others and the world. As a parent of a young adult, I feel it is edifying to my teen to experience this through a thrilling story.
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