TYLER VANHUYSE’s Reviews > The Navigator > Status Update

The Grim Captain, a once sinful seafarer now driven by redemption for his unknown crime, comes in clutch. And, given the fact that I had never heard reference to him prior (I would remember such an odd addition to the cast), we have yet another deus ex machina- he enters stage right, scaring the bad guys away and saving the heroes just in time.

Halfway through Chapter 12 and there’s either an oversight in the plot or I missed Owen and the Sun-Commandant having a conversation about a memory Owen say on the Skywalk. I’ll air on the side of my own fault, but there’s also another rather unbelievable plot point in Chapter 12 that takes the cake, and makes me question the narration quite a bit, at least that’s how it feels for me.

For a book that submerges the reader in the thick of the plot immediately, I feel like I know very little about Owen’s purpose; that wouldn’t necessarily be bad, but it makes following Owen a bit aimless and weakens the suspense a bit, for me. But there’s still suspense and I’ll reserve overall judgement until the end.

The book’s plot and writing have middled between interesting and boring; I wouldn’t say it’s all that captivating for a children’s book, but I appreciate the concept so far and McNamee has built a suspenseful and exciting world. Whether he will deliver remains to be seen as the action seems to be beginning.