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novelyon's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
christajls's review against another edition
4.0
This review originally posted at More Than Just Magic
When I was first contacted about The Planet Thieves I was told it was “Star Trek meets Rick Riordan.” I didn’t need to read any further to know this was a book I needed to read. And it was exactly as described. The Planet Thieves is without a doubt, very similar to Star Trek. Remember that Star Trek episode, “The Game” guest staring Ashley Judd? Where all the adults are incapacitated so Wesley saves the day? Combine that with one of Kirk’s crazier adventures, throw in a inter planetary war and you have this book.
The Planet Thieves is an incredibly action packed read. Things happen fast but I never felt like I was struggling to keep up. Krokos kept the pacing steady and smooth. So even though there was a constant sense of urgency to the events unfolding on page, everything was always very clear. This book has already been optioned for a movie by Warner Brothers and HeyDay Films and I can’t wait to see some of the action sequenes on the big screen!
But it wasn’t just the action that made The Planet Thieves enjoyable. It was also the characters. In particular Mason Stark. Mason is just a cadet. A young kid, barely trained, but some heavy responsibility falls on his shoulders. And he bears it well. But I liked that he struggled, and I liked that he second guessed himself. He was amazing but he was also just a regular thirteen year old boy. I also really liked Tom. In the beginning he’s very serious and rule oriented. He clashed with Mason a lot, as they had very differemt personalities. But they had to overcome those differences and learn to work together and I found that aspect of the story especially encouraging.
I think older readers of this series, who also happen to be Star Trek fans (like me) may be a little irked by some of the blatant similarities between The Planet Thieves and Star Trek. For example the enemy warrior race – The Tremist fly a ship called a Hawk which is even described as “a bird circling her prey.” Sounds an awful lot like Klingons and their ship, a Bird of Prey. But that being said, I don’t think this will be a problem for the target audience of this novel – middle grade readers. I think it’s a safe bet they will be more focused on the action and adventure of this novel instead of similiarities to a show their parents may or may not have watched.
Recommendation: A thrilling, exciting start to a new series. Great for fans of Star Trek, Ender’s Game and Star Wars: Clone Wars.
When I was first contacted about The Planet Thieves I was told it was “Star Trek meets Rick Riordan.” I didn’t need to read any further to know this was a book I needed to read. And it was exactly as described. The Planet Thieves is without a doubt, very similar to Star Trek. Remember that Star Trek episode, “The Game” guest staring Ashley Judd? Where all the adults are incapacitated so Wesley saves the day? Combine that with one of Kirk’s crazier adventures, throw in a inter planetary war and you have this book.
The Planet Thieves is an incredibly action packed read. Things happen fast but I never felt like I was struggling to keep up. Krokos kept the pacing steady and smooth. So even though there was a constant sense of urgency to the events unfolding on page, everything was always very clear. This book has already been optioned for a movie by Warner Brothers and HeyDay Films and I can’t wait to see some of the action sequenes on the big screen!
But it wasn’t just the action that made The Planet Thieves enjoyable. It was also the characters. In particular Mason Stark. Mason is just a cadet. A young kid, barely trained, but some heavy responsibility falls on his shoulders. And he bears it well. But I liked that he struggled, and I liked that he second guessed himself. He was amazing but he was also just a regular thirteen year old boy. I also really liked Tom. In the beginning he’s very serious and rule oriented. He clashed with Mason a lot, as they had very differemt personalities. But they had to overcome those differences and learn to work together and I found that aspect of the story especially encouraging.
I think older readers of this series, who also happen to be Star Trek fans (like me) may be a little irked by some of the blatant similarities between The Planet Thieves and Star Trek. For example the enemy warrior race – The Tremist fly a ship called a Hawk which is even described as “a bird circling her prey.” Sounds an awful lot like Klingons and their ship, a Bird of Prey. But that being said, I don’t think this will be a problem for the target audience of this novel – middle grade readers. I think it’s a safe bet they will be more focused on the action and adventure of this novel instead of similiarities to a show their parents may or may not have watched.
Recommendation: A thrilling, exciting start to a new series. Great for fans of Star Trek, Ender’s Game and Star Wars: Clone Wars.
brandypainter's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
Traditionally the books of the inter-galactic battles and alien politics a la Star Trek have not been my thing. At all. That seems to be changing though. I'm becoming more enamored with them, and The Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos was such a book that grabbed my attention instantly and held it all the way to the end.
The Planet Thieves makes use of that most popular of MG literary devices: something goes horribly wrong and it is up to the kids to save the day, the universe, and the adults. There is a reason this device is so popular. It works. Kids love this idea. Krokos made good use of it in this book and turned out a story full of adventure, peril, and intrigue. There are great battles, one on one combat, and the greater conflict of negotiating a high stakes adult situation as inexperienced youngsters. The concept of warring species fighting over the same world is not a new one either, but Krokos gives it a fresh voice and some delightful spins.
The character development is a bit sketchy. There is so much action going on from the very first page that there is not much space for it. Mason is certainly a likeable hero, one who also has his fair share of faults. And he does grow over the course of the book from a reckless prankster to a strong leader. His character certainly shines out above the rest. I did thoroughly enjoy the supporting cast, but felt like many of them were there as plot devices rather than actual people. This is the case with Mason's best friend Merrin. I wanted to see her fleshed out more. She is integral to the story and yet I never really got a full sense of who she was as a person. I'm hoping this will be different with the second book.
The Planet Thieves is an exciting adventure story perfect for anyone interested in this type of story. I know several of my students will love it. It is the first in a series. The second book is scheduled for 2014.
Traditionally the books of the inter-galactic battles and alien politics a la Star Trek have not been my thing. At all. That seems to be changing though. I'm becoming more enamored with them, and The Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos was such a book that grabbed my attention instantly and held it all the way to the end.
The Planet Thieves makes use of that most popular of MG literary devices: something goes horribly wrong and it is up to the kids to save the day, the universe, and the adults. There is a reason this device is so popular. It works. Kids love this idea. Krokos made good use of it in this book and turned out a story full of adventure, peril, and intrigue. There are great battles, one on one combat, and the greater conflict of negotiating a high stakes adult situation as inexperienced youngsters. The concept of warring species fighting over the same world is not a new one either, but Krokos gives it a fresh voice and some delightful spins.
The character development is a bit sketchy. There is so much action going on from the very first page that there is not much space for it. Mason is certainly a likeable hero, one who also has his fair share of faults. And he does grow over the course of the book from a reckless prankster to a strong leader. His character certainly shines out above the rest. I did thoroughly enjoy the supporting cast, but felt like many of them were there as plot devices rather than actual people. This is the case with Mason's best friend Merrin. I wanted to see her fleshed out more. She is integral to the story and yet I never really got a full sense of who she was as a person. I'm hoping this will be different with the second book.
The Planet Thieves is an exciting adventure story perfect for anyone interested in this type of story. I know several of my students will love it. It is the first in a series. The second book is scheduled for 2014.
beforemyway's review against another edition
3.0
It took a few tries, but i finished it, the book got better towards the end
shicklin's review against another edition
4.0
Great book--the action never stopped, and it was full of plot twists--I stayed up reading it past when I should have slept. A couple of times I would have liked things to slow down just a little bit to develop more of the story--it definitely leads right into a sequel. Very clean and appropriate. I would not hesitate to let Eli read this.
starknits13's review against another edition
3.0
This book was very interesting! I enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to the next!
rebeccawolfe's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars, maybe 5, for kid appeal.
You know how a 10-year-old will tell a story - breathless, going from one improbable event to another? That's this book. But somehow it works. It feels like a movie. Nonstop action, some humor. No bad language. Most of the violence is off-screen and/or sanitized. This could be really big, I think.
You know how a 10-year-old will tell a story - breathless, going from one improbable event to another? That's this book. But somehow it works. It feels like a movie. Nonstop action, some humor. No bad language. Most of the violence is off-screen and/or sanitized. This could be really big, I think.
froggylibrarian1's review against another edition
4.0
I really like science fiction...yes I am a nerd or geek or whatever it is. I am a Trekkie - not so much a Star Wars fan. It really doesn't seem that there is much space science fiction for Middle School readers besides all the Star Wars novels. The Planet Thieves fits the bill. The book is obviously influenced by Star Trek - the uniforms, the description of the bridge, the mission; Star Wars - the sword that Mason creates, the Tremist uniforms; and other space books and shows. I liked it.
Mason Stark and other cadets are on the ship The Egypt as part of their training during a break in their school. The ESC and an alien race Tremist have been at war for many years and are currently racing to control a planet that would be suitable for both races who are running out of living space on their home planets. After the Tremist board and overtake The Egypt and seize control of a "gate" that will allow them to effectively move a planet to another location Mason and the cadets find themselves in charge and the only ones left who can save the world.
The book was full of adventure, suspense, good characterization and relationships, and not too much violence. I understand a movie is in the works which will play well with Ender'sGame but not quite as disturbing and violent. I felt it was a really good book that fills a void - at least in my library. There were some things left hanging at the end which means a sequel may be in the works but the book stands alone well.
Mason Stark and other cadets are on the ship The Egypt as part of their training during a break in their school. The ESC and an alien race Tremist have been at war for many years and are currently racing to control a planet that would be suitable for both races who are running out of living space on their home planets. After the Tremist board and overtake The Egypt and seize control of a "gate" that will allow them to effectively move a planet to another location Mason and the cadets find themselves in charge and the only ones left who can save the world.
The book was full of adventure, suspense, good characterization and relationships, and not too much violence. I understand a movie is in the works which will play well with Ender'sGame but not quite as disturbing and violent. I felt it was a really good book that fills a void - at least in my library. There were some things left hanging at the end which means a sequel may be in the works but the book stands alone well.
snazel's review against another edition
2.0
That was cool, but it just wasn't my deal. So much death, lots of telling-not-showing, and the second book in a row which tilted more fantasy than sf. I think my brother would like it, though!
thistlechaser's review against another edition
2.0
I can't remember the last time I did such a 180 on a book.
The story started out great: A space ship full of a regular crew and a team of cadets getting their first chance to go into space is attacked by an alien enemy. This enemy has refused all attempts at contact in the past, and seems bent only on destroying humanity. The writing seemed realistic and exciting at this point.
Then, maybe 40% into the book, we learned the cadets were all 8-13 years old. That made me frowny, as their actions thus far seemed very mature and experienced -- I would have bought them in the 18-22 range, with all the schooling and ground-training a crew getting ready to go into space would have by that point.
Then every single adult on the ship was killed, and these children had to take over the ship. Based on one single class about how all Earth spaceships work, these 8-13 year olds were not just successfully able to fly the ship, they took it into battle.
Up until this point in the book's history, no one had won a fight against the aliens. These kids beat a boarding party of more than a dozen of them...
*spoiler below*
Then we learned that these horrible aliens weren't so alien at all. The aliens wore armor over their bodies, so it wasn't until the kids killed them that they could look inside. The aliens looked 100% human, except with purple hair and purple eyes. At this point I knew the story was going to do a "they were never aliens, they were just humans that somehow got cut off from the rest of humanity" thing, and I was right.
At the 60% or so point, I started skimming, then I skipped to the end to read the last chapter. Everything I had guessed was right, and I had wished I had stopped reading it sooner.
The story started out great: A space ship full of a regular crew and a team of cadets getting their first chance to go into space is attacked by an alien enemy. This enemy has refused all attempts at contact in the past, and seems bent only on destroying humanity. The writing seemed realistic and exciting at this point.
Then, maybe 40% into the book, we learned the cadets were all 8-13 years old. That made me frowny, as their actions thus far seemed very mature and experienced -- I would have bought them in the 18-22 range, with all the schooling and ground-training a crew getting ready to go into space would have by that point.
Then every single adult on the ship was killed, and these children had to take over the ship. Based on one single class about how all Earth spaceships work, these 8-13 year olds were not just successfully able to fly the ship, they took it into battle.
Up until this point in the book's history, no one had won a fight against the aliens. These kids beat a boarding party of more than a dozen of them...
*spoiler below*
Then we learned that these horrible aliens weren't so alien at all. The aliens wore armor over their bodies, so it wasn't until the kids killed them that they could look inside. The aliens looked 100% human, except with purple hair and purple eyes. At this point I knew the story was going to do a "they were never aliens, they were just humans that somehow got cut off from the rest of humanity" thing, and I was right.
At the 60% or so point, I started skimming, then I skipped to the end to read the last chapter. Everything I had guessed was right, and I had wished I had stopped reading it sooner.