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franklin_1105's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
ricksilva's review against another edition
2.0
The Kiddo (my son, currently in second grade) brought this home from the school library and we read it together, with no previous experience with this series.
It was easy to jump into. There is a clear formula, with a beast to be defeated and a magic item (parts of a suit of golden armor) to be retrieved in each book, leading to a final confrontation with the villain, who holds the hero's mentor hostage.
The hero's name is Tom, and he is accompanied by his friend Elenna, and their animal companions, a horse named storm and a wolf named Silver (because if those had been the other way around, the Lone Ranger might have taken issue).
v(two-headed!) snake-man Vipero has taken up residence in a scorching desert and managed to make it, well, even more scorching than usual. After being imperiled by thirst and some tense negotiations with some villagers, Tom and Elenna track down (literally; he leaves a distinctive snake-trail in the sand) Vipero and we get a three-chapter fight scene before wrapping up any loose ends.
Everything here had a clearly intentional video game or rpg vibe. There is the highly structured quest, the items with their very specific powers, magical healing, and the beast as the "boss" challenge to finish the chapter. There is even a set of trading cards with item and character statistics included. My son enjoys this type of structure and it adds an element of fun while making the worldbuilding approachable.
The battle with Vipero was fast-paced and had good back-and-forth momentum shifts and exciting moments. There is some gore here, by the way. Apparently in the previous series, Tom was defeating the beasts and saving them from control by the forces of darkness. In this series, the rules are clearly stated upfront. These monsters have to be killed.
Although my son liked the action and the monster, I was disappointed to find that Tom and Elenna don't really have much in the way of personality beyond "hero" and "sidekick".
I was also disappointed to see the tired sexist trope of the female character knocked out moments into the fight so that the male hero can have a solo battle. Really? People are still writing fight scenes that do this? Really? My only hope is that maybe Elenna gets to do more elsewhere in the series.
It was easy to jump into. There is a clear formula, with a beast to be defeated and a magic item (parts of a suit of golden armor) to be retrieved in each book, leading to a final confrontation with the villain, who holds the hero's mentor hostage.
The hero's name is Tom, and he is accompanied by his friend Elenna, and their animal companions, a horse named storm and a wolf named Silver (because if those had been the other way around, the Lone Ranger might have taken issue).
v(two-headed!) snake-man Vipero has taken up residence in a scorching desert and managed to make it, well, even more scorching than usual. After being imperiled by thirst and some tense negotiations with some villagers, Tom and Elenna track down (literally; he leaves a distinctive snake-trail in the sand) Vipero and we get a three-chapter fight scene before wrapping up any loose ends.
Everything here had a clearly intentional video game or rpg vibe. There is the highly structured quest, the items with their very specific powers, magical healing, and the beast as the "boss" challenge to finish the chapter. There is even a set of trading cards with item and character statistics included. My son enjoys this type of structure and it adds an element of fun while making the worldbuilding approachable.
The battle with Vipero was fast-paced and had good back-and-forth momentum shifts and exciting moments. There is some gore here, by the way. Apparently in the previous series, Tom was defeating the beasts and saving them from control by the forces of darkness. In this series, the rules are clearly stated upfront. These monsters have to be killed.
Although my son liked the action and the monster, I was disappointed to find that Tom and Elenna don't really have much in the way of personality beyond "hero" and "sidekick".
I was also disappointed to see the tired sexist trope of the female character knocked out moments into the fight so that the male hero can have a solo battle. Really? People are still writing fight scenes that do this? Really? My only hope is that maybe Elenna gets to do more elsewhere in the series.
lisadee's review against another edition
3.0
My feelings toward this book are based solely on the creature in this one. A two headed, giant snake? No thank you. I would never have read this one except my son really enjoys this series. Our series re aloud continues despite my misgivings.
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