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A review by brandypainter
The Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos
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.