I'm not sure what I think about this book. I sit here and feel that there is so much to ponder beyond what was written. The story itself is fast paced and you must pay attention for one thing happens after another in a perfect harmony. The characters are great and lovable, while the villains are very much the opposite as should be. I can tell from reading this story that there is so much more in Ted's mind of what is going on and I'm curious about more related books to see what more I can delve from this world. It appears that there is more than one world, and more than one series that connects and I'm curious to learn more. ( )

I'm not sure what I think about this book. I sit here and feel that there is so much to ponder beyond what was written. The story itself is fast paced and you must pay attention for one thing happens after another in a perfect harmony. The characters are great and lovable, while the villains are very much the opposite as should be. I can tell from reading this story that there is so much more in Ted's mind of what is going on and I'm curious about more related books to see what more I can delve from this world. It appears that there is more than one world, and more than one series that connects and I'm curious to learn more. ( )

Johnis has already been overlooked for the Forest Guard, a group of soldiers fighting for their lives against the Horde, who have lately started allowing younger fighters join their ranks. Twenty-four contestants are trying to prove to their leader, Thomas Hunter, that they have what it takes to lead in the Guard, but Johnis is able to "think with his heart" and fool them all. Thomas sends him and three others who proved themselves in the contest - Darsal, Silvie, and Billos - to the desert with a task: bring back four, whole cacti by sundown. They will have to work together to do it, but seem more interested in bickering.

Readers of the Circle Trilogy may recognize Thomas Hunter's name - this is set between the first and second books in that series and, yes, involves the Books of the Histories. It's been a few years since I read the series, so I had a little trouble fitting the chronology together. Though fast-paced, I thought the writing and character development left much to be desired. In writing for teens, Dekker tells, and rather repetitively at that, instead of letting the reader piece things together or describing a change in a character's thinking in a way that didn't beat you over the head with it. I might read the second book but have yet to be convinced that I need to read the whole series. ( )

This book was really good. It was the first book in the series I read and since it's right in the middle of the series, I was a little confused at first, but it didn't take long to catch on. ( )

This book is set in the future nearly two thousand years. It is a story of good vs. evil with the roles not cut and dry. Young Johnis is faced with adult challenges and must save the world. This is a must read for teenagers, and i look forward to reading on in the series. ( )