Z. Altug

This is a really fun book for kids. The story is told from the first-person POV of the main character, Orion Spence, who is 10 years old. The voice that narrates this book matches that of a 10-year old as well, making this book easily accessible to such an audience. I found some parts of this book to be quite clever, like the notion of Donkey Island (certainly wouldn't mind having that in real life) or a house that looked like a pinecone.

I have to admit, I'm rather partial to pumpkin pie and show more orange cats, so seeing them being so treasured on Patalosh was a real treat for me, although that's not what made this book so overall enjoyable. (There's even a recipe for pumpkin pie in here. Yum!)

This book is a combination of sci fi and fantasy, though both are brought to an level that is appropriate for 10-year olds. There is also some historical trivia thrown in here, though again, at an age-appropriate level, so it's easily accessible to kids and manages to be interesting without being overwhelming. I also liked the illustrations in here, particularly for Sir K as he was such a main character in the story that having that illustration definitely helped since he is not quite human.

The spells in here are relatively easy to understand, and come in various colors and are referred to as such - pink spell, brown spell, and so on, instead of being Latin-inspired like you would find in Harry Potter, or needing complex incantations like you'd find in other fantasy novels. Within the story, there is a list of the colors and spells they correspond to, so you understand the magic that is being used.

Some of the things in here may come across as cheesy, like for example, Daagerd's castle is called 'The Ice Castle of Fire'. Whether this was intentional or not, I still found it cheesy yet amusing.

There is quite the twist near the ending, and I was genuinely surprised by it. I won't say what it is, but I definitely hope that it is explored more in a later story, as it revolves around Daaggerd. The ending of this book hints at more, and should the author write a sequel, I would be happy to read it! show less

Want a great time travel book that pushes learning about different cultures? This is the book for you. The day after Orion’s birthday he finds himself alone. His parents have been kidnapped. He will have to travel to different continents, solve seven riddles and keep the evil Emperor Daaggerd, who kidnapped his parents from getting his hands on “The Ancient Book of Secrets”. He has several trusty friends who are willing to die to help protect Orion and the book. I know my students will show more find this as thrilling as I did. Wonderful details and the plot is pushed along at a great pace. Definitely recommending this one to my students. show less

I won a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

This story is very entertaining because it is very imaginative. I would have loved reading this book when I was younger because there are so many quirky concepts in the story that make the book interesting for a young reader.

The story includes elements of fantasy (ex. a vampire bat doctor, magic spells), science fiction (ex. time traveling), action, and adventure. The story also has many concepts of geography, culture, food, and show more history. Mystery elements are also included in the story; these will keep the reader intrigued.

The book has a total of seventy-six (76) chapters which range from one to eight pages each.

The story has a total of about 35 characters; about 15 have major active roles. Some of the characters are non-realistic for they consist of talking animals and plants, and tiny sized humans.

The main themes of the story are family and friendship.

The ending of the book makes me wonder if this book will be part of a series. The ending leaves the opportunity for another book(s) to be published. show less