A.R. Witham

Book source ~ Tour. My review is voluntary and honest.

Jack Swift is woken up at 3:33 am on his 14th birthday to a monster in his bedroom at his foster home. The monster grabs him and takes him to the land of Keymark where Jack learns that the universe is nothing like he thought it was. But before he can get back home, all Hell breaks loose. Jack and his new friends have to defend Keymark, but the odds are stacked against them. Will they prevail?

This is one rip roaring adventure! It starts show more out great, then oh no, then bigger oh no, and then…what the hell just happened?! Immediately after that it takes off at top speed and doesn’t let up until the end. It’s fast-paced, exciting, heartbreaking, humorous, nail-biting, and ultra creative. I love the characters, the world, the plot, and I did mention the characters, right? They are my favorite part. If you like fast fantasy with a lot of heart then do not pass this one up. The Legend of Black Jack is one of my favorite reads of 2022. show less

While this is an action-packed read, it's the unique twists and characters which really make this one shine.

Jack has always been special and been able to remember anything and everything without a second thought. When he accidentally causes his father's death, he does find a home with a surgeon for, at least, a few years until being shoved off into a never-ending shuffle of foster care. When a speaking-rhino kidnaps him from his bedroom and pulls him through a gateway into a magical world, show more everything as he knows it is tossed onto its head.

This is a very original tale, which allows fantasy and imagination to take flight in a very exciting way. I loved the characters, each one carrying such unique personalities and attributes that it was impossible to to like or hate them. It's a vivid tale in the world building as well, and has Jack traveling through very different situations and scenes. This originality combined with the well-written and flowing style, makes it an easy and enjoyable read.

The beginning starts with Jack as a seven-year-old, and then zooms through the years until he reaches fourteen. While this one is sold as a young adult read, the writing style and Jack's character slide into the upper middle grade/tween category very well. Jack's decisions and thought processes also settle in this age group nicely. The action stays high the entire way through, keeping the pacing high. There is enough depth to keep Jack interesting, but most of the time, he is battling to get through and survive...or just figuring things out. On that end, this isn't as much character driven as plot drive. Jack is thrown, especially in the first half, from situation into situation without much doing on his own. It does make for an interesting coming-of-age, but I still recommend this one for fantasy friends who love a good story and are on the look-out to go beyond the cliches, which flood the genre today.
I received an ARC through Netgalley and was surprised at how unique this one is. show less

This is one of the most enjoyable story i've read in this year. The action and adventures in this book made me enjoy this book more than i thought i would. I think some parts dragged a bit too much. It could have been considerably shorter. Otherwise, i really liked it and will wait for the next books by this author.

I absolutely loved this book! I had a hard time putting this one down! The magical world of Keymark and the battle scenes are amazing! The descriptions and the artwork make it easy to imagine you are right there in the mix! It's a unique action packed story filled with adventure, friendship, loyalty and so much more! Jack is a great main character he has his ups and downs and he doesn't have it easy so i makes him easy to like but you will also find yourself rooting for him. Even the other show more characters they each have their own personalities and stand out for their own reasons. If you like emotional action packed stories with fantastic characters and fantasy world filled with magic hope and wonder you are going to love this one! I can't wait to read it again with my son!

Thank you R&R Book Tours and A.R. Witham for sharing this absolutely amazing story with me! show less