A young adult fantasy, Harry Potter style.

Twilight, which I hated, inspired countless imitators. Harry Potter, which I loved, was even more successful, but doesn't seem to have inspired imitators in the same way. This book is a rather good attempt to tell a story that is in some ways reminiscent of Harry Potter, but different enough not to feel like a clone.

We have 14-year-old Ben Greenwood, who lives in England with his grandmother and whose parents disappeared some time ago. He and his friend Charlie, while trying to investigate a clue that was left when his parents disappeared, end up discovering a magical hidden world. In that magic world, different countries and magical races exist, and the Royal Institute of Magic created by Queen Elizabeth opposes the militaristic dark eleves who threaten to conquer most of the magical world.

The boys discover that Ben's parents were important figures in the Institute, but are now considered traitors, and the dark eleves are also actively looking for them. Along with Natalie, a young apprentice from the Institute, they end up having to run for their lives and having a fast-paced adventure.

The worldbuilding was interesting and intriguing and the book, although not as good as Harry Potter, does many things well. On the minus side, the characters are not quite as three-dimensional as in Harry Potter, the writing has the occasional bothersome tic (like, how many times do we need to be reminded that Charlie is fat?) and sometimes the bad guys do not act in the most efficient manner, allowing the heroes to have a chance.

All in all, it was enjoyable, and I'm hoping it can take a step forward in the next book and become great. We'll see. ( )

When you first begin reading this book, you are reminded of Harry Potter's world somewhat. That fades as you get into this world though. I really enjoyed this book on its own merit and I can't wait for book two to come out! ( )

Ben's parents are dead and he spends his time between boarding school and living with a neglectful family member. Until he finds a letter from the Royal Institute of Magic saying his parents are alive, but in hiding after being falsely accused of murdering an Elf royal. Along with his friends Ben seeks out and finds the RIM, only to find out not everyone there believes in his parents' innocence and that not everyone is his friend.

Definitely a cute magical school, plenty of wonderful, magical things and beings, with a touch of danger to keep it interesting, and enough history to make me curious about the future.


[I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
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The next Harry Potter.

This book is not a Harry Potter clone. It's not a HP imitation.

This book is like HP in that it is filled with magic, a wonderfully creative story, well written so you see the world as you read, and strong, unique characters. It's a great book, a joy to read, and pulls you into the story until you don't want to come up for air. ( )

I received an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story opened with an intriguing scene where a baker's son had the opportunity to test to be admitted to the Royal Institute of Magic. Unfortunately, that scene was never followed up on. I'm a fan of testing scenarios, and love reading them.

The story itself starts in the modern day U.K. A boy's parents are missing, presumed dead, and he's roughing it, trying to live, get his education and solve his parents' disappearance all at the same time. The return of his parents' belongings from the police give him a clue to follow and he and a friend pursue it into a whole new world, one they never knew existed. The story is go-go-go from there on out, one chase scene after another with brief pauses for exposition.

The book was well-written. The main characters were a little too glib; the girl knew everything they needed to know about their new world, the hero's off-the-cuff plans nearly always worked and the friend knew everything about the modern world. They were too good to be true. I also felt that having his parents up for treason for murdering a man who the higher ups *know* is alive to be rather silly.

It's part one of a series. The series may improve now that the hero gets into magic school. I liked it, but there were problems with it. ( )