elainemcooper
Lisa Lickel
The Sunday Book Review:
Posted by Lisa Lickel on June 17, 2012
Publication Date: June 1, 2012
The Most Ordinary of Boys…
The Most Extraordinary of Books…
When the two collide, a destiny is set into motion which cannot be undone. Without warning, a secretive cult emerges ready to kill, and a horrifying Beast appears in the dead of night – craving to devour the Keeper of the Book. Suddenly, Cody Clemenson is forced to flee with his best friend Jade. Their journey will lead them to mystical locations and thrust them into uncharted lands, where an ancient feud between two long-lost cities is teetering on the brink of war. Will Cody rise to the occasion and become the hero he’s always dreamt of being? Or will he succumb to the power of the evil empire? The fate of the world now hinges on him – and the cryptic words written in a simple, leather Book…
A Power Long Maintained – Now Faded,
A Secret Long Kept – Soon Unveiled,
About the Author
Grandson of Experiencing God author, Henry Blackaby, and son of speaker and author, Richard Blackaby, Daniel Blackaby is the emerging voice in the Blackaby publishing tradition. Daniel’s greatest passion is exploring the magical world of language. As a child, when not crafting elaborate fantasy tales, he could be found with his nose buried in a great book. Now, with a young writing career that includes successful non-fiction: When Worlds Collide (B&H Pub.), he returns to his first love of imaginative fiction with his debut trilogy: The Lost City Chronicles (Russell Media). He currently resides in San Francisco, California with his lovely wife, Sarah, where he eats shameful amounts of fish and chips and sourdough bread. Follow his work at www.danielblackaby.com
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Russell Media (June 1, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1937498042
ISBN-13: 978-1937498047
Print: $14.99; Ebook: $9.99
Another epic adventure for young adult readers begins with the mysterious and foreboding debut novel from Daniel Blackaby, Legends of the Book Keeper. Two misfit teenagers, fifteen-year-old Cody and sixteen-year-old Jade, share several things in common, including a fascination with books in general and Wesley’s Amazing Rare and Antique Book Shop in particular. What Cody lacks in social, or any other, graces, he makes up for in curiosity, and his accidental discovery of a hidden door in the book shop leads to a secret city, murder and ancient power wielded by the Keeper of the Book.
Cody and Jade run for their lives when Wesley is murdered. They attempt to decipher a riddle, encounter friendly and no-so-friendly people who claim they only want to help, and when a stranger saves their lives, they follow him, hoping they’ve placed their trust on the side of the right.
Not exactly steampunk but with shades of Jules Verne, JRR Tolkein, and a little George Lucas as well as tales from National Geographic, meld in this adventure for young adults. Legend of the Book Keeper is the first in a planned trilogy, so don’t expect the adventure to come to a neat and tidy conclusion. Young Adult readers, as well as their parents, will turn pages to read what happens next. Who is the mysterious caped creature chasing them? Who can they trust? Faith elements in this story are employed subtly as Cody knows he believes in something, and Jade is sure God and heaven are myths.
The author is a third-generation Blackaby (Experiencing God was written by his grandfather), and claims to have a life-long love affair with language. It shows in his rich descriptions of setting and natural dialog. Characters both human and fantasy come to view, and the reader feels the tug of the mysterious portal leading to a legendary lost land. The books are not lightweight, and torture, murder, shootings and corporal punishment are not kept in the background.
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