Cole Randolph used to be an ordinary kid. But that was before he was turned into a slave and taken into a magical realm known as the Outskirts. In this world, reality is malleable and miraculous stunts can be performed. This world is made of 5 kingdoms. As Cole entered this world, he began to fight against the grand ruler, as the same ruler had stolen his daughters’ power. To save the king’s daughters from their unprecedented fates, Cole and his allies have recently gone to the fourth kingdom, Necronum, where the dead can live again. As he tours the kingdom, constantly on the run, he learned more about his power and what he was capable of. An evil spirit by the name of Nazeem aimed to capture Cole, as he infiltrated a secret mission in which their plans were discussed. Making allies in the most unexpected places, Cole realized that he was unable to trust anything except his own intuition. Betrayals left Cole wounded and he was almost out of options. To win in the end, he will have to take risks and face challenges beyond anything ever seen before. Out of options, there may be only one thing he can do to vanquish evil and let good survive.
I felt that this book, similar to its prequels, was extremely interesting and enjoyable. There was much suspense in this book that made me want to keep reading on. One particular area is the very beginning, which brought in the aspect of ghosts and immediately stole my attention. The different scenarios and events throughout this book were well-described and positioned so that plot twists were completely unexpected. There was some sparse humor and areas of peace in this book, which allowed a variety of moods to be conveyed by the story. The plot too was interesting and left be yearning for more. Overall, this was an entertaining read, and I would recommend it to a friend.
The entire book was memorable, but a particular factor that stood out was the description of the echolands. Echolands are a state of being in Necronum, similar to dreaming, but also similar to reality. Ghosts and the dead were incorporated into this story, which I found exceptionally easy to remember.
Reviewed by Shivram, Grade 8, Gayton Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 