Erec Rex - The Dragon's Eye, Jonesing for some Harry Potter? Try this
Written: Dec 12 '06 (Updated Dec 16 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A fun read, a "magic" fix for young readers and old alike.
Cons: Part one of a series.
The Bottom Line: A good read for fans who are waiting on Harry Potter and can't get enough of magical adventure tales. I bought 3 copies for Christmas gifts.
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| zzJulia's Full Review: Kaza Kingsley - Erec Rex: The Dragon's Eye |
Erec Rex, The Dragon's Eye by Kaza Kingsley is clearly intended to tap into the legion of Harry Potter fans. This hard back novel has the same cover artist as Harry Potter, and the hero is a young boy discovering an underground world of magic.
The World of Erec Rex
Erec lives in modern day New York with his adopted family. We know from the beginning that his upbringing is unusual because his mom June buys magical "vulcan" items such as talking, walking toothbrushes and alarm clocks. Initially, this intro seemed cheesy to me. However, things began to look up as we meet his adopted family, Sammy and Danny the twins and his sisters.
His adventure begins when his mom is kidnapped and he goes to rescue her. What adventure is complete without a partner? Early in his efforts to find his mom, he is helped by Bethany who points out a secret door to an underground world.
Their passage through that door leads to the underground world of Alypium, where Erec and Bethany are branded with "L"s on their forehead as "losers" for being from the above ground world of people who have lost magic. The people underground are the "keepers", those who have polished three types of magic, hereditary magic, magical items and spells.
Erec and Bethany enter a magical contest and the Dragon's Eye is mostly about their trials in the contest and the characters of the 3 underground kingdoms. Many shady characters appear, tests with magical creatures and instead of Hogwarts, all this takes place in King Piter's sideways castle. The reader is drawn into the political intrigue amongst the rulers and their AdviSeers.
Often times I found myself comparing this novel to Harry Potter, but Erec's character is sufficiently unique to stand on his own and Bethany as well. She is definitely not a Hermione "know-it-all" type of character.
Along the way, Erec learns more about his biological history and the reader realizes The Dragon's Eye is the beginning of what promises to be an entertaining adventure.
Fantasy creature fans won't be disappointed as minotaurs, werewolves, sea creatures and dragons all make an appearance in this tale.
Audience
Those who enjoyed Harry Potter and Eragon will no doubt enjoy Erec Rex. Though not as engaging as Harry Potter, nor as skillfully written as The Golden Compass, the plot is still interesting and I found myself engrossed in the mystery of Erek and Bethany's secret magical past.
The tone of the book was also not condescending like the Lemony Snicket books and did not talk down to the readers, thereby making it more accessible for teens and adults to enjoy as well.
Recommended:
Yes
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zzJulia
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Member: Juls W.
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