A.E. Howard

Cover Talk: I really like this cover. When I first saw it on GoodReads I did a double take. It took me a while to figure out why I was drawn to this cover because normally I go for vibrant. But I think I was just so thankful for the muted colors and that, I think, is what made it stand out among it’s bright counterparts. I am also a huge fan of symbols and I fell in love with the sun symbol that is centered under the title.

First Impressions: A.E. Howard had me at “possum sorcerer.” After reading the synopsis and reading a couple of reviews about talking animals, magic, and other realms, it brought me back to my childhood love of Narnia. There is just something remarkable about lands in which animals can talk.

First Few Chapters: Talk about action packed! By page 8 I was thrown into an adventure in a new world and Howard’s world does not slow down! I read this book in one sitting and cannot wait for the next to books to come out. The characters are so innocent and so fun, the plot is fast paced, and the ending definitely left me wanting more.

Characters: Kai is a typical 12 year old boy who needs to adventure. Fortunately for him, he is thrust into it and his whole life is turned upside down. He is definitely the reluctant hero that you’ll either love or hate. I personally love him. I can’t wait to see some growth and hopefully some acceptance to his role in this world.

Ellie is such a sweet, friend for Kai to have. The two of them are best friends and it was so wonderful to see how supportive she was as Kai’s destiny is revealed to him. I love that there is also more to her than I originally thought. I don’t want to give anything away, but she has some pretty special talents that serve her well in this magical world.

Reginald is an Opossum. To this day, aside from the talking, I don’t know what makes them different than possums. In my mind when I read this character, I envisioned a grouchy, British Opossum who underneath this bristly attitude is a soft heart. My only complaint when it comes to Reginald’s character is that he was too easily left behind and too easily brought in the adventure that unfolds in this novel.

Serina is “bird-girl.” I very much like her character, particularly because she is a red head when she is girl form. Serina is Kai’s guide through this new world that he and Ellie have entered into. I’m not sure how old she is supposed to be or how old she should appear. I would imagine around the same age as Kai since she blended in well at their school. I really like this character and can’t wait to see more with her in the next book.

Shadrach is a sorcerer who helps Kai and Ellie. I also quite like this character. Again, not sure how old he is supposed to be. More adult I know, but his white hair and beard on a thirty something year old body confuses me a wee bit. But hey, this is a magical world, anything goes.

Plot: I really liked how fast this book was. There were a couple of places that I felt were kind of like an info-dump, but since they were being told as a story within the story, I didn’t mind too much. I believe one scene was with Shadrach and being a really old sorcerer, he must be filled with knowledge and stories. And the other was with Serina, who I’m pretty sure is really old too, but we just haven’t figured out how old.

Also, being shown this new world was easy. Everything was explained thoroughly and I was not confused by workings of it. There are Guardians, Keepers, and sorcerers. Each have their own role to play in this world and in repairing rips in the realms. There are three realms, the Realm of Lightness, the Middle Realm, and Realm of Darkness. It’s all very basic and simple, which I LOVE.

I only had two issues with this book, both are plot spoilers, so you are warned. The first is how easily Reginald tells Kai he is the reason for the rip in the realm at the traffic light. Something as major as a rip in a realm is something that I would probably try to hide as best as I could until I HAD to tell someone. Particularly if it was for something as petty as revenge. The second was how in one chapter Kai and Ellie are told the Guardians are gone and in the next chapter or so, Serina is called away, pops back in and casually throws out that she figured out where they are and that they need to be saved soon. But they have time. And that is where book two will pick up.

Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. I went into it expecting another Narnia and while talking animals and magic do make their appearance, Flight of Blue definitely can stand on it’s own as a separate and unique series. I am so ready to read the next two books in this trilogy.… (lisätietoja)

A.E. Howard’s début fantasy/adventure, Flight of Blue, is the first of a series that is geared towards the middle-grade reader. The idea of a possum sorcerer caught my fancy when I first came across this indie novel on Goodreads, and I was curious to see how a cursed traffic light was going to play into the story. Turns out that light is just the start of an engaging adventurous tale filled with magic, a dark realm infringing on our own, and talking animals that gives younger readers plenty to explore.

Flight of Blue is told in the third person from 12-year-old Kai’s point of view, which I enjoyed. Kai is an easy character to like with a thirst for adventure (although he gets more than he bargained for), a question for everything, and a unique name to make him stand out from the crowd. He does get a little too “why me?” about midway through the story, but when danger strikes he stands up to battle it. He also shows some nice skill at strategy when he encounters some trolls late in the story, and has a tendency to worry about his friends and dog Seb. He’s a nice normal kid caught in an extraordinary situation. His best friend Ellie shows a lot of strength of her own, plenty of intelligence, and a slightly unconventional outlook that gives a feeling of originality to her role as best friend. She did move to the background in the middle of the story for a bit, at which point I found I missed the way she balanced Kai’s character, but once she was back with Kai everything felt right again.

There are plenty of interesting and singular characters in Flight of Blue starting with Serina, a girl who looks like a middle-grader but can shape-shift into a small bird. She belongs to a group called the Flight of Blue (where the story gets its name), who are messengers for the Realm of Light, and has been assigned to keep an eye on Kai as he comes into potential abilities to repair “rips” in the fabric that stands between the Realm of Light, our non-magical Middle Realm, and the Realm of Darkness. She becomes the third member of Kai and Ellie’s team, and aids them as they discover Kai may have a more important role in repairing rips than he ever could have imagined. Reginald (not “Reggie” please!) is the slightly pompous possum sorcerer who cursed the traffic light that sets everything in motion, while Shadrach is an apparently immortal teacher/school headmaster who begins to steer Kai towards his possible destiny. We even have magical grasshoppers with the addition of Shadrach’s friend Sam. While we have seen talking animals before, Howard brings a fresh feel to things with her mix of species and their contemporary styles.

There were moments here and there where J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books would suddenly pop into my head – most notably when Kai and Ellie arrive at Belajar, a school for Guardians and Keepers in training. I couldn’t help but think of Hogwarts’ separate towers for boys and girls and Gryffindor’s common room when Kai headed to his dorm room. Instead of towers, the boys and girls are on separate floors with separate staircases and the common room has a flat-screen TV and game system in addition to the little seating areas, but it still felt like a pale imitation of Hogwarts (Kai’s twin roommates also called to mind the Weasley twins). There is an agricultural class that reminded me of Herbology; however, the other classes are different enough that the comparison finally ends. I liked the way school was set up, too, with alternating days between magical-type studies and regular classes such as math and Latin.

Pacing was slightly uneven, with some sections flowing more briskly than others, but overall it was steady enough to keep me engaged throughout. There is a lot of world-building going on, so there are plenty of changes of scenery and even an excursion into the Realm of Darkness in the final third of the story that adds a real sense of danger and adventure to the tale that will enthrall middle-grade readers (I know I enjoyed it). The finale sets things up nicely for book 2, The Guardians, and provides a glimpse at what Kai, Ellie and Serina will be trying to overcome. I’ll be keeping my eye out for its release in 2013.

While A.E. Howard’s début Flight of Blue has a couple of Harry Potter overtones, they are successfully overtaken by a unique world of sorcerer possums, a shape-shifting messenger, and multi-layered realms of magic and mystery that should easily engage middle-grade readers looking for a story of fantasy and adventure. A very solid début for the pre-teen crowd.… (lisätietoja)

Flight of Blue is about a boy who finds out that his parents are both Guardians. They seal up tears that could allow the Realm of Darkness to enter and destroy the world. In a chance meeting with a talking opossum sorcerer and a messenger that can turn herself from bird to human, Kai finds himself in a world he never could have dreamed of. What's more, he finds out that they're all relying on him to help a rip in the world, because he may be the person prophecised to save the world. With his best friend Ellie and his dog Sebastian, Kai takes on the responsibility of saving the world from the Realm of Darkness.

This novel is action-packed and takes turns with being serious and funny, which I greatly appreciated. No kid's book can be great without humor. I loved the relationship between Kai and Ellie; it seemed very real to me, and I knew they always had each other's backs. I also enjoyed how Howard is able to keep an adult presence throughout the story, but leaves it to the kids to fight the major battles. In most middle-grade novels, the adults are either completely absent or too present, but the author found a balance between both.

I would have liked the pacing the be a little slower. On the one hand, I liked how things just happen one right after another, and the reader is thrown in the situation along with Kai. Like Kai, we're unable to get our bearings or think straight because crazy things keep happening. However, I do think that there should have been a few pauses during the conflicts so we can absorb the severity of the situation. It also would have been a good chance to get out of Kai's head and explore the world a little bit more. I'm also not a fan of dialogue-heavy novels where most plot points are revealed through conversation, and Flight of Blue is that. Aside from those two things, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Regardless, this is an imaginative story that any kid will love. Talking animals, magic, and a secret society living with us in the world, protecting us from the Realm of Darkness. This is the sort of fantasy book kids live for.

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*… (lisätietoja)