Review: A strong entry into a crowded genre
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 10, 2013
Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions below are entirely my own.At first glance, "Wild-born" does not appear to be unique in its genre. Orphaned boy with magic powers? Check. Scary organizations trying to kill/capture/use said boy? Check. Mysterious old man, kindly mother figure? Check and check! So what exactly sets Wild-born, and the PSIONIC Pentalogy apart?For starters, you've got a fairly uncommon first-person perspective. You don't see a whole lot of that, mainly because grown adults trying to write for children is hard enough, but trying to write through the eyes of a child is even harder. The main character is 12 years old, and for the most part, is fairly believable as one, as his courage and drive are hampered by occasional bouts of petulance and ignorance that come naturally in the pre-teen years. He occasionally comes off a little too strong for a 12 year-old, but only after enough development to make the suspension of disbelief acceptable. In fact, all of the characters are quite believable, including the mostly ordinary people trapped in the machinations of something bigger.The plot generally moved at a good, quick pace, though it did suffer the occasional hiccup - there emerged of displacement, settling, conflict, and displacement again, but the settling and build-up to conflict occasionally moved sluggishly. However, it is not by any means dense or tedious reading, as I was able to finish it in a night (and I'm fast, but certainly no speedreader!) Incidentally, it is not particularly lengthy, but is meaty enough for its $2.99 to be a fair price.On to a portion of the review I only use on the first part of a series - exposition! Commonly, the first part can be bogged down with set-up, as the author must subtly (or not-so-subtly) explain to the main character, and by extension the reader, the world and the rules of this particular universe. Often, this creates a very slow start or an overall hampered plot. I am pleased to say, however, that Mr. Howell does not seem to fall into this trap, as exposition seems to be delivered only when necessary, and rarely does it interrupt the plot.As to the editing and layout of the book, I received a .pdf for review, so I can't speak to layout of the Kindle Edition in practice, but it certainly looked good in theory. I noted no significant errors missed by editing (there were a few things I'd have rephrased, but I'm no author!) and so I must conclude that Wild-born was carefully examined and edited before release.The bottom line is that Wild-born is a worthy read for fans of the genre, though those who are tired of common fantasy tropes may not be very much interested. The writing style is solid and the story is interesting, and I look forward to the next book in the series.If anything needs clarifying, please feel free to use the comment box below, or contact me at SeanOnAmazon@gmail.com