Review: Brilliance! Real entertainment in a book!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 2, 2012
Book Review: Zachary Pill - The Dragon At Station End, Trilogyby Tim GreatonReviewed by J Bryden LloydWriting Style - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)In previous works I have read by this author, I have found the writing style to be easy-flowing and very strong. Again, with this offering, Mr Greaton has battered the proverbial nail into submission.The structure of the chapters really makes this into a great book for bedtime, if you are the sort of parent who reads to the kids each night. Some are a little longer, but not significantly, and every chapter close leaves you wanting a little more.Character Development - 5.0/5.0 (Outstanding)The characters are full and realistic from the outset and the author builds each of them carefully  but accurately, into a group of relatable people. For the non-human characters (which takes up 95% of the cast) you are given your reasons to like and dislike each of them. Even the baddies have some positive attributes, but in the grand scheme of things, surely the good guys have to win... don't they?If you are looking for the best in character development from a character who doesn't even play an active role, look no further than Medusa. That really was a touch of sublime excellence.Descriptive - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)If you want a world opening up to your imagination, this is a must-read. Although the background is effectively inner-city and small-town USA, the world created around it is superbly written. The author creates all the sights and sounds, tastes and sensations with great skill.The sequences in the tunnels and caves are brilliant, and really serve to bring forth the action and enhance the scene for the reader.As for the general descriptive; I had no problem visualising every element within the story. From buildings to countryside, cleaning to fighting, everything was drawn with ornate skill and attention to detail.Language & Grammar - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)Undoubtedly a book for the younger readers - though I would suggest not TOO young - this is a strong example of how to bring literature to the children who are perhaps now just starting to discover characters like Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Artemis Fowl.Older children would have no issues reading this unassisted and in the same way, it is an easy, enjoyable read for the parents as well.A new edition is imminent, which will address the handful of grammatical and spelling issues I noticed. Once out, this will be a quite exceptional piece of literature.Plot - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent) - MINOR SPOILERSWho is Zachary Pill? More importantly, WHAT is Zachary Pill? To be honest, you never really find out, though there are plenty of clues handed out to lead you towards obvious conclusions. Unfortunately, just as you think you are beginning to put two-and-two together, a whole new element is thrown into the mix and you end up with seven!!The plot is excellent. It's original, fast-moving, nicely balanced, and it leaves the reader very satisfied with the end result.As it turns out, Pill is the next generation of a former ruler from another world; a world inexorably linked to all the other worlds (where a variety of creatures reside) by a series of great corridors, which are controlled by the wizards. This forms the basis for the underlying plot in these three stories, expertly linked together into this full-length novel.By the end, I guarantee you'll be wanting more... MUCH more!General - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)I don't care what anyone says, this ISN'T Potter, and it definitely isn't a cobbling together of a children's version of Lord of the Rings and anything else either.What makes this impressive, is that it takes what some may see as familiar elements, orcs, gnomes, wizards, trolls, werewolves, etc, and zooms off in a whole new direction. For me, the nicest little touch was the reference to traveling to Europe, where there were wizard schools for humans... I got a nice chuckle out of that.No. If you are going to read Zachary Pill, clear your mind of all that `expelliarmus' and `Mordor' stuff, and strap yourself in for a fun ride into a wholly different world. If you don't like this, I'll be amazed.FIVE stars... of course.