Review: Highly Imaginative Sequel
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 2, 2013
Readers were given a taste of John Goode's incredible and somewhat quirky imagination in Distant Rumblings, the first in his Lords of Arcadia series. Book 1 saw Hawk, heir to the Arcadian throne, exiled to Earth to escape looming civil war, and becoming emotionally involved with a human boy. It's in the sequel, however, that Goode really allows his creativity to roam free. Here he combines traditional folklore and fairy tales with creatures and lands of his own invention, ending up with something that is wholly original.Kane always longed for excitement, and now his ordinary existence feels a million miles away. Falling in love is tumultuous enough. Yet, from the moment Hawk crashed into his life, he has been coping not only with the discovery that his own world is merely one of many parallel realms, but has been caught in the crossfire of a magical civil war he had no knowledge of. Still, at least he knew where he was. Then Puck, a ruthless changeling hell-bent on seizing the throne from Hawk's parents, kidnaps Hawk and drags him through a portal back to Arcadia, whereupon Kane, with little thought for his own safety, follows on their heels.With the help of Ruba, a gem elemental with a dry tongue and loyal heart, he leaves Earth and everything that is familiar to him behind and steps into the void, having no idea where he might emerge or whether he will even survive the shift. Kane finds himself plunged into a deadly pursuit through several dimensions, where he comes up against dark elves, ice barbarians, and a vengeful genie. Despite the danger and his ignorance of the magical world, he never loses sight of his objective--rescue Hawk and prevent Puck from taking control of the nine realms before it is too late.Eye of the Storm certainly has a very different feel from the prequel. Though the author's naturally humorous style shines through and I laughed out loud on several occasions, the overall impression is more serious and charged with emotion. Kane and Hawk's relationship in particular deepens during the course of this book. The spark between them was obvious from their first encounter, but it gradually grows apparent that the connection they share goes far beyond anything that can be explained by mere attraction. There are forces at work that even Hawk, with his magical upbringing, is at a loss to fully understand.Because this novel is a direct continuation of the last, you ideally need to be familiar with the prequel before picking this up. So, if you enjoy young adult fantasy that blends adventure with romance, and which will take you on an imaginative journey through numerous worlds, I can recommend giving this series a go.