Review: Loved it
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 4, 2012
I am doing something that I rarely do. I am giving this book 5 stars. I give five stars to books that when you consider the book as a whole, it is a perfect story leaving me feeling impressed, intrigued and wanting more.I am not saying this book doesn't have a view flaws, just that those few flaws do not take away from the enjoyment of the book as a whole.Brief synopsis: The setting is in a post apocalyptic countryside of England. Ben Casper has just returned from his journey, a period spent outside the protection of the Glass Palace (an old shopping mall) that all youth must experience to reach adulthood. He is a few weeks from his fifteenth birthday and fated to take over as mayor of the Glass Palace. Like most teenagers, Ben has not come to terms with his future role and struggles with the newly found responsibilities and passing freedoms of childhood.As the only child to survive to adulthood in his family, Ben has been pampered and sheltered from the sobering realities of the world outside the Glass Palace. Now that he is an adult, the pampering is over and many hidden truths are being revealed. The world, and its people (both inside the glass dome and outside) are not as Ben had believed.Ben learns that the two remaining gods (Mixcoatl aka Dervish and Ninurta aka Blue Hair ) are still fighting a battle to the death, and destroying the last remnants of the world in the process. A cult like group called The order of Power, who worship the gods are trying to bring the Houses (groups of families) back under the power of the gods.Ben must take up a near impossible fate, as a God Slayer.I found myself going through many emotions as I read this book. There were times that I wanted to smack Ben a long side the head (but then what young adult book do you not want to do that to the protagonist at times). There were times when I felt myself choke up with tears as he grieved, there were times when I was cheering for him and chuckling as he got the better of the situation.When I first seen this book, I seen that it was listed as MM Romance as one of its tag. I was reluctant to take on the book, because I have gotten more then one book under that tag and found it to be little more then erotic literature. BUT, I have found that in this book it is not that at all. Ben (our protagonist) happens to be a gay young man. I felt the explanation of his identity was almost rushed through but then it really was not the main part of the story. Sadly his love interest does not feel the same for him and this provides the main angst of the book.It is clear that this book is the first in a series. And as such there is a fair amount of build up both in characters (like the Fleum) and history and their are some unresolved issues that I am left to wonder about, but then that's what will make me purchase the next installment.There are a few spelling errors but nothing that was a distraction.This book is currently only available on Amazon. I got it for $.99 and found it to be a steal for that price.The author has a suggested readers age of 13+. I agree and would probably push that to 'older' teens 16+ just to be on the conservative side. Due to the fact that shortly after Ben gets back,  he and his father have the 'sex' talk and so references of changes that young men go through are briefly discussed during that chapter but then not brought up so directly again in the book after that.I encourage anyone who likes dystopian, science fiction, fantasy, action combat, light romance, lgbt fiction, and young adult fiction to give it a try.