Review: Highly Recommended!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 1, 2013
Have you ever found yourself in a position where you had to rate a book, and you had trouble deciding between the ultimate prize - namely, 5 stars - and the very good one? Well, this was my first time banging my head on the wall because I Just. Couldn't. Decide!Let me tell you what I mean.In Daniel Patrick's The Locket Thief, Lara DeLarose, an orphan with a brilliant mind and an arsenal full of cunning ideas, is being chased by Lendon Sora, the most dangerous Sky Thief of Dalmacia, for what she calls her lucky charm - the locket around her neck. Said locket is the key to Jupiter's vault, where a good pile of fortune is hidden, and Sora wants it for himself. Thankfully Lara isn't alone. Carlos Vaspine and his crew on the Northern Light are on her side - and she will need them all if she is to win the battle against her pursuer.First of all, let me warn you that I'm a major geek. So, when you give me a book that has airships, a pilot named Cid, a villain named Sora, and the likes, that's bonus points for you. Sora, for one, is the Japanese unisex name for sky (and he's a sky thief, so how cool is that?!).*Ahem* Moving on! The book is not only just an adventure that a little girl has. It's not only a treasure hunt, or a pirate tale. Oh, it's so, SO much more...It was like Final Fantasy, Treasure Planet, and Northern Lights all at once! It takes guts - guts I tell you! - for a MALE author to have a girl as a protagonist in an action-filled tale. It takes even more guts to create a heroine that is not the ultimate character. Lara is brave, but she still is scared inside. She's clever, but there are times that her youth shows in some of her rash choices. She's kind, but when the time calls for it, she shows a ruthless, bloodthirsty side that equals that of Sora and his men. She knows she's in danger at first, but she doesn't run away before finding out what it is she's running from (how many characters have you seen thinking in this logical and rational way? I know this is the first time I did).The rest of the characters were another delight to read about. Vaspine is a wonderful captain, whose motivational speeches - as Bucker suggested - suck, and yet he's as reckless and as adorable as a litte kid. Bucker, Cid, Rosie, the Doc and Beebee, were an entertaining bunch as well, with their little quirks and traits, their special ways of thinking and speaking. The family-like dynamics of the crew were sweet, and they served well in showing exactly why Vaspine's men were so much different than the usual sky pirates.The world building was also very cleverly layered. The main background we get to see for most of the story is the sky, and the ground below the ship, but the writer leaves nothing to chance and he makes sure we are given a very specific idea of what Dalmacia looks like, and he proves that whenever the ship lands and the environment in which the story takes place changes. Even the smallest cabin of the ship is described, in details that do not bore and help you see the world around through Lara's eyes, for the first time, just like her.The plot was nicely developed. It started sort of slow, which at first I admit had me worried, but I later realized that Mr. Patrick was trying to tell a story here, not rush us through the facts and be done with it. In the end, I was grateful for it, because it helped me remember more things and pick up on the little details that would play an important role later in the book.Speaking of details, as a Greek, I really appreciated the Iliad reference (read the book and you'll se what I mean). The scheme in Vaspine's mind was similar, but it didn't fall in the trap of pure mimicking, instead he worked his way around the general idea and formed a simple, yet acceptable plan - whoever said simplicity isn't superior to complexity?The ending was... something else, really! I have a soft spot for stories that follow a circular pattern, and this one didn't disappoint. It was poetic, in a way, and kinda reminded me of a bard's tale.So why the dilemma, you may ask?Daniel Patrick is a relatively new writer to me, and I don't want to jinx it. I thought of rating it like I always do, with 4 stars, so that I have room for 5 when I get to read the next ones. But it was really impossible to ignore the fact that I was hooked when I actually got to seriously reading it, and I feel like I would not be doing this story justice. As you can see, I settled for 5 stars. God only knows what I will rate the next book with if it's as good as this one. Hmmm, maybe I'll personally write down more than 5 and be done with it...Conclusion? If you're looking for a fun, intriguing plot, with quirky characters, breathtaking views of the sky, and witty humor, that combines the awe of a child taking their first steps in the world and the free-spirited young adult enjoying life at its purest form, look no further. The Locket Thief is just the book for you!5 bookmarks and a DEFINITE Recommended Read!!!***I was given a free copy by the author in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***