Review: Eli's back! And as good as ever!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 15, 2013
Book Review: Eli Arnold and the Keys to Forever: The Myth of Mythology by John CarterReviewed by J Bryden LloydWriting Style - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)A more considered pace than the first outing with Mr Arnold, and although this story still moves at a fair old lick, the writing is excellent. The dialogue is quick-witted and fits perfectly, backing up the descriptive and laying the foundations of the scene-building very nicely.At the very beginning things felt a little jumpy and disjointed, but this doesn't last long and the reader (if they noticed it in the first place) will quickly forget as the story takes off.Character Development - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)Our multi-faceted hero continues to develop, this time emotionally, as this second instalment brings forth another raft of `love `em-hate `em' characters to tantalise us.The Cyclops is excellent as a foil for our young adventurer, with the princess playing a very strong supporting role now that the chips appear to be down.All in all, this - coupled with the new batch of supporting characters - makes for yet another outstanding cast, and I can't help think that there is the possibility that this could make a great film series. With the right actors, this would be an inspired `must-see'Descriptive - 5.0/5.0 (Outstanding)John Carter really does bring `on the run' descriptive into a new level of art form. Nothing is left to chance. Everything is visually and vividly stunning.The sights, sounds, smells, tastes, atmosphere, locations... everything is nailed. And as before, your imagination will run wild with the imagery.Language & Grammar - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)Writing for such a wide audience is a tough ask of any author, but there are touches of absolute brilliance in the word selection and structure to this piece.Again, my personal taste highlighted a minor handful of things I would consider tweaking, but when it comes down to it, I wouldn't expect any of those little things to improve this.Keep an `eye' out for the invention of spectacles... I still laugh at that and it is genuinely MONTHS since I read this... and be prepared to chuckle your way through the subtle turns of phrase Carter throws into the mix.Plot - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent) - MINOR SPOILERSEasily as good as the first! As we romp through the world of Greek mythology in search of another Key to Time, Eli and the princess find themselves on a mission for the enemy, but with an equally unlikely handful of allies.As with all good books of this genre, aimed at the younger age-groups, there are a few excellent come-uppances to be doled out, with plenty of laughs along the way and a neat smattering of danger... just in case you forget what the back-story is all about.Add to this a very cool twist at the end and you have all the key ingredients you need for a terrific read.General - 4.5/5.0 (Excellent)Once again my fellow commuters were treated to a number of explosions of laughter over several days. By now they all know I'm nuts, so I don't need to worry.This is a series which just HAS to be recognised for what it is... Fresh, fun, original, exciting... story-telling at it's very best.I'm waiting for episode 3, and hoping that this author continues to provide this outstanding level of quality. I don't care if I have to wait another year... I'll be waiting! Kids, parents, grandparents... If your heart can take it, it's time to put your laughing-chops on and get a load of this.Five outstanding stars. Brilliant!