Review: An Incredible Fantasy Follow Up That Shocks To The Core
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 1, 2014
The premise of The Academy is one that immediately grabbed me. The thought of teenagers getting kidnapped and mutated into new beings, trained for something larger, and thrown into a cycle of fear is compelling. The reality of disappearances and conspiracy theories that abound today, helps with the fantasy world that is created by Leito in this book, the second of a series. This is an epic book, and it follows Asa Palmer, and the world that he must traverse in this hybrid tale.Leito constructs a good narrative here, one that bridges the gap between youth fiction and adult horror. There’s fantasy aspects, and there’s definitely more to this than you would expect from YA literature. I actually found the larger picture of The Academy quite engrossing, and on par with what some will say Hogwarts. This is far more sinister than the magical wizardry of other books, and it shows through the pages, as there is serious tones throughout.I found this story to be on par with kung fu wuxia, as one must prove himself amidst insurmountable odds, even though he may not want to. Some parts reminded me of “Shaolin Wooden Men”, even though this is NOT a kung fu book. The story style, the narratives, and the characters have that sort of familiar iconography, even though it’s different.If you like horror, science fiction, fantasy, and want something hefty to read, this book will catch your attention. Leito crafts a world that you can definitely see in your mind’s eye, and that’s powerful. I liked it, you will like it, and it’s far more engrossing than your average novel.