Sky Raiders, Book #1 in the Five Kingdom Series by Brandon Mull

Sky Raiders

Book #1 - Five Kingdom Series by Brandon Mull

SUMMARY FROM  SIMON & SCHUSTER: Cole Randolph was just trying to have a fun time with his friends on Halloween (and maybe get to know Jenna Hunt a little better). But when a spooky haunted house turns out to be a portal to something much creepier, Cole finds himself on an adventure on a whole different level.

After Cole sees his friends whisked away to some mysterious place underneath the haunted house, he dives in after them €”and ends up in The Outskirts.

The Outskirts are made up of five kingdoms that lie between wakefulness and dreaming, reality and imagination, life and death. Its an in-between place. Some people are born there. Some find their way there from our world, or from other worlds.

And once you come to the Outskirts, it'€™s very hard to leave.

With the magic of the Outskirts starting to unravel, it's up to Cole and an unusual girl named Mira to rescue his friends, set things right in the Outskirts, and hopefully find his way back home before his existence is forgotten.

REVIEW: 
Brandon Mull does it again! I've enjoyed two exciting. action-packed series from Mr Mull's, The Beyonders Series and the Fablehaven Series, so was hoping this series continued with high action adventures. He did not disappoint in the new "Five Kingdom" series! 

It was very easy to get caught up in the action when Cole and his friends are kidnapped to a different dimension. Cole is then thrust into a world where he has to decide what direction he needs to make that will be in the best interest for saving his friends. My one concern is that the original quest, find Cole's friends, was a long and drawn out process throughout the book which didn't actually get resolved at the end of book #1. I also found areas of the book where the extensive dialog slows down the momentum of the story. This could frustrate a young reading who is anxious to find out what happens. I listened to the novel as an audioCD so maybe the action will seem quicker for someone reading a print of eBook format. 

All in all, The Five Kingdom's is a great choice for those looking for the next high action story, Percy Jackson or Beyonders book series. 

The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Publisher's Summary - 
From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a riveting new series that defies what you think you know about the world of magic.

Most kids would do anything to pass the Iron Trial.

Not Callum Hunt. He wants to fail.

All his life, Call has been warned by his father to stay away from magic. If he succeeds at the Iron Trial and is admitted into the Magisterium, he is sure it can only mean bad things for him.

So he tries his best to do his worst - and fails at failing.

Now the Magisterium awaits him. It's a place that's both sensational and sinister, with dark ties to his past and a twisty path to his future.

The Iron Trial is just the beginning, for the biggest test is still to come . . .

From the remarkable imaginations of bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes a heart-stopping, mind-blowing, pulse-pounding plunge into the magical unknown.

Review - (4 stars) When I saw there was a book written by BOTH Holly Black (author of Doll Bones and co-author for the Spiderwick Chronicles) and Cassandra Clare (author of The Mortal Instruments series) I was intrigued! Who wouldn't be!? Both authors have amazing reputations for fantasy for middle and high school fantasy. The Iron Trials, book one in the Magisterium series was an sure to get any fantasy fiction enthusiasts attention. 

I agree with the reviews who are saying there are similarities for the Harry Potter series. The three main characters include Callum who is unaware of his famous magical past, Aaron who epitomizes the hero figure and Tamara the ultra bright, slightly snobbish type (yes, two boys and one girl). They are sorted into groups to be led by a magician in the ways of magic. They find there is an ultimate evil magician they must defeat eventually.  The book series is definitely geared towards lower to middle grade students. 

But given there are similarities between the Rowling's famous trios and Black/Clare's group of fledgling magicians; it seems there are enough differences in the story line to "get over" the comparisons. 

The length of the book is good for a "quick read", there is plenty of action and suspense and the characters are a nice mix of personalities to keep the readers interested. Perhaps the similarities to the Harry Potter series is just what the story needs to help kids open the book to a new series. Personally, I liked the book and can't wait to read the next in the series, "The Copper Gauntlet" due out September 2015.