Two dads, five siblings, and goggles!
Grim Doyle has always known his life was not exactly "normal", and things get even more curious when he discovers a set of stones that sweep him and his family to the fantasy, steampunk world of Verne - a place they had escaped from years ago. Now that they've returned, Grim and his siblings hide from the evil Lord Victor and his minions. And while learning about Jinns, Mystics, and the power of absinth they try to discover who is trying to kill them with the deadly Scourge.
Scourge is the first novel in the Grim Doyle Adventure series by author, David H. Burton. He can be found online at http://davidhburton.com
Title: Scourge: A Grim Doyle Adventure
Author: David H. Burton
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Steampunk
Published by David H. Burton
Publication Date: November 29, 2010
Source: Received from author. Many thanks goes to David H. Burton for sending me a copy of his book for review. I received this copy free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
My rating: 4/5
In Scourge, we meet Grim, and his family of 5 siblings and two fathers. Though life can't be defined as normal, it hasn't been too off the wall either. That is, until Grim discovers another world beyond his wildest imagination. He is full of questions about this new world, but is forced to put them aside when his family is attacked. With their enemies closing in on all sides, Grim's family is forced to flee to the new world of Verne. Along the way, Grim learns that his family originally came from Verne, and now that they are back, they will have to go into hiding again until they can find out who is trying to kill them.
Scourge is such an action-packed and adventure-ridden book. I think middle graders and certainly young adult readers will love this book. I loved how Burton tackled the world of Verne and how it affected Grim and his family. Though there was a lot of information to process it didn't feel overwhelming in the slightest. Grim is the oldest boy in the family, and is second only to Rudy, his sister, who is older than him by a mere 10 months. They will have to look out for the rest of their siblings when they are sent into hiding at an orphanage. When they arrive at the orphanage, they are put straight to work. I loved the characters they met while they were in the orphanage, and I loved the sense of mystery throughout. The varying range of illustrious characters just adds more to the book. They made some new friends, and some new enemies, and I loved reading how Grim handled things with both groups. The inflection used in some of the voices was hilarious, and definitely kept me engaged as well. I honestly thought I had the book figured out, and then Burton would throw in another twist. It was a refreshing read and it kept me guessing, which is always a good thing.
All in all, this is an exciting and thrilling read. Though we are left with some questions, I was really happy with the ending and did have some closure. I can't wait to find out what is next for Grim and his family as this is just the beginning. This was a truly refreshing read, and I liked the aspect that it focused on the mystery and not on a romantic subplot. Once I started reading, I was hooked. I hope you will be too. Those who like a little steampunk in their reads are sure to enjoy Scourge.
Important Links
Scourge is available on Amazon Kindle as of today. This link will send you to the Amazon page.
The print edition will be available in two weeks time.
David is also offering a personalized ebook version of Scourge on his site. It comes with an autographed dedication page as well as a fun feature where he will alter the name of one of the minor characters in the story with the name of the purchaser.
2 comments:
This sounds like fun. It sounds like there's an emphasis on family, and I kind of like that.
Thank you so much for the wonderful review!! I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!! :)
Post a Comment