OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Children of Hyndal" by Khristopher Keith.]

The Children of Hyndal by Khristopher Keith is a Sci-Fi/ Fantasy novel. It is a story of a gifted child who is prophesied to be the savior of the world. The child is stolen from a facility and raised as an ordinary kid, by people who have dedicated their lives to protect him. He isn't aware of this prophecy, nor does he know he is different from everyone else. Things, however, start to change after his sixteenth birthday, affecting not only himself but the world around him.

The story doesn't just focus on one person's journey. Instead, we are given a broader sense of what is happening in the lives of the major characters. The character development was very nicely done. I didn't have to wonder who a person was and what their role was. All the different storylines came together to make the story, and I loved the way the author tied them all together to make one joint piece.

What I liked most about this story was how much impact it had on my emotions. I was overly invested in this book, as it had a gluing effect on me. It was an absolute page-turner. I also appreciate that for the most part, things didn't just happen because they could; as this is my main pet peeve when reading. It did happen a few times, but they were minor instances and can be overlooked. Such as people being in the right place at the right time, or not dying when they clearly should have.

Naivete from people who should know better makes me upset, and in this book, it was what I hated the most. This, of course, is not to say it was a bad book; in fact, it was the opposite. The characters had to be the way they were for the story to work. It just really annoyed me because of my personal preference.

There were 2 errors noticed when reading, but they were so minor I almost missed them. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because while I had my own little issues with it, they aren't enough for me to take a point away. I didn't know what to expect when I chose to read this book, as the name gave nothing away. I absolutely loved the ending of the story and thought it was very fitting. I didn't notice any profanity, and there weren't any explicit scenes, so I would recommend this to adults and young adults who enjoy Sci-Fi/fantasy novels. I think this book is perfect for book clubs, as there are many points that can be discussed.

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The Children of Hyndal
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Thanks for the review. When I saw the title, my first thought was "Children of the Corn". I think this looks like an interesting read and will add it to my list.

I'm waiting for a chance to read and review a book like this. Character development is so important for a story. I do not like abrupt or unexplained changes in characters. This was a lovely review. Hope to read this soon.

This sounds like an exciting and well-written book! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. Thanks for your review!

A story that can impact your emotions is a good one indeed. This definitely caught my attention. I wonder what starts happening to him at sixteen. Thanks for the review.

This sounds like a good read. I wonder if the child found his purpose.

These types of books aren't generally my thing, but it does sound like an interesting and unique read. Maybe I will pick this one up after all! Thanks for this great review. Cheers:)

Reminds me a bit of the premise for Good Omens, the child who has the power being raised as a normal kid, though beyond that, they don't appear to have much in common. I think it's great that you were so emotionally invested in the book.

My first thought was about Superman and then about Connor Kent if he'd never known he was created in a lab. Such coming of age stories always have the potential to say some interesting things, even if on an emotional level, and it seems that this one does just that.