Review of The Adventures of Mat Rufs

[Aisha Yakub]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Adventures of Mat Rufs" by A. Liachenko.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Mat's adventure goes wrong when he is taken by some unknown people and questioned about a tradition he knows nothing about. Inside the same mountain cave where Mat has been abducted, a mountain healer faces trouble from a group of men. Izel, a healer, came to see if he could discover the remedy for a deadly plague. Now, he has to find a way to stay alive, as his life is being threatened.

These two men try to find a way out of their predicaments. Unknown to them, their relatives have come to the same mountain. Emily is worried about her brother. Mat hasn't returned from his adventures, and she finds it disturbing. Naisha, Izel's daughter, aspires to be a healer just like her father. Without his knowledge, she has followed him to the mountains. There is a human sacrifice going on nearby. Also, there are threats of a volcanic eruption. Should Emily and Naisha have stayed at home? Can they save their relatives, or will they die together with them? Find out by reading this book.

The Adventures of Mat Rufs by A. Liachenko is a highly adventurous book. I was immediately ushered into the adventurous life of Mat, who loves to hop on a plane and travel by himself spontaneously. Things go wrong for him, and it is quite intriguing to see how the story unfolds. It was interesting to see the tactics he used to get himself away from danger; his personality was likable. Also, I liked the introduction of a mountain healer. This book was a great combination of a historical and modern setting. It was exciting to read about a modern technology in one scene and a traditional path in the next. I found it funny that Izel, the healer, did not believe in modern medicine but was searching for a cure for the COVID-19 pandemic. I thought it was creative of the author to have a perfect blend of these scenes.

Some scenes seemed rushed. I felt more explanations or story buildup could be done. The highlights of the epilogue were things I would have loved to see fully developed in the story. I wondered why they were told as one-liners in the epilogue when they could have added so much color to the story. This did not necessarily disturb my reading experience, but I am strongly convinced that it could have made my reading experience better. For this reason, I am not deducting a star. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Though I had some reservations, they were not significant enough to make me deduct a star. I enjoyed reading this book. The storyline was great, and I liked that this book provided so much variety. This book was perfectly edited. I did not encounter any errors in it.

I recommend this book to young adults. Also, lovers of adventurous books should enjoy reading this.

******
The Adventures of Mat Rufs
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[FunkyFlowerLady]

You've perfectly captured the gist of the book in your review, it's lovely!

[Salah bourouba]

sounds like an interesting interwind between two totally different men and their relatives. great review

[Vivian Writes]

The two men and women have collaborate with each other to scale through the perils that lay ahead. Although some scenes might have been rushed, it’s good to see that the author made up for it somehow.

[Judy_Akha]

The cover of the book looks quite eye-catching, it is interesting why the author chose the red color. Seems like a great book for adventure lovers. Wonderful review!

[Amy Luman]

The title of the book does make me think of a young adult novel. I do like the fact that the two men and their relatives are willing to work together for a good resolution even though they are very different.

[NetMassimo]

I might be old for this novel but it seems an engaging thriller and I'm curious to see how Mat will get out of trouble in a story that offers suspense. Thank you for your great review!