Review of The Plain Field / Shadow Twins
Posted: 12 Feb 2025, 05:20
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Plain Field / Shadow Twins" by John F Noone.]
The Plain Field / The Shadow Twins by John F Noone is the second book in a fantasy trilogy set in modern times. The story revolves around an ancient magic box, a mysterious race of Djinns, and the O’Hare family. Charlie O’Hare was supposedly killed in a car accident, but his wife, Angela, and their children felt his spirit around them. He had left a message for his teenage son, Connor, which he listened to after a few years. The message was about a small mahogany box with carvings from an Algonquian Indian shaman named Sarah Sea Snake. Charlie had hidden it, but people who wanted it for evil purposes were after the box and Connor’s family. There were almost extinct magical bird-like creatures who befriended Connor and his friend Davy, and the boys’ families helped them make nests and propagate. Charlie’s youngest daughter, Dakota, exhibited supernatural powers and hence was targeted by a mad scientist, Dr. M. E. Wagner, and a secret council who wanted to control the powers of the box and use them to rule the world.
The author has created a realm of magic in the modern world on the islands near New York. It is a realm of magical powers, mythical creatures, and modern science in the hands of some ruthless scientists. The mythical characters, Djinns, have been given a new identity—bird-like mammals with long tails, big talons, and white bodies—who make their nests in the poisonous weed, Devil’s root, and like dark, cold places. Angela and her children are courageous and have accepted Charlie’s death and loved him in his spirit form, calling him Goldie. The characters in the story are impressive and realistic. The madness of Dr. Wagner intimidates her assistant, Dr. B. Thomas Knowles, a Nobel Prize-winning biotech engineer who devoted his time to his research work to revive the dead even after years of death and control them. Major Jackson is a positive character and an old friend of Charlie. The teenagers, Connor and Davy, play an important role in the story and are well-developed characters.
The tribal rituals, the story of Shaman Sarah, the history of the Algonquian tribes and the European settlers, and Dr. Wagner’s experiments are remarkably well-narrated. The author’s writing style is simple, and the story flows smoothly. The wooden magical box and the power of its contents make an amazing theme. The illustrations in the book help the reader understand the narration better. There is nothing negative or dislikeable about the story or narration, but the editing is noticeably poor. I found too many typos, and this fact does not allow a perfect rating. My overall rating of the book is 4 out of 5 stars.
The book is quite entertaining and keeps the readers captivated by its unusual theme. Although reading the first book in the series, The Plain Field, would be helpful, the storyline becomes clear after a few pages through the flashbacks. I would recommend it to fans of magical stories with a blend of science and technology. As is obvious, the story does not conclude in this book, so it is recommended to readers who are willing to invest time and money in the whole set of the trilogy, the last book being Eyes and Ash.
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The Plain Field / Shadow Twins
View: on Bookshelves
The Plain Field / The Shadow Twins by John F Noone is the second book in a fantasy trilogy set in modern times. The story revolves around an ancient magic box, a mysterious race of Djinns, and the O’Hare family. Charlie O’Hare was supposedly killed in a car accident, but his wife, Angela, and their children felt his spirit around them. He had left a message for his teenage son, Connor, which he listened to after a few years. The message was about a small mahogany box with carvings from an Algonquian Indian shaman named Sarah Sea Snake. Charlie had hidden it, but people who wanted it for evil purposes were after the box and Connor’s family. There were almost extinct magical bird-like creatures who befriended Connor and his friend Davy, and the boys’ families helped them make nests and propagate. Charlie’s youngest daughter, Dakota, exhibited supernatural powers and hence was targeted by a mad scientist, Dr. M. E. Wagner, and a secret council who wanted to control the powers of the box and use them to rule the world.
The author has created a realm of magic in the modern world on the islands near New York. It is a realm of magical powers, mythical creatures, and modern science in the hands of some ruthless scientists. The mythical characters, Djinns, have been given a new identity—bird-like mammals with long tails, big talons, and white bodies—who make their nests in the poisonous weed, Devil’s root, and like dark, cold places. Angela and her children are courageous and have accepted Charlie’s death and loved him in his spirit form, calling him Goldie. The characters in the story are impressive and realistic. The madness of Dr. Wagner intimidates her assistant, Dr. B. Thomas Knowles, a Nobel Prize-winning biotech engineer who devoted his time to his research work to revive the dead even after years of death and control them. Major Jackson is a positive character and an old friend of Charlie. The teenagers, Connor and Davy, play an important role in the story and are well-developed characters.
The tribal rituals, the story of Shaman Sarah, the history of the Algonquian tribes and the European settlers, and Dr. Wagner’s experiments are remarkably well-narrated. The author’s writing style is simple, and the story flows smoothly. The wooden magical box and the power of its contents make an amazing theme. The illustrations in the book help the reader understand the narration better. There is nothing negative or dislikeable about the story or narration, but the editing is noticeably poor. I found too many typos, and this fact does not allow a perfect rating. My overall rating of the book is 4 out of 5 stars.
The book is quite entertaining and keeps the readers captivated by its unusual theme. Although reading the first book in the series, The Plain Field, would be helpful, the storyline becomes clear after a few pages through the flashbacks. I would recommend it to fans of magical stories with a blend of science and technology. As is obvious, the story does not conclude in this book, so it is recommended to readers who are willing to invest time and money in the whole set of the trilogy, the last book being Eyes and Ash.
******
The Plain Field / Shadow Twins
View: on Bookshelves