Review of The Dogs of Ellon

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Rocky Ellery James Tumbelaka
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Review of The Dogs of Ellon

Post by Rocky Ellery James Tumbelaka »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Dogs of Ellon" by Peter Lavery.]
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Dogs of Ellon by Peter Lavery is a novel in the young adult genre. After an incident where a dog killed a baby, they became known as men's worst enemies. The tragic incident took place in the town of Ellon, and now another incident is about to take place. Kace, a young boy from the town, encountered a dog deep in the forest. But instead of being killed by it, as everyone thought what a dog would do, it befriended Kace. And so, boy and dog formed a bond that nobody thought was possible. Their meeting, however, was only the beginning of a series of events that would change the whole kingdom forever. A series of events that would involve a forest girl, a bounty hunter, the King, and the most unusual trial ever. Would Kace and Elex's friendship endure it all? Would they survive through it all?

What I liked the most about this book were the characters. Kace was a very interesting and unique character. He was not a typical main character, to say the least. He was not someone who had a never-ending sense of justice and righteousness. In fact, he made very questionable decisions throughout the book. For example, when he needed more money, he decided to go to a gambling house. I even found myself quite annoyed with what he did from time to time. But in the end, he grew into a better person because of what he went through. My favorite character would be Sander, Kace's father. At first, he seemed distant and didn't care that much about Kace. And his action in the middle of the book made me think that he would be the big bad of the book. I'm glad he got a redemption arc at the end of the book. He may have difficulties showing it, but he loved Kace very much.

Unfortunately, other interesting characters didn’t get enough closure. One of them was Adiana. She played a critical role in the story, but her past wasn't explored. There were hints and assumptions throughout the book, but I was hoping for something more concrete to explain her past. Other interesting characters I was hoping to explore more were Jaisax and Duxos. I knew that in the end, this book was about Kace and Elex. So explaining everything about each character's past would make this book too lengthy. The author wrote very interesting and wonderful characters, which is why I want to know more about them.

I also liked the fantasy atmosphere throughout the book. The book was supposed to take place in a realistic world, but I can't help but feel like it took place in a fantasy world. I even half expected that there was going to be a great war between men and dogs because of it. It was all because of the author’s captivating writing style.

I had nothing to dislike about this book. There are a few errors, but they didn’t reduce the reading experience in any way. So I can say that this book is professionally edited. I gladly rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. A captivating story and unique characters made this book a fun read.

I recommend this book to dog lovers. Readers who love dogs or own dogs would definitely enjoy this book. Readers who enjoy a heartwarming story with a bit of adventure would also enjoy reading this book.

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The Dogs of Ellon
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Catherine Radford
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Post by Catherine Radford »

Is this book set in modern times? I would think if you go back a few hundred years there would be much less ingrained love of dogs.
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