Review of Heroes of Atlantis
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JayRaams
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Review of Heroes of Atlantis
[Following is a volunteer review of "Heroes of Atlantis" by Ryan Carriere.]
Meet our young hero Roeg, the adopted son of Unn, the chef of the clan. Roeg has been trying to be fully accepted by the clan, though he has been with them since he was a baby, whether it’s because of his blue hair or because he can’t hunt due to a burn on his hand that he got as a baby. We also follow the story of Sephonei a new Rune Hunter apprentice thrown in the deep end, she is hoping to survive this crazy change in her life. Will she make it off Atlantis and to the mainland in one piece? Can Roeg become an asset on the big hunt? Find out in Legend of the Dragon Runes, book one of the Heroes of Atlantis, author Ryan Carriere’s latest book.
The writing is good from the first scene, it pulls you into the story and introduces the world very well. The world-building begins from the first line then details are added and spread throughout the book in small chunks. This writing style makes it easier to understand information about the world, without having to dump a lot of information all at once. This method of slow revile is also used to reveal the rules around the magic system. Though the magic system is not completely unique, it is used in a fun way and is tied nicely to the world-building, this makes them both feel more organic and real. Another thing I liked in this book is that it passed the Bechdel test (there are two named female characters that talk about something other than a man) this is good to see in a fantasy YA book for young boys.
Unlike the main female character, Roeg is a well-fleshed out character, whereas Sephonei is kind of two-dimensional. She is often pushed into situations and never really makes her own choices, unlike Roeg who has clear personal goals. We learn very little about her and though I am glad Sephonei is one of the main characters, her storyline and personality are not given the same amount of time and weight as Roeg’s. You don’t get points for representation if you only have to change the female characters’ name and pronouns to make them from a boy to a girl. We follow both Sephonei and Roeg’s storyline and unlike a lot of stories that use this storytelling technique, the two-story lines never meet, which to me made the end of the book feel incomplete.
This is a 3 out of 4 stars book, it is exceptionally well-edited and overall it is an enjoyable short read. I did take one star off because, though the author Ryan Carriere shows a lot of potential, he is still a relatively new author and has a few things that could be improved. An example, being the way he writes female characters, this being only his sixth book published, I am sure he will be able to improve his craft as he continues to grow as an author.
Legend of the Dragon Runes is a YA book and will probably appeal to the younger age range of the YA target audience. Therefore, I recommend it to 12-year-old boys looking to get into fantasy books and want something more accessible, this is definitely a book for them.
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Heroes of Atlantis
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Meet our young hero Roeg, the adopted son of Unn, the chef of the clan. Roeg has been trying to be fully accepted by the clan, though he has been with them since he was a baby, whether it’s because of his blue hair or because he can’t hunt due to a burn on his hand that he got as a baby. We also follow the story of Sephonei a new Rune Hunter apprentice thrown in the deep end, she is hoping to survive this crazy change in her life. Will she make it off Atlantis and to the mainland in one piece? Can Roeg become an asset on the big hunt? Find out in Legend of the Dragon Runes, book one of the Heroes of Atlantis, author Ryan Carriere’s latest book.
The writing is good from the first scene, it pulls you into the story and introduces the world very well. The world-building begins from the first line then details are added and spread throughout the book in small chunks. This writing style makes it easier to understand information about the world, without having to dump a lot of information all at once. This method of slow revile is also used to reveal the rules around the magic system. Though the magic system is not completely unique, it is used in a fun way and is tied nicely to the world-building, this makes them both feel more organic and real. Another thing I liked in this book is that it passed the Bechdel test (there are two named female characters that talk about something other than a man) this is good to see in a fantasy YA book for young boys.
Unlike the main female character, Roeg is a well-fleshed out character, whereas Sephonei is kind of two-dimensional. She is often pushed into situations and never really makes her own choices, unlike Roeg who has clear personal goals. We learn very little about her and though I am glad Sephonei is one of the main characters, her storyline and personality are not given the same amount of time and weight as Roeg’s. You don’t get points for representation if you only have to change the female characters’ name and pronouns to make them from a boy to a girl. We follow both Sephonei and Roeg’s storyline and unlike a lot of stories that use this storytelling technique, the two-story lines never meet, which to me made the end of the book feel incomplete.
This is a 3 out of 4 stars book, it is exceptionally well-edited and overall it is an enjoyable short read. I did take one star off because, though the author Ryan Carriere shows a lot of potential, he is still a relatively new author and has a few things that could be improved. An example, being the way he writes female characters, this being only his sixth book published, I am sure he will be able to improve his craft as he continues to grow as an author.
Legend of the Dragon Runes is a YA book and will probably appeal to the younger age range of the YA target audience. Therefore, I recommend it to 12-year-old boys looking to get into fantasy books and want something more accessible, this is definitely a book for them.
******
Heroes of Atlantis
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Legacy of Job's Wife by Cynthia Koelker
