LitPick Review
Soul Stealer, by Martin Booth, is a fantastical sequel to Doctor Illuminatus. We Pip and Tim moved into a new house, and, over the summer, had discovered that a medieval alchemist's son, Sebastian, had awakened from centuries of slumber. In this sequel, we are taken into an adventure that begins as the new school year starts.
Something just doesn't seem right with Pip and Tim's chemistry teacher, Mr. Yoland, and one of their fellow students, Scrotton. Pip and Tim go to Sebastian to ask about him, only to discover that there is more to these two than what they'd think.
Opinion:
The novel begins out very promising, with astounding details and descriptions, but it is slow moving throughout, so it takes quite a bit of reading to get to any action, or possibly even reach the climax of the novel.
Though very slow paced, Soul Stealer is delightful and adventurous, full of mystery and suspense.
Without reading the prequel, Doctor Illuminatus, the reader is left without details of essential characters mentioned throughout Soul Stealer. However, in reading further through, it is easy enough to pick up enough details to form a somewhat substantial understanding of these characters.
The two main characters of the novel, Pip and Tim, are only in the 7th grade, though they act, speak, and appear to be much older through the book. This is sometimes deceiving, but it would be perfect for a young reader that is well read and can relate.
In the end, Soul Stealer is a delightful and well -written novel that would be perfect for any young and adventurous reader, and proves to be a wonderful sequel to Doctor Illuminatus.
