LitPick Review
This book describes the journeys of the explorer Ven. Set in a parallel world this book includes many different creatures including Ven, who is a Nain. Ven is entrusted with a mission by the king, who wants to discover the origins of a box given to his father. Inside the box is a stone which appears to be made of light. Engraved upon the stone is the seal of The Gated City where the descendants of ancient thieves are forced to live. Ven and his friends have many adventures in the gated city, including a run in with a weapons dealer, a search missing companion, and a gift from a fortune teller. Eventually, however, their journey takes a turn for the worse when they encounter the queen of thieves and realize that one of their party has a dark past.
Opinion:
Perhaps most importantly I would like to say that I would have enjoyed this book much more had I been three years younger. I would not recommend this to older readers because the plot can be predictable at times and the language is not challenging. Another problem I had was that at times it seemed as if the author was attempting to fit a longer story into a certain number of pages. This novel had a lot of potential and an original plot, but the length didn't do it justice. I feel that it would have been more enjoyable had the author put more detail into the adventures. My biggest complaint was that is was simply okay. It didn't excite me or seem to be special in any way. These points aside, I think preteen readers will enjoy it for its creativity.
