• click here to return to the homepage •
Home > Categories > Books > Fantasy > The Karazan Quartet : 1 : The Serpents of Arakesh review
Adam Equinox was abandoned on the doorstep of Highgate Orphanage 12 years ago. He has no idea who - or where - his parents are; no friends; nothing he's good at; and nowhere he really belongs.
One day, reeling from yet another visit to the principal's office, he notices Cameron Haig's unusual bookmark. It's the entry form for the Quest Golden Opportunity Competition, a competition Adam - along with 40,000 other kids - would love to win. Adam doesn't seem to stand a chance. until Cameron gives him his ticket.
Unbelievably, Adam is chosen as one of the finalists. But it's only when he and his four companions begin the gaming workshop that Quentin Quested reveals why they are really there - and launches them on a real- life quest into the parallel world of Karazan, where the Serpents of Arakesh stand guard over the most precious prize of all.
The Karazan Quartet : 2 : Beyond the Shroud
The Karazan Quartet : 3 : Prince of the Wind
The Karazan Quartet : 4 : Quest for the Sun
Zoom!
Dinosaur Rescue 6 - Dako-snappysaurus
K-Zone Prankster's Handbook
Trumpety Trump
Attack of the Shadow Smashers
Freak Street: Time Machine Collection
Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox
Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot vs the Jurassic Jackrabbits from Jupiter
Alfie's Lost Sharkie
LEGO Star Wars #4: A New Hope
Pippa Morgan's Diary #3 Trouble and SqueakProduct reviews...
Review by: tucker (Karl)
Dated: 20th of October, 2004
As a long-time Sci-Fi buff, who has now added Fantasy to the list of Literary Loves, I was a little dubious about this book, but figured it had to be worth a try. The story is aimed at readers 10 years old and up, so seemed a bit 'young' for my tastes.
As I read the first chapter, it seemed to spend an inordinate amount of time detailing the minutae of Adam Equinox, the main character. None the less, I was quite rapidly wondering where the story was going, so stuck with it. By half way, I was still wondering, as Adam hadn't made much in the way of movement plot-wise. I was almost ready to put the book down and write it off as a dead loss... when it started to get interesting indeed.
Overall, If you don't mind a story with a huge lead-up, you'll probably really get into this one. By the end of the story I was itching to get stuck into the second book in the series.
Items of note:
- L-o-n-g lead up, rapid and somewhat abrupt ending. Leaves you feeling as though someone has told you a great joke and forgotten the last half of the punchline.
- A LOT of character detail.
- Some really interesting mental puzzles appear in the quest, giving you something to stretch those neurons with.
- If you are at all familiar with RPG's, you'll enjoy the style the story takes after the characters enter Karazan.
Random listing from 'Books'...
"There's a bear in the window of the house on the farm. It's wearing gumboots and has a sore arm!
"I wonder what I would see, if I were that bear and that bear were me?"
Do you have a bear in your window too? This story and song in both English and Te Reo Maori celebrates the great teddy-bear hunt that entertained thousands of children during lockdown in 2020.
The story is written by June Pitman-Hayes ... more...
All trademarks, images and copyrights on this site are owned by their respective companies.
KIWIreviews is an independent entity, part of the Knock Out News Group. This is a free public forum presenting user opinions on selected products, and as such the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of kiwireviews.nz and are protected under New Zealand law by the "Honest Opinion" clause of the Defamation Act of 1992. KIWIreviews accepts no liability for statements made on this site, on the premise that they have been submitted as the true and honest opinions of the individual posters. In most cases, prices and dates stated are approximate and should be considered as only guidelines.
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it."
Olivier
