*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: The award-winning new fantasy thriller for teens and young adults.
There’s nowhere to hide when the internet itself is after you.
At least that’s what the dad of teenage twins, Rose and Daniel, believes. But then he’s just a conspiracy theory nut who won’t allow them phones, the internet or even TV.
It makes life pretty unbearable. But then something happens…
The people he always thought were after him actually turn up.
With their dad suddenly gone missing and their house burned to the ground, Rose and Daniel are whisked into the centre of a worldwide conspiracy that stretches back through the ages.
Why would the company that basically owns the internet be after Rose and Daniel?
And how was it that their dad knew all along?
The answers to these questions and darker mysteries lie beyond the doors of an ancient house called Skerryvore…
Skerryvore is an exciting teen/YA fantasy adventure that blends modern information technology with Arthurian legend to great effect.
The story begins with Rose and Daniel struggling to live a normal teen life with their paranoid, conspiracy-nut dad who shines lasers at their friends and won’t let them a phone. It doesn’t take long at all for them both to realise that maybe their dad wasn’t so nutty after all… but is it too late?
There are definite echoes of Narnia here – I thought of Turkish Delight every time apple sweets appeared! – and of course, the idea of the prophesied ‘Chosen One’ children needing to defeat evil and save the world is a common one in fantasy fiction. There was also an echo of The Witches when a certain group of adults gathered to discuss their plans for world domination.
I particularly enjoyed here the way that the author explicitly set up the ‘evil’ modern world of internet and mobile phones against the good old-fashioned world of books, maps and scrolls. As an inveterate bookworm myself, I found this hard to argue with, but I did sympathise with the twins on how very difficult everything seemed when you removed easy access to mobile phones and the internet… to the point where I have no idea how I survived my own childhood!
I would recommend this one to any fans of teen fantasy adventures, from C.S. Lewis to J.K. Rowling and beyond.
He was beginning to feel calmer as he consoled himself with the thought of some time alone. He stopped at a crossing and pressed the button, wondering whether he had enough money to buy some chocolate. But his thoughts were interrupted by an ominously familiar whirring noise. He turned just in time to see the thing swivel towards him.
He looked up at the camera and the camera looked down at him. For a second he found himself staring straight into its blank predatory eye.
Then he started to run.
– Lee Williams, Skerryvore
Find more from Lee Williams at his website here, or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
Skerryvore is available on Amazon right now!
Bookshine And Readbows 