Graham Brown - The Mayan Conspiracy - Book Review

                                        

• Pages 528
• Published By Ebury Press
• Date - 23 June 2011
• Age 13+
• Isbn 978-0091943080

A coveted treasure. A perilous mission. A dangerous secret that could change the world...


Former CIA-agent Hawker has been black flagged by his own government andInterpol and the State department have issued a warrant for his arrest. All Hawker wants to do is find a way back home that doesn’t involve a prison sentence or a body bag.


Government operative Danielle Laidlaw is his way out. She needs a pilot and a security consultant for her mission to discover the lost Mayan city of Tulan Zuyu. In return for his services, she promises Hawker his life back.


But as an unseen enemy stalks the rainforests, leaving battered corpses in its wake, they are about to discover that they are not the first – and they are not the only people looking for Tulan Zuyu and the secrets it may hold.


This book first came to my attention when the publishing company asked me if I would like to review it. After reading the synopsis that they sent I was definitely interested and couldn't wait to feast my eyes on a copy. This book is by a debut author from Arizona, who appears to have a passion for reading books by Michael Crichton and Stephen King. He also enjoys television shows like the X-files and Lost. Therefore, it is perhaps of little surprise that this book combines many of these styles and themes.


From the very first page to the last, this book is an action-packed crescendo of story lines. Particularly the high-fuelled, military-action combat that takes place in the jungle. This really works well as it gives another slant to the plot.


The story has many great moments that incorporate some unusual and vivid monsters. These are the products of a purely wild imagination that certainly made the story both engrossing and enjoyable. The detail and the character dialogues within this story are as enthralling as the action.



The mythological parts of the story are based on real elements of the Mayan culture. These give a fantastical twist to the story but still retain some realistic elements. They give a very insightful vision into the Mayan creation, some of which are based on the legend taken from the ancient text of the Popul Vuh-writings - these are the Mayan version of Genesis.


The mystery and conspiracy angles, although hardly original, aren't too over the top or implausible. The story as a whole remains exciting and compelling throughout - not all of the revelations are blatantly obvious.  


This book was so enjoyable that I rattled through the 500 pages like a sub machine gun on auto. It's a really gripping read as it has many different themes all wrapped up into one story. It certainly receives the thumbs up from me.


This is definitely a great start for such a new talent. The author's new book Black Sun is already out in the US. Hopefully, I might get my hands on a copy as soon as I have finished writing this review. 

M.G Harris - Joshua Files:BK 4 Dark Parallel - Book Review

                                

• Pages 388
• Published by Scholastic 
• Date 7 April 2011
• Age 11+
• ISBN 9781407111032

One boy. One deadly prophecy. One heart-stopping adventure. This is how the world will end: on 22 December, an electromagnetic pulse will blast through the atmosphere. Technology will fail. Civilization will fall apart. The key to survival lies in a secret Mayan book, protected by Josh and an ancient society. But someone has altered time. To put it back on track, Josh must unravel history itself and face the dangers of a dark, parallel reality. 


We are now on the fourth of Joshua's amazing adventures, with this epic time travel escapade being my favourite, so far. All of the stories feel very fresh, as different worlds and adventures are explored in each book. Whilst there is a little bit of story recapping in each new story (from the previous book) it is just enough to pull the story together. Therefore, if you happen to wander into this book before having read any of the others, you will still have a clear understanding of where the story is and what has happened beforehand.


This is another great action adventure which is oozing with Mayan culture. The book incorporates some amazing places, which Josh and Ixchel visit whilst time travelling from place to place, in order to save the world from the scrupulous villains of the Sect of Huracan. The Snake Kingdom is a particularly amazing historical and mythical place, it is written with such colourful and vivid imagery, that it will leave you breathless. I would have loved to have stayed longer and encountered this place over many more pages but instead, for me, this felt like a very brief encounter.


I really loved the turbulent history between Josh and Ixchel, who is such a great feisty and strong female character. She manages to hide her emotions and true feelings incredibly well. In fact, I found myself wanting to scream at them both,  as I wanted them to tell each other how they felt. However, this tension continually bubbled throughout the book and kept me frustrated until it was finally resolved.


In short, this is another great adrenalin rush of action that will leave every reader wanting more.  A joyous and compelling teenage read like no other. The pace of adventure will leave you feeling mildly exhilarated whilst gasping for breath. The question is, what will happen next to Josh and his friends?  

M.G Harris - Zero Moment - Joshua Files Book Review

Mr Ripley's Book Review

This book is more than just a boy action adventure. Under the surface you can actually depict a sensitive side to the story, which I was not expecting.

The start of the book is actually quite deep; rich in its exploration of characters' feelings, emotions and thoughts, which are written in greater depth than in the previous two books within the series.
The book feels like the reader is engaging in a head long rush of excitement and into a long journey containing peril and danger. There's lots of flying that takes place in the  Muwan including a visit to Brazil, to the World Capoeira Championships, which is the starting point where the story explodes into life.

As with the other books in the series, the research and knowledge that is crammed into each novel makes for a more detailed and captivating story. This just highlights the greatness of this series for me and makes it stand out from all other books in this genre.

Another great aspect of the book is how it engages the reader throughout. The story, right from the first paragraph, continues to build up layers until it reaches a surreal moment where Josh meets a ghost from the past. I especially liked this part of the book as it was like floating on a little cloud over Mexico looking down at yourself, swimming in the streamline - if you know what I mean?

The idea of time travel is explored within the book, this captivated my full attention - I am a sucker for a good time travel idea! I have to say that I did connect with this book in a big way. It's certainly a great end of year feeling to find such a good book like this. The author believes that a great book is not created by just one person but in fact it is a team contribution that produces such a great book for us to read. So thanks to all of you involved in producing such a book for us to enjoy. The only thing I can do now is give it five out of five.

What can we ask for in the next book? In my opinion just more of the same great writing and perhaps a quicker publication date so that I can read it very soon - otherwise I may have to build me a time machine to read it now!

T

Book Published By Scholastic; 1 February  2010

Book Synopsis:Josh thinks he has discovered the key to time travel. Should he use it to go back in time and save his father? Ixchel knows what he intends to do. Should she stop him? Before they can decide, Ixchel is kidnapped by the people who want to see an ancient prophecy predicting the end of the world in 2012 come true. It's up to Josh to save Ixchel and possibly save the world. Time is running out in the exhilarating third part of the best-selling Joshua Files. the legendary Ix Codex - a lost book of the ancient Maya containing a prophecy about the end of the world...

If  you like to read more about the book or the author take a trip to M.G Harris web site.www.joshuafiles.co.uk 

M.G Harris Joshua Files - Ice Shock Book Review

Mr Ripley's Review Thanks M.G for sending me the new Photo.

This is the second book written in the Joshua Files series entitled Ice Shock.
The story starts just a few months after Invisible City where we find Josh back home in Oxford. Josh embarks on another fast-paced adventure trying to find the answers to his father's death. Keeping with the Mayan Culture,the story revolves around the hidden city of EK Naab and the IX Codex which keeps the story moving. Josh makes a huge discovery first, then the story starts to take pace with a few twists and turns to keep the reader turning the pages quickly.
I love the way M.G Harris has the ability to write a great story, putting all the action you would normally find in an Alex Rider book. I enjoyed reading this book, as you feel a part of the story. Joshua's survival, again keeps you gripped throughout. A great joy to read, I'm already looking forward to the next book.

Five out of Five, great adventure with imaginative characters which fit the story well. Amazing detail, referring to the Mexico and Mayan cultures, making the story stand out. I also like the idea of putting Josh's blog into the book to make the story more stylistic.

Synopsis
Josh is back home, trying to resume his normal life and make sense of his Mayan adventures. But soon it becomes clear that being back in Oxford doesn't mean Josh can escape his destiny. He's evenmore certain now that his father's death was no accident -- and he's starting to wonder if he can really trust his closest allies. But when he finds out a shocking secret, that's when the real adventure begins...

Published by Scholastic Children's Books March 2009 (Also look out for the fluorescent PVC Slipcase.)