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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A story of magic and adventure!, May 28, 2009
This review is from: Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass (Hardcover)
Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass is simply amazing. This is a story of great imagination, magic, and the power to believe in oneself. For lovers of Harry Potter, this new series by Erica Kirov is sure to be a huge hit. Geared toward middle school age children, I sincerely feel that Magickeepers will find an avid audience that far surpasses that age range. With summer on our heels and many young voices complaining that they are bored, or have nothing to do, Magickeepers will provide that engaging entertainment that both parents and children will love. This is a story that will engulf it's reader and send them on a wondrous adventure of good vs. evil and magic galore. I dare not forget to mention the powerful yet protecting white tigers, polar bears and a rare breed of horse called Akhal-Teke. Within this amazing story, the author brings to surface such known names as Houdini and Rasputin, powerful people of their time, and sure to pique the reader's interest to read about these people outside of the walls of Magickeepers. The delightful way that Ms. Kirov intertwines historical facets throughout Magickeepers, brings an even greater dimension to the story. As young Nick Rostov turns thirteen, his life is suddenly twisting out of control and he wakes up to discover himself in a strange room, complete with a ceiling of clouds that actually appear to be moving before his very eyes. He is told that he is a gazer - a rare and powerful talent from a long family line of magickeepers. His mother tried to escape while she was pregnant with him, only to have her life taken away by a powerful Shadowkeeper, leaving her infant son behind to be raised by his loving yet "normal" father. It is shortly after he awakes in this strange room that he is told of his family linage and the struggle the Magickeepers face to keep themselves and their powerful magic hidden from the Shadowkeepers. Once Nick comes to join the family, however, it is not long before Rasputin finds him and tries to strike a bargain. Nick has something powerful that Rasputin wants and he will stop at nothing to get it. However, will Nick be able to discover what that desired object is before it is too late? Can he save himself, as well as the Magickeeper family that he has come to care about? The ability of an hourglass to turn back time is a powerful tool, though a highly dangerous one, if it is placed in the wrong hands. Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass is a story that transcends time and age. It is sure to become an instant hit and I, for one, anxiously await the next installment in this magical series. I sincerely hope that you get a chance to read this wonderful and imaginative tale by Erica Kirov. What an excellent book for parents and children to share and talk about together! A great way to add a bit more fun to summer!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific Start to a New Series, July 12, 2009
This review is from: Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass (Hardcover)
I am so glad that I have a daughter who loves to read because it forces me to read books that I probably wouldn't have picked up otherwise. Thanks to her, I have recently discovered how many great middle-grade books are out there. MAGICKEEPERS: THE ETERNAL HOURGLASS BOOK ONE by Erica Kirov is another example of a terrific book for young readers that I really enjoyed. I thought the basic premise of this novel is terrific. On his 13th birthday, Nick realizes that he can see into the past while looking through a crystal ball in a magic shop. He also learns that his mother, who died when he was a baby, was a member of a family of Russian magicians. His grandfather takes him to live with his "family;" and they begin to train Nick so he can learn how to use his powers. The book really takes off when Nick gets involved in a battle with the Shadowkeepers over an Eternal Hourglass that can stop time. There is a ton of action in this novel, and it's actually a very fast-paced read. So many of the characters in this novel are extremely interesting, but I absolutely loved Nick. Nick was just a terrific character who, despite his abilities, seemed very real to me. He is a young boy who is forced to grow up very quickly and accept that his life will never be the same. Although he was constantly facing challenges that appeared to be impossible, he handled everything that came his way with a sense of maturity and intelligence. I think children will not only relate to Nick and his "normal" young teen feelings, but they will also look up to him as a hero and someone who did the right things for his family. As is often the case in books like this, the characters must face off against evil; and in this story, it was the Shadowkeepers who were the enemy. I especially liked that Nick used not only his physical skills but also his intellectual prowess against the bad guys. There were riddles and spells that he had to figure out, and he also had to use his magical powers; however, I liked that he eventually was successful because he outsmarted them! Not only did I find the story and characters interesting, but I really liked that there was a little historical information thrown in. The book doesn't get bogged down and read like a history lesson, but I thought it was a great idea for the author to mix in real-life historical characters like Harry Houdini and Rasputin. I can imagine that there will be some readers who are interested in learning more about Houdini and Rasputin, and this book might just make them do a little more research. My daughter hasn't had a chance to read MAGICKEEPERS yet, but I'm pretty sure that she's going to love it. This book has all the criteria to make it a great read for middle-graders including action, suspense, and adventure. Plus there's the element of magic that certainly doesn't hurt! I think this book will appeal to both boys and girls (and their parents as well.) I am not alone in my praise for THE ETERNAL HOURGLASS because this novel is already generating some terrific buzz. While the actual story about the Eternal Hourglass was resolved, the author definitely leaves the reader with some questions about Nick and his family's past. It's clear to me that there are a lot more stories to tell in the MAGICKEEPERS series; and I, for one, can't wait until the next book comes out.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fun start to a series!, June 17, 2009
This review is from: Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass (Hardcover)
I thought the Eternal Hourglass was a great set up for a series. Right away, main character Nick is plucked out of the life he knows with his father and grandfather and placed in this large Russian family that lives and works within the Winter Palace in Las Vegas. They are the relatives of his mother and they are all magicians! I felt sort of bad for Nick's dad who also worked as a magician at another nearby hotel but he's not very good at what he does. I did really like seeing how this family operates though. I especially liked Nick's cousin Isabella and her white tiger Sascha. I like the idea of animals that we would normally fear being part of this family! What I thought was really clever is that the author takes pieces of history and melds them into this book thus getting readers interested in finding out more about these pieces of history. It was interesting to see how these flashbacks related to the present storyline. I also liked Nick's lessons from learning how to use a crystal ball to switching out Isabella for Sascha those were some great parts of the story for me! I think the story will work best for younger teens and older children but I still had a great time reading it. It will be interesting to see what other kinds of adventures Nick gets into with his new family. I sure hope he still gets to see his dad and grandpa!
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