Customer Reviews

Venom and Song: The Berinfell Prophecies Series - Book Two

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(18)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Venom & Song"
By: Wayne Thomas Batson & Christopher Hopper

While being trapped in a strange 'new' world, the seven Royal Elf lords have struggles to gain control over their new powers. Dealing with traitors and the Spider King chasing after them,they must conquer the legendary Rainsong mystery, before the "Elven" race is forever destroyed! But, standing in their way, is a very dangerous secret, a trap-filled fortress, and extremely unusual and dangerous creatures! Dig your heels in deep to find out if the prophecies come true, or if the Spider King will win once again!!!

I was pleasantly surprised with this "young-teen" reader. It kept me on the edge for most of the story, and wanting to finish it in one day! I enjoyed it enough to even visit the book series website, very intriguing indeed! My teenage son also is looking forward to reading it next over the summer, after seeing and hearing how much I enjoyed the book!

As per FTC guidelines, I must state that I received a complimentary copy of the book "Venom & Song", to read for review. My opinions are expressly my own and are in no way influenced positively or negatively, due to receiving this review copy.

(Please don't read my review below unless you have already read the first book in The Berinfell Prophecies series.)

In the first book in The Berinfell Prophecies, seven Earth kids discover they are actually elves. Each one has a different power: Autumn has the power of incredible speed, athletic Jett has healing powers, Jimmy can see the future, Johnny generates flames, blue-skinned Kat can read minds, Kiri Lee walks on air, and Tommy is an excellent marksman with a bow and arrow. But now, their talents are starting to mature, leading to new abilities . . .

In this, the second book, the teenagers are in the land of their birth, a type of parallel universe of elves, gnomes, and other creatures. Siblings Autumn and Johnny have unwittingly left something important back on Earth that must be retrieved. Meanwhile, Mr. Wallace, Kat's former teacher, seems bent on killing the children. He's actually a wisp, a frightening creature that can take on any form. He gets discovered by Kat, disappears, and quickly begins plans for a more subtle attack, only to return when you will least expect it!

The teens all are in need of fine-tuning of their developing skills if they're to save the world from the evil Spider King. They begin training at Whitehall by military commander Grimwarden, who wants to demonstrate not only that each skill is important, but also that the skills can be combined together to be even more effective.

The first book was largely about each teen finding out his or her true identity. _Venom and Song_ now has them all together, and they begin to learn more about one another and how to work together. I found myself regularly needing to refer to a list I'd written out of their various powers and personalities (there's also a helpful list in the beginning of the book), and wishing I could find out a bit more about what the characters were thinking as individuals. With seven main characters, it's difficult to connect with any one specifically, to realize him or her as a three-dimensional character, and to keep each character straight.

For example, in one section of the book, the teens are told by Grimwarden that they have to maneuver an obstacle course together, and each one is given a specific limitation that, if broken, will result in the entire team not getting fed. Jimmy is told that he can only say the words "yes" and "no" (p. 138). This happens along for several pages and does add to the excitement of the action. However, by p. 145, while still on the task, Jimmy begins talking, just as if this rule didn't exist. Another teen breaks her Grimwarden-given limitation near the end of the task as well. I don't want to ruin the ending, but neither of these experiences causes the task to be lost or is referred to as something that broke the rules. In another instance, Tommy and Kat communicate on p. 44 in a manner that they don't learn how to do until p. 169! I wondered if the authors also, at times, had a difficult time keeping the characters straight.

Despite the difficulty in following along at times, I mostly enjoyed this continuation of the first book. My hope is that in the future the teens will break into smaller groups (as in Tolkien) so that we readers will be able to get to know them better. Due to the continuity errors and difficulty in following it, I have to rate _Venom and Song_ with only three stars, while still having high hopes for the next volume.

Venom and Song by Wayne Batson and Christopher Hopper
This is my first Booksneeze review. I had the opportunity to read this epic tale of seven teenagers who are destined for greatness in another realm. It was an adventurous mix of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Lord of the Rings. At first, I felt lost because I had not read the first book in the series. However, I very quickly gained familiarity with the characters. The book moved very quickly and had few slow moments. For parents, I would say that this book is for older teens because of a few graphic scenes of violence at the very beginning and end of the book. If you would not let your kids watch Lord of the Rings extended editions and all the battle scenes, you should probably screen this book first. It was enjoyable to me to follow the characters growth through trial after trial. Uniting and depending on a higher power was the main message I got from the story. The strength to make wise choices as a team was another theme that I felt ran through the book. I would recommend this book to others and older teens. If you enjoyed the Lord of the Ring series or the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe series, I think you would like this series.

I picked this book to review from the list thinking that it would be fun to read a fiction novel for a change. I had not read the first book in the series, so I hoped that I could quickly catch up. The book includes a character list in the front, so at first I did a lot of flipping back and forth until I felt I had the hang of who was who. The book opens with the Seven Lords just arriving on Allyra through a portal from Earth. The Lords are 13 years old, and the current events are pretty life-changing from them. The book follows their lives as they train and eventually bring war against the evil Spider King who is bent on destroying the race of Elves on the planet Allrya.

I was captivated by the story, which is targeted towards intermediate readers (young teens). I found the storyline to be very original and thought-provoking--which is refreshing. I finished the book in about two days, which is saying a lot. I have high praise for the authors and their writing style. The story flowed rather seamlessly. I wouldn't dare compare this book to the Lord of the Rings, but I do dare compare it to Eragon, and I must say the authors obviously write with more maturity and the book is much more enjoyable all the way to the end. My husband picked up book 1 for me from the library, and I enjoyed it just as much. Things that happened in book 2 made a lot more sense to me after reading book 1, so I recommend you start there. It would be like trying to pick up "The Two Towers" without reading "The Fellowship of the Ring" (both by Tolkien from the Lord of the Rings series)...you would be lost in a sea of characters and not fully understand. I hope the authors get a contract to write book 3...I can't wait to read more!

Fantasy is a dangerous genre to read and to write. I recommend this book series with reservations--if your teen can handle fantasy, or if you are a looking to a good alternative by Christian authors, then you should definitely check The Berinfell Prophecies out!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Venom and Song is an epic sequel to The Curse of The Spider King. This book follows seven teens as they struggle to live and love in their new world of elves. They train hard to be able to survive against the villain (the Spider King). Readers of any of Christopher Hopper's or Wayne Thomas Batson's books will love this wonderful, epic novel.

This fantasy fiction novel definitely has a feel of its own. It has a unique combination of story styles: medieval, other-worldly, and contemporary. It even throws in a little harmless romance. It's plot was well thought-out, despite a few minute details missed. Different from the previous novel, Curse of the Spider King, there were less main characters. What Mr. Batson and Mr. Hopper pulled off is that each of the 9 main characters' individual characters were shown and developed well throughout. Most important were the story's themes, such as trusting God at all times and fellowshipping with believers. I recommend this book to anyone who sees it on at their local bookstore.

*This book was given freely by the Booksneeze program in exchange for a review. I was not required to write a positive review, and the opinions expressed are my own.*

I was reading some of the other reviews for this product and was surprised to see that there were so many 2 star reviews. Then I noticed a common thread. Most of the 2 stars came from readers who had not read the first book. This book is excellent anyway, but I would recommend all readers to read the first book first. That will clear up any confusion over characters. It was also help the readers get to know the characters. As it is, the seven children (13-year-olds who are really elves) are the strongest part of the story. The scenes with them are both believable and refreshing. I also really liked Grimwarden and Elle, the seven kids' mentors.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but I will say this. The story is fast-moving, with plenty of action and a nice dose of humor sprinkled in. It is appropriate for almost any age (except very young children due to some frightening creatures and some violence). The messages are very powerful and positive in this book (probably more so than in the first one). There are themes of friendship, overcoming difficulties, love, faith, sacrifice, and bravery.

In this book, the kids must learn to use the powers that they discovered in Curse of the Spider King. They have to practice using their gifts together, instead of acting solo. Everything will depend upon it.

Although I did not enjoy this book quite as well as some of Batson's other books, it's still a great story that one can really get lost inside. Enjoy the adventure!

I was recently sent a copy of Venom and Song: The Berinfell Prophecies Series - Book Two to review. My favorite genre is by far Science Fiction and Fantasy. So this lovely little book fit perfectly into my that category.

It is the story of seven elf lords who are struggling to gain control of their newfound powers while learning how to live in a new world. It not only kept me entertained it kept me on the edge of my sit. It is filled with action, suspense and love. This is a young adult novel, but let's face it, aren't we all still young adults?

It did take me a bit to get into the book, however, after reading the first one I can see that it flows seamlessly from one to the other. I highly recommend reading Curse of the Spider King: The Berinfell Prophecies Series - Book One before reading this one. I also had a bit of trouble keeping some the character straight since their names are quite similar (Johnny, Jimmy, & Tommy specifically).

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others. It's a light read set in a fun new world with great characters.

Continuing on from book one of the Berinfell Prophecies series, Venom and Song continues the adventures of our intrepid seven heroes. I know how many series have seven heroes? This was a wise decision on the authors part because it allows our heroes to be "normal" with superpowers instead of being superpowers that occasionally are normal. As the heroes return to the elven nation they find that not only do they have enemies from without but opposition from within the nation as well. Fleeing from those who would seek to use them rashly they find solitude and hard work far away. But as the enemies close in, they choose a dangerous mission to find something that no one has ever seen but that they have been called to find. Completing the ancient prophecies seemed so simple and straightforward. Now realizing that things are not as they appear "evil has no race" and they seek to understand the truth about ancient history and this critical question: who and what they're willing to fight for. This is a fun read and the truths interlaced into the book make it great for bringing the truths to some of the questions that we humans still struggle with. Enjoy

Oh my!!!! I didn't think it was possible, but they did it! Batson and Hopper have created a book that is even better than The Curse of the Spider King (book one in the Berinfell prophicies) Venom and Song has it all: mystery, adventure, quests, secrets, betrayal, epic battles, evil plots, giant dogs and gnomes! This book is not one to be missed.

Starting right where book 1 left off, this book follows the seven young Lords of Berinfell and their battle against the evil Spider King. The Lords only hope of winning is to find something called the keystone which contains a song so powerful it can even defeat the Spider King. But with a traitor in their midst and danger at every turn, do the Lords have a chance?

A must read for Hopper and Batson fans, fantasy fans, or someone simply looking for a good book.