Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsNew Fantasy Series by James Maxwell for youth
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2020
The Firewall Trilogy is a new series by fantasy author James Maxwell. The books will be:
Girl From Nowhere The Firewall Trilogy, Book 1 this book being reviews, A World Of Secrets The Firewall Trilogy, Book 2 – release date scheduled 16 July 2020 and A Search For Starlight The Firewall Trilogy, Book 3 –no release date as yet.
I'd rate this book "Young Adult" as the writing is simple and clear. But I like youth novels myself, and I wouldn't discourage even mature adults from reading this series.
These are themes we've seen before: Taimin come home to find that his place has been ransacked and his aunt killed (hello, Luke Skywalker) His companion, mystic, Selena, is on a quest for the mythical White City. (Lord of the RIngs and maybe Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea series.) Why is there a wall of fire? What does it mean and what kind of world to they live in? Many mysteries to unfold.
There is plenty of action, but the writing is not so elegant as LeGuin or as dense as Tolkien. If you love Star Wars but want fantasy rather than space, this is probably up your alley as the story moves and is written in simpler, bold and visual language. Maxwell is a popular author, so if you loved the Evermen series, you will probably love this new fantasy series as it's fairly classic in the theme and has Maxwell's ability to create a world and tell a story.
As you can tell, I did not enjoy this book tremendously. I was looking for a new science fiction-fantasy series and to start series with a new author --but this is not my kind of thing; I'm not a Tolkien fan either! But..if you are and want a faster read and a new series, you will LOVE this. I did not--but it's not you, it's me.
