Monday 19 December 2011

Book Review - The Peaks

Title: The Peaks
Author: Martin Chu Shui
Series: Dragon's Pupils (book 2)
Release Date: 3rd December 2011
ASIN: B006HN8LCS

Synopsis
Powerful and invincible they ride across vast desert landscapes, hunting and slaying vampires under the cover of night. Jian Ke, the sword guests are more famous than ever! Admired by millions of TV fans around the nation as they pursue a life of action and adventure: a splendid tapestry depicting Liz, Henry and Sue at the top of their game. With her paintbrush in hand Liz is prepared to take on a hoard of vampires, an army of aliens and even her first kiss from the man of her dreams, Sue’s handsome older brother.
Life couldn’t be better until everything falls to pieces.
Liz must now face her biggest fears as the world she once knew slips through her fingers. No-one will be left untouched by the chaos which ensues. Armed only with her knowledge of Tai Chi, Liz must fight for what she has lost and begin the climb of her life. An unforgettable journey will take her to the Peaks.
“Dragon’s Pupils – The Peaks,” the second instalment of the Dragon’s Pupils series, follows the drama of Liz’s life as she fights monsters, wields magic and longs for forbidden love. It is a journey which will take you through Australia’s most beautiful landscapes and ultimately witnesses the transformation Liz undergoes, as she rises to meet her latest challenge.


My Review 
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As I've said in a previous post I have had quite a lot of email contact with the author and even did a proof read on this book, but I will not let that affect my review - I will still be objective and honest.
Liz, Henry and Sue seem to be going far, they have become more powerful and united and are now famous, well their 'characters' the 'Jian Ke' are famous, no one knows that they are in fact them, but that makes it more exciting.
I liked that the characters had matured since the first book and I found it easier to get into this book than I did the first one. Sue is much more believable and likeable (she annoyed me a bit in the first book), Liz seems to know what she wants from life but isn't sure how to get it.
There are some new characters in this book, the main one to mention is Rose, she was a bit of a mystery to me at first, I wasn't sure what she was there for, whether she would help or hurt the three friends, as the story went on I was hooked in, so many interesting twists and turns. I'm still not quite sure what to expect from her but hope she will come back in book 3.
There are some quite emotional scenes in this book and they were very well done. I could empathise with Liz when things went wrong and when something happens to Sue and Henry, I really felt for her.
There were a couple of scenes with talking animals that I wasn't sure exactly fit in but they do have a purpose further in so stick with it. 
Makes a nice change to have something that isn't about Vampires/Werewolves etc, just back to basic fantasy with some Chinese heritage mixed in which makes for an interesting mix.
The ending made me wonder what would come next and I am looking forward to more from this series.


My Rating
I would give this book 8.5/10. Different/Original and worth a read. 

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