Monday, December 8, 2014

Review @jakedfw - Tommy Black and the Staff of Light by Jake Kerr




Tommy Black
and the Staff of Light
by Jake Kerr

Goodreads blurb:  For fourteen-year-old Tommy Black, nothing is worse than being raised by an overprotective grandfather in the city that never sleeps. That is until his grandfather is captured by magical creatures and Tommy has to save him with his family's magical staff.

That wouldn't be so bad, but the only magic he can do with the staff is weak--making light. What the heck can you do with light?

Tommy finds out as he fights golems, shadow creatures, and djinn in a journey that features a magical river, an enchanted train, and an illusionary fortress. But the worst part of all? Tommy has to save his grandfather with the help of Naomi, a girl whose talent with magic is only rivaled by her ability to hurl insults.

From Nebula, Sturgeon, and Million Writers Award nominee Jake Kerr comes the Tommy Black trilogy, an action adventure series that evokes the rollicking tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs in a mid-century setting, while retaining a thoroughly contemporary feel.


About the Author:  After fifteen years as a music industry journalist Jake Kerr's first published story, "The Old Equations," was nominated for the Nebula Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America and was shortlisted for the Theodore Sturgeon and StorySouth Million Writers awards. His stories have subsequently been published in magazines across the world, broadcast in multiple podcasts, and been published in multiple anthologies and year's best collections.

A graduate of Kenyon College, Kerr studied fiction under Ursula K. Le Guin and Peruvian playwright Alonso Alegria. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife and three daughters.

Connect with Jake:

My Thoughts - 4 out of 5 Unicorns - I really liked it!!!

***Received a copy of the ebook for an honest review via StoryCartel

The cover is definitely relevant to the story though I can’t say that anything grabs my attention if I saw it on a book shelf, but this is my opinion :)

I really enjoyed this story, and it has a lot of messages mixed in that nicely mixed in and not forced.  I think Jake’s writing style makes it easy to picture everything in your mind while you read.  It has some great information on Persia as well as some terms that are Persian if you want to learn :) 

This book has magic, fighting, magical creatures, and stories within the story.  I really like Tommy as a main character.  He follows his heart, and I love that he is not cruel.  He fights for what is right even when everyone else tells him he can’t or to give up.  He is kind to all creatures even when others tell him they are mindless or not worth his time.

This book would be a fabulous addition to my classroom when I can afford to add it :)  I think anyone with an adventurous boy who likes action, magic, and reading would enjoy reading this book.  I think it is a great fit for kids around 14 years old, but any adult who loves this type of kid action adventure would enjoy it too.

Interested in reading???

~ Amazon ~ AmazonUK ~ B&N

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