Curse of the Spider King, by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper, is first in the The Berinfell Prophesies series.
In a world called Allyra, seven children of Elven Lords disappeared during the Siege of Berinfell. Hidden among humans on Earth, the children have grown up knowing nothing of their heritage. But the Spider King wants them dead. So, Elven warriors must race to find the seven children, protect them, and lead them back to Allyra to claim their rightful place in their home world.
The seven Elven children are each faced with the unbelievable fact that they are not human, let alone adopted. To top it off, as each turns 13, they discover that they have an amazing and unique gift. Reminiscent of The Neverending Story, each young teen is given a special book. A book that tells the history of Berinfell and literally comes alive for the reader, when the words are touched.
With amazing characters and spectacular world-building, this book seemed to come alive to me as well. I got caught up in each of the young teen’s stories, their struggles and heartaches. This is a coming-of-age story and fantasy, with plenty of action, suspense, magic, mystery, and mild Christian themes. Marketed for young adults, but this first installment is fairly suitable for preteens and middle readers as well.
From beginning to end, the suspense and danger kept me on the edge of my seat. We are left with a mild cliffhanger, but thankfully the next in the series is scheduled to release in June. Curse of the Spider King was one of the most vivid and exciting young adult novels that I have read this year.
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