Author: Blazej Dzikowski
Series: Hidden Empires
Publication Date: 7th October 2020
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy
Book Description:
There are dark, mysterious worlds beneath the surface of everything you see.
Those who know them call them the Hidden Empires.
Gabriel tries to take care of his mom and little brother, but it’s tough. There’s never enough money, and he has to study at nights to keep the scholarship at the prestigious Rosewater High.
One night, a voice calls his name and a hidden world is revealed before him. He discovers that all things are home to demons … and they listen to his commands. The possibilities seem endless. But there’s another man with the same power, using the demons to assist him in his darkest deeds. And the man just set his eyes on Gabriel’s little brother.
Now Gabriel must embark on a desperate search. Every neon sign, trashcan and streetlight can be an enemy spy. If he fails, his brother will forever remain the plaything of the sadistic kidnapper, somewhere on the threshold between our reality and the Hidden Empires.
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MY REVIEW
Gabriel West is an ordinary teenager living with his mum and his little brother, Matt, and attending Rosewater High. One day, he hears a voice call his name, and suddenly, his world is turned upside down as he starts seeing the dead, and not the ghostly figures of humans who have passed on. No, Gabriel is an Ombudsman: one who can see demons, and more importantly, he can command them to do whatever he wishes. Gabriel has no idea of what to do with his new-found power; that is until the Stellen Street Kidnapper, who has been abducting kids from the neighbourhood, invades Gabriel's life when he abducts Matt. Gabriel may be the only person who can find Matt, but he has to tread carefully, as it appears he's not the only Ombudsman in town.
This book was a lot darker than I first anticipated it would be, but it was fitting for the tone of the book. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. As I often do, I didn't read the blurb prior to starting the book. I just picked it up based on title and cover, and I am so glad I did. This was a thrilling read. I especially liked the pacing and how it wasn't bogged down with overly descriptive prose to the point where you're not able to paint a picture yourself based on your own interpretation of the book. The writing style of this book, which is very cinematic and fast paced, allows for the reader to partake in creating the general milieu of the story world. Although this was a YA book and the perspective we received throughout was from an adult point of view, through the eyes of adult characters instead of characters in the young adult age bracket, I found Gabriel to be a very formidable character and rather engaging. He was well portrayed and was a character with many layers. There was an air of mystery surrounding him. You never quite know what his reaction will be or how he might feel about certain incidents, and it was exciting not completely knowing what his next move would be.
The adult characters were also well portrayed and likeable, particularly Senior Agent Andrew Delancey, Agent Raymond Ayser and Beatrice Lubonsky. I didn't get to know Gabriel's best-friend, Martin, too well as he wasn't present much throughout the story or his love interest, Andrea. Despite their lack of presence, I didn't yearn for them because there was a lot of chaos taking place, from discovering dead bodies to trying to locate the whereabouts of Matt and the identity of his kidnapper.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's my second favourite read of the year so far, and I definitely recommend it to readers of dark fantasy.
VERDICT
Award: Platinum
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Source: Booksirens
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