Series: The Talisman, Book 3
Author: Brett Salter
Genre: Middle-Grade / YA Fantasy / Adventure
Publication Date: 1st August 2018
Book Description:
It’s just a simple trip to New York. What could possibly happen to our loveable heroes THIS time? Faster-than-sound reptiles? Exploding Minotaurs? Generational secrets coming back to haunt them? Expect the unexpected in this third installment of The Talisman Series, “Windy City Ruins”. The war for Earth is creeping steadily closer, and Rome’s team is in a mad dash to figure out the Talismans before it’s too late. Can they amass enough talent to help them defend the realm? Or will The Tyrant King’s heinous minions sweep them off course and leave Earth ready for the taking? Windy City Ruins is the third installment of the Talisman Series.
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MY REVIEW
Just when you think life couldn't possibly get anymore dangerous for the young dragons and their riders, the Darkbrands up their game and hit the gang hard. Rome and Julian are back with another wild adventure, fighting to protect their world alongside their army, which is still in its infancy but slowly growing as they travel from one continent to the next seeking alliances in a bid to destroy The Tyrant King once and for all.
After their trip to Somerset, England, the boys and Mrs Case head to New York to seek information about the Darkbrands plans. They are to meet a contact named Beacon, someone they hope will be an ally. They soon discovery they contact is in fact three siblings, Stratus, Skye and Marin, who share a lot in common with Rome. Beacon take the gang to their safe haven in the "Windy City" in Chicago where they divulge all they have on the Darkbrands movements. Soon the boys start to wonder if they can truly trust their new allies as it appears Stratus might have ulterior motives for meeting with them. Could Beacon be working for the Darkbrands.
With the Darkbrands closing in on the gang and seeming to know everything about them, the gang start to wonder if there is a traitor in their midst. Do the Darkbrands have a dragon on their side? Could the enemies they are fighting be closer to home than they think?
Having not performed The Great Synergy correctly and with the Darkbrand seeming to always be one step ahead of them, Julian and Rome find themselves in quite a vulnerable situation and have to tread very carefully when deciding who to trust.
WHAT I LIKED
The story just keeps getting better and better as the boys get closer to uncovering the truth and mystery behind the Darkbrands, and I love the adventure Salter takes us on across the world. There is never a dull moment. It's action-packed adventure all the way from start to finish. The supernatural, magic and adventure all rolled into one enchanting tale of friendship, loyalty and a strive for survival.
I liked that we got to learn a lot more about the 9 Talismans and how The Great Synergy first came to be. I also liked the new characters we were introduced to. The team keeps expanding and while we haven't experienced the full force of what the gang is up against, the fact that they are recruiting for allies reminds us of the danger ahead.
The characters are all distinct, so it's always easy to know who we're engaging with even without a mention of a name. You always know when Rome is speaking compared to when Julian is speaking. The same goes for Mr Jones and the others. The personalities are different, but they blend together well. I liked seeing how Julian's humour is rubbing off on Rome on their visit to Julian's home and his interaction with Julian's father. It was nice seeing a more playful and relaxed side to Rome as he's always very serious and worried about everyone.
Julian's character is still coming along and developing slowly, but I do see some change in him. There's more background information revealed in this book that makes you understand Julian a little better. His mannerism towards Mr Jones is still somewhat discourteous but not enough to make me dislike him. He is still one of my favourite characters in the book. I love his humour, so I hope that trait of his remains as his character continues to develop.
WHAT I DISLIKED
The secondary characters need to be fleshed out a little more to make them more memorable and more engaging. I love Mr Jones and I want to love Mrs Case, but I haven't quite connected with her just yet. The same goes with Krysta and Camela. They are likeable characters. I just haven't formed a bond with them as I have with Rome, Julian and Mr Jones, and I would love for that to happen. Right now, all I'm getting from Camela is snide remarks towards Julian and with Krysta just a few flirtatious exchanges between her and Rome. These girls are fierce fighters, as we witnessed in the previous book, but I felt as though they were neglected somewhat intros book. They have a lot more to offer, and I hope they get more chances to shine in the upcoming books. The same goes for Mr Jones and Mrs Case.
I'm not sure if it was just my copy, but the formatting of the book made it a little hard to maintain a smooth flow. The title keeps appearing in-between sentences and some words were separated in different lines. It just disrupted the flow at times.
VERDICT:
The story keeps getting better and better with each book. This is turning out to be quite an enjoyable series, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who loves a wild fantasy adventure.
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