REVIEW
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Genre: YA, Fantasy
One of the most popular video games in the world, The Wordwick Games, holds a contest to find the best gamers in the world. The prize? A chance to play a new game. Thus starts this quickly paced fantasy story that begins in our world and takes our young heroes to the land of Anachronia.
There are five main characters: Gemma the blonde English cheerleader; Sparks the sandy blonde quarterback from a Texas Ranch; Jack who is a nerd and very shy; Rio the mysterious boy from East L.A. and lastly, Kat who is petite, outspoken with a pixie look to her which she desperately tries to hide by dressing Goth.
The five teenagers are tasked with defeating a dragon and stopping a war (among other things) using the power of the ruler words.
What I liked most about this story is the fact that you can learn quite a few "big" words that are crucial to the survival of the main characters. It made me feel proud to be such a nerd and I enjoyed watching the characters trying to figure out the ruler words that would save them whenever they encountered sticky situations.
This story reminded me somewhat of the Chronicles of Narnia series (but not heavy on religious undertones and allegories) and would definitely be a good book to recommend to teens.
More About the Book
After winning a contest for a popular game called Wordwick Games, five teens Gemma, Sparks, Rio, Kat, and Jack, are invited to stay at Wordwick Games inventor Henry Word's mysterious castle and play the newest level of Workwick Games. Little do they know, the castle is the doorway to a wondrous world call Anachronia where words can be used as weapons, power, and commodity. There is unrest in Anachronia, and if the five teens can follow the rules of Wordwick Games and prove to be the best player, one of them will be crowned Ruler of Anachronia.
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Book Trailer
EXCERPT 1:
EXCERPT 2:
Gem recognized the voice instantly as that of Henry Word. After his online announcements, she was hardly going to forget. He must have come into the hallway through a side door. She turned to greet him with the others, expecting to look up into the already half-familiar face, and had to adjust the direction of her gaze when it turned out that Henry Word was sitting down.
He was sitting down because he was in a wheelchair.
It was quite a high tech wheelchair, obviously custom made and designed around Henry Word, but there was no escaping the fact that it was there. From the waist up, Mr. Word was dressed conservatively, even elegantly, in a suit and silk tie. From the waist down, his legs disappeared beneath a tartan blanket. They didn’t appear again on the other side.
“A small accident from my army days,” Henry word said, and Gem found herself wondering if he’d read her mind in the second it took to decide that the others probably looked just as surprised as she did. Gem realized that, in all the pictures she had seen of Henry Word either online or in magazines, not one had shown more than his head and shoulders.
Henry Word laughed then.
“I can see I’ve caught you all rather by surprise. Still, before I turn into the main topic of conversation, can I take a moment to welcome the five of you?’ his gaze flicked to each of them in turn, and Gem guessed that he was matching names to faces in his mind. “You are all here, of course, because you have turned out to be some of the biggest fans of my little game. Congratulations on that. For the next week, you’ll be staying in what I hope you’ll find to be extremely comfortable surroundings, and you’ll get the benefit of a very special surprise.”
“What surprise?” Rio asked from behind Gem. Henry Word chuckled again.
“Ah, Riordan Roberts, I take it? Well, there is nothing to be suspicious about. In fact, I think that as fans, you will all enjoy this particular surprise. I have simply decided to allow you access to the tenth level of my game while we are here.”
Gem felt her brow furrow.
“But Mr. Word, aren’t there only nine levels?”
“That’s true at the moment,” Henry Word answered. “Anachronia is rather new. You will be among the first to play it. Still, let’s not focus on that too much now, shall we? Chef has excelled himself in the Great Hall, and I’m sure you must all be hungry after your journeys.”
“It’s very straightforward really. Your goal when playing it will be to win the crown of the kingdom of Anachronia, using all your wits, skills and talents. The people will only give the crown to someone who can do three things: end the threat of the three-headed dragon terrorizing the land, unite the two warring clans that live there, and help the people of Anachronia flourish. Is that clear?”
Gem nodded. Several of the others did too.
“It sounds simple,” Sparks said, beside her.
“Oh, it’s not as easy as it sounds,” Henry Word continued, “which is why there are a few other things you should know. First, beware the Wickedly Woods where the dragon lives. It isn’t the only danger there. Second, remember that you can work together, even if only one of you can rule in the end. Third, and most importantly, remember that words have power in Anachronia, finding the right words, the Ruler Words, along the way will make your time far easier.”
Gem nodded. Several of the others did too.
“It sounds simple,” Sparks said, beside her.
“Oh, it’s not as easy as it sounds,” Henry Word continued, “which is why there are a few other things you should know. First, beware the Wickedly Woods where the dragon lives. It isn’t the only danger there. Second, remember that you can work together, even if only one of you can rule in the end. Third, and most importantly, remember that words have power in Anachronia, finding the right words, the Ruler Words, along the way will make your time far easier.”
Kailin Gow is the award-winning, international bestselling author of over 80 distinct books.
Kailin Gow is also the President of a media company, a media personality, and has been writing full-time since she was first published. Holding a Masters in communications management and leadership positions in Fortune 500 corporations, she puts her leadership abilities, her experience, and desire to help others into her fiction books. As a result, she has written the forthcoming, Finding the Heroine in You book which is also a national tour. She is a mother and spends whatever spare time she has volunteering at the Red Cross, Battered Women's Shelters, and other organizations.
Currently her Frost Series is in development for a major international MMO Game, and she has over 14,000 and growing Frosters on her facebook fan page.
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Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/31/12
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Tour Schedule
January 7th
Tour Kick Off - I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
A Dream Within A Dream * The Bunny's Review * The Book Diva's Reads * icefairy's Treasure Chest * Chapter By Chapter * Cuzinlogic * Nikki's Book Blog * Promiscuous Diva * Beck Valley Books * Blkosiner's Book Blog * Books, Books the Magical Fruit * Peace from Pieces * The Mod Podge Bookshelf * Julie Reece * Froze8's Blog
January 8th
Book Blast - Multiple Blogs
January 9th
Ever and Ever Sight - Review
Magical Manuscripts - Review
January 10th
Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf - Review
Of Thoughts and Words - Review
January 11th
Parsimonious Posh - Review
Read My Breath Away - Review
January 12th
A Bit of Dash - Review
Sher A Hart: My Written Art - Review
January 13th
The College Crawl - Review
January 14th
Bookworm Lisa - Review
Vonnie's Reading Corner - Review
January 15th
Always YA at Heart - Review
Getting Your Read On - Review
January 16th
StoreyBook Reviews - Review
January 17th
My Book Mark Blog - Review
January 18th
Hardcover Feedback - Review
3Ps in a Pod - Review
January 19th
Scribbler's Sojourn - Review
A.D. Duling's Diddley Doodle Dandy Writings - Review
January 20th
Pieces of Whimsy - Review
January 21st
GeoLibrarian - Review
A Casual Reader's Blog - Review
January 22nd
Mom with a Kindle - Review
Indie Author How-to - Review
January 23rd
Lovey Dovey Books - Review
January 24th
Oh the Books You'll Read - Review
Debbie's Inkspectations - Review
January 25th
Every Free Chance - Review
Fiction Prediction - Review
Sounds good! I hope this gets a lit of exposure. :)
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