Evil Star by Anthony Horowitz
Apr. 2nd, 2006 01:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
It began with Raven's Gate.
But it's not over yet.
Once again the enemy is stirring.
After defeating the Old Ones at Raven's Gate, Matt Freeman thought he could get on with his life. But someone has other ideas.
Far away in Peru a second gate is about to open. Only Matt has the power to stop the forces of darkness breaking through, but now they know all about him. This time they're going to destroy him first.
The second in Horowitz's Power of Five series, the book gets off to a cracking start as we pick up with Matt's grasping Aunt Gwen, who's a leetle too fond of a television show called Big Wheel. I enjoyed the way that Horowitz handled these scenes, especially as we see how Gwen's fared since Matt was taken into the LEAF Project in Book 1 and ultimately, she's transformed into this sad and rather pathetic woman. The way in which she's controlled by the seriously creepy Rex McKenna and her conversations with him are eerie and work really well and the first quarter of the book in which she's 'inspired' to kill her nephew with a stolen petrol tanker really juggernauts (no pun intended) along.
In fact, I think that Horowitz handled the re-introduction of all the characters from the first book v. well. He assumes that people have read the first one and are familiar with the story and where he does weave in reminders of what's happened, it doesn't feel unnaturally forced and instead adds to their motivation (especially in the case of Matt). Where the first quarter sags though is in the scenes where Matt is dealing with his new school - a private school with your cliched snobs complete with a blond haired character who takes an instant dislike to Matt and wants to make life difficult for him (and in doing so, reminded me far too much of a diet Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series). I also think that Horowitz couldn't quite decide what to do with Richard (the journalist who 'adopts' Matt at the end of Raven's Gate). There's a bit of a wishy washy context to their initial scenes in which Matt thinks about moving out and for me, it slowed down the action.
Following the attempt on Matt's life, Horowitz assuredly introduced the new elements of the story - namely the existence of a 15th century diary written by a Spanish monk who accompanied the conquistadors in their triumph over the Incas. There are some well-rounded scenes surrounding the attempts by the Nexus to recover the book and the competition offered by a mysterious Peruvian media mogul called Salamanda. The reader is introduced to the possibility of a traitor within the Nexus and we are therefore prepared for when Matt reluctantly finds himself in Peru, only to find himself betrayed and alone with no money, no resources and only a Spanish speaking street boy called Pedro as an ally.
I was impressed with the descriptions of Peru and the way in which Horowitz was keen to get across the poverty that people there have to live in without it ever becoming mawkish and sentimental. Ultimately, I think that the way in which Pedro and Matt overcome their communication problems fits well within the internal logic of the story, but I could see that some people may think of it as contrived. I also think that Pedro's status as the second of the Five is telegraphed virtually from the beginning and was a little irritated by his continued denial of having any powers (when, if you follow the action, it's plain to see that he does and that he's used them). However, the link between him and the last of the Inca cities is nicely set up and I hope to see more of it in the remaining books and I like the way that Horowitz gives Richard an Inca connection where he is given a magic knife as a gift to help him protect Matt and Pedro.
I was disappointed in the villain Salamanda. He starts off with a good set-up - there are hints at his deformity and you think that it's linked to why he wants the diary. Unfortunately, in the end he becomes a standard schlock villain with no real motivation and his deformity (when finally revealed) makes him more laughable than frightening. More effective is his corrupt cop sidekick Rodriguez, a violent bully with no compunction about killing those in his way - I think that Horowitz liked him more than Salamanda as well because he gets a much cooler ending. I was also disappointed with the revelation of the traitor in the Nexus. Not only did I feel that this was telegraphed, but the motivation for the treachery is more than a little cliched.
The denouement of the book takes place amidst the mysterious line drawings in the Nazca desert and Horowitz really shines in these scenes. The link between the drawings themselves and the Old Ones is ingenious and very spooky and the scene where the gate opens is genuinely heart-stopping. I was relieved that Horowitz decided to end the book with the Old Ones managing to break through as it would have been easy to have each book ending with Matt and the newly discovered members of the Five shutting them out. By having them released on the world, it creates more tension in the later books and I'm interested to see where he takes it. I'm also interested to see what the powers are that each of the Five have - we know that Matt has precognition and telekinesis and Pedro is a healer and I hope that Horowitz will give the remaining three children individual powers of their own, without duplicating them.
On the subject of the powers, I do want to say that I was disappointed to see them used in a contrived manner. Whilst in Raven's Gate, it was perfectly believable that Matt would not know how to release them and use them, he does gain that knowledge by the end of the book (even if he doesn't know how to control it). In Evil Star however, he seems to forgotten that his trigger for the powers is the smell of burnt toast and there are a number of scenes where this apparent failure forces him to rely on other means of escape. Personally, I found this contrived, and especially so given that there is a scene in the beginning where Matt uses his powers without intending to. I also think that it stretches belief when Pedro is suddenly aware as to what exactly his powers are and how they operate and can access them on the spot when they're needed. Given that this is billed as a fantasy book, the contrived inability to use the powers is a bit of a let down. I don't want to see them used all the time (and I think the books work precisely because Matt can't control them), but I would nevertheless like to see him know what his triggers are and be able to react to that, rather than have convenient moments of memory failure.
The book is aimed at children aged 10+ (according to the newspaper reviews that I've seen). Personally, I think it's more suitable for children aged 12+ because Horowitz is not afraid to kill people in a variety of gruesome ways - guns, knives and helicoptor crashes all feature in this book to shocking effect. I also think that this is more of a boy's book than a girl's book (not least because we know that only one of the Five is a girl). Apart from Susan Ashwood, there are no fully realised female characters in this book and I think that it's a bit of a shame because I do think that it means that some girls won't be able to get into them in the same way as, for example, the Harry Potter series are accessible to them.
The Verdict:
A fast-paced cracking read that will appeal to boys rather than girls. Not for the squeamish, it is an interesting contribution to the fantasy genre and you'll reach the end anxious to discover what happens next to Matt and his friends.
It began with Raven's Gate.
But it's not over yet.
Once again the enemy is stirring.
After defeating the Old Ones at Raven's Gate, Matt Freeman thought he could get on with his life. But someone has other ideas.
Far away in Peru a second gate is about to open. Only Matt has the power to stop the forces of darkness breaking through, but now they know all about him. This time they're going to destroy him first.
The second in Horowitz's Power of Five series, the book gets off to a cracking start as we pick up with Matt's grasping Aunt Gwen, who's a leetle too fond of a television show called Big Wheel. I enjoyed the way that Horowitz handled these scenes, especially as we see how Gwen's fared since Matt was taken into the LEAF Project in Book 1 and ultimately, she's transformed into this sad and rather pathetic woman. The way in which she's controlled by the seriously creepy Rex McKenna and her conversations with him are eerie and work really well and the first quarter of the book in which she's 'inspired' to kill her nephew with a stolen petrol tanker really juggernauts (no pun intended) along.
In fact, I think that Horowitz handled the re-introduction of all the characters from the first book v. well. He assumes that people have read the first one and are familiar with the story and where he does weave in reminders of what's happened, it doesn't feel unnaturally forced and instead adds to their motivation (especially in the case of Matt). Where the first quarter sags though is in the scenes where Matt is dealing with his new school - a private school with your cliched snobs complete with a blond haired character who takes an instant dislike to Matt and wants to make life difficult for him (and in doing so, reminded me far too much of a diet Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series). I also think that Horowitz couldn't quite decide what to do with Richard (the journalist who 'adopts' Matt at the end of Raven's Gate). There's a bit of a wishy washy context to their initial scenes in which Matt thinks about moving out and for me, it slowed down the action.
Following the attempt on Matt's life, Horowitz assuredly introduced the new elements of the story - namely the existence of a 15th century diary written by a Spanish monk who accompanied the conquistadors in their triumph over the Incas. There are some well-rounded scenes surrounding the attempts by the Nexus to recover the book and the competition offered by a mysterious Peruvian media mogul called Salamanda. The reader is introduced to the possibility of a traitor within the Nexus and we are therefore prepared for when Matt reluctantly finds himself in Peru, only to find himself betrayed and alone with no money, no resources and only a Spanish speaking street boy called Pedro as an ally.
I was impressed with the descriptions of Peru and the way in which Horowitz was keen to get across the poverty that people there have to live in without it ever becoming mawkish and sentimental. Ultimately, I think that the way in which Pedro and Matt overcome their communication problems fits well within the internal logic of the story, but I could see that some people may think of it as contrived. I also think that Pedro's status as the second of the Five is telegraphed virtually from the beginning and was a little irritated by his continued denial of having any powers (when, if you follow the action, it's plain to see that he does and that he's used them). However, the link between him and the last of the Inca cities is nicely set up and I hope to see more of it in the remaining books and I like the way that Horowitz gives Richard an Inca connection where he is given a magic knife as a gift to help him protect Matt and Pedro.
I was disappointed in the villain Salamanda. He starts off with a good set-up - there are hints at his deformity and you think that it's linked to why he wants the diary. Unfortunately, in the end he becomes a standard schlock villain with no real motivation and his deformity (when finally revealed) makes him more laughable than frightening. More effective is his corrupt cop sidekick Rodriguez, a violent bully with no compunction about killing those in his way - I think that Horowitz liked him more than Salamanda as well because he gets a much cooler ending. I was also disappointed with the revelation of the traitor in the Nexus. Not only did I feel that this was telegraphed, but the motivation for the treachery is more than a little cliched.
The denouement of the book takes place amidst the mysterious line drawings in the Nazca desert and Horowitz really shines in these scenes. The link between the drawings themselves and the Old Ones is ingenious and very spooky and the scene where the gate opens is genuinely heart-stopping. I was relieved that Horowitz decided to end the book with the Old Ones managing to break through as it would have been easy to have each book ending with Matt and the newly discovered members of the Five shutting them out. By having them released on the world, it creates more tension in the later books and I'm interested to see where he takes it. I'm also interested to see what the powers are that each of the Five have - we know that Matt has precognition and telekinesis and Pedro is a healer and I hope that Horowitz will give the remaining three children individual powers of their own, without duplicating them.
On the subject of the powers, I do want to say that I was disappointed to see them used in a contrived manner. Whilst in Raven's Gate, it was perfectly believable that Matt would not know how to release them and use them, he does gain that knowledge by the end of the book (even if he doesn't know how to control it). In Evil Star however, he seems to forgotten that his trigger for the powers is the smell of burnt toast and there are a number of scenes where this apparent failure forces him to rely on other means of escape. Personally, I found this contrived, and especially so given that there is a scene in the beginning where Matt uses his powers without intending to. I also think that it stretches belief when Pedro is suddenly aware as to what exactly his powers are and how they operate and can access them on the spot when they're needed. Given that this is billed as a fantasy book, the contrived inability to use the powers is a bit of a let down. I don't want to see them used all the time (and I think the books work precisely because Matt can't control them), but I would nevertheless like to see him know what his triggers are and be able to react to that, rather than have convenient moments of memory failure.
The book is aimed at children aged 10+ (according to the newspaper reviews that I've seen). Personally, I think it's more suitable for children aged 12+ because Horowitz is not afraid to kill people in a variety of gruesome ways - guns, knives and helicoptor crashes all feature in this book to shocking effect. I also think that this is more of a boy's book than a girl's book (not least because we know that only one of the Five is a girl). Apart from Susan Ashwood, there are no fully realised female characters in this book and I think that it's a bit of a shame because I do think that it means that some girls won't be able to get into them in the same way as, for example, the Harry Potter series are accessible to them.
The Verdict:
A fast-paced cracking read that will appeal to boys rather than girls. Not for the squeamish, it is an interesting contribution to the fantasy genre and you'll reach the end anxious to discover what happens next to Matt and his friends.
