Book Review: Aether Warriors

Title: Aether Warriors

Author: Dean Ravenola

Genre: Fantasy

Review:

This book was a fun, quick read once I got rid of some preconceived notions I had set up in my mind regarding Aether Warriors. The book description interested me right away, but as I started reading the book, I couldn't help but think that the main character felt a little bit two dimensional....but then I realized that was because I was reading the book with the mind of someone expecting a YA read. Once I started reading the book with the mindset of a middle schooler, it was very enjoyable.

Since this book is probably aimed towards younger readers (I'm thinking age 10+), parts of the plot was on the more predictable side. There were also a few scenes that seemed a bit implausible to me. For example, I find it kind of hard to believe a thirteen year-old boy could pick up a pair of daggers and wield them like a kung fu master with virtually no training, even though he is connected to Aether (the universal life force.) But hey, anything is possible within the pages of a book, right?

I know I did mention that Aether Warriors was a bit predictable for my taste--but there was one major plot twist that I did not see coming at all. The author did an excellent job setting up and misleading readers up til the twist. So, kudos to Dean for that amazing plot/character twist!

The whole premise of the book is pretty interesting: there are 2 sides, the Golden Scale (good) and the Dark Flame (evil). Every generation, 5 children are selected for each side to fight the ongoing battle between the two sides. The war between the Golden Scale and Dark Flame began eons ago, when mythical creatures openly roamed the Earth. For most of the book, you just kind of follow Chase (the main character) around as he is introduced to the world of magic and more.

I think that since this is the first book in a series, the author focused more attention on the world and character building rather than the plot. The world building was excellent--I particularly loved the descriptions of magical creatures (both preexisting or creatures the author invented.) The character development was pretty good over all, though there were one or two scenes where the dialogue seemed kind of forced.

Final thoughts: if you're looking for an older YA fantasy read, look elsewhere. But if you're looking for a fun, lighter read, this book may be your ticket! I think readers who enjoy books like Dragon Slippers, Artemis Fowl, and The Narnia Chronicles would like Aether Warriors.

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