Fraser, Tom, Beth, Ethan, Jess T and Jess P from Warblington School tell us what they think of the fourth volume of the The Darksmith Legacy - a linked series of novels with additional online elements. CONTAINS SPOILERS!
What is the story about?
Jess T: The Doctor goes to Flydon Maxima to find Valos, but instead ends up fighting Blaska and Dreadbringers. He finds someone holding a lot of information about Valos.
What are the characters like?
Jess T: I thought that the characters were all really good. I especially liked Gisella as she made the story relate to people of our age, but they also have hidden secrets.
Jess P: The characters are not described as well as in the last book but it continues to describe the monsters well.
Beth: I think it was great that one of the characters had a dark secret that was slowly revealed.
Ethan: Most of the characters seem to be very similar to those found in other books, meaning that they are starting to get less interesting to a reader of the series. If this were a stand-alone book the characters would be more interesting.
Fraser: The character Gisella gave the plot a good twist.
Was it exciting?
Jess T: Definitely! I loved this book and it was the best so far. It was very fast paced, but you understood what was going on.
Jess P: It wasn't as exciting as the others.
Ethan: The writer has managed to keep the story flowing at a similar pace to the other books in the series. However, the reader might start to skip the activities in order to continue with the story.
Fraser: Yes, especially as the Doctor had two dangers to face.
Tom: The book was exciting right from the start as the TARDIS nearly gets taken.
Were there any particular highlights?
Jess T: The whole book! I loved it, especially the part when the Blaska broke into the base.
Jess P: There weren't any good highlights.
Beth: I loved the ending, the fact that it stopped on a dramatic sentence was a good effect.
Tom: I liked the imagination of the author as he set a "civilization" under a mile of ice.
Ethan: One of my favourite bits was when the Doctor and the others realised the mystery behind the strangely shaped pieces of rock.
Fraser: My favourite character was Hank. His pessimism is funny sometimes and he always has something to say.
What were your least favourite bits?
Jess T: The very beginning was a bit slow, and slightly strange.
Jess P: There was too much description of the glass breaking.
Beth: The activity pages keep splitting the sentences.
Ethan: In this book there were no real bits I didn't like as the story is fairly good all the way through. One of the puzzles was a little simple. The first chapter with the encounter with the squid seemed a bit pointless.
What do you think of the story so far?
Beth: I like how tiny bits of information are revealed in each book, making them tense and exciting.
Tom: The fourth book definitely makes up for a rather lacklustre third, and sets up a great fifth on a planet called Earth.
Ethan: The book is important to the overall plot of the series as it introduces a new character and gives more information on another. The sub-plot for this story was quite a good one, and it also has features that interlink with the other books.
Does this book make you want to read on?
Jess T: Definitely! I hope we find out a lot more about Gisella and her relationship with Varlos.
Fraser: Yes, because it ends on another cliff-hanger.
Tom: The fourth book made me want to read on as there was always tension and builds towards a great sounding fifth.
Ethan: Yes, this book does make me want to read on.
Would you recommend it?
Jess T: I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted a fast and exciting read.
Jess P: I would recommend it to younger readers - 8 to 15 years old.
Beth: I would recommend it to Year 6's and older.
Tom: I'd recommend it to anyone who wanted a good read!
Ethan: As with the other books, I think this one is suitable for Doctor Who fans and people of 8 and over.
What do you think of the website?
Jess T: This is getting a bit repetitive now. You search for clues, then work out a code, and then find more clues then answer some questions. They need to change what you have to do so that it's less boring.
Beth: I like how the website leaves facts throughout the "quest" that need to be remembered for the fight at the end. Nevertheless, I hope it varies more later on.
Ethan: This is similar to the other quests on the website, although this one did have a time limit making the game more interesting. If the games continue to improve it will make people more likely to continue to play them, and these people are more likely to buy the next books so they can progress through the games.
What score would you give the book?
Jess T: 9 and a half/10 as it was great! The best book so far by a long way!
Jess P: 8/10. It could use more description of the characters.
Beth: 8/10 - EPIC!
Tom: 8/10 as it has lots of tension and variety in all areas.
Ethan: 8/10 as it has a good storyline and features new creatures and characters.
Thanks to Bruce Ashcroft for arranging the review and photo.
