EPIC KIDS

A middle school student discovers that his life is anything but average when he befriends new classmates in this novel.

Twelve-year-old Jake is surprised the day the new students at his school invite him to sit with them at lunch. He always considered himself just an average boy before he met Amanda, Darryl, and Tony, the “cool new kids.” Although they are his classmates, they seem older and more mature, especially Darryl with his facial hair. The next day, Jake skips school to see a movie with his new friends; but the outing takes an ominous turn when Tony and Darryl disappear from the theater. The search for their friends takes Jake and Amanda to a zoo, where she subdues an unruly spider monkey by shooting bolts of green lightning from her fingers. She finally discloses to Jake that she is a princess from a planet called Amagrandus. An evil prince named Badood will stop at nothing to rule the planet, and she needs Jake’s help to stop him. She also reveals that Jake has the ability to control time. They soon find themselves in a race to find their friends and save her planet. Blaze offers an energetic fantasy aimed at readers ages 9 to 12 that may appeal to fans of SF. But the promising premise is hindered in places by inconsistent development. The opening chapters effectively establish the surreal world the hero is about to enter when Darryl levitates Jake’s tray during lunch and the protagonist encounters a jaguar behind the school gym. Throughout the novel, the author demonstrates a knack for creating appealing and fast-paced action sequences, whether it’s the spider monkey misbehaving at the zoo or an inanimate Tyrannosaurus rex at a miniature golf course coming to life and going on the prowl. Amanda’s background as a princess is intriguing, but details about Amagrandus are relegated to a few fleeting mentions. The ending establishes the basis for a sequel, and it is possible Amanda’s planet will be a key setting in future installments.

An engaging, if occasionally uneven, fantasy.