Hello! My name is Chie. I am likely to be the girl you'll see whose eyes would bulge out of their sockets at the sight of a book store and be seized by waves of epileptic shock whenever there is a book bargain. I'll probably be the one pushing you out of my way to get through the book bargain bins and tediously combing through the pile. (I forget my manners when it comes to books). I am tone deaf and have two left feet. But I would endure the embarrassment of a performance in exchange for books (terms and conditions apply). I have created this blog in order to find kindred souls. Those who would gladly share the same passion for books and reading because although reading is solitary task most of the time, it's no fun having no one to ramble to after..
Synopsis: The adventures unfolds in this third book in the best selling Seven Wonder series.
Three friends left.
Jack McKinley and his friends defeated the Colossus of Rhodes, unearthed the treasures of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and recovered two of the seven lost Loculi - only to find they've been betrayed.
Two sided split.
With Babylon in ruins, Marco on the Massa side, and ancient secrets coming unraveled, the Select don't know who to trust or where to turn. Their G7W powers are growing furious pace, their worlds have been turned upside down, and the Massa are on their heels. But Jack, Aly and Cass have no choice but to fight on.
One life lost.
With the fate of he world in the balance, the friends find the next stop on their quest, where they have to face down their own demons and engage in an epic battle with foes long gone. When promises are broken, blood is spilled, the Select have to destroy the one thing that might save them all.
Review: The characters. As a Select and a bearer of G7W, a gene which could give you exceptional talents and skills, you would expect them to be extra ordinary in some ways right? It did hold true for Ally and Cass, but as for Jack, let's just say up until this point, I couldn't see anything special about him. Charismatic and resourceful yes. But the kind that Ally, Cass, and Marco have? I don't think so.
Also, our main character faints alot. It really is not such a big deal but considering they were conditioned to protect themselves and to fight, well, you would expect some kind of a fight scene that doesn't involve running away or throwing something random at an enemy, now would you? It's like all their hard work were thrown out of the window. It's pretty much useless so why bother telling the readers that they were trained? On the bright side, you get to see them work things out through their wits, Some were actually pretty funny and decent. Whilst other were kind of forced.
What stopped me from giving it four stars was the fact that the author failed to make me feel connected to the characters. I don't seem to mind what will happen to them to the point when something extremely tragic happened to the characters. I barely even felt an ounce of remorse. For the sake of not giving away any spoiler,let's just say that this one particular moment was supposed to make me feel extremely sad for them, but you know. And mind you, I am a very emotional person.
I think the only time I was moved was when Jack got together with his Dad. I wouldn't even deny that I got teary-eyed on that part. The rest though, I could hardly care.
All in all, this was a quick, fun and easy read kind of book. Full of adventures and settings which could delight any kids or kids at heart. You could definitely find yourself chuckling a couple of times throughout your reading experience. The author brings you to alot of cool new places, unlike the second book which was mostly stuck in Babylon parallel world, so it doesn't sound repetitive. But if you are looking for something less than your formulaic usual read then I don't think you would love it. Liking it though is very plausible.
Synopsis: A week ago, thirteen-year old Jack McKinley was a normal kid leading a normal life - totally unaware that he was about to die. He's cursed with a genetic abnormality that's giving him amazing powers too quickly for his body to handle. Jack's only hope: Find the seven lost Loculi that we're hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by the last prince of Atlantis. Only they contain the magic to save him - and the world.
After unearthing the first Loculus and defeating the Colossus of Rhodes, Jack and his friends are in worse shape than when they first set out. Marco has disappeared without a trace, along with the first Loculus. With no time to spare and no one else to turn to, Jack and the gang have no choice but to follow the only clues they have and to head off on the next leg of their epic quest - to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Review: I've been meaning to write a post a couple of days back but since I am too lazy to do it I didn't. And since I am running out of excuses I've decided it's time to go back and dust off the cobwebs that have formed in this virtual home of mine. After my curiosity was aroused by the first book, The Colossus Rises, of the Seven Wonders series , I decided to read the next book, Lost in Babylon.
The adventure continues as Jack and his friends travel to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in the pulse-pounding second title in the Seven Wonders series. With Marco gone and the first Loculus lost, Jack, Cass, and Aly are no closer to saving themselves (or the world) than when they first arrived at the Karai Institute. But whenever Bhegad tracks down Marco deep in the desert, the kids are off on the next leg of their quest - to the ancient city of Babylon. There, the kids find themselves faced with a daunting choice that makes them question everything they've learnt so far. It's a gut wrenching decision, but what the kids don't realise is that it's also a trap. Surprises pile on surprises until a long-lost figure from Jack's past returns, and the kids find themselves forced to engineer an escape that might just turn out to be a different kind of trap altogether.
I am sorry but that cover really reminds me of Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid. It's quite distracting to see so many similar elements. Anyway, going past that and on to the goodies. The first surprise is the dedication page, which reads: "For my amazing friends at the National Book Store and MPH and the great readers they serve on the other side of the world."
Whoa! Our very own National Book Store has been mentioned. I dimly recall that Peter Lerangis has visited the country via NBS, but I was not a fan back then. Drat that luck. But it's really cute that he mentions his Eastern fans since we don't get much love or mentions from foreign author. He also mentioned Manila, TWICE in the story!
Jack, Aly, Cass and Marco are back! I have come to enjoy their rapport with each other, despite the worrying disappearance of Marco at the end of the first book. Lost in Babylon is actually peppered with hints of Marco's secret agenda, but I already suspected it early on (or maybe it's just my paranoid nature). Still, when Marco's change of mind finally revealed, it still felt like a blow to me. I have come to view the four of them as a family. At the start, I thought he just truly believed that Karai are the bad guys, but when his great plan is finally revealed, I discovered his instinct - greed for power - is the true inducement for his switching towards the other side.
The dreams that Jack keeps having make me more convinced that he's truly descended from one of the two brothers. Of the four of them, he's the only one who has no real physical talent (brains, brawns, memory) and he's the only one who keeps getting dreams from the Mother Qalani and the two brothers, Karai and Massarym. Plus, my suspicion is aided by that bomb that Lerangis' drops on the readers by the end of the book which I will not reveal because it's a game changer!
Literary fiction is currently populated with YA books involving adventures around the world, but I think Lost in Babylon stands out in particular because it talks about an ancient wonder that is quite popular but not much explored in fiction.
Discovering (or rediscovering) places around the world is one of the reasons why I love to read books, and reading about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon has spurred me on to read more about it. I can say I am very excited to read the rest of the series because I want to read about the five remaing wonders, as stylized in fiction.
Peter Lerangis' has definitely improved with regards to visualisation. Unlike in The Colossus Rises, I was able to picture in my mind's eye how the Hanging Garden must have looked. What I felt lacking in Lost in Babylon is the other two characters, Aly and Cass. They felt like lackeys, and not the heroes I believe they are. I am hoping that the next book/s will be narrated from either of the two's perspectives, since I believe they can do so much more than they are currently portraying.
My liking for the series has improved since the first book. Lost in Babylon has alot of great elements that make it an exciting book - good characters who have potential to be great, a typical locations for the heroes' adventure, and a fluid writing style by Lerangis, which seems to be gaining stride with each book. Definitely looking forward to the next books in the Seven Wonders series.
Have you read any of the books in the series? How do you like it so far? Are you pro-Karai or pro-Massa?
Synopsis: Jack McKinley is an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. In six months, Jack is going to die.
After Jack collapses in the middle of a busy street, he's whisked off to a strange hospital in a strange place. There are armed guards and weird kids and fantastic creatures, not to mention no parents, no phones, and no possibility of escape. The place is run by an odd professor named Bhegad, who tells Jack that what's killing him is a genetic trait from the long lost civilisation, it's destroying Jack by making him too strong, too fast. He'll need to stay strong though - because it's up to him to save the world.
Review: I chose the The Colossus Rises because the cover intrigues me plus it was praised by Rick Riordan, whom I love. I initially didn't want to read it, thinking it's just another typical YA kids-turned-hero book, but thankfully the book proved to be much more than that.
The idea that Jack, and the other kid heroes, Marco, Cass, and Aly will die sets the premise for the urgency of their task. Peter Lerangis brings back the Atlantis myth, and the idea that it could rise again. The task of the four heroes is to find the Loculi, seven orbs that compartmentalized the power of Atlantis and each one has a different power like flying (I'd like to get the orb for real!)
Jack doesn't seem like the hero type. He has no seeming unique capability, unlike Marco who is so physically strong and capable; Cass, a walking gyroscope and can speak backwards; and Aly, the one who understands how things work and is really good with electronics. But I think Jack has the brains, which is evident throughout the book since he was the one who deciphered the codes that led to the discovery of the mouth of Atlantis where the seven loculi were once placed. I really think that Jack is the descendant of Karai himself. If you read it, you'll see what I mean.I think Professor Bhegad, the chief of Karai Institute, suspects that as well. The four have good camaraderie and get along pretty well. They also consider themselves family since they all feel like prisoners of the institute.
To be honest, I am not yet sure if Karai Institute is really the "good" side because what do they really want to do with the loculi? Also, there's some confusion with the two princes' of Atlantis, and whether or not Massarym really regretted his decision to steal the loculi. Professor Bhegad also doesn't strike me as the benevolent father type who just wants good for all of them. I feel like they're all just using the four kids.
The Colossus Rises feels too short, and I don't feel like I know the four characters all that well enough. I feel like the first book just sets the tone and what you can expect further in the series. Hopefully, we will get to know the four heroes better as we progress. I know the idea is that the four kids might die soon, but I hope not one of them does because even though I don't them very well, they all seem like good kids and any one of them dying would just feel too tragic.
The plot is different, and fast-paced, although at the start I was really bored. I felt like Peter was describing Jack did in minute detail that was unnecessary. But after the first few chapters, the story picks up speed and I was caught along the ride. In the end, I did enjoy the book. I hope there are seven books in the series because the loculi seems be placed in the Seven Wonders of the World... the Ancient Wonders that is. I haven't really read up on the ancient wonders, and I like learning new things from books so I think I am going to enjoy this series.
Synopsis: The adventures unfolds in this third book in the best selling Seven Wonder series.
Three friends left.
Jack McKinley and his friends defeated the Colossus of Rhodes, unearthed the treasures of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and recovered two of the seven lost Loculi - only to find they've been betrayed.
Two sided split.
With Babylon in ruins, Marco on the Massa side, and ancient secrets coming unraveled, the Select don't know who to trust or where to turn. Their G7W powers are growing furious pace, their worlds have been turned upside down, and the Massa are on their heels. But Jack, Aly and Cass have no choice but to fight on.
One life lost.
With the fate of he world in the balance, the friends find the next stop on their quest, where they have to face down their own demons and engage in an epic battle with foes long gone. When promises are broken, blood is spilled, the Select have to destroy the one thing that might save them all.
Review: The characters. As a Select and a bearer of G7W, a gene which could give you exceptional talents and skills, you would expect them to be extra ordinary in some ways right? It did hold true for Ally and Cass, but as for Jack, let's just say up until this point, I couldn't see anything special about him. Charismatic and resourceful yes. But the kind that Ally, Cass, and Marco have? I don't think so.
Also, our main character faints alot. It really is not such a big deal but considering they were conditioned to protect themselves and to fight, well, you would expect some kind of a fight scene that doesn't involve running away or throwing something random at an enemy, now would you? It's like all their hard work were thrown out of the window. It's pretty much useless so why bother telling the readers that they were trained? On the bright side, you get to see them work things out through their wits, Some were actually pretty funny and decent. Whilst other were kind of forced.
What stopped me from giving it four stars was the fact that the author failed to make me feel connected to the characters. I don't seem to mind what will happen to them to the point when something extremely tragic happened to the characters. I barely even felt an ounce of remorse. For the sake of not giving away any spoiler,let's just say that this one particular moment was supposed to make me feel extremely sad for them, but you know. And mind you, I am a very emotional person.
I think the only time I was moved was when Jack got together with his Dad. I wouldn't even deny that I got teary-eyed on that part. The rest though, I could hardly care.
All in all, this was a quick, fun and easy read kind of book. Full of adventures and settings which could delight any kids or kids at heart. You could definitely find yourself chuckling a couple of times throughout your reading experience. The author brings you to alot of cool new places, unlike the second book which was mostly stuck in Babylon parallel world, so it doesn't sound repetitive. But if you are looking for something less than your formulaic usual read then I don't think you would love it. Liking it though is very plausible.
Synopsis: A week ago, thirteen-year old Jack McKinley was a normal kid leading a normal life - totally unaware that he was about to die. He's cursed with a genetic abnormality that's giving him amazing powers too quickly for his body to handle. Jack's only hope: Find the seven lost Loculi that we're hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by the last prince of Atlantis. Only they contain the magic to save him - and the world.
After unearthing the first Loculus and defeating the Colossus of Rhodes, Jack and his friends are in worse shape than when they first set out. Marco has disappeared without a trace, along with the first Loculus. With no time to spare and no one else to turn to, Jack and the gang have no choice but to follow the only clues they have and to head off on the next leg of their epic quest - to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Review: I've been meaning to write a post a couple of days back but since I am too lazy to do it I didn't. And since I am running out of excuses I've decided it's time to go back and dust off the cobwebs that have formed in this virtual home of mine. After my curiosity was aroused by the first book, The Colossus Rises, of the Seven Wonders series , I decided to read the next book, Lost in Babylon.
The adventure continues as Jack and his friends travel to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in the pulse-pounding second title in the Seven Wonders series. With Marco gone and the first Loculus lost, Jack, Cass, and Aly are no closer to saving themselves (or the world) than when they first arrived at the Karai Institute. But whenever Bhegad tracks down Marco deep in the desert, the kids are off on the next leg of their quest - to the ancient city of Babylon. There, the kids find themselves faced with a daunting choice that makes them question everything they've learnt so far. It's a gut wrenching decision, but what the kids don't realise is that it's also a trap. Surprises pile on surprises until a long-lost figure from Jack's past returns, and the kids find themselves forced to engineer an escape that might just turn out to be a different kind of trap altogether.
I am sorry but that cover really reminds me of Rick Riordan's The Red Pyramid. It's quite distracting to see so many similar elements. Anyway, going past that and on to the goodies. The first surprise is the dedication page, which reads: "For my amazing friends at the National Book Store and MPH and the great readers they serve on the other side of the world."
Whoa! Our very own National Book Store has been mentioned. I dimly recall that Peter Lerangis has visited the country via NBS, but I was not a fan back then. Drat that luck. But it's really cute that he mentions his Eastern fans since we don't get much love or mentions from foreign author. He also mentioned Manila, TWICE in the story!
Jack, Aly, Cass and Marco are back! I have come to enjoy their rapport with each other, despite the worrying disappearance of Marco at the end of the first book. Lost in Babylon is actually peppered with hints of Marco's secret agenda, but I already suspected it early on (or maybe it's just my paranoid nature). Still, when Marco's change of mind finally revealed, it still felt like a blow to me. I have come to view the four of them as a family. At the start, I thought he just truly believed that Karai are the bad guys, but when his great plan is finally revealed, I discovered his instinct - greed for power - is the true inducement for his switching towards the other side.
The dreams that Jack keeps having make me more convinced that he's truly descended from one of the two brothers. Of the four of them, he's the only one who has no real physical talent (brains, brawns, memory) and he's the only one who keeps getting dreams from the Mother Qalani and the two brothers, Karai and Massarym. Plus, my suspicion is aided by that bomb that Lerangis' drops on the readers by the end of the book which I will not reveal because it's a game changer!
Literary fiction is currently populated with YA books involving adventures around the world, but I think Lost in Babylon stands out in particular because it talks about an ancient wonder that is quite popular but not much explored in fiction.
Discovering (or rediscovering) places around the world is one of the reasons why I love to read books, and reading about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon has spurred me on to read more about it. I can say I am very excited to read the rest of the series because I want to read about the five remaing wonders, as stylized in fiction.
Peter Lerangis' has definitely improved with regards to visualisation. Unlike in The Colossus Rises, I was able to picture in my mind's eye how the Hanging Garden must have looked. What I felt lacking in Lost in Babylon is the other two characters, Aly and Cass. They felt like lackeys, and not the heroes I believe they are. I am hoping that the next book/s will be narrated from either of the two's perspectives, since I believe they can do so much more than they are currently portraying.
My liking for the series has improved since the first book. Lost in Babylon has alot of great elements that make it an exciting book - good characters who have potential to be great, a typical locations for the heroes' adventure, and a fluid writing style by Lerangis, which seems to be gaining stride with each book. Definitely looking forward to the next books in the Seven Wonders series.
Have you read any of the books in the series? How do you like it so far? Are you pro-Karai or pro-Massa?
Synopsis: Jack McKinley is an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. In six months, Jack is going to die.
After Jack collapses in the middle of a busy street, he's whisked off to a strange hospital in a strange place. There are armed guards and weird kids and fantastic creatures, not to mention no parents, no phones, and no possibility of escape. The place is run by an odd professor named Bhegad, who tells Jack that what's killing him is a genetic trait from the long lost civilisation, it's destroying Jack by making him too strong, too fast. He'll need to stay strong though - because it's up to him to save the world.
Review: I chose the The Colossus Rises because the cover intrigues me plus it was praised by Rick Riordan, whom I love. I initially didn't want to read it, thinking it's just another typical YA kids-turned-hero book, but thankfully the book proved to be much more than that.
The idea that Jack, and the other kid heroes, Marco, Cass, and Aly will die sets the premise for the urgency of their task. Peter Lerangis brings back the Atlantis myth, and the idea that it could rise again. The task of the four heroes is to find the Loculi, seven orbs that compartmentalized the power of Atlantis and each one has a different power like flying (I'd like to get the orb for real!)
Jack doesn't seem like the hero type. He has no seeming unique capability, unlike Marco who is so physically strong and capable; Cass, a walking gyroscope and can speak backwards; and Aly, the one who understands how things work and is really good with electronics. But I think Jack has the brains, which is evident throughout the book since he was the one who deciphered the codes that led to the discovery of the mouth of Atlantis where the seven loculi were once placed. I really think that Jack is the descendant of Karai himself. If you read it, you'll see what I mean.I think Professor Bhegad, the chief of Karai Institute, suspects that as well. The four have good camaraderie and get along pretty well. They also consider themselves family since they all feel like prisoners of the institute.
To be honest, I am not yet sure if Karai Institute is really the "good" side because what do they really want to do with the loculi? Also, there's some confusion with the two princes' of Atlantis, and whether or not Massarym really regretted his decision to steal the loculi. Professor Bhegad also doesn't strike me as the benevolent father type who just wants good for all of them. I feel like they're all just using the four kids.
The Colossus Rises feels too short, and I don't feel like I know the four characters all that well enough. I feel like the first book just sets the tone and what you can expect further in the series. Hopefully, we will get to know the four heroes better as we progress. I know the idea is that the four kids might die soon, but I hope not one of them does because even though I don't them very well, they all seem like good kids and any one of them dying would just feel too tragic.
The plot is different, and fast-paced, although at the start I was really bored. I felt like Peter was describing Jack did in minute detail that was unnecessary. But after the first few chapters, the story picks up speed and I was caught along the ride. In the end, I did enjoy the book. I hope there are seven books in the series because the loculi seems be placed in the Seven Wonders of the World... the Ancient Wonders that is. I haven't really read up on the ancient wonders, and I like learning new things from books so I think I am going to enjoy this series.
