Enter Alypium, a hidden world within our own where our old knowledge of magic is kept, and strange and fantastical creatures abound. It is a beautiful and mystical place, but things are caving in. the king is hypnotized and his castle turned on its side. The very Substance that holds our planet together has gone awry . . . and whispers tell of evil plans to destroy everything.

Twelve year old Erec Rex has been yanked out of the world as we know it and thrown unwillingly into danger here. As he learns how to get by in this strange place, he discovers some truths about himself . . . and must learn the power of trust and love in order to save his mother, and all of Alypium.

In this stunning tale packed with action, humor, a colorful cast of characters and a riveting plot, debut author Kaza Kingsley brings us into a land of danger and excitement. For Erec, it is a world that is eerily familiar and inevitably entwined with his future.

VOYA

Erec Rex has always had strange things around him-alarm clocks that walk and toasters that throw things at him. When his mother disappears one day, he is overcome by a cloudy thought, an incontrollable urge that forces him to do certain things. This time the thought makes him pick up his mother’s glasses and go to a certain hot-dog stand on the street where his adventures really begin. Traveling through a passage in the sidewalk that most people do not see, he and a girl he meets escape to the hidden world of Alypium and compete in contests to see who will be the next three rulers of the world. His mother’s glasses allow him to see and communicate with his mother who hints at Erec’s connection to this world. Erec discovers that he has powers here and that maybe he is the rightful king. Fans of Harry Potter might pick up this book while they wait for the final installment. There are many similarities, such as a smart girl for a friend, a bunch of bullying boys, caps that make the characters invisible, a game called springball where players try to get a ball through a hoop and keep it away from players with bats, and even a final chess game when Erec confronts the dragon. The writing is often heavy-handed, telling what is going to happen and then showing the scene. Better editing and fresher ideas would have created a more readable title.

Publish Date : 2009-04-07T00:00:01Z