The Colors of Malent: Book One

The Colors of Malent: Book One by Tim Adams

• Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse.com (March 25, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1462004490
• ISBN-13: 978-1462004492

For as long as she can remember, Alara Martin has had strange dreams about a beautiful, faraway world. They increase with intensity as she approaches her fifteenth birthday, and Alara has a hard time distinguishing them from reality. She thinks about them constantly-and wonders why no one else in her family experiences them. 

 

After suffering from a particularly traumatic and vivid nightmare, Alara learns an astonishing truth from her parents: she is not their real daughter! Alara is devastated by the news and riddled with more questions than answers. Who are her real parents? Where does she belong? And why do these strange dreams plague her every night? 

 

Alara's daily routine is interrupted by extraordinary landscapes, unbelievable creatures, and strange waking visions. Her search for answers will thrust her into the middle of a conflict for which she is completely unprepared. Can Alara's destiny really lie in the world of Malent? And how can Alara leave all that she loves in her current world for her true heritage? Desperate for help from anyone who will listen, Alara fights to uncover her real identity- before it's too late.

At first, looking at the cover of the book, one might think it’s for kids, what with the colorful cover..:)
But as I scan through the pages, it’s really directed to teens and parents alike….

We learn and discover about the mysterious world Malent through Alara's dreams. Alara finds herself inside the bodies of various characters, and is increasingly able to influence the actions of the people she inhabits as the dreams become more and more frequent/vivid.

I think though I enjoy better the part where the book deals mostly with the world of Malent, the descriptions and the creatures are truly beyond my imagination, but it’s fascinating, and would really lure readers to the fantasy side of this book. Even though we’re only given a little about the characters in this world, I believe they would play a greater role in the next book. I hope to see more of Borren (a man from Malent who is a successful business man in the modern-world) and the warrior and homeless Barry in the sequel.

The other world, where Alara lives, is very the same as we have today. The characters too are just quite a collection. A hot jock boyfriend, a geeky boy-next-door that likes Alara, an overly-protective father that yells a lot, a drama-queen mother, the-not-so-wholesome best friend who seemed to be born to do shopping. Nevertheless, it’s a likely plot.

Although Alara is just 14, well, turning 15, let’s face it…she faces issues teens today face too..like self-identity, hiding from/manipulation of parents, make-ups, sex, alcohol, parties, boyfriends, a really bad friend.. She also does some crazy, dangerous things that no sane girl would do :). And her attitude though sometimes I pity her, is quite annoying.. But I think though, making a not-so likable character and then making her see reason and change her later would be a really good lesson to everyone.

Well, let’s face it, these issues things teens face today, we must not shy away from it, parents should be there guiding their kids. The book is just plain reality, and we must accept and learn from it.

Even at the end of the book, I am still lost as to who is the real villain in the book. There's one side saying one thing, and then another side saying the total opposite. Guess, Colors of Malent Book One was just really an introduction to a greater adventure we’d found in the next book, I can’t wait to see how the story will unfold and what other creatures I’ll get to know..:D….

Full of fun and exciting adventure., Mr. Adams and Mr, Inzerillo fuse the modern-day-technology with fantasy. I don’t know how to categorize this book, maybe it’s both sci-fi and fantasy..:) Colors of Malent brings readers to a world unknown and unique from us.

All in all, Colors of Malent is a real-page turner, I can’t seem to put this book down, until I finish reading it…My only problem is I should have figured this is a cliff-hanger, that way I wouldn’t be more frustrated to read the sequel:D…I want to read right away Book 2..:)…

Very highly recommended!




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