J. Philip Horne

Other superheroes in the Guild of Sevens have powers that fifteen-year-old Hannah doesn't have. She considers herself to be the worst Seven of them all, but she's stubborn as all get-out—and her moment to prove it arrives in The Hero Feat of Hannah Helstrom by author J. Philip Horne.

First off: WOW to this!

Now, I should probably say Hannah's moment to "prove it" is her moment to "use it," as this isn't a "prove myself to everybody" story but a "use what I have when it's needed" story.

It's pretty amazing because even though it was no shock to find out what Hannah's moment would be, her journey to get there and the way she navigates through it is still so compelling. Hannah's training, mettle, heart, unselfishness, and quick thinking come into play in the face of an incredibly daunting task. Yet, she's so down-to-earth (with a little edge of dry humor) that she keeps the story real instead of corny.

As this short, coming-of-age fantasy read is a standalone from the Guild of Sevens middle grade series, it makes me curious about the "WOW" that may be in the novels.… (plus d'informations)

I am so glad I had the opportunity to read this story. It was fast pace, which fits into my wheel house perfectly. The characters are developed quickly and actually had a good deal of depth. This was achieved by the ability of the reader to relate to the character. The situation or setting of the story is one that every child with an imagination would be proned to think of or wished they could think of.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has ever dared to dream of something more than what reality has to offer. Great story...I hope to read more from Mr. Horne soon.… (plus d'informations)

I finished reading this book a couple days ago and had to really ponder my review. Now I am an adult as you well know however I do enjoy reading young adult. This book is aimed towards a crowd that is younger then the books I usually enjoy reading. That being said I did enjoy it though it had its issues.

Let me go thru the strengths first though. I really enjoyed the character of Edalwin 'Edna' who has been Jack's foster mother for the past four years. She is a very strong woman and her character shines through. She also has an interesting history that adds spice to the plotline.



Jack is also a well written character though there was some instances where his thought really gave me pause such as when he figures out that Sally is a friend even though they have been hanging out for a while. I also would have liked to have seen more growth out of his character however.

The alternate world created by Mr. Horne is interesting. He has done a great job of world building and peopling it with characters, both good and evil, that really stand out. I could only wish that the ranger's magic worked in our world as she really needs the assistance.

And now my kibitzes. Even after reading the book I am not sure why the Sally was in the book at all. She shows some strength in the beginning but then turns into an insipid character. Also at the beginning of the book rather then showing the reader what was happening we were told the story. This leads to a weaker storyline all the way around.

I felt that THE LODESTONE is a good book but with a few changes it has the potential to grow into so much more. I would recommend it to readers in middle school which is really its target audience.

I rate this book a 3.1.

***I received this book at no charge from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.… (plus d'informations)