Book Review - The Destiny of Ethan King by Martin Cosgrove

I found this an odd read, usually when I'm reading I can decide fairly quickly whether I'm enjoying it or not. With this one I didn't really form a clear cut opinion. I certainly wanted to like it, the subject matter is something that I'm into, the writing is good, and the characters engaging. With those components I would expect to be able to say quite clearly that I did like the book.

The problem is that somewhere it didn't quite engage me. I'm not quite sure where it fell down for me - which is a bit rubbish for a review so I'll make the effort! Story is king so I'll start there. The author does a good job at bringing the magic to life on a personal level, but is weaker on applying that to a wider context. There's the danger of the ultimate matter itself, but no real exploration of what effect the more mundane magic (which appears to be a skill that can be learned) has on the world.

The history of the the talents and devices is also only touched on lightly and was something I would like to have seen expanded on as the pieces that are shown hint at something richer and more involving.

However it did do more than enough to keep me reading to the end and the basic components are pretty strong. If the book's blurb looks like your kind of read then it's probably worth a look as it is a decent read.

Click on image to buy from Amazon

A university professor discovers the notes of a little-known 12th century alchemist detailing the creation of a mystical substance called Universal Matter. This substance is capable of generating unlimited energy and has the power to either end humanity’s greatest problems, or destroy us all. The ancient documents claim that, when the time is right, one human soul will be given the ability to create Universal Matter. His name is Ethan King. Thrown into a world in which the boundaries between good and evil are blurred, Ethan is left with no choice but to embark on a cosmic adventure with potentially global consequences. The Liverpudlian teenager quickly learns that the distinction between good and evil is not as clear-cut as it first appears and that big words such as ‘destiny’ and ‘morality’ are a smoke screen when dealing with real matters of family, friendship and love.

Click here to buy The Destiny of Ethan King from Amazon (and it's a decent read)