Synopsis

“The Search For Synergy” is the first book in The Talisman Series by author Brett Salter. It follows the exploits of two middle-school boys, Rome Lockheed and Julian Rider, as they transition from normal kids into epic warriors fighting for the existence of the Earth realm. Rome is secretly a fire dragon from the Den of Volcana placed under a spell which hides his true form. Julian is an oddball, up-and-coming knight with a case of the “try-hards”. Together, they perform an ancient pact which bonds their lives and souls forever. Under the tutelage and guidance of an eccentric, local librarian, Mr. Jones, the two learn of an impending invasion from an archaic evil desperate to invade from the other side of The Void.

Review

I was lucky enough to receive this book from the author. I hope the prospective reader will read this review fully before making any prejudgments on the book. I will give the book my thoughts. These thoughts are completely my own and not swayed in any way by anyone else’s reviews or opinions.

I first want to explain that this book is a young adult book that treats young adults with maturity and understanding of the life one has lived. The author did not dumb down the story to fit a younger audience, but trusted the fact that there is more knowledge than most give credit for. I have read many books who target middle school and high school readers that seem to take the stance of tricking the reader. This book was honest and truthful with a bit a whimsy. I read it as an adult, but I enjoyed it like I was young again.

I love the two main characters. Rome and Julian are in the middle of discovering who they are. There is adversity that they face and evil that must be tackled. That is not a new premise. I think that it is interesting that there is suspense that can be viewed differently at many different angles depending on your age. It doesn’t matter how old you are to love a good versus evil fight story.

My Rating: I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. I didn’t really think about the language that was used or that the story was about younger males. I tried to go into reading this book understanding that there is no relation to the point of my life I am at now. I find that there is an interesting correlation to the books I read as a kid, those being Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys. I believe that while you can read this book at any age, if you have middle school children that love The Magic Treehouse, this may be something that you can read together as a family.