Title: Prelude to a Hero
Author: Jaime Buckley
Illustrator: Jaime Buckley
Genre: Science Fiction
Age: 15+
Pages: 110 (Kindle)
Publisher: On the Fly PublicationsHumans know so many things yet are oblivious to so many other facts. Those facts will change Wendell's life forever when he is kidnapped and teleported to another whole new galaxy. Upon arrival he is told that he is the last bloodline of the royal family and the only hope to defeat evil, which is growing ever stronger. Wendell doesn't want to have anything to do with these strange martians and so, he decides to bid his time until he can come back to Earth. Soon he meets an ecstatic girl named Kyliene and he believes he may have to stay a little while longer after all!
The novel gripped me from the first few sentences. I had no doubt that the book would be an interesting one. The method used by the author to bring in his audience before every chapter started was by using an unfamiliar technique. He would create a quote that would relate to the characters or the situation in the chapter. I loved this technique because as a reader it made me think and also it made me relate and think back to the quote while reading. Example of the first quote: We knew we were the center of the universe. We knew the Earth was flat. We knew nothing existed smaller than the naked eye could see. We knew only birds and bugs could fly upon the wind. Yes, we knew so many things…even if it was only for a moment.
My second love for Prelude
was one character in specific. Wendell was oh so very stubborn. He had a lot of wit and could come up with very sarcastic remarks. I loved his exchanges with the High Elder. Wendell was also very awkward with his own body. Being tall and skinny his arms would dangle and his feet wouldn't be where they were supposed to be. Tripping and falling was second nature to him, and he made me laugh with him, or even cheer for him a few times.As for the setting, what's not to like? At first I thought it was like a deserted planet with rocks, but I was soon proven wrong. I enjoyed how Jaime included a fantasy-like feel into his sci-fi novel. The setting was gorgeous and had a lot of description when needing to be. I liked the places they described such as the market place and the sanctuary. Here's a small example of the description: Thousands of white buildings and domed cathedrals stretched out before him. His eyes followed the intricate waterways, saturated with flowers, trees, vines, and grass, between, around and even through the buildings constructed on a grid. At the center was a small, football-shaped park completely surrounded by a lake of crystal blue water. Five small bridges joined the park to the city and a much larger, white bridge arched over the buildings and waterways extending to the terrace, just to Wendell’s left.
Sadly every masterpiece can have its own flaws. As for Prelude, I thought that it took a while for the story to start rolling. By the time Wendell was accustomed to this whole new world and that reality hit him it was far too late. Which brings me too point number two. In my opinion there wasn't any climax where I was jumping off my seat. It seemed that the author deliberately ended the novel short.
While I did enjoy Prelude, I believe that book two will be much better with actual battle scenes and the discovery of magic as well as some training. I recommend Prelude to Sci-Fi lovers!
Available on Amazon
Rating: 3.5/5
has a great foundation containing magical abilities, queens and princesses, assassins, and they all revolve around a family of 9. With that in mind I would definitely take the book home, but what made it all worth it was the adventures and the fast paced action. 
I enjoyed how everything had a purpose and wasn't made just out of pure imagination. The thing that pops out most for me was the Gods; the whole religious aspect of the novel was intriguing and was easily one of the big plot drivers. The creatures fit well in this type of story such as the Madorine's, who had a nice history and society where they ruled and lived for bloodshed. 
cannot match 
yet it's a darn close call because both are filled with great writing, exciting plot, and interesting characters. A definate must-read! 
contains a voice! By that I mean you don't read a story, you are told a story. When I was reading, it felt like my father was telling me his own journey. This very exciting way of storytelling was accomplished through show don't tell. Alexandra could easily manipulate her sentences into an action packed journey really well!
