A Girl From Nowhere (The Firewall Trilogy #1)

The Firewall Trilogy is a new series by fantasy author James Maxwell. The books will be: Girl From Nowhere The Firewall Trilogy, Book 1 this book being reviews, A World Of Secrets The Firewall Trilogy, Book 2 release date scheduled 16 July 2020 and A Search For Starlight The Firewall Trilogy, Book 3 no release date as yet. I\’d rate this book \”Young Adult\” as the writing is simple and clear. But I like youth novels myself, and I wouldn\’t discourage even mature adults from reading this series. These are themes we\’ve seen before: Taimin come home to find that his place has been ransacked and his aunt killed (hello, Luke Skywalker) His companion, mystic, Selena, is on a quest for the mythical White City. (Lord of the RIngs and maybe Ursula LeGuin\’s Earthsea series.) Why is there a wall of fire? What does it mean and what kind of world to they live in? Many mysteries to unfold. There is plenty of action, but the writing is not so elegant as LeGuin or as dense as Tolkien. If you love Star Wars but want fantasy rather than space, this is probably up your alley as the story moves and is written in simpler, bold and visual language. Maxwell is a popular author, so if you loved the Evermen series, you will probably love this new fantasy series as it\’s fairly classic in the theme and has Maxwell\’s ability to create a world and tell a story. As you can tell, I did not enjoy this book tremendously. I was looking for a new science fiction-fantasy series and to start series with a new author –but this is not my kind of thing; I\’m not a Tolkien fan either! But..if you are and want a faster read and a new series, you will LOVE this. I did not–but it\’s not you, it\’s me.

I enjoy fantasy occasionally, and I\’m always looking for a new series to sink my teeth into. I had high hopes for this first book of a fantasy series. However, I found myself disappointed. As I started reading this book, something felt off and odd, and it took me a bit to puzzle out what was bothering me. I finally figured it out, though. The book feels like it is more telling than showing. Theres a writing adage that authors should show rather than tell, but this author misses the mark. When authors tell more than show, it puts an artificial distance between the reader and the characters and what happens in the book, and I found that to be the case here. The book appears to be aimed at the young adult fantasy reader, as the language is simple and straightforward. No problem there. Even though I am far past that age, I often enjoy books written for the YA audience. I don\’t let it deter me; I just love good books, no matter who they are written for. If only I could call this a good book! If the book description and the promise of a new fantasy series interests you, I suggest you read the Look Inside at Amazon to see if this writing style works for you. It didn\’t for me.

Some authors are world builders. They describe their visions in words that transport you to their imagination, even if you\’re not sure why you\’re there. Other authors are storytellers. They draw you in and keep you turning page after page, even when you have questions about the why, where, and who. This author. This book. He does them both. The world is complex and amazing. The characters and stories are lovely and engaging. This book had a wonderful ending; I know there\’s more to come, but I\’m also comfortable waiting until the next book comes out. I have no idea how he\’ll come up with as engaging a story, but I\’m sure he will. The move would be PG-13 for violence. No language or sexuality.

I always look at the reviews before plunking down a few bucks for a new read. I almost passed this one up. Glad I didn\’t. It\’s not Tolkien, but c\’mon, that\’s a pretty high standard. I\’m happy with interesting characters and and interesting story. I look forward to further adventures.

I was pleased to see a book in this genre offered this month on First Reads. Although I can\’t claim that the plot premise was unique, I will say that I enjoyed it. There were enough Fantasy creatures to entertain without being overwhelming. There was also a \”Mad Max\” vibe to the environment to satisfy Science Fiction Fans. The main characters were appealing, although I would have preferred a little more depth to the Heroine. The story flowed smoothly enough that I read it straight through to the end. And although it wasn\’t the end (note that the title calls it a Trilogy) it did leave the story in a good place to proceed to the second installment. I will probably continue the series. 3-3/4 Stars for me.

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