jbronderbookreviews

I originally got a copy of this book from the Simon & Schuster Galley Grab but I didn’t get to finish it before my time expired. I lucked out and got a copy from the Amazon Vine Program. Here is the revised/finished review.

Return to Exile by EJ Patten

5 stars

(Excerpt from Good Reads) ONE BOY. UNTOLD ENEMIES. A WHOLE WORLD TO SAVE. TIME IS RUNNING OUT.

Eleven years ago, a shattered band of ancient hunters captured an unimaginable evil and Phineas T. Pimiscule rescued his nephew, Sky, from the wreckage of that great battle. For eleven years, Sky Weathers has studied traps, puzzles, science, and the secret lore of the Hunters of Legend, believing it all a game. For eleven years, Sky and his family have hidden from dark enemies while, unbeknownst to Sky, his uncle Phineas sacrificed everything to protect them. For eleven years, Sky Weathers has known nothing of that day. But on the eve of Sky’s twelfth birthday and his family’s long-awaited return to Exile, everything changes. Phineas has disappeared, and Sky finds himself forced to confront the mysterious secrets he’s denied for so long: why did his family leave Exile on that day so long ago? What, exactly, has Phineas been preparing him for? And, the biggest mystery of all, who is Sky really and why does everyone want to kill him?!

It is Sky’s twelfth birthday but it is the worst birthday ever. His uncle Phineas goes missing and he has to move to Exile. Now he feels like something is wrong. When he follows his father onto Phineas’ property, he is attacked by creatures that he though were just stories in books that Phineas gave him years ago. A shifter and three cloaked people save Sky from these creatures.

The next day, Sky learns that kids his age are the ones that saved him and they have no knowledge of what they are fighting. They have created their weapons from the trash dumped in caves below Phineas’ property. Sky is a great asset to them since he knows about the creatures that they are fighting.

The hunters that Sky grew up learning about are no longer around. Now the kids are going to have to work together to keep the prison from being unlocked and deal with the disappearances of local children all the while relying on Sky and his stories. Sky also has to work with Errand, a boy that can help him talk to the monsters with his hunters mark but Sky is the only on that can see him. But Errand abandon’s Sky when Sky needs him that most.

I loved this story. All the hunters that are supposed to keep the regular people safe have disappeared and left the kids to use trash to make tools in their fight against the monsters. Sky gets his eyes opened about what defines a Monster. And the ending leaves it open for several more books to come.

I got sucked into the book and couldn’t put it down. This is geared to younger teens but any one of any age will enjoy it. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys fantasy and young adult books.

I received this book from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.