The last Guardian and the Keeper of the Magi by Ashland Menshouse review

The novel starts off with five children having the ability to kill ghosts, demons etc.

Rodriqa, Aubrey, Jordana, Buzz and Magnos have gained a reputation in their town to drive away or kill creatures that wander in.

The author clearly describes the characters and the special abilities each child has; instantly creating a detailed picture of what to expect from this book.

Of course, one of the most important aspects of any good novel, is if the beginning pulls the reader in… It certainly did here.

Clear descriptions and vivid imagery really enhance the plot; making it very easy to imagine the scenes that take place.

The book does slow down as more things start to develop. There is a clear divide in which some parts hold interest, where my interest fades off in other parts.

It takes a while for anything much to develop. Hints and small events occur, until finally the lunar eclipse reveals more of what is to happen.

Descriptions drew me in once again, the author directly talking to the reader in parts, which is quite rare to find, but enjoyable to read.

In some ways the plot is complex, in others quite simple. As I read deeper into the story, there is a lot of facets to the plot, and a lot of characters; which can at times overwhelm the overall story line. With so many characters quickly being brought in, it was made more and more difficult to connect to the characters.

But no one can take away from the author, the incredible imagination it takes to write a book like this.

Bits of the novel speeds things up, while a lot of dialogue/explaining slows it down.

The novel is a too long, even though I wanted to find out what the heck was actually going on, it took too long to get to the point.

And, of course, the elements of creation, and how it came about in this book is certainly a different take than others.

It was quite an unusual ending, clearly open for a continuation.

I have mixed feelings for the book. In some ways certain elements were fascinating, others were downright bizarre, while others elements didn’t really need to be there at all.

3/5 stars