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Title: Derivative, but a fun read anyway
Review: "Derivative" is an understatement. Almost every element of this book was taken from someplace else. The setting is Middle Earth, even down to the different varieties of orc (err...urgal). The description of magic is from Earthsea. Much of the plot is Star Wars, from the destruction of Luke's uncle's farm to the apprenticeship with Obi-wan (err....Brom), but then reverts to Middle Earth (the seige of Gondor and the killing of the Lord of the Nazgul) at the end. And of course, the dragons and dragon-riders are straight from Pern.The descriptions are unbelievably overdone, from the "it was a dark and stormy night" school of literature.But despite all these faults, it was a fun read! My kids loved it, and I picked it up on a day that I was home sick and couldn't put it down. I got to know and like the characters, and I'm looking forward to reading Book 2.
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