Adventurers Wanted 4: The Sands of Nezza

By M. L. Forman

After hundreds of years without a true king, the desert land of Nezza is in danger of falling under the rule of a ruthless lord advised by an evil wizard with dark intentions. A desperate cry for help brings Alexander Taylor to this perilous land and sets events in motion that will require him to rescue an old friend from an impenetrable dungeon. Once in Nezza, Alex meets a new band of adventurers and joins them in their quest to find young Prince Rallian—the man destined to become the rightful king of Nezza.

In their path lies a deadly sand monster, a wise and insightful oracle, a massive army of illusions, and a host of lords and leaders ready to fight for—and against—the king of their land.

But a dark shadow threatens Alex’s every step. And in Nezza, a land where magic is feared and wizards are held in suspicion, Alex will have to be more wise and cunning than ever before if he and his friends are to succeed—or even survive.

So, I don’t know why I love these books. The writing isn’t the best, the characters can be stereotypical, and the plot is often rehashed from the popular fantasy novels of years past. I guess the reason I love this series is that it’s light and fun, the people are all about honor, and the place is magic. It just makes me happy to go into the world Forman creates, I love going there and feeling happy knowing that everything will work out for the best. Perhaps it’s because Mr. Forman takes familiar archetypes and puts them in a format we all recognize, and while predictable at times, we still love reading them! I love that for the most part everyone is good, with irritating qualities, but good and evil is pretty easily spotted.  I can’t really say too much about the book without giving it away, just that Alex is getting better and better at being a magician, and we finally get the answers to a few mysteries in the first few books.

I give it a 3.5 out of 5

Albrek's Tomb

By M.L. Forman


Two thousand years ago, the dwarf Albrek went looking for new mines in the land of Thraxon in the hopes of becoming rich—and vanished. Now the dwarves must find Albrek’s magical Ring of Searching before their mines run dry, a possibility which threatens the livelihood of the entire dwarf realm.

Alexander Taylor joins a familiar company of adventurers on a quest to discover what happened to Albrek, find his mythical tomb, and locate the lost talisman.

But finding the ring may be the least of the adventurers’ problems once they cross paths with an ancient, wandering paladin, Bane, who warns of a great evil working in all of the known lands. Following in Albrek’s footsteps, Alex and his friends travel to the haunted Isle of Bones, where a mysterious creature lurks in a deserted village, to the cursed city of Neplee, where the dwarfs are hunted by the undead hellerash, and through the shadow of an empty oracle’s tower, where a whispered legend is about to come true.



So this is the 3rd installment of The Adventurerer's Wanted series and is, in my opionion better than the second book. I really loved the first one and this one is just like it and I adored it. This book finds Alex a full wizard and on another adventure with Thrang the dwarf and Arconn the elf and other friends. This was a great adventure and I couldn't put it down. My one beef is this: Alex has sort of become a tad too powerful for my liking. The kid has no weaknesses and just keeps finding out new powers. He's the Superman of Wizards; but has no Kyrptonite. Fix this Mr. Forman, or I am in danger of becoming bitter with Alex's character. :(  Although, I was rather impressed with Alex's new discovery, which was pretty awesome. I just wish he wasn't..well perfect. I'm liable to become jealous. :)

4 out of 5

The Horn of Moran

By M.L. Forman

The land of Alusia is on the brink of war as two men have each claimed the throne. Only the true king can sound the Horn of Moran and prove his nobility. But the Horn has been lost for years. If it not found-and soon- it could mean the destruction of an entire nation.
It wasn’t that long ago that young Alexander Taylor embarked on his first adventure, where he discovered the fearsome dragon, Slathbog. Now he joins a band of seasoned adventurers who have been called up to retrieve the legendary Horn of Moran.
Their journey to the mysterious Tower of the Moon will take them through an enchanted forest, into battle against a goblin army, past the watchful eyes of griffin guards, and face-to-face with a sphinx and her deadly riddles.
With his sword, Moon Slayer, and the wise counsel of his wizard mentor, Whalen Vankin, Alex must use all his wizard and warrior skills to fight a darkness that may consume them all.

FINALLY! This is the sequel to Slathbog's Gold, a book that has gone very much under the radar, but a book that I loved. I was so excited to read this sequel, and it was just as fun as the first. So, if you'll just ingnore the lacking cover art, I promise it's really good! (This cover is the only art by Brandon Doorman that I haven't liked, so I'll cut him some slack). Alex is just coming into his powers and learning how to control both his temper and his magic. We see old faces return, and are introduced to a few new ones; and they are just as loved as the others. Forman has a simplistic way of writing that is endearing and has echoes of arthurian mannerisms and values honor. I think this series is worth the read, contrary to many critics. Please please give it a go!

Slathbog's Gold

By M.L. Forman

“Adventurer’s Wanted. Apply Within” reads the sign hanging in the small bookshop window, but strangely enough, Alex Taylor seems to be the only one who can see it. Seeking some change in his life, the sign seemed like an answer to his plea. As Alex enters the shop, his life indeed is changed forever as he is whisked off to an entirely different land where warriors, elves, and dwarves thrive. Finding himself the eighth man on an adventure to recover a legendary treasure in the horde of Slathbog the Red, an evil dragon, Alex ends up battling trolls and bandits, seeking advice from The Oracle, and facing wraiths. But most importantly Alex finds himself learning about honor, integrity, courage, and friendship.

Fun, fun, fun. That is what I have to say about this book. Honest to goodness, I thought I wouldn’t like it, but I own it now! It was fun to read, sort-of as a simplified version of life in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Except very different, no hobbits in this I’m afraid! It’s fast-paced, fun to read, and has a great adventure and companions to learn about. And dare I say, many a fun thing to learn about Alex, who for good reason was the only one who could see the sign in the shop window! The only down-side that I’ve heard about it, (it didn’t bother me) is the language they use when Alex goes adventuring. It’s very polite and proper, and it can grate on some people’s nerves. I enjoyed it, thought it was fun. But to each his own! The only thing that really bugged me was the amount of times that Alex says, “I suppose.” That got annoying for me, but no one else seems to notice. Oh well. Try it anyway!

Interesting Info: Forman’s next book in the series is scheduled to come out in spring of 2010, called The Horn of Moran. Should be exciting!