About the Book
Title: Four Fiends (The Countdown), 2nd Edition
Author: Nikki Bennett
Publication Date: February 16, 2014 (2nd Edition)
Publisher: Independent: Firedrake Books LLC Pages: 215
Recommended Ages: 8+
Summary: The Four Guardians of the world have gone missing. They’ve been kidnapped by some of the most diabolical fiends that ever existed. Now, four misfit kids from different parts of the world must band together to save the Guardians. Along the way, they learn to work together, as they confront and conquer their deepest fears.
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My Review
Four children from four different countries and backgrounds, each with their own individual "flaws" were chosen by the Golden Dragon to come together and travel far o rescue the Four Guardians from the Four Fiends.
JinJing - a gentle giant who is chunky, shy and awkward at all times and is constantly bullied by her peers.
Pietro - an insecure boy who couldn't turn down a dare and love to spin tales into unbelievable stories to make others take notice of him.
Kate - a confident girl who is not afraid to stand up for herself but finds it hard to ask some one else's for help when she needs it.
Saburo - a boy with leg problem trying to behave like any normal kids but sometimes he will use his aching leg as an excuse to gain sympathy from his friends.
Do you find these "flaws" familiar? I believe they can be found in every individual, in both kids and adults. Most of us will try to hide them or use them to our advantage in some ways or other, but remember, overdoing any of them and it will be damaging to any relationship.
The Four Fiends are Deviousness, Ignorance, Gluttony and Chaos, the four children has to fight their own fiend with their magic weapons. I like the choice of magic weapons the author gave each child, they look so simple, normal and useless but in time of danger they prove to be more powerful then anything swords or big guns. These four children started the adventure as strangers and parted their ways at the end of the mission as good friends, and as lifelong friends no doubt.
The story line is simple and but captivating at the same time, any 8 year old or older kids or adults will love the story. I know I love it and read it at every opportunity I had to finish reading the book in 2 days.
In the adventure, there is a twist of tale about the famous stories of Nian, New Jersey Devils, the Gods of Olympia and Pandora Box. These are great extension of teaching units which the parents can do with their children.
However there were there were a few typo errors in the story that I was not happy about, the author should have proof read them more carefully. Then there is the term the author used to represent Grandfather as spoken in Chinese. The correct spelling of the words should be "Gong Gong" as indicated in this Chinese English PinYin Dictionary and "Gon gon" does not exist in the Chinese ideogram.
The story line is simple and but captivating at the same time, any 8 year old or older kids or adults will love the story. I know I love it and read it at every opportunity I had to finish reading the book in 2 days.
In the adventure, there is a twist of tale about the famous stories of Nian, New Jersey Devils, the Gods of Olympia and Pandora Box. These are great extension of teaching units which the parents can do with their children.
However there were there were a few typo errors in the story that I was not happy about, the author should have proof read them more carefully. Then there is the term the author used to represent Grandfather as spoken in Chinese. The correct spelling of the words should be "Gong Gong" as indicated in this Chinese English PinYin Dictionary and "Gon gon" does not exist in the Chinese ideogram.
The Buzz
"This was one of the most entertaining reads for the whole family we have found in a long time. The characters are very believable, and I am always a sucker for heroes that have to find their way. The reading is very fluid and easily understood by the little kids when read aloud (sounds silly but anyone trying to do this will tell you it's not as easy a thing to achieve as it sounds) and the kids all seem to enjoy the story. The history is easily accessible even without a lot of research or background knowledge. The kids are very motivated to research and learn more on their own because this story has captured their interest. I already have many home learning lessons in mind using this book and have begun developing them with my kids. I think this is a book that will be found in classrooms very soon! Great job! I'm looking forward to more soon!!!" ~ 5 Star Review, Mariah W., Amazon
"Excellent read in and of itself, and provides excellent, character-building source material for reading to youngsters. The characters are well written and realistic, and the storyline is cleverly written and intelligent." ~ 5 Star Review, Alia K., Amazon
"Fantastic read. I loved the characters in this book so much that I re-read to my 9 year old after finishing it. I highly recommend this book for anyone that likes stories about adventure and believing in yourself." ~ 5 Star Review, Keith, Amazon
About the Author
Nikki BennettNikki Bennett is an author and world traveler currently living in Japan. She loves traveling, and incorporates all the culture and folklore she can from the countries she visits into her stories. Nikki has two books out right now. Her first book, FOUR FIENDS is a MG fantasy adventure and her newest book, MUKADE ISLAND is a YA adventure/fantasy (think Lord of the Flies meets LOST, it it was set on a different world!) Find out all about Nikki's books at www.worldofnikki.com
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* Blog Tour Giveaway *
Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)
Contest ends: May 31, 11:59 pm, 2014
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Nikki Bennett and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
Disclaimer : I received a free electronic copy of the Four Fiends in exchange for my honest review of the book.
Thanks for your great feedback to the author Jennifer - this kind of feedback goes a long way. I was really curious to see how you would like it and I'm really glad that you enjoyed the story. Thanks for joining us in the Four Fiends Blog Tour.
ReplyDeleteThanks Renee for hosting this tour. Indeed it was a different story from those I have reviewed before but still as interesting read as ever.
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