No new territory here. Harry Potter-like in that the character of Nick discovers hie possesses magical powers after his 13th birthday. Kirov's use of her Russian heritage - and subsequently, Nick's - gives this book an added flair. While it is fairly obvious to an adult who the character of the Grand Duchess is, perhaps a kid would find the mystery intriguing. And who better to play an evil magician than Rasputin? Series Review:I really enjoyed the Magickeeper series! It's written for ages 8-14, but even I got really into it and enjoyed it a lot. The stories were both woven well, with plenty of mystery and suspense to keep you reading. Once I started to read, it was hard to put it down. I never knew what to expect and was always surprised. It was like walking through a fun-house: you never knew what was going to be around the corner.My favorite characters had to be Nick and Isabella, followed closely by Isabella's pet tiger, Sascha. Sascha was just a really cool tiger. Vladimir, the hedgehog, was pretty cool, too. It was fun to watch Nick and Isabella together: they balanced each other well and would be fun people to be around. I wish they were real so we could hang out. Haley why would you want to hang out with thirteen-year-olds? Because they're magician thirteen-year-olds who can disappear and fly and look into crystal balls, and have more adventure in a day that I have in a month.The writing was good and easy to read and easy to follow, but some of the structure was a little confusing at times. It didn't take away form the action and adventure, though. I really liked the Russian culture incorporated into the stories. It wasn't overdone, but it was really fun to read the descriptions of the foods and the clothes and the decorations, and learn about some of the traditions. In the second book, The Pyramid of Souls, there was a lot of other cultures incorporated into it as well, because there were Magickeepers from Egypt and Nigeria and a Parisian clan, and Australians… so there were a lot of cool things that went on that we wouldn't normally think about—even in the world of magic.I look forward to the next book in the Magickeeper series! The Eternal Hourglass came out in paperback on March 31, 2010 and The Pyramid of Souls was just published in hardback on May 1st, 2010.Content/Recommendation: clean, and suitable for ages 8-16(-ish). I'm 18 and I enjoyed it, and parents would enjoy reading the books out loud to their kids as well!
What do You think about El Reloj De Arena Eterno (2010)?
Fun children's book, maybe a little too intense for young children.
—lina
Magickeepers: The Eternal Hourglass by Erica Kirov (no date)
—helloboo
