Keeper of the Realm (Keeper Series) by H.J. Ralles

• 01/07/2014
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Keeper of the Realm (Keeper Series)
H.J. Ralles
Top Publications (2003)
ISBN 9781929976218
Reviewed by Ian McCurley (age 14) for Reader Views (1/08)

“Keeper of the Realm” begins when Matt finds himself once again running down a corridor chased by Cybergons.  Suddenly, he is transported from Zaul to the strange underwater realm of Karn.  He is met by a strange youth with glowing yellow skin, oversized feet and three red slits along his neck.  Matt is taken through the subsurface tunnels called pod chutes where he meets Targon and Varl, friends from Zaul.  They are in level two of Matt’s game.  After their reunion, Matt meets Keela, a girl about his age with qualities similar to his initial guide.  Having lost his laptop, Matt has no knowledge of the realm.  Keela explains that his laptop is probably in the Noxeran half of Karn.  The Noxerans are humans that control Karn and have the Karns at their mercy.  After meeting two more Karns, Calute and Carella, Matt discovers that the leader of the Karn resistance has been captured by the Noxerans and will be executed.   Matt must infiltrate the Noxeran half of Karn and find the resistance leader, his laptop and his friend Dorin from Zaul.  As bleak as this seems there may be even more sinister forces at work.

H.J. Ralles writes in a way that will interest not only readers, but any kid. The writing is creative and descriptive, and will draw you in.  The Sci-Fi plot and the artful level-based division of the book makes for an enthralling read.  The book, at 231 pages, is perfect for an afternoon of reading.  I can relate to the main character, Matt, in that he sat down for an afternoon of video games that turned out to be a lot more real than he expected.

“The Keeper of the Realm” is for ages 10 and up who enjoy reading about science fiction, video games or marine biology.