5 Star Reviews
Newest first
2nd May 2014
Really well written. Engaging characters. Interesting concept and story. World building a high point. Recommend it highly.
30th November 2013
Apparently this book is intended for the junior high school/high school set. The author has far exceeded expectations. What an exciting read from a new author. A fascinating world and three dimensional characters. I cannot wait to read more.
20th March 2013
This was an awesome story. I passed it on to my brother, who has been hooked!!
16th March 2013
Great Read!
I loved the story and characters in this book. It is quite an interesting idea of an ice world where science is forgotten and even simple things can make people's lives so much better. I am looking forward to sharing this with my nieces and nephew as they may learn from the themes and topics covered within the storyline of book. The only problem is I was left wanting more and cannot wait for a sequel.
15th March 2013
I loved the story and characters in this book. It is quite an interesting idea of an ice world where science is forgotten and even simple things can make people's lives so much better. I am looking forward to sharing this with my nieces and nephew as they may learn from the themes and topics covered within the storyline of book. The only problem is I was left wanting more and cannot wait for a sequel.
14th March 2013
A good book fold inside a new idea, so much as a Sci Fi book. It will consider brilliant if if it will include other kind of meanings. It will consider out standing this idea will keep your thoughts in every other moment.
Well you all can imagine to yourselves how the vast white plans of ice capture my mind. With this amazing idea of heat from the depth of the planet creating islands which people can live on. So it is really not important if because some kind of future catastrophe, or on other planet or universe.
Another thing that capture my mind is something with the color of Medieval- prejudices, superstitions, mistrusts and a lot of lot of hate. I know, sadly it is not exclude only to this time, but then the mixture was so very strong. Poor Elya.... how it happened at all? How dark and evil connected together? I can't imagine if Perry would try to insert some one really dark to this environment.
Sometimes it just made sheath with frustration, why Jacob wouldn't stop everything and demand that everybody will treat her properly.
But Jacob and Elya like the true scientists they are didn't let the ignorance to stop them from sharing their knowledge. this remind another scientist which i came to know just now and fell in love with:"I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting system, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." George Washington Carver , also born when the times were dark and thick with hate - times when people enslave others and still he out shine and contribute to those who treat him as such.
9th March 2013
Differences
I am a soon to be great grandmother and I loved this book. It is about living in an ice world instead of a water world. It is far in the future and much of what mankind knew has been forgotten. Travel is by boat on ice. Twins are found on a boat that has crashed. They are found by local people who are delivering the local mail. They are a little different in their outward aspects and the locals are suspicious of them. They also have some scientific knowledge which makes the locals mistrust them even more. Just because someone is different doesn't make them bad. This story is quite exciting and keeps your interest all the way through. You care about the people and wish you knew them yourself. I would recommend this to anyone, not just teens and young adults. I will be looking for the sequel to this and also other works by this author. I received this free as an ebook through Library Thing. Five star plus!!
7th March 2013
A different world - magically created
Perry Aylen has succeeded in creating a world that is very different and, at the same time, strangely familiar. The main protagonists, a brother/sister couple, Jacob and Elya are rescued from the ice and the circumstances of their rescue, plus the fact that they have simple devices that allow them to easily create fire and navigate the featureless ice, make them the object of both wonder and jealousy.
Aylen spins this masterly beginning into a wonderful web of storytelling which gripped me, even though I am far from the market for which it is intended.
I cannot imagine a young person from ten to fifteen that is enthralled by this story. So much so I shall give it to my Australian grandsons.
For a great story, clever characterisation as will as vivd imagination, I am giving this 5 stars.
1st March 2013
Amazing adventure
This was a great and enjoyable science fiction read, this adventure takes you on a thrilling journey through a fantasy world set in future. I gave this book as a gift to my 11 year old daughter and she just loved it. The society depicted in this story inhabits a fascinating world made of ice and rock. There is a high attention to details throughout the book and you can tell by the portrayal of characters and the subtleties of the plot that this is a excellent and well thought out story. Great for both teens and adults, I recommend reading it!
10th February 2013
Commendable!
Hexult is a story of adventure in a world of ice, where much of science and technology has been forgotten. This perhaps looms in our future. The characterization reflects many all-too-human foibles as the four main characters Ingar and Aulf and the twins Jacob and Elya take on the always formidable task of overcoming evil with good intentions, youthful enthusiasm and creativity. Jacob and Elya's arrival in the islands brings change and challenge. There is underlying curiousity to be satisfied as we are prompted to think about geothermal activity, the making of steel, how flint and steel works, how compasses work and how Morse Code and other symbolic systems form the basis of communication. This is a good read for young readers and adults can be well entertained. The world Aylen has created is interesting and engaging. The society that inhabits it is simple with room for more development as the different islands of Hexult navigate the rocky waters of a new treaty and try to track down proof of evil doing. I, for one, look forward to further books in this series. It does us no harm to be reminded of a world where it is hard to start fires and where there is excitement in the creation of a small case for our flint and steel. There is room for further character development and a number of dramatic tensions to be resolved. While I don't think this will turn into an epic we must remember the initial shallowness of Robert Jordan's Conan and the ultimate complexity of the Wheel of Time. I truly appreciate an author creative enough to create a new world without internal inconsistencies.
The story may well be post-apocalyptic if you choose to view it that way but I certainly didn't find it dystopian nor did I think it should be categorized as fantasy, at least to this point. There is no evidence of magic, just superstition ns a little basic science. It is quite well written and I found very few editorial errors. Suitable to its target audience. A good read without disconcerting sensationalism, sex and ugliness. Commendable!
Authors note:
This was given 5 stars on Amazon UK and 4 stars on Amazon USA so I've filed it as 5 stars. (Well I would, wouldn't I)
20th August 2012
When is the sequel out?
Perry Aylen visited the school where I work as part of our Literature Festival a few weeks ago; so I'd experienced and investigated some of the scientific concepts he has used in the book before I'd read it!
I enjoyed reading the book, although it's hard to visualise the geography of the area when reading this on Kindle without paging back to the beginning - perhaps the map could be used as a title page for each chapter?
The plot is believable, the characters are mostly well-drawn, and (a huge relief on Kindle!) the grammar and proof-reading are excellent. I don't want to give any spoilers here; but young teenagers who enjoy finding inventive solutions to problems and reading a good adventure story should give 'Hexult' a try.
15th May 2012
I heartily recommend this book
Great plot
Original premise
Endearing Characters
Wonderful setting
Well written
-What's not to like.
Hexult transports you to a different world, but a simple world, a 'real' world, not the normal dystopian worlds of science fiction.
15th March 2012
Top class SF
This is one of the best new SF stories I have read in a long time. I hope the couple who collaborated to create it continue this standard of writing. A real pleasure after seeing some of the rubbish e-books which are supposed to be in the english language. A well thought out story line with plenty of possible questions unanswered for the future volumes. Thank you.
15th November 2011
A Great Adventure - Highly Recommended
I bought this based on the interesting premise (plus I fancied a rest from Jack Reacher so guess I am not the target audience for this book)and was not disappointed in the slightest. Read from start to finish in a couple of days which is a first for me since I bought the Kindle back in February. Hexult has a great plot and spirit of adventure with just enough threads dangling at the end to leave me waiting eagerly for the next book. Well done!
22nd October 2011
Earlier reviews give a good plot summary. I will simply add that I would be very happy for my tween children to read Hexult. It would capture their imaginations without leaning toward inappropriate topics. A great read!
6th September 2011
After several weeks of giving books less than stellar reviews, it was a refreshing and welcomed change to read Hexult. It is an adventure story aimed at tweens and while it will certainly appeal to middle grade and young adult readers, it is an enjoyable read for adults too; 5 out of 5 stars.
The author sets the drama of the shipwreck quickly and maintains a high level of adventure throughout the story in the form of raiders, an ill-tempered wizard, and islanders hardened by death and war. I liked how the unlikely, yet very strong, friendship between mailman Aulf and runaway/fighter/outcast Ingar was established from the start; it made me invested in them as characters and also in their relationship.
The other two main characters, twins Jacob and Elya, are equally as endearing and effective at capturing the reader. Their knowledge of science, or magic to the islanders, was very entertaining and drew some interesting parallels to mankinds continuing fear of things we cannot understand.
The writing style of Hexult is very clear and concise and a great level for a book aimed at tweens; it will sharpen a younger reader's vocabulary but is not too inaccessible.
I have no real criticisms of Hexult. It has a real childlike innocence and sense of wonder about it that make it a great book, especially for its younger target audience.
Hexult is an exciting tale of adventure from beginning to end and leaves the reader knowing that good trumps evil anyday.
24th August 2011
A Great Read
A great book. We really enjoyed reading it to our children.
"A brilliant story, full of adventure and science. Different to other books as the whole world is frozen and the facts helped me easily picture the ice world. I wanted to carry on reading and not stop. I liked Ingar because she was always really wild and free and I liked Elya because she had loads of brilliant ideas." Lauren (age 11)
"It gets into the exciting bit very quickly. I liked Gabriel as he's mysterious. Hector and Ivor made it more exciting but they are just bullies. I can't wait for book 2." Sam (age 9)
24th July 2011
Ice ships
Written for beings the age of my grandchildren, but I stayed with it and enjoyed the images that rose up in my mind. Images of ice-ships sliding beneath wind-filled sails between islands heated by the Earth's thermals. A volcanic fissure in the ice-field, known as the Vajra - an interesting name (Sanskrit for diamond thunderbolt). The author has a gifted imagination.
Glaciologists might have a question about the height of sea-level - but never mind that. It is a thoroughly good tale of the coming-of-age of youngsters who must needs fend for themselves.
9th July 2011
Great adventure for adults and children alike!!
In the land of Hexult, Aulf delivers the mail between a set of islands aboard the sailboat known as the Aurora. With his crew of one, a small waif of a girl named Ingar, they fly with the wind aboard the Aurora, no one around with a vessel fast enough to catch her. But in this land a boat doesn't fly over the smooth surface of water. Instead they slide across a frozen sea of ice, a white wonderland very different from the one you and I know.
One day while delivering the mail, Aulf and Ingar come across a wrecked vessel and find two young teenagers inside, barely alive, almost frozen to death. Their father was killed with the destruction of their boat, leaving the twins, Elya and Jacob, with no family. But Jacob and Elya have a lot to offer the people of Hexult, if only everyone was as willing to listen to them as Aulf and Ingar, because the people from the land of ice have never seen a lodestone, or witnessed a blacksmith heat and pound out steel, and they've never watched anyone carve out a lens of clear ice and use it to trap the rays of the sun, enabling the user to build a fire. Fire could be the difference between life and death if caught out on the ice during the night.
Reliable communication is a big dilemma between the islands and the twins have suggested the building of light towers may just be the answer to their problem. In the top of the towers would be mirrors and these could be used to flash messages between the islands, doing away with the need for a carrier. No one would have to worry anymore about a message getting confiscated by raiders-whose numbers grow daily, raising the level of fear and conflict among the people. But not everyone is pleased with the idea. There is one in particular who is afraid the twins might undermine his authority and destroy the respect he has created through superstitious fear in the people. He'd like to take credit for the idea of the light towers himself and does what he can to bring the twins down.
I'm far past the age for target readers of Hexult, but I enjoyed every last page of this wonderful adventure. I can just imagine kids going to their parents after reading, curious about the workings of a compass, or trying to build a magnifying glass from a chunk of clear ice. Any novel that can raise a child's curiosity about nature and science, and inspire the need to learn, is a wonderful deal in my eyes. And if an adventure can be gained with Aulf, Ingar, Jacob and Alya in their imaginations while they do so, then so much the better. I loved the novel and plan to purchase a copy for my eleven-year-old niece. I'm afraid she can't have mine. That one is reserved for my own adventure. :) You might have to get two, like I did-one copy for you, one for the kids. I'm sure you'll enjoy this novel as much as I did.
21st June 2011
A must for every 7 to 14 year old's bedroom bookshelf!
I've done some digging and this is the first book of a new UK author. Well hats off to the guy. This is a highly original piece. Set in a future ice-age where technology is thrown back so that even a compass is considered magic, the adventure unfolds around a group of youngsters who bring 'magic' to the isolated islands of Hexult that are seperated by vast sheets of ice. Trouble ensures for them as those with power vie to gain the advantage that the group can provide, and are willing to undertake 'dirty tactics' to get it.
I can easily see this book being read by parents to their children who will be eagerly awaiting bedtime (why wasn't it published a few years ago when my kids were small!). A must for every child and young adult's bookshelf. Good job and looking forward to the sequel.
31st May 2011
A Cold World
Not normally my type of book, but I'm so glad I tried it. I was totally immersed in the world to the extent I'd be feeling cold just reading it. It seemed like it was the start of an epic set of adventures, I hope so.
25th May 2011
Narnia for grown-ups!
If you loved the C.S. Lewis Narnia books as a child, you will almost certainly enjoy this. It's a proper adventure story, which grabs your attention from the beginning, and continues to be a page-turner throughout. The characters are engaging, but somewhat mysterious; and the world within which the story is set is fascinating. Highly recommended!
17th May 2011
Wonderful Imagination
Loved the setting of this book. The frozen world of Hexult is brought vividly to life , along with a civilisation that is an intriguing mix of past and present. I love the notion of a postman hero speeding over the ice between islands, delivering the mail. This story is an enjoyable mix of drama and good old-fashioned adventure, with likeable and believable heroes/heroines, which also deals with the more serious issue of prejudice and how we react to people who are different to ourselves.
Best of all, it has pirates!
Bertie Dawson
16th May 2011
What a refreshing read!
I was drawn into the story straight away, the writing is very accessible. It starts with Aulf and Ingar sailing across the ice and coming across a wreck. It throws up many questions which, I'm pleased to say, are answered throughout the story. The characters are well defined and the story is nicely paced, not action-packed, but never slow.
I think science-fiction is a misleading genre and would simply call it 'adventure' as although it is in a future world, there is nothing there that differs from the technology we have today. I particularly like the fact that although there obviously needs to be many explanations of the world and their society, there are no 'info-dumps' but rather the information is woven seamlessly into the story.
I would thoroughly recommend Hexult to any adult who would like something simple, yet different, and to any teenager who wants a change from vampires and Angst.
Anne Shmitt