Book Review – Excelsior
Excelsior
By: George Sirois
Blurb: Put down the pen. Pick up the sword. Unleash the hero within.
Created by high school senior Matthew Peters, Excelsior – savior of faraway planet Denab IV – is becoming an Internet sensation as the main character of a popular online comic strip. But before Matthew can enjoy his burgeoning success, a beautiful older woman arrives at his school and tells him that not only is she from the planet Denab IV, but that Excelsior’s lifeforce lives within him.
Now, with Excelsior’s old enemies regaining strength, Matthew realizes he is the key to Earth’s survival and Denab IV’s salvation, and he has an opportunity that he never thought possible, to become his greatest creation. . .
Review: Matthew Peters’ artistic talents were spectacular. His webcomic, science fiction story was followed by thousands. Matthew drew with such precision that his characters took on the aura of real life. He wrote as if he witnessed, first hand, the evolution of the story.
Semminex and thousands of his fellow cell mates were imprisoned, not for committing a crime, but for being born into the Denarian race. Their captors, the Krunation, were merciless beasts who wanted nothing more than to torture and eliminate everyone from this planet and the race that has occupied it for millennia.
Matthew drew all the time creating problems for himself as he often forgot he was in school. Although extremely bright, he was, never the less, a problem for most of his teachers. He was often disciplined for not paying attention in class. His classmates joked about his lack of social skills and having his nose three inches from his art book all the time.
Escape meant sure death, but doing nothing had the same end result. Radifen was standing in front of his cell, waiting to be turtured by a new Krunation guard, but Semminex had other ideas. His hands were scarred from the hours of digging and punching into metal walls, attempting to create the crack that would free him and the other prisoners.
Matthew did have friends though. Some of his teachers understood his situation. Others enjoyed the story he was developing. His uncle, felt responsible for Matthews life and guilty for what happened when Matthew was a little kid.
Escape brought more dangers to the Denarians. Could they get past the cell-block? What would happen to them if their Krunation captors were able to subdue their escape attempt. Would their world become one again? Would their savior Excelsior be able to slay the Krunations once and for all?
Quarter-Finalist for the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award (Young Adult)
I found Excelsior to be a well written, well though out, plot driven novel. Sirois had the ability to take my attention away from my life and keep it tuned in to his storyline. Definitely a good read!