When I had a chance to read Sceadu and be a part of the part, I jumped on it!
Just wait until you see the cover.
Add in creatures, a hidden world of shadows, villians and adventures, how could I resist.
Come on into the world of Sceadu.
Enjoy the peek inside and my review.
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
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Sceadu
by Prashant Pinge
Genre: YA fantasy fiction
Date of Publication: Nov 10, 2014
ASIN: B00NVCV0I0
Number of pages: 246 / Word Count: About 70,000
Cover Artist: Reptile FX
MY REVIEW
I did a double take after reading the beginning of this book. I was pretty sure this was a YA fantasy adventure. But that first chapter, that thing with the shadow, really creeped me out. Then the end of the chapter explained what was what and I was all in.
Seven year old Matilda is a book lover. She’s been looking forward to the huge book sale. When her mother finally gets them there, she only has 45 minutes to find and purchase her books. She has just one to go and finally spies it. But another customer grabs it at the same time and Matilda loses the tug of war. Turning to gather up her other books, she discovers them gone. No books for Matilda.
But wait. Didn’t she hear a book fall to the floor in the scuffle? Yes! She swoops up the book and takes it home, not knowing that ancient book will take her on the adventure of a lifetime.
Sceadu is a book of shadows. It’s the shadows that take Matilda to Sceadu. That and the words from the book. And her belief the place really exists.
Her older brother and two cousins don’t believe her, until they discover she’s vanished. They too use the book and shadows to go after her.
Adding a family crisis made this story work. The adults had to leave on a family emergency and have the older cousins, Steven and Patrick come stay with Matilda, and her older brother Robert. Robert is self-centered and a bully and not good material as a babysitter. Having the kids disappear wouldn’t have worked if the adults had been at home. And you know what they say, ‘When the cats away, the mice will play.’
I felt Matilda was better equipped to navigate Sceadu than the boys were. They were always fighting, trying to one-up each other. I truly hoped they get their act together and find Matilda. If the ancient prophecy was true, they might not have a world to return to.
Anyone who likes a good fantasy adventure will enjoy Sceadu. It has heroes, dastardly villians, the deadly Hefigan creatures, an ancient prophecy, and a mystical world of shadows. I’d recommend this for young and mature readers.
4 Stars
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Book Description:
All this while, Matilda’s shadow had been growing larger and larger. Suddenly, it lunged out of the ground and swallowed her, like a python does its unsuspecting prey.
Nine year old Matilda ends up with a century old book through a series of strange coincidences. And disappears. Her brother and cousins are forced to suspend their hostilities and pursue her to Sceadu, a land inside the human shadow. Once there, the reluctant visitors find themselves chased by the vicious Hefigans, creatures of Sceadu. However, everything changes with the revelation of an ancient prophecy that foretells the doom of the world they left behind.
With the stakes suddenly raised, the children must now navigate the dangerous terrain, overcome grave challenges, and unlock the secrets of the shadow. But can they do it in time to thwart the plans of the treacherous Hefigans? Or will they succumb to the guile of a ruthless enemy who is equally determined to destroy mankind?
Sceadu is a fast-paced adventure which blurs the boundary between the physical and the psychological, the real and the mythical.
Available at Amazon
Book Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIQHTbekS8Y
About the Author:
Prashant Pinge was born and brought up in the picturesque neighbourhood of Shivaji Park in the bustling city of Mumbai in India.
A quiet and diligent student throughout his schooling and college years, Prashant proceeded to pursue electrical engineering at Purdue University in the United States. Over the next decade, he accumulated three more degrees, a master of science in management from Lancaster University, a post graduate program in management from Indian School of Business, and a post MBA master in international management from Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Apart from enjoying the company of books, Prashant had always had an imaginative bent of mind. But writing only happened in the fall of 2003, when a remarkably intriguing dream interrupted an uncharacteristically deep spell of slumber, compelling him to stagger to his desk and pen down the idea. That book is still a few years away from being written. Prashant, however, continues to work from his cauldron of creativity and churn out critically acclaimed works of fiction.
In addition to his literary pursuits, Prashant is Managing Partner in his marketing and branding firm, Media Panther. In his spare time, Prashant enjoys collecting old coins, reading fiction, travelling to exotic destinations, watching movies, and listening to music. He recently wrote and produced a short film titled Freedom of Expression. Prashant is also keenly interested in the subjects of psychology, mythology and ancient history.
Prashant lives with his wife and son in Mumbai.
Author Facebook page ~ Sceadu Facebook page
Twitter ~ LinkedIn ~ Google+ ~ Goodreads
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