I am not a fan of Horror stories, and for a long time this kept me away from reading Raven's Gate. But since it was Anthony Horowitz, who used to be a favourite of mine in days gone by, I couldn't resist. I found it to be every bit as horrific and grisly as I was told it would be, but I found that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Evil Star, the sequel to Raven’s Gate.

The style is typically Horowitz. Though it does not have the humour that characterizes the Diamond Brothers’ series, it does have the action and tense moments found in the Alex Rider books. However, this time he has given it a different dimension, a darker and more evil perspective which is actually found in the Groosham Grange series, and his short horror stories, which do not shirk away from shocking the reader to the very extreme! (Have you read the story where a group of cannibals chop up a boy in a lift? See what I mean?)

Horowitz’s aim was to write ‘something like Lord of the Rings’ but in a more modern world, without having to create a fantastic world like Narnia, and so make it a more vivid reality for the reader. I must say that this blend of old-fasioned fantasy with a more sci-fi genre has given it a zest and flavour of reality. Matt is a normal boy, easy to identify with but also the powerful hero (albeit a reluctant one) who typically saves the world- like Alex Rider- and Frodo.

Evil Star finds us with Matt again, but this time he is not alone. He has a trusted friend in Richard Cole, the journalist who find himself embroiled in Matts unbelievable struggle with the ‘Old One’s’ in the last book. The ‘Old One’s’- still not sure what they are. Hmmm, some sort of ancient spirits who want to take over the world again. They are sealed in a spirit world bound by gates around the world, and only five people have the power to keep them there. And Matt is one of them. He needs to find the rest of the Five, and in Evil star fate leads him to another of the Five when he agrees to go to Peru to seek out the second gate which has been foretold to open. Pedro becomes a fast friend and has an unknown power that makes him important. But more importantly…Is there a traitor within their midst?

I know, I know…typical fantasy, the sort of stuff that would turn anyone away. But I think there is a lot more to it than that. There’s the action for one thing. Those who like Alex Rider and Stephen King will enjoy this even if they don’t like Lord of the Rings.

I’d say Evil Star isn’t as grisly as Raven’s Gate where Matt was all alone and unaware of his powers or what he was up again. I’d say Evil Star is a lot tamer, and does not leave as eager for the next book as I was after I read Raven’ Gate. But still it was a good read!


You can borrow it from a library or, if you want to buy it:
Amazon:

Evil Star (Power of Five) by Anthony Horowitz (Paperback - 3 April 2006)

Buy new: rrp £6.99 Amazon price :£3.39
Used & new from £1.50
You save: £3.60 (52%)


Thank you for reading!