Venom and Song

As an avid fantasy lover, I was thrilled to receive a copy of VENOM AND SONG by Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper, from Thomas Nelson, ISBN 978-1-4003-15062. It is the second novel in the series entitled the Berinfell Prophecies. This young adult novel involves seven Elf Lords who must stop the Spider King, who wishes to kill them. Perhaps due to the fact that I have not read the first book, I found the beginning chapters to be very confusing. Many characters were introduced at once, and it was challenging to keep track of who had what special ability. The world was also difficult to imagine at times, and I wished for more details in order to form a more concrete image in my mind while reading. Once I managed to keep the characters straight in my head, the novel became exciting. Each character is fully realized. Dialogue is snappy and realistic. Before the novel begins, the authors have included a list of places and names, which helps, but it becomes tedious to constantly flip back and forth. The cover is shiny, complete with a castle, a giant red beam, and people riding on huge birds and insects. Certainly, this is the kind of cover that will attract young adults. The characters are also very relatable to today’s teenagers. Since there is such a wide variety, the reader will certainly be able to connect with at least one. Despite flaws, the heroes are wholesome, perfect for teens to root for!