ISBN: 0-9720978-0-5 General impressions of the album/book:
This is a delightful book! I wound up hoping that this is the first volume of a long series.
Specifics:
Within two pages, I was captivated by the writing of the characters. Mr. Martineck has once again shown off his gift for realistic dialogue and believeable settings. As the story progresses, the mood invoked is just as magical as the adventure itself. I had no trouble seeing each character in my mind's eye as I followed them through their normal lives being turned upside down by the unexpected introduction of magic into their day-to-day world. And the magic itself was written very believably, as if it were simply old knowledge that most people don't get taught any more. The premise that magic and technology shouldn't be mixed was developed as if it were something that anyone should realize after only a few moments thought. Mr. Martineck has done an excellent job here. His writing flows naturally, his characters speak as if they were real people, and his setting seems so real that I wouldn't be surprised to find it on a normal, everyday roadmap. I wound up being firmly convinced that this place, these people, are real and living just out of sight, somewhere.
My only regret was the turning of the last page of the book and realizing that the adventure was over-- for now.
Background info:
Michael J. Martineck lives on an island in up-state New York with his wife, Sarah and their daughter Nina May. He has written ads, speeches, comic books, and short stories-- two of which Aphelion has had the pleasure of publishing.
