Nnewts: Book 1

Summary:

A little hero faces big challenges in the first book of this totally unique fantasy-adventure series.

The first book in the Nnewts series follows the story of Herk, a lovable Nnewt who longs for stronger legs, something his mother and father wish they could give him. When his quaint village is attacked by the reptile Lizzarks, he's forced to flee his home and leave behind the only life he's ever known. Now, all alone and on the run, Herk navigates a dangerous world filled with strange creatures and mysterious wonders, where friends are few and an evil lord is in hot pursuit.  (Summary and book cover courtesy of goodreads.com)

Please note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review courtesy of the publisher.

Review:

This was a book that is fairly good, but moved so quickly that I felt you had to take quite a few leaps of faith to follow what was going on.  It would have been nice to have additional background on the characters and the culture of the Nnewts.  Of course, some of these gaps may be filled in by future books.

My other main complaint would be that there is a lot of violence for such a short book.  In the vein of so many Disney movies (SPOILER), both parents and eggs die in the beginning.  I could certainly see this being a bit much for younger readers. Those two main concerns aside, this was a pretty good book with the potential for more as the story expands!

Warning: Contains violence

Rating: 3 stars!

Who should read it? Older middle grade children.