The Vara of Yima, the original Garden of Eden, sealed from the rest of the world and populated with the fittest of men and women. A secret paradise that 150 years ago became ravaged by smog that choked out the skies.
Now the Vara exists in a permanent state of darkness and its people need a champion, a chosen one to save them from the smog that threatens to fill the realm and poison its inhabitants.
That’s what they needed. They got Sammy Ellis instead. She isn’t important enough for her dad to stick around for, never mind saving a realm or junk like that. Her only responsibility was to help the chosen one open the gateway into the Vara, but not only has she entered the realm in their place, she’s also locked them out in the process.
Stuck in a twilight land of giant mushrooms, pursued by dark forces and still in her pyjamas, being unimportant back in the real world is starting to seem way more attractive.
Now the Vara exists in a permanent state of darkness and its people need a champion, a chosen one to save them from the smog that threatens to fill the realm and poison its inhabitants.
That’s what they needed. They got Sammy Ellis instead. She isn’t important enough for her dad to stick around for, never mind saving a realm or junk like that. Her only responsibility was to help the chosen one open the gateway into the Vara, but not only has she entered the realm in their place, she’s also locked them out in the process.
Stuck in a twilight land of giant mushrooms, pursued by dark forces and still in her pyjamas, being unimportant back in the real world is starting to seem way more attractive.
John Kerry has created an all new universe filled with lush and rich descriptions. – Abooktopia
John Kerry uses strong descriptive adjectives as he describes a magical vibrant world, so unlike our very own. A world filed with strange creatures and wonders. The Vara of Yima, the original Garden of Eden, is a secret paradise sealed off from the rest of the world, populated with the fittest men and women. A secret paradise that 150 years ago became ravaged by smog that choked out the skies.
The world of Vara was all together fascinating and unique. I loved the mystery and secretiveness that made me question each character’s hidden motive. I found the main character Sammy Ellis to be so different from all the other young female YA characters. Though Sammy was at times a little too quick in accepting her situations, she was still a nerdy relatable character. I also loved the fact that Sammy was never truly meant to be in the big picture as her only responsibility was to help the chosen one open the gateway into the Vara, when she accidentally entered the realm in place of the chosen one, and locked them out in the process. This made us wonder wether she was to be the saviour or the destroyer at times.
That being said, I wasn’t too happy at times with the dialogue and the main character herself. I found Sammy to be selfish and much too rash when it came to making decisions and facing the problems ahead of her. Though I do have a sneaking suspicion that John Kerry used Sammy’s personality as a means of showing that she was never truly intended to be the heroine…
Eden at the Edge of Midnight was very different from some of my past reads, and I enjoyed how it avoided the clichés, which can be found in many YA novels. I am also thankful to say that romance was not an important aspect of the story as it was tamed. Overall, the setting was really creative and imaginative, creating a whole new world of fantasy. There was so much detail for such a complex world, that help me as a reader obtain a better grasp on what was happening in this strange new world, even though I was at times confused.
The world of Vara was all together fascinating and unique. I loved the mystery and secretiveness that made me question each character’s hidden motive. I found the main character Sammy Ellis to be so different from all the other young female YA characters. Though Sammy was at times a little too quick in accepting her situations, she was still a nerdy relatable character. I also loved the fact that Sammy was never truly meant to be in the big picture as her only responsibility was to help the chosen one open the gateway into the Vara, when she accidentally entered the realm in place of the chosen one, and locked them out in the process. This made us wonder wether she was to be the saviour or the destroyer at times.
That being said, I wasn’t too happy at times with the dialogue and the main character herself. I found Sammy to be selfish and much too rash when it came to making decisions and facing the problems ahead of her. Though I do have a sneaking suspicion that John Kerry used Sammy’s personality as a means of showing that she was never truly intended to be the heroine…
Eden at the Edge of Midnight was very different from some of my past reads, and I enjoyed how it avoided the clichés, which can be found in many YA novels. I am also thankful to say that romance was not an important aspect of the story as it was tamed. Overall, the setting was really creative and imaginative, creating a whole new world of fantasy. There was so much detail for such a complex world, that help me as a reader obtain a better grasp on what was happening in this strange new world, even though I was at times confused.
***I received a personalised signed copy of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***
***for an honest and unbiased review***
John Kerry is – to the untrained eye – an average-sized, average-looking, marginally out of shape white guy, but depending on which day you observe him, in his head he could be about to take down a cartel of drug dealers with his bare hands. On another day he might be about to force push a lorry from the path of a baby stroller before they collide. Or, on yet another, he might even be getting ready to dive into a telephone box so he can rip open his shirt and fly off round the world backwards turning back time for some reason known only to himself. When John isn’t living in a fantasy world he can be found in the city of Sheffield, UK where he lives. Originally from Ipswich, he lived in London for a while, before moving up north to raise his three padawan daughters. And one day he hopes to move to the US because that’s where all the other superheroes live and where alien invasions often occur. Books wise John loves virtually anything containing adventure, fantasy, Sci Fi, monsters, Harry Potter, Hunger Games, or Lovecraftian cyclopean horror.
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