Ranger thinks he’s an ordinary 8th grader. Then he inherits a magic ax and learns he’s the new Guardian of the Forest, and, even more of a stunner, a demigod in training. Eons ago, another demigod, Gilgamesh–yes, THE Gilgamesh from The Epic of Gilgamesh–used the axe to clear the Forest, causing a Great Flood. Now, the evil king has returned to finish what he started. With the help of his … sister, his cousins, and the axe of course, Ranger has to stop him.
Ranger Nader & The Sunstruck Phantom has received several honors and awards. In 2019, it was Long LIsted by The Green Earth Book Awards and was named a Finalist in both the National Indie Excellence Awards (NIEA) AND in the IAN Book of the Year Awards. In 2020, it was named a Finalist in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS:
THE WISHING SHELF BOOK AWARDS–FIVE STARS!
‘A superbly plotted magical adventure, stylishly and flamboyantly written.’ The Wishing Shelf
FULL REVIEW I do enjoy a good adventure story, even if it’s for children and not me, a 49 year old English lecturer. And – WONDERFUL NEWS! – this is a GOOD adventure story. Written in imaginative prose, the plot is well-constructed and full of exciting twists and turns. Not only that, the characters doing all the twisting and turning are fullyformed, interesting, and even charismatic. So, what is the story? Basically, Ranger Nader has powers – BIG POWERS! – so he attends a sort of Hogwarts school – but not Hogwarts – where he must develop his powers, battle a demigod and, of course, do all the things teenagers do. Now, it is similar to Harry Potter in a number of ways but it’s also original in a number of ways too. For example, the background of the central character and the mix of myths and legends within a futuristic plot. So, on to the nuts and bolts. Firstly, the characters spring off the page. It is a plotdriven story, but the characters are the jam which holds everything together. The author knows her characters through and through and this shows in the consistent and very individual way they act. I also thought the speech between the characters was very well written. In fact, the story is a perfectly balanced mix of ‘speech’ and ‘a well-paced plot’. Well, I finished the novel three nights later and I did very much enjoy it. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me turning the page and the characters (good and evil) were interesting – even memorable. The ending was also excellent and, closing my computer, I knew I’d be happy to open another of this author’s books. So, can I recommend this book? Yes. Who to? Well, I think younger teenagers will find this book a blast! Reluctant boy readers…THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU! Enjoy! A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review www.thewsa.co.uk
BOOKLIFE PRIZE:
If Harry Potter were a Lebanese-American teen in the future, descended from Ancient Phoenicians, the plot for “Ranger Nader” would be the perfect blend of these stories. Young Ranger Nader attends an academy for teens with strange powers and must become a Guardian of Earth and defeat an evil demi-god from history, all while trying to survive adolescence. Although mimicking the Potter series, the use of Phoenician history in a futuristic setting, including bull jumping to determine spaceship assignments, is wonderfully fresh. And the use of Gilgamesh, an historic figure, as the villain is fascinating and new. By: BookLife Prize
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THE WISHING SHELF BOOK AWARDS
29th March, 2020
TITLE: RANGER NADER & THE SUNSTRUCK PHANTOM
AUTHOR: KAM KAREM
Star Rating: 5
‘A superbly plotted magical adventure, stylishly and flamboyantly written.’ The Wishing Shelf
REVIEW
I do enjoy a good adventure story, even if it’s for children and not me, a 49 year old English lecturer. And – WONDERFUL NEWS! – this is a GOOD adventure story. Written in imaginative prose, the plot is well-constructed and full of exciting twists and turns. Not only that, the characters doing all the twisting and turning are fully-formed, interesting, and even charismatic.
So, what is the story? Basically, Ranger Nader has powers – BIG POWERS! – so he attends a sort of Hogwarts school – but not Hogwarts – where he must develop his powers, battle a demigod and, of course, do all the things teenagers do. Now, it is similar to Harry Potter in a number of ways but it’s also original in a number of ways too. For example, the background of the central character and the mix of myths and legends within a futuristic plot.
So, on to the nuts and bolts. Firstly, the characters spring off the page. It is a plot-driven story, but the characters are the jam which holds everything together. The author knows her characters through and through and this shows in the consistent and very individual way they act. I also thought the speech between the characters was very well written. In fact, the story is a perfectly balanced mix of ‘speech’ and ‘a well-paced plot’.
Well, I finished the novel three nights later and I did very much enjoy it. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me turning the page and the characters (good and evil) were interesting – even memorable. The ending was also excellent and, closing my computer, I knew I’d be happy to open another of this author’s books. So, can I recommend this book? Yes. Who to? Well, I think younger teenagers will find this book a blast! Reluctant boy readers…THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!
Enjoy!
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
http://www.thewsa.co.uk
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Ranger Nader & The Sunstruck Phantom
Author: Kam Karem
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 9/10
Of the 15 readers:
14 would read another book by this author.
13 thought the cover was good or excellent.
13 felt it was easy to follow.
14 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 9 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
15 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
14 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘I loved this adventure story. It was exciting and run to read. I will try to find other books by this author.’ Boy, aged 11
‘The best character was Ranger. I loved his axe. He was brave and clever. I understood all of this book and I liked that so much happened. There were also a lot of twists I didn’t see coming. Good book.’ Girl, aged 12
‘An excellent book for a class reader for 11 yr olds. The characters are relatable, the writing style is accessible, and the adventure is well-plotted. The children in my class enjoyed it very much.’ Male teacher, aged 60
‘I think the author did a good job at describing the setting. Also, the characters were interesting and fun to follow on the adventure. Amazing picture on the cover too!’ Boy, aged 12
To Sum It Up:
‘A twisting, turning adventure perfect for 11 year old and up. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards