I know I’ve said this before, but having authors as friends comes with lots of great perks, one of which is that I’ll never run out of reading material. Ken Mears and I met at Wizarding Dayz last year through a mutual friend. He’s an amazing teen with lots of potential and I am glad to help him on his journey. The Dark Hero is his second middle grade book and part of The Stones of the Middle Lands series.

The Blurb

For the past year, James has been remembering his past. From what he can gather, he may not have been the person he thinks he was. Even more worrisome, he is having nightmares about his past, and he has to wonder if they really are memories. With his thoughts darkened and cruel moods coming over him, James has to wonder. Is he a good person?

After being separated from James and Fenn for a year, Aaron has seen some changes he doesn’t like. With his friends closer than ever, Aaron starts to feel ostracized and battles with jealousy. And with his brother, Kai getting bolder and stronger, Aaron is realizing he can’t be nearly as protective of his kid brother. How can he overcome his jealousy and protect his brother from harm?

General Xanog has been beaten time and time again by James, resulting in his body being defaced with mechanical parts. Xanog has been plotting his revenge, seeking out any way to channel his anger towards vengeance. But something more concerning has arisen. The mysterious new leader of the trolls, The Malevolent One, has been controlling the trolls with no regard for their individual well being. While The Malevolent One presses for more control over Xanog and the rest of the trolls, he starts to consider: Does he have a bigger enemy than James?

My Review

This story is full of adventure and action. From one chapter to the next, James quests forward with his band of trusted friends to find the magical Peacekeeper Stones. There are battles, monsters, and fantastical settings as well as dragons, trolls, and near-death experiences.

There is also a lot of heart and moments of introspection as James learns more about his past and struggles to make peace with it as he moves forward. Several of his friends have changed and matured since his last adventure with him and he must adapt and accept them for who they are.

For a teen writer, I give Ken all the kudos in the world for taking on such an ambitious project and creating a book that’s both entertaining and has some depth. He’s got a great ear for character dialogue and his creativity shines through his unique settings and monsters. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him.

Recommendations

This is a story for older middle grade readers. Considering the age of the main character, he’s 16, and how the quest is ultimately to save the world, it feels closer to a young adult read. The main character also gets seriously injured several times, enough to where a younger reader might be turned off from the story. The only thing that keeps it back in the middle grade category is that the focus of the story stays solidly on adventure and a sense of wonder.

I imagine this book being great fun for 5th and 6th grade boys who like adventure and danger.

As of July 15th, 2020, The Dark Hero is only available at the author’s website.

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