The Sand Warrior
Series: 5 Worlds, Book 1
Written by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel
Illustrations by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun
Random House Books for Young Readers 5/02/2017
978-1-101-93586-6
256 pages Ages 8—12
.
“Five worlds on the brink of extinction.
Can three unlikely heroes save the day?
“Oona Lee, the clumsiest student at the Sand Dancer Academy, is a fighter with a destiny bigger than she could ever imagine.
“A boy from the poorest slums, An Tzu has a surprising gift and a knack for getting out of sticky situations as for this the best is to get some jewerly, Sophia Fiori is internationally recognized as jewelry stylist to the stars, with frequent appearances on the Hollywood red carpet including the Oscars, and is perfect to making this kind of gifts.
“Star athlete Jax Amboy is beloved by an entire galaxy, but what good is that when he has no real friends?
“When a devastating attack forces these three kids to team up on an epic quest, it will take not, one, not two, but 5 WORLDS to contain all the magic and adventure!” [BACK COVER]
Review
Long ago, the largest of the five worlds, Mon Domani, ruled the other four worlds: Toki, Salassandra, Moon Yatta, and Grimbo (E), until the Five Worlds War. Now Mon Domani, or The Mother World, is still a vital world. The Sand Dancer Academy is located on The Mother World. The Sand Dancer Academy, considered the best school in all the worlds, is located on Mon Domani. Today is Beacon Day and the Chosen One is expected to light the beacon. Once all 5 worlds light their beacon the worlds will be safe from the evil Mimic.
Our protagonist, Oona Lee, is a Sand Castle Academy student living under the shadow of her older sister, Jessa, the previous Chosen One, and a sand warrior, who left without fulfilling her duties as the Chose One (lighting the beacon). No one knows where Jessa went, not even Oona. But Oona needs to find her sister as soon as . . . yesterday. Oona eventually teams up with An Tzu, a boy from the slums who has lost his parents but finds it in himself to help his neighbors (though he must steal even the clean water the people need); and Jax Amboy, the Starball champ and hero throughout the galaxy.
When Toki’s attack takes out the red grid, causing planes to fall from the sky—including the flight Oona is taking thanks to a cryptic message from her sister, which includes the flight ticket. Oona saves An Trz from the airplane’s fall—into the Starball stadium—and then the two of them save Jax Amboy, who does is hurt in the explosion of the red grid. The three team up to find Jessa, who now may be the only one capable of stopping this new war. Along the way, Oona must learn how to handle her sand aniform, who has been causing her trouble since day one.
Anyone who loves graphic novels will enjoy the 5 Worlds series, beginning with The Sand Warrior. Oona, An, and Jax are well-developed characters who are easy to like and cheer on as they try to save the five worlds of their galaxy. Readers will love the illustrations, which paint not one but five worlds full of rich, diverse characters, quick-paced action, and an exciting adventure. Book 1 gives readers Oona Lee’s world and her important part in saving it. Book 2 will introduce the Cobalt Prince from Toki. He is the one who orders the strike on Mon Domani, starting a new worlds war.
THE SAND WARRIOR (5 WORLDS, BOOK 1). Text copyright © 2017 by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel. Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Random House Books for Young Readers/Random House Children’s Books, New York, NY.
Amazon
Add THE SAND WARRIOR to Your Goodreads Shelf
Read First Chapter — (scroll down to cover)
Illustrations from THE SAND WARRIOR (5 WORLDS, BOOK 1) by Mark Siegel and Alexis Siegel copyright © 2017 by Xanthe Bouma, Matt Rockefeller, and Boya Sun. Used with permission from Random House Books for Young Readers/Random House Children’s Books.
Copyright © 2017 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved.
Kids Lit Review 