Lesley Wilson

When Oric is given a mysterious key from the person looking after him, he’s not sure what to do with it. All he knows is that he’s not the only one who seeks it out and that he must keep it from getting in the wrong hands at all costs.

Oric is an interesting character, both strong as well as questionable. I always like a 3D MC and Oric was definitely that. The delicate mix of angst and some of the decisions he made helped to establish his age in context to the story.

This fun fantasy story had a lot of well described scenes and moments. The POV changes were unique and kept the story fresh. This story really had a lot to offer and seeing it through so many different POVs made it easy to understand why each character made the choices that they did. Even the antagonist’s actions made sense in a way.

At the end of the book, it seemed as if they all came out stronger for the quest, Oric especially. He grew in education, friendships, and the way he saw the world.
… (meer)

“Oric and the Alchemist’s Key’ by Lesley Wilson is the first in the Oric trilogy. I read these out of order, starting with Book 2, so it was good to go back and find out the backstory on Oric. This book had a lot of action, some humor, and lots of adventure. The chapters were short, so the book moved along quickly. The characters were interesting and I could picture them as I read the book. The plot was well-placed in the historical setting as well. I think this book would be a great read for a young boy, with its adventure and action-packed scenes.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.… (meer)

"Oric and the Lockton Castle Mystery" is Book 2 in a trilogy about the adventures of Oric. Young readers, for whom the book is intended, will no doubt be intrigued by the pacing and adventurous aspects of this novel. I really appreciated the inclusion of a summary (prologue) of the action up to the point when the story begins, since I had not read the first novel in the series. This prologue leads the reader right into the action when Book 2 takes up. The descriptions of competitions and tourneys, as well as fairs and battles, will draw in young readers. I think it will be especially appealing to boys, who are notoriously difficult to interest in reading.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.… (meer)