Review & Giveaway: Tomorrow's Guardian by Richard Denning

Initially they seemed like really vivid nightmares- suddenly Tom would be fighting in the Battle of Isandlwana in 1879, watching his men get massacred or drowning on a U-boat or burning in a fire. Then things got even weirder as Tom kept experiencing these weird déjà-vu type moments, reliving moments that he swore had already passed just minutes before. Each episode was followed by a fainting spell, and while Tom’s parents thought he suffered from some form of epilepsy, Tom simply believed he was going mad. That is, until the night Seamus appeared in Tom’s room and tells Tom that he’s a Walker, a person capable of traveling through time.

Seamus takes Tom to the Institute, where they fight to preserve the flow of time, preventing evil-doers from using time to their advantage. Tom is given the option of keeping his powers to help fight the good fight or have them removed and return to being a normal kid. But before he makes his decision, they need his help saving the lives of three other Walkers. It turns out Tom’s “nightmares” are more than just nightmares, and only he has the power to do something about them!

I had the awesome opportunity to read this book, compliments of the author, Richard Denning! One of the things that immediately caught my attention when reading this book is how quickly the storyline progressed beyond the initial plot. As I began reading, I had assumed the book would focus entirely on the rescue missions, drawing them out into lengthy adventures that would fill the book. That, however, was not the case and the storyline progressed into an even larger plot before I was even halfway through the book. I love when books manage to keep me on my toes! Overall, the end of the story was a bit predictable (how often does the evildoer actually win?) but the story itself was a unique and entertaining read that kept me guessing as to what they would do next!

My background on British history is rather weak, so after reading this book, I did a little research on the events that occurred in Tomorrow’s Guardian (e.g. the Great Fire of London) and I was impressed by the accuracy of Mr. Denning’s work! He didn’t simply select a historical event and create a fictional situation based upon it, but he even developed his story around actual events that occurred, such as the fire beginning at the baker’s house and everyone escaping out of the upstairs window except for the maid. So not only is this book a time-travel adventure tale, but it’s also somewhat educational (Well, for the first half)! The second half of the book breaks into the concept of alternate realities based on different outcomes in past historical events. It’s interesting to think of the major impact that changing one event could have on the world!

All in all, the book is very well written. The book was written for teens, so it’s an easy read. The content is G-rated, and there was a pleasant lack of an adolescent love theme, which many authors seem to be using as a crutch to hold up weak and worn out plots these days! The characters are well developed, and their reactions when they arrived in 21st century London were funny. Seeing as Tom is only 13, there’s plenty of room for sequels! The plot is refreshing (Finally! A teen book without vampires!) and keeps the reader engaged. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a light, entertaining adventure!


WIN IT!

Entering is easy! All you have to do is post a comment telling me where/when you would go if you could travel anywhere on Earth! The giveaway ends on June 2nd (lengthy one, I know, but I don't know if I'll be able to pull a winner while on my trip) at 11:59 PM EST and the winner will be announced June 3rd and will have 48 hours to contact me before I pick a new winner!

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*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. The author is also providing a copy for a giveaway.