Max and the Gatekeeper

by James Todd Cochrane

Book Overview

A war has been waging for centuries; a magical and technological battle between good and evil. This conflict will affect life everywhere, but not everyone is aware it exists. When twelve-year old Max... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0979720214
• ISBN13: 9780979720215
• Release Date: September 2007
• Publisher: Dark Moon Publishing Inc.
• Length: 220 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Harry who?

For centuries, Great Britain has been spitting out a parade of popular children's fantasy books as if they were going out of fashion: Alice in Wonderland, The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Chronicles of Prydain, His Dark Materials, Harry Potter, The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Derkholm series, Artemis Fowl, the list goes on and on. This is to say nothing of the many British folktales and legends that gave birth to the fantasy genre. Unfortunately, even with gems like The Wizard of Oz or newer creations such as Fablehaven or The Spyderwick Chronicles under our belt, Americans have yet to challenge the Brits for sheer creativity or longevity in children's literature. This is very surprising considering the vast wealth of talented American writers who have made their mark in other genres of fiction. Perhaps, now, that we have entered a new millennium, the pendulum is beginning to swing. Enter James Todd Cochrane's Max and the Gatekeeper, an unheralded new star among children's fantasy literature that is sure to draw its fair share of readers. Max and the Gatekeeper is the latest among a slew of children's fantasy books featuring a boy-wizard theme. But unlike its predecessor Harry Potter, Max and the Gatekeeper takes us on a thrill ride that explores technological, as well as mystical concepts. It is as much a literary successor to Star Wars as Harry Potter. 12 year old Max Rigdon is sent away by his mother to spend the summer with his grandfather. But no sooner than he arrives, he discovers there is a plot to kill him and his grandfather by a mysterious order of malevolent wizards and a vast assortment of other nefarious foes who are bent on controlling the universe. Max quickly learns that the enemy wants to kill him and his grandfather so that they can take control of a one-of-a-kind machine that allows users to travel to different worlds. Max meets several new friends who want to help to keep him safe, including his Tomboyish, but cute neighbor Cindy. But Max must learn magic and an array of other impressive skills in order to survive the deadly threats against his life. His grandfather presents to him a dangerous choice to save a host of worlds, not the least of which is his own. But ultimately, Max must decide if he is willing to take on such a dangerous task knowing that billions of worlds and countless races are depending on him to protect them from the enemy's plot to dominate them. I found Max and the Gatekeeper to be an amazing book. At first, I feared it was just going to be another wanna be Harry Potter clone. But this book turned out to be so much more. This book engages its readers from the very beginning and takes them on a wild adventure throughout many vastly different and exotic worlds. Danger is always just a breath away and Max is a character we grow to love and care about. There is never a dull moment in this book and, for me, reading the ending was better than eating chocolate. Kudos to Mr. Cochrane for creating such an i

This is the best book

Hi, my name is Rachel. This is the best book I have ever read and I've read a lot of books. I could read this book a thousand times... over and over again. I love the way chapters end making me want to read the next. I love when they travel to other worlds and the strange creatures.

Best Young Adult Fantasy since Eragon!

Wow what a great novel! Max and the Gatekeeper is a fast paced, exciting sci-fi/fantasy for readers of all ages. It's brilliantly creative with many twists and turns that leave the reader surprised and in awe. I'm recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

Excellent Read!

I really enjoyed reading this book and I look forward to a sequel. The characters are very intriging and the story is clever. I would recommend this to anyone.

Can't put it down

I enjoyed reading this book. It is one that is hard to put down. I have 5 children, ranging in age from 10 to 19, and all of them have enjoyed the book and are looking forward to the next one. As a parent, I appreciate the fact that there is nothing offensive or vulgar either for me or my children in this book. It is entertaining and fun to read. The next Harry Potter series.