Paraworld Zero

"Funny and imaginative." 
     - Maria V. Snyder (NYT bestselling author)

"Harry Potter meets Star Wars"   
      - WormsScifi.com

Twelve-year-old earthling, Simon Kent, stumbles upon a secret that thrusts him into a bizarre adventure filled with magic, technology and deadly out-of-this-world creatures. He discovers a true friend, confronts his inner demons and becomes the savior to a peculiar race of people, when all he truly wants is to find his way back home.

Parallel to Simon's adventures is a mystery involving a catlike spy and a magical swordsman who both struggle to maintain peace among the paraworlds. But evil lurks in unexpected places, and few people can be trusted. Their paths ultimately lead them to Simon: the one boy who might be able to prevent the biggest assassination attempt in the known paraverse.

Paraworld Zero hit the BarnesAndNoble.com bestseller list, hit the Amazon.com category bestseller list in "Magic and Wizards," received the Flamingnet TOP CHOICE Award, and placed in ten contests.

Okay, I have to admit I found myself laughing out loud several times during this audio book. The characters are so fun to listen to as they banter, joke, cry, etc. Paraworld Zero takes you through many emotions and leaves you feeling well entertained. There are some deeper parts dealing with slavery and self-esteem issues, but in general the book doesn't take itself too seriously. The narration and pacing was spot on. There's a female and a male narrator, by the way, which I like, since a male trying to do female voices often sounds strange to me. I was impressed with the narrators' ability to change their voices so dramatically. This is a kid's fantasy, mind you, so many of the voices are somewhat cartoonish, but don't let that stop you from listening if you're an adult. There's a whole storyline with adult characters interwoven within the plot, and this really did keep my interest. I'd like to see more of these older characters in future installments. Since there are multiple storylines going on, the book keeps you on your toes, especially the climax, which brought everything together superbly. I'm not usually one to be surprised at the end of a mystery, but this one threw me for a loop. I can't wait for the next book.

I think this is the type of book you either love or dismiss, depending on your personality and age. I know the intended audience (ages 8 - 16) will love this. For me as an adult, I absolutely loved it as well. But that's because I enjoy a good story with interesting characters. This is not a serious book, though there are a couple of serious moments. The mystery in Paraworld Zero was just enough to keep me guessing. I wish there was a little more romance, but the characters are fairly young (12 through 14), so I understand why the romantic aspects were watered down. There better be more romance in the sequel! I was hoping to see Simon at the magical school, but as it turns out, that'll be in the next book. I'm looking forward to it. As for the narration, I actually enjoyed the funny and peculiar voices. They were well done and kept me entertained. The prolog is awfully serious, but it lightens up considerably after that. Highly recommended.