Official Review: The Darziods' Stone by Richard Smith

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ritah
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Official Review: The Darziods' Stone by Richard Smith

Post by ritah »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Darziods' Stone" by Richard Smith.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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The Darziods’ Stone by Richard Smith is a riveting tale that takes readers on a fast-paced, thrilling adventure that leads to unexpected discoveries. The book is a science-fiction novel that effectively blends themes of historical fiction, mystery, fantasy, and adventure.

Over two centuries ago on the sleepy shores of Tredock Cove, Cornwall: Captain Wragg and his boatswain’s decision to take possession of all treasures belonging to the ‘prisoners of war’ aboard their ship, quickly incites a disturbing turn of events. Double murder, missing crew members, and mayhem: the quiet Cornish Cove was never the same again!

Fast forward to a little more than two hundred years later: Summer of 2016. What was supposed to be the highlight of the school holiday—a summer camp in Blackpool, gets canceled. Harry’s parents swoop in and save the day by including Harry’s friends (Amelia, Asad, Mitch, and Ryan) on their trip to the Cornish countryside. On arrival, the teenagers soon realize that there is no phone signal or web connection; they naturally think that their holiday will be jam-packed with boredom. It isn’t long before a tussle ensues that results in the teens stumbling on a secret code. This event leads to a treasure hunt with deadly consequences: the awakening of evil forces and a two hundred-year old curse. Turns out, hidden with the treasure lay a special stone sort by two rivaling factions. Who will find the treasure first? Will Harry, his family, and friends make it out of Cornwall alive?

Wow! From the first page to the last, this book had me on the edge of my seat a great deal of the time. This novel was very impressive and completely blew my mind! It more than met my expectations, if anything it exceeded them. I would be up at odd hours of the night reading the book, and when I finally went to bed: my mind stayed awake, riddled with thoughts over something that had happened as a result of plot twists that I had not anticipated. While reading the book, I could tell there was a lot of work and research that went into the scientific, geographical, historical, and mythological aspects that the author brilliantly intertwined to create a great story. The author also did a remarkable job of melding fact and fiction: which not only made for a believable narrative but one that was very insightful and interesting as well.

I appreciated the well-written exposition and smooth transition from current events to past events. The authors writing style and formatting of the book ensured that there would be no confusion: when readers encountered flashbacks and dialogue between different characters. There was a large cast of main and secondary characters with most of them being multidimensional and very convincing. The interactions, decisions, and slight tension between the young lads made them seem true to life. As the plot intensified, the author skillfully introduced new characters that aided the story forward, leading readers through each layer of mystery and adventure. I loved the element of surprise ushered by the plot twists in the book, I also totally did not expect the ending. There were moments when I was puzzled, intrigued, excited and at times saddened by what had transpired. I especially enjoyed the sense of humor brought to life by the cheeky dialogue that inspired quite a few laugh out loud moments. The only thing I would say holds the book from perfection is that there were a few typos, but these were far in between and did not get in the way of me following the story.

After reading The Darziods’ Stone, I was in complete awe of the writer's ability to articulate and express his ideas in a fashion that transported the reader into the character’s world. The vivid and clear description of events and locations in the book worked well. On top of that, the drawings and illustrations featured: complemented the description of certain scenes and experiences—which is something I think younger readers will appreciate. The setting, plot, and characters came together beautifully to tell a captivating story. Therefore, I am pleased to rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I loved this book so much that I decided to purchase a copy for my younger brother. And also as a way to appreciate the author for writing such an awesome book. I recommend this book to young adults and anyone who loves a good mystery and adventure with a touch of history and sci-fi.

******
The Darziods' Stone
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Post by kandscreeley »

Sounds like a pretty good book. If you decided to buy a copy, it must have been good! Thanks for a lovely review.
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Post by ritah »

kandscreeley wrote:Sounds like a pretty good book. If you decided to buy a copy, it must have been good! Thanks for a lovely review.


It was excellent!!! There were so many things I wanted to say but couldn't without giving spoilers. This is easily the best book I've read this year. I have to say, the author did a great job with this one, I was left in awe at the amount of hard-work and talent that went into creating the magnificent story that came together so brilliantly. The plot twists and setting all worked. The characters were well fleshed out. I couldn't help but get attached to most of them. It would be so cool - If a movie was made out of this.
I'll definitely be on the lookout for more books by the same author.
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Post by geoffrey ngoima »

Hey again, Ritah,
The cover and the title look kind of unappealing (the artist in me!) and something one wouldn't look at twice but the content, the way you explain it, looks enticing. My first thought when I saw the book was OMGosh here's another "Mummy"-kind-of-book, who would want to read that in print? But now...
Your passion for (the) book(s is truly sth to behold, keep the flame alive. I will be reading this as soon as I steal it from sb.
Great review; to the point/informative, brilliant and yet passionate- keep them coming!
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Post by juliusotinyo »

Hi,
Not my kind of genre, but you bought a copy, that must've meant something. What an enthusiastic review, piqued my interest.
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Post by Excitedreads »

I love mystery, suspense and treasure hunting. Glad to know the plot flowed so well and worked so exquisitely ro make a great book. I'll definitely add this one to my list. Thank you for a great, well written well thought out review! ;)
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Post by ritah »

geoffrey ngoima wrote:Hey again, Ritah,
The cover and the title look kind of unappealing (the artist in me!) and something one wouldn't look at twice but the content, the way you explain it, looks enticing. My first thought when I saw the book was OMGosh here's another "Mummy"-kind-of-book, who would want to read that in print? But now...
Your passion for (the) book(s is truly sth to behold, keep the flame alive. I will be reading this as soon as I steal it from sb.
Great review; to the point/informative, brilliant and yet passionate- keep them coming!
You know what they say about not judging a book by its cover lol well it applies here. When you read the book, the cover will make sense.(no spoiler).So I won't go into it, but I'll just emphasize this---- The book = great content. Get a copy. It's worth it.

-- 29 Aug 2017, 06:04 --
juliusotinyo wrote:Hi,
Not my kind of genre, but you bought a copy, that must've meant something. What an enthusiastic review, piqued my interest.
This book isn't just sci-fi..It has mystery, history and adventure yea...So it would be a good book to start with when you want to maybe try out the genre. It'll give you a dose of all the others named above as well.

-- 29 Aug 2017, 06:11 --
Excitedreads wrote:I love mystery, suspense and treasure hunting. Glad to know the plot flowed so well and worked so exquisitely ro make a great book. I'll definitely add this one to my list. Thank you for a great, well written well thought out review! ;)
Yea this is definitely a book to read, I'm sure you love it. Cause it's just that good. :techie-studyingbrown: Also, thank you for the compliment. I appreciate it :tiphat:
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Post by Darakhshan Nazir »

Mixture of adventure mystery and murder = wow
I love such books and this one seems too interesting.
Very nice review
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Post by ritah »

Darakhshan Nazir wrote:Mixture of adventure mystery and murder = wow
I love such books and this one seems too interesting.
Very nice review
Thank you, I know you'd love this book.
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Post by Quinto »

Wow, that's a convincing review. I love adventure stories with good plots and twists, so i know shortly i will look for it.

Thanks for an enthusiastic review.
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Post by ritah »

Quinto wrote:Wow, that's a convincing review. I love adventure stories with good plots and twists, so i know shortly i will look for it.

Thanks for an enthusiastic review.
Thanks. You ought to, I have a feeling you'll love it as much as I did.
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Post by Kelebogile Mbangi »

What an enthusiastic review! Im glad you enjoyed it so much, but it's no wonder, a treasure hunt sounds quite interesting.
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Post by juliusotinyo »

This book isn't just sci-fi..It has mystery, history and adventure yea...So it would be a good book to start with when you want to maybe try out the genre. It'll give you a dose of all the others named above as well.
Still hesitant, thanks for your recommendation ritah.
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Post by Reverse flash »

Oh God,can't wait to read the book! This review had just made me desperate to read this book!
Great review!!!
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Post by ritah »

Kelebogile Mbangi wrote:What an enthusiastic review! Im glad you enjoyed it so much, but it's no wonder, a treasure hunt sounds quite interesting.
It was EPIC!!!!! :D I hope to find more books like this. I not only enjoyed it but I also learned a few things. The Knights Templar, Stonehenge, Sphinx, Magnetic Sphere, Swapping Dimensions, VooDoo, Streets of London, Tredock Cove - the book had my interest from page 1 up to the last.

-- 01 Sep 2017, 17:49 --
juliusotinyo wrote:
This book isn't just sci-fi..It has mystery, history and adventure yea...So it would be a good book to start with when you want to maybe try out the genre. It'll give you a dose of all the others named above as well.
Still hesitant, thanks for your recommendation ritah.
Well, what can I say - Don't let your hesitation get in the way of a possible encounter with a great book! :techie-studyingbrown:

-- 01 Sep 2017, 17:53 --
Reverse flash wrote:Oh God,can't wait to read the book! This review had just made me desperate to read this book!
Great review!!!
Thanks!!! I highly recommend that you read it - the content of the book is absolutely worth reading and captivating! :techie-studyinggray:
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