4 out of 4 stars
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Belas Rift by Stephan Von Clinkerhoffen follows the adventures of two aliens, Stig and Meg to earth as they try to save their motherland. An evil human named Anet has discovered the vast riches of the planet and plans to annihilate its occupants and take the riches of the planet back to earth. Stig and Meg discover her plans and follow her through a secret passage to earth. It didn't take them long to realize that just like everything in their world except the gold, they are invincible. They have to solve several puzzles to unlock a big secret that would change the tide of the battle. Their journey to solve these puzzles introduces the reader to many historic landmarks of England and some interesting folklores. Being invincible, only the golden buttons on their dresses are seen by men. However, some babies and toddlers are able to see them. Their journey becomes increasingly intriguing and exciting as people try to hunt down the moving golden buttons that leave a messy trail wherever they go.
I found the novel very interesting. The story is full of laugh out loud moments. Contrary to their initial plan to keep a low profile, they left a messy trail everywhere. Though I was tense almost all the time, I found myself laughing. Stig and Meg almost always put themselves in a position of being caught or not succeeding in solving a puzzle. No matter how funny the story sounds or the fact that it has little children, it is not a children's book. This is clearly stated in the description of the book before the reviewer accepts the review opportunity.
The story had very important lessons. In the midst of all the intrigues and fun, I found some very interesting lessons. Stig, Meg and their kind had a distinctive goodness. They represent the purest of hearts. In a way I believe the author uses their invisibility to humans to show our corrupt and evil state. This is evident in the fact that babies, a symbol of purity on earth are able to see and talk to them. I loved the way the author brought out nature. He was very critical of our abuse of mother nature. The love and protection of nature was clearly illustrated with the help of Meg. In fact, Stig and Meg were used to expose human wickedness capitalised by Anet.
The book was well written and seems to have been professionally edited. I found no grammatical errors. The writeup was very coherent. Though it took me a while to get what the story was about, when I did, I just couldn't put it down. The first pages were a little tough to get at first glance.
Overall, the book was interesting with lots of twists and turns. I was introduced to several British landmarks and folklores. Though I didn't really get the story till after the first chapter, I still rate Belas Rift by Stephan Von Clinkerhoffen, 4 out of 4 stars. I think I didn't get the beginning because I am not very familiar with sci-fi books. I would recommend this book to lovers of sci-fi books that also have a knack for a fun mystery solving tale. If you have a problem with aliens, please don't indulge.
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Belas Rift
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