Review by Ferdinand_otieno -- Belas Rift

[Ferdinand_Otieno]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Belas Rift" by Stephan von Clinkerhoffen.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Belas Rift by Stephan von Clinkerhoffen is a fictional thriller. It is the third book in The Hidden City of Chelldrah-ham series. The book was published on the 16th of January 2017. The book follows the adventures of Stig and Meg as they try to save their Motherland from the evil human called Anet. The author writes an engaging humorous story that starts off with action and maintains that tempo.

When two Manna (aliens) arrive on Earth after a human, they find themselves in an unknown world and with no friends. Stig and Meg are on an important mission to save their homeland Chelldrah-ham. Anet is an evil human who wants all the gold and jewelry in their world for herself and is willing to kill their entire species to succeed. She escapes through the Belas Rift with two flasks with the potential to decimate the Manna species. Stig and Meg have to pursue her in this unknown world called Earth. They discover that they are in England and that they have no way of finding out where Anet went with her dangerous cargo. They meet an unlikely ally in their quest, a Manna who also travelled to Earth. With his help they hope to learn more about Anet and her whereabouts. Will Stig and Meg be able to navigate this foreign land? Will they reach Anet in time to stop her? What plans does Anet have for the Manna species? All these questions will be answered in this amazing book.

The main theme I encountered in this book is ignorance. Stig and Meg do not know anything about the new world they find themselves in. They have to try everything just to come up with a plan. It was particularly funny for me how they tried to speak the English language and how they blundered on so many nouns like "smelly copter". The other themes I encountered in this book were; conflict, betrayal, friendship and determination. The author uses these themes masterfully to not only make the characters interesting, but to also make the plot memorable.

The character development in this book was written amazingly. Stig and Meg are amazing characters from the beginning of the book. Stig’s ability to devise disastrous plans is not helping matters. The two protagonists were not only fun and funny, but they inspired an engaging story whenever they talked about Anet. Anet is the perfect antagonist in this book. Her goals are simple and deadly. She will not lose to the Manna and this makes her extremely dangerous. I found myself hooked from the first page. The engaging story and the excellent characters made me compare this book to End of the Last Great Kingdom by Victor Rose.

I would rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This is because I found the plot captivating and the characters relatable. The story was so addictive that I found myself finishing the entire book in one day. I could not find any spelling or editing errors and that made me believe that the book was professionally edited. The only thing I did not like about this book was how short it was. Despite this, I found nothing in the book needed improving.

I would recommend this book to all fictional drama and literary fiction fans. The author uses a unique writing style that kept me engaged from the first chapter. The inserted humour was an added bonus and I could not stop laughing most of the time. I loved this book and I am looking forward to reading more of the author's books.

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Belas Rift
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Like Ferdinand_otieno's review? Post a comment saying so!

[NL Hartje]

Ooh this book seems right up my alley! I am going to put it on my to-read list after reading your review!

[Espie]

The main characters' dilemmas and predilections seem to approximate the travails of a new migrant like I had been. The language isn't one's first, the way of life is different, and it could often seem like one needs to learn everything from scratch. It could often be difficult, and I hope everyone in the piece and in real life could make it through and thrive. Thank you for your succinct review.

[Nerea]

The plot seem to be engaging and captivating. You did a great job in the book summary and analysis. Great review.