Official Review: Octavio & the Lotus by N. Pojk

Kristy Khem · Post by **Kristy Khem** » 21 Aug 2018, 13:33

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Octavio & the Lotus" by N. Pojk.]

3 out of 4 stars

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As a child, have you ever wanted to write a book? In N. Pojk’s book, Octavio and the Lotus, two nine-year-olds decide to work together on a fascinating story that weaves together history, science-fiction, fantasy, and even a bit of romance. Petunia and Dougie write about Nick Carter, who travels to Vallonia, the elfish city. His goal is to rescue his family members who never returned from the war between the elves and the pope. Having been trained by a minstrel, Nick and his army come across their relatives who are all frozen in time. After parlaying with the elfish queen, the armies are magically unfrozen. However, tragedy strikes as they set out to return home. The elves’ malfunctioning border-spell magically transport them to a new place in a future era. Occasionally, as they wander through the lands, the place and time changes. Along the way, Nick and his family meet strange new people and embark on dangerous quests to save others. Although this nomadic lifestyle is enjoyably adventurous, will they ever be able to return home?

Although the book was written from the perspective of children, it included concepts that were more suited to young adults and adults. Some of these included war, violence, and mild romance. Despite this, I did not sense any disconnect between the children and the adult situations they were writing about. I think the author managed to balance both of these aspects very well since the story flowed harmoniously between the fictional authors (Dougie and Petunia) and the characters of their story.

One of the things which I liked about this book was the pictures. The story was interspersed with black and white images which depicted certain parts of the plot. The pictures helped me to understand what the characters looked like. This was very important because some of them were exotic people such as Begonia, a slave girl, Waldencraft, a wise minstrel, and Fleur de Lys, the queen of the elves. Other characters were Native American and Asian. As the characters wandered through time, the pictures showed the differences in their outfits which ranged from the styles of the 12th century to the present.

A large part of the book described real historical characters and events. This made the book educational as well as enjoyable. One example was the Mohicans, a Native American tribe which Nick Carter and his army encountered. The author also included aspects of their culture in the story, such as the use of yarrow powder as medicine. The author further explained certain discoveries made by famous explorers such as Cristopher Columbus and Amerigo Vespucci. There was also a brief section about slavery and The Underground Railroad which was an illegal movement designed to free African slaves. Moreover, recent history was also included in the story like the terrorist unrest in the Middle East.

Sadly, grammatical errors were abundant in this book. The most common errors were missing commas in dialogue and the placement of full stops in the middle of some sentences. These were very distracting while reading. Due to this, I award this book 3 out of 4 stars. Young adults who prefer history, science-fiction, and fantasy stories will enjoy this book. Octavio and the Lotus will also appeal to persons who like reading about war.

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Moderator Note: Since the time of review, the book has been edited to correct the errors.
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Octavio & the Lotus
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Ruba Abu Ali · Post by **Ruba Abu Ali** » 22 Aug 2018, 04:06

This might not be my favorite genre, but the exotic story and the bold writing are to be respected. Thank you for the detailed and enlightening review.

Post by **Kibet Hillary** » 22 Aug 2018, 05:24

This is an amazing read. I never thought that it was a children's book but now I know. The plot is very interesting and the characters seem to be adequately built as well. Thanks for your enlightening review. I enjoyed reading it.

Marissa Michael · Post by **Marissa Michael** » 22 Aug 2018, 05:27

I like the plot of this book but too bad for the lack of editing. Thank you for the detailed review.

crediblereading2 · Post by **crediblereading2** » 22 Aug 2018, 11:11

A war between the elves and the Pope sounds like an intriguing read. I also love books with illustrations. Maybe I am still a child at heart. Thank you for a marvelous review of this book

prhyme · Post by **prhyme** » 22 Aug 2018, 11:18

Not my taste,however the dichotomy between elf nature and human nature is intriguing to me.You have managed illustrated the efficacy of the story.

AmySmiles · Post by **AmySmiles** » 22 Aug 2018, 14:56

I've always wanted to write a book, but I don't have the time. Thanks for the review, I don't like this genre and the story does not interest me so I will pass on this one.

daydreaming reader · Post by **daydreaming reader** » 22 Aug 2018, 19:45

Sounds like an interesting read, I especially like the historical aspects of it. Thank you for the review.

Kristy Khem · Post by **Kristy Khem** » 23 Aug 2018, 10:14

crediblereading2 wrote: ↑22 Aug 2018, 11:11 A war between the elves and the Pope sounds like an intriguing read. I also love books with illustrations. Maybe I am still a child at heart. Thank you for a marvelous review of this book

Thank you! I also enjoy a good story with engaging pictures

kwame1977 · Post by **kwame1977** » 24 Aug 2018, 06:29

Seems grammar is a major drawback for most authors. Writing a book demands a lot. The fact that a person has the information to write a book does not mean she/he is ready to deliver. Unfortunately such people are not ready to employ the services of professional editors. It unfortunate the book has lots of errors.