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Reviewed by Lex Allen for Readers' Favorite
The Ruby of Helios by Scott Collins is the third novel in the Scepter series and follows the first two books, Scepter and The Emerald of Phaunos. Four teenagers are on a mission to free their parents and end the rule of the evil wizard and self-appointed King Argyl. Their mission is fraught with danger that lurks not only in the mystical world in which they live, but also from the diegylis, Argyl’s army of half-men/half-werewolf soldiers. To defeat King Argyl, the teens must reunite the jewels of the Scepter of Harmony. No easy task as these jewels are spread around the world and in the hands of several mythical creatures, some of whom are not willing to give up their powerful jewel.
Having read and reviewed the first two novels in this series, I was happy to see The Ruby of Helios pop up on the Reader’s Favorite list of available books. Mr. Collins' writing style is perfectly suited for his target audience — pre to early teens — and here’s why. Unlike many YA novels, Collins’ characters walk the fine line that separates the child from the adult. By this, I mean that the teen protagonists talk and think like teenagers while the adults talk and think like adults. The children’s approach to dangerous situations is always spot on to how I think teenagers would talk about solutions and their actions to escape or confront the danger. This remarkable talent and consistency applies to all aspects of Collins’ writing style and characters, down to and including the least of the supporting characters. The brothers, Daniel and Aiden, along with the sisters, Olivia and Lily, are star characters that everyone, young and old, cannot help loving. Each of them possesses an unusual supernatural talent that blends seamlessly into the story and the challenges they face.
I highly recommend this and all the novels in this series to pre and early teens, and folks up to and including a hundred years of age. I’m a fan and I plan to read and review each of these novels as they are published.
