Tethers by Jack Croxall : Review

Star Rating

Tethers was my second review request from the amazing, new author, Jack Croxall and I am so glad that I agreed to read this magical adventure story. Tethers tells the tale of Karl and Esther, two teens in the wake of a cold, Victorian winter, who discover an anonymous journal filled with strange passages and bizarre scribblings. To Karl and Esther's surprise, their names appear written in the book which leads them on a dangerous adventure of utmost importance and true peril.

As Karl and Esther journey deeper into trouble, they discover the viniculum, a mysterious stone with mythical properties. It is this viniculum that the rest of Jack Croxall's story centers around and I found myself eager to read on and discover the secrets that this peculiar stone would unfold. 

Being a book for young adults, the chapters are just the right length and Jack Croxall makes excellent use of suspense by including lots of cliff hangers. I found myself reading chapter after chapter, gripped by the adventure that was unfurling and wanting to discover more. This story is extremely well written and the dialogue between characters is highly believable, almost 'film like'. 

Jack Croxall has included some excellent setting descriptions which add to the film like quality of this story. The characters, objects and events included are reminiscent of films such as 'The Golden Compass', 'The Chronicles Of Narnia' and, of course, 'Harry Potter.' Without giving too much away, the viniculum, pictured on the front cover, was reminiscent of J.K Rowling's 'Mirror of Erised' and this story has a very similar magical and adventurous quality.

Although I loved this book, I could see some readers finding it difficult to get into as there is quite a lot of build up before the adventure begins. At times I found myself wishing that there was more reference to the magic of the stone and feel that this should maybe have come earlier on in the story.

Tethers, is the first in a series of books by Jack Croxall, and I will definitely be reading his next installment! It is a thoroughly enjoyable read and I would highly recommend it to all fans of YA fiction.

Like the sound of Tethers? You may also like Looking For Alaska by John Green