The Brimstone Network by Tom Sniegoski
Step out of the dark and become a part of The Brimstone Network.
The Brimstone Network by Tom Sniegoski
Book One: The Brimstone Network (August 5th, 2008)
Book Two: The Shroud of A'Ranka (December 30th, 2008)
Book Three: Specter Rising (January 27th, 2009)
Here's the official book jacket summary for the first book:
Thirteen-year-old Abraham - Bram - Stone has never lived an ordinary life. Home is a monastery in the Himalayan mountains, where the monks train him in otherworldly fighting skills. Bram's father, Elijah Stone, leads a group called The Brimstone Network - an order of warriors and sorcerers who provide the last line of defense against all paranormal dangers.
Bram always knew one day he'd take his father's place. But that day comes far too soon when a bizarre man named "Mr. Stitch" arrives at the monastery and breaks the news to Bram -- every member of the Brimstone Network, including Elijah, has been assassinated. Suddenly it's up to Bram to form a new Brimstone Network out of the rubble of the old, and hope that he can rise to the challenge in time to stop a terrifying threat to humanity.
My Review:
Anyone who loves action/fantasy stories with good guys, bad guys, cool powers, and kid-heroes will dig Brimstone. In the fight against evil, Elijah Stone was a force of good. He bravely led a group of sorcerers and warriors called The Brimstone Network. After an unexpected attack, the Network is almost all wiped out, and Elijah is among those who have fallen. His son, Bram, inherits the responsibility of leading the Network. Only thirteen years old, this young sorcerer has to quickly learn who to trust and how to channel his true nature as he assembles a new Network and gathers potential members - some of which are just as young and inexperienced as he, but each of which has a special supernatural ability.
Tom Sniegoski has created a very cool series here. The Brimstone Network is brimming with action, magic, and suspense. The ending of the first book was perfect: it satisfied the first big battle involving Bram and his new ragtag team, and it hinted at things to come. I really liked the book - as if you couldn't already tell! - and cannot wait for the next one. This is the start of a series, with Book Two: The Shroud of A'Ranka coming out in December 2008 and Book Three: Specter Rising coming out in January 2009. I'm anxious to see what becomes of the new members of the Network, and I wonder what new and old villains will pop up.
Other Reviews and Additional Information
"A supernatural feast of gory goodness." - D.J. MacHale, author of the bestselling Pendragon series
Read my post about the second book, The Shroud of A'Ranka.
Read my post about the third book, Specter Rising.
I also posted about this series at GuysLitWire.
The Brimstone Network books are published by Aladdin Paperbacks, a division of Simon & Schuster.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Join the Network
Visit The Brimstone Network website. It is full to the brim - sorry, I couldn't resist the pun - with book covers, book summaries, and downloads. Get icons and wallpapers based on the stunning book covers, which were illustrated by Zachariah Howard and designed by Karin Paprocki.
Visit Tom Sniegoski's official website.
Learn more about Sniegoski's other series for kids, OutCast (co-written with Christopher Golden) and Owlboy (illustrated by Eric Powell).