Jack is an ordinary 13-year-old boy who expects his day to hold nothing more traumatic than a maths test that he really hasn’t prepared for. Instead, he collapses and finds himself kidnapped and taken away to a research facility on a remote island.
Jack is sceptical when he is told that he is one of a small group, the Select, who harbour a rare genetic marker that indicates that he has the potential for performing superhuman feats. Unfortunately, it will also result in his death before the age of 14 if he doesn’t receive the regular medical treatments devised by Professor Bhegad, who runs the research facility.
If Jack wants to live, he and the other Select must help Professor Bhegad find seven mysterious objects that will combine to form a source of enormous power. The objects are hidden at the sites of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. To find then, Jack and the Select will face incredible dangers and hardship, but without them, they cannot hope to survive.
The first in a series of seven books, The Colossus introduces Jack McKinley and the three other Select who will seek to restore the powers of the island of Atlantis. In an adventure filled with mythical creatures and challenges that will require all their strength and ingenuity, Jack and his friends will travel the world to seek out the seven ancient objects of power.
Despite the very intriguing opening sentence shown above, it did take me a little while to get caught up in this story. There is a lot of background information to take in which slowed the pace of the initial chapters, however once the action of the story starts, the pace builds quickly and it is very easy to become caught up in the challenges facing Jack and his friends.
Seven Wonders is a great combination of modern action and ancient myths and legends likely to appeal to readers who enjoy books such as the Percy Jackson series. The first book takes Jack, Marco, Cass and Aly to the site of the ancient status of the Colossus of Rhodes. Book two, Lost in Babylon, is due for release in late 2013.
You can find out more about this new series, including a downloadable ebook and interactive map, at the Seven Wonders website.
Title: The Colossus Rises (Seven Wonders #1)
Author: Peter Lerangis
Publisher: HarperCollins, $16.99 RRP
Publication Date: 6th February 2013
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780007515035
For ages: 10+ years
Type: Older junior fiction, Young adult fiction
