Defender of the Realm: 1

Product Information

Alfie is pulled into a whole new world of secrets, underground passages, magical powers and monsters that wreak chaos from the Thames right through to Edinburgh Castle.

They are great at hooking the reader, pulling them along, then throwing in the unexpected to keep things interesting. With the help of his twin brother Richard (younger by 10 seconds), his history professor, and bodyguard Alfie learns what it means to take on his two new roles. The Black Dragon killed Alfie's father in a battle at Stonehenge; the dragon's power and strength has increased due to finding parts of the ancient crown. He would like nothing better than to throw off his royal status and lead a normal teenage life, but instead he finds himself unexpectedly propelled on to the throne by the death of his father.

Alfie tries desperately to learn the ropes but unaware that there is danger is on the horizon, an epic battle beyond anyone’s imagination awaits him.

But within all the mistakes and muck ups that characterize Alfie are the building blocks of what will eventually make him a hero who can live up to his ancient namesake, Alfred the Great. I think this is a wonderful idea for a story and a brilliant way to get more young people interested in history.Here they witness a violent attack from an other-worldly creature like a giant lizard, who defeats the UK’s superhero protector known as the Defender of the Realm. The majority of members cannot yet drive, so I was skeptical at first, although I kept it to myself as one of the first rules established that you cannot complain about anyone's book choice.

Unfortunately his time comes quicker than expected and he quickly learns that there is more to the job than meets the eye. The main theme is responsibility, and the core message is about the difference between having superpowers and being a hero. Alfie is resilient, stubborn and tougher than he looks, the product of all the setbacks he’s faced in life including the divorce of his parents and the death of his father. Albeit, some of the historical claims are a little dubious (particularly in relation to Alfie's ancestry) but in the wake of such a good story, I can gloss over that one niggle. The book is full of action but better editing and a little more depth of character might have helped elevate this novel from good to great.

I was surprised as it was parked next to some supercars, but apparently the Defender got all the attention. If you're aiming a story at kids, or people with a short attention span, you need a book that gets to the point and that is exactly what happens here. He DEFINITELY did not expect to be DEFENDER OF THE REALM, a legendary superhero, fighting a secret, centuries-long battle to protect the nation from monsters and super-villains. The story is up to date with its technology – news spreads via social media, and kids are ahead of adults in communication and gadgetry. Fortunately there is a second part as this one ends on a cliff-hanger as the identity of the Black Dragon becomes ominously apparent and surprises the reader at the very end.