Title: Richie Millstone, The Firewater Dragon & The Gemstone Cities
Author: E.H. Allen
Publisher: Toplink Publishing
ISBN: 9781947620278
Genre: Sci-fi, adventure
Pages: 634
Reviewed by: Jennifer Weiss
Pacific Book Review
Fourteen-year-old Richie and his friends find themselves trapped on a time machine; they are far from home and don’t know how long it will take for them to return. While they are enjoying their misadventures and time on the ship, they are also longing to be home again. On their journey home they visit new and exciting places, such as England during the medieval era, all the while trying to keep the Platinum Water Crystal out of the hands of an evil dragon who wants it for not so nice reasons. Richie’s group of friends enjoy the shenanigans only teenagers can get into all the while they grow and learn more about themselves.
Richie Millstone, The Firewater Dragon & The Gemstone Cities is the second in a 10 part series based on fourteen-year-old Richie Millstone and his friends. It is an easy to read novel which follows these teenagers as they struggle against evil forces and grow individually and as a group. Author E. H. Allen creates characters that stick with young adult readers as very relatable. We see the kids using drones to spy on one another, teasing one another in good fun, but we also see them banding together as one and becoming a strong unit. The novel shows the importance of working together as a team and “feeding” off of one another’s strengths and weaknesses. The prologue of 40-year- old Richie coming up with ways to help teenage Richie was entertaining in itself and draws the reader into the tale.
While this is the second book of the series, it doesn’t appear critical you read the books in order. Of course the second books plays off of what happens in the first, but it doesn’t rely heavily on the first, which means it could standalone on its own. Yet that said, it is the perfect second novel to what already is an amazing science fiction series. Allen weaves together reality and fantasy to bring his readers a story which will captivate them and leaves the readers longing for more. With this being a ten part series, the anticipation just continues to grow as readers become almost giddy at finding out where Richie and crew will explore next and whether or not the dragon will get the crystal.
This was somewhat reminiscent of science fiction/fantasy novels from the 80’s; novels that lit the fire of reading within young adults. Richie Millstone, The Firewater Dragon & The Gemstone Cities has the capability to light that fire within kids and show them the places they could go while reading. Allen chooses the right descriptions, setting elements, personality traits to fit the target audience. His readers will want to be on the ship alongside Richie, Cody, Zach and the others going on these wild adventures and meeting new and interesting people. This is a book young readers in late middle school or early high school would love, along with many adults as well. I believe the entire series will have elements to make loyal fans of those who page this fun, adventurous book.
