Hexult

Jun 22, 2011 Miles Allen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've done some digging and this is the first book of a new UK author. Well hats off to the guy. This is a highly original piece. Set in a future ice-age where technology is thrown back so that even a compass is considered magic, the adventure unfolds around a group of youngsters who bring 'magic' to the isolated islands of Hexult that are seperated by vast sheets of ice. Trouble ensues for them as those with power vie to gain the advantage that the group can provide, and are willing to undertake...more

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Mar 14, 2013 SARIT rated it 5 of 5 stars

A good book fold inside a new idea, so much as a Sci Fi book. It will consider brilliant if if it will include other kind of meanings. It will consider out standing this idea will keep your thoughts in every other moment.

Well you all can imagine to yourselves how the vast white plans of ice capture my mind. With this amazing idea of heat from the depth of the planet creating islands which people can live on. So it is really not important if because some kind of future catastrophe, or on other pl...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Donalisa Helsley rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a exciting change from the vampires and werewolves I have been reading lately. This book was a wonderful and entertaining adventure. Hexult is the story of two teens who are shipwrecked and saved. They are brought to a land where they are very different from the people around them. They are attacked verbally and physically due to fear and ignorance. The teens bring with them knowledge and information on how to build helpful items that are considered "magic".

I am always looking for a lesson...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Carol Brannigan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-book, er-arc

This was an enjoyable read. The genre is only very loosely science fiction (I would hesitate to even call it as loosely). I would describe this as a YA fantasy adventure with suggestions of post apocalyptic and dystopian tones. Even though it wasn't the genre I was expecting, I enjoyed the story very much. I think this would be a great read for children as it should keep their attention but would also provide some very important lessons.

I was happy about the message but also pleased that the au...more

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May 27, 2011 Anne Smitt rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a refreshing read!

I was drawn into the story straight away, the writing is very accessible.
It starts with Aulf and Ingar sailing across the ice and coming across a wreck. It throws up many questions which, I'm pleased to say, are answered throughout the story. The characters are well defined and the story is nicely paced, not action-packed, but never slow.

I think science-fiction is a misleading genre and would simply call it `adventure' as although it is in a future world, there is nothing...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Sandra rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am a soon to be great grandmother and I loved this book. It is about living in an ice world instead of a water world. It is far in the future and much of what mankind knew has been forgotten. Travel is by boat on ice. Twins are found on a boat that has crashed. They are found by local people who are delivering the local mail. They are a little different in their outward aspects and the locals are suspicious of them. They also have some scientific knowledge which makes the locals mistrust them...more

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Jul 08, 2011 Denna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-childrens

In the land of Hexult, Aulf delivers the mail between a set of islands aboard the sailboat known as the Aurora. With his crew of one, a small waif of a girl named Ingar, they fly with the wind aboard the Aurora, no one around with a vessel fast enough to catch her. But in this land a boat doesn’t fly over the smooth surface of water. Instead they slide across a frozen sea of ice, a white wonderland very different from the one you and I know.

One day while delivering the mail, Aulf and Ingar come...more In the land of Hexult, Aulf delivers the mail between a set of islands aboard the sailboat known as the Aurora. With his crew of one, a small waif of a girl named Ingar, they fly with the wind aboard the Aurora, no one around with a vessel fast enough to catch her. But in this land a boat doesn’t fly over the smooth surface of water. Instead they slide across a frozen sea of ice, a white wonderland very different from the one you and I know.

One day while delivering the mail, Aulf and Ingar come across a wrecked vessel and find two young teenagers inside, barely alive, almost frozen to death. Their father was killed with the destruction of their boat, leaving the twins, Elya and Jacob, with no family. But Jacob and Elya have a lot to offer the people of Hexult, if only everyone was as willing to listen to them as Aulf and Ingar, because the people from the land of ice have never seen a lodestone, or witnessed a blacksmith heat and pound out steel, and they’ve never watched anyone carve out a lens of clear ice and use it to trap the rays of the sun, enabling the user to build a fire. Fire could be the difference between life and death if caught out on the ice during the night.

Reliable communication is a big dilemma between the islands and the twins have suggested the building of light towers may just be the answer to their problem. In the top of the towers would be mirrors and these could be used to flash messages between the islands, doing away with the need for a carrier. No one would have to worry anymore about a message getting confiscated by raiders—whose numbers grow daily, raising the level of fear and conflict among the people. But not everyone is pleased with the idea. There is one in particular who is afraid the twins might undermine his authority and destroy the respect he has created through superstitious fear in the people. He’d like to take credit for the idea of the light towers himself and does what he can to bring the twins down.

I’m far past the age for target readers of Hexult, but I enjoyed every last page of this wonderful adventure. I can just imagine kids going to their parents after reading, curious about the workings of a compass, or trying to build a magnifying glass from a chunk of clear ice. Any novel that can raise a child’s curiosity about nature and science, and inspire the need to learn, is a wonderful deal in my eyes. And if an adventure can be gained with Aulf, Ingar, Jacob and Alya in their imaginations while they do so, then so much the better. I loved the novel and plan to purchase a copy for my eleven-year-old niece. I’m afraid she can’t have mine. That one is reserved for my own adventure. :) You might have to get two, like I did—one copy for you, one for the kids. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this novel as much as I did.
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Jul 11, 2012 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

A well-written, rather pedestrian (considering the possibilities in the scenario), romp over the ice. The characters are well drawn and youngsters should find them endearing. Nice to find a book where science rather than pure fantasy or magic takes centre stage. Not sure about some of the cold world science but it is easy enough to suspend disbelief for it to work okay.
There's Goodies and Baddies, prejudice, injustice etc. to keep YA interest and it rolls along at a decent pace. A touch of young...more

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Jul 17, 2011 Sonny rated it 3 of 5 stars

The world is covered in ice. The only way to travel in Hexult is by boat.
Aulf is the mailman between the islands in Hexult and Ingar is his crew. One day on their way to deliver mail, Aulf and Ingar find a boat which has perished. Inside were twins Jacob and Elya; their father dead from the crash. When Aulf and Ingar take the twins in and help them, the four of them and the whole of Hexult dives into a world of adventure.
Raiders are around every corner, ready to jump on unsuspecting prizes. The...more The world is covered in ice. The only way to travel in Hexult is by boat.
Aulf is the mailman between the islands in Hexult and Ingar is his crew. One day on their way to deliver mail, Aulf and Ingar find a boat which has perished. Inside were twins Jacob and Elya; their father dead from the crash. When Aulf and Ingar take the twins in and help them, the four of them and the whole of Hexult dives into a world of adventure.
Raiders are around every corner, ready to jump on unsuspecting prizes. The islands are in shambles from the lack of trust and communication. Jacob and Elya seem to be a beacon of light in the ice covered darkness. They have brought with them the knowledge of science that is put into use to help the islands. But, the islands are not making the twin’s arrival welcome. They are suspicious people.
A small feud begins to breakout between the local wizard, Gabriel, and the twins. Because of Jacob and Elya’s strange knowledge science make the locals believe that they are new wizards. And Gabriel only fuels their flames to be back on top.
Finally, the islands begin to trust the strange newcomers, and with this trust comes a jump into the future. They people of Hexult that had once found the twins to be suspicious are now looking to them as almost saviors of their way of life.

My Thoughts:
First off, Hexult is not at my reading level or my particular taste in books. This book is more geared toward children and the middle school age group.
With that information out of the way, I do find the world of Hexult to be imaginative and enticing. Although, it did take me quite a few chapters before I was able to get the gist of the story and indulge in the characters. As the story went on and the more interesting Hexult started to become, the easier it was to lose myself in Perry Aylen’s words. But, I think that the world of Hexult could have been deeper, more exciting.
Aulf, one of the main characters is sweet and energetic. He captivates the audience with his never-ending generosity and love for Hexult. Ingar was just as equally interesting.
All in all, Hexult was an okay read. But, do not hesitate to pick this one up for your children. They adventure and the magic of an unknown world will be sure to captivate a young person’s mind.
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May 31, 2013 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

This read takes you into a new world and a new way to look at it. The world is built on ice and long distance travel just is not in the stars here, so when a couple of twins show up from a far away land they are held as unusual and find themselves in a situation they could not have imagined. With their father having been killed in the wreckage and no one left to watch over them and tell them what to do life becomes a challenge and a mystery to them. they must unravel not only their lives both th...more

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Oct 14, 2011 Gabby (What's Beyond Forks?) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Hexult is a highly original story of adventure. It shows us a World where ignorance is not always bliss. With the loss of common knowledge among the people, it reminded me of our own histories where innocent people were falsely accused of witchcraft because they were a little different from the rest. A simple compass is seen as something magical.

Hexult was an enjoyable story. This is the type of book I would have loved to read in Elementary or Middle School and is highly appropriate for that age...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Donalisa Helsley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a exciting change from the vampires and werewolves I have been reading lately. This book was a wonderful and entertaining adventure. Hexult is the story of two teens who are shipwrecked and saved. They are brought to a land where they are very different from the people around them. They are attacked verbally and physically due to fear and ignorance. The teens bring with them knowledge and information on how to build helpful items that are considered "magic".

I am always looking for a lesson...more

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Oct 03, 2011 Leanne Bell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blue-green-grey, fantasy-sci-fi-paranormal, first-in-series, given-by-author-for-review, its-a-kinda-magic, kindle-read, read-2011, young-adult

After much kindle trouble I finally got to finishing this book and a big thanks to the author for the endless patience! A big big thank you goes to Perry Aylen (actually two very clever people working on the same novel!) for asking me to review this book.
To kick my review off here's the Goodreads synopsis to give you a brief introduction:

'When the seas rose and the world froze, much knowledge was lost.
Mysterious twins, Jacob and Elya, shipwrecked in Hexult, discover their superior understanding...more After much kindle trouble I finally got to finishing this book and a big thanks to the author for the endless patience! A big big thank you goes to Perry Aylen (actually two very clever people working on the same novel!) for asking me to review this book.
To kick my review off here's the Goodreads synopsis to give you a brief introduction:

'When the seas rose and the world froze, much knowledge was lost.
Mysterious twins, Jacob and Elya, shipwrecked in Hexult, discover their superior understanding of science is mistaken for magic by the superstitious islanders.
With the aid of Aulf the mailman and his fiery crewmate, Ingar, the twins must overcome terrible tragedy and danger, to save their reputations and their lives.'

I love a good fantasty novel, especially as I'm one of those people who can imagine themselves in the places described in a book and I had no problems in doing so with this one. The text is so richly descriptive and highly imaginative that I found I could picture everything with clarity, from the Varja Crevasse and on to the wonderfully named Islands of Orking Do, Quayven and Pelago (among others!).
With regards to this, perhaps the only issue I had with this novel was that there was a lot of new terms and places to absorb and at first I found myself struggling to take it all in, but by the time I was further into the novel and place names and people had been repeated I found that it had all sunk in, so much so that even with the huge gap in reading this book due to my broken kindle, I was able to remember names of places and people with ease when I went to finish it.

For those who love your adventure and magic (erm science, I mean) this is also an adventure story with a twist and I found myself laughing on occasion at the citizens of Hexult who, in the bigger part, drove me nuts with their superstitions, and I found myself wanting to yell at them all.
One of the things that I quickly came to wonder was if the seas did rise and the world froze over and people forgot about science and common sense, would we go back to believing such things as magic, prophecy and judging people on such things? Or would we at least retain some of our knowledge? To me it would feel like a step backwards, but reading this book, it makes complete sense, because it would be quite easy in the absence of knowledge to revert to a very medieval attitude.

All that aside, the trips across the ice coupled with the fights, the raiding and the fantastical buildings that are created captured my imagination with ease and had my heart racing in some instances and I was left fascinated by some of the ideas and by the simple thought that it only takes a small group of people to change the world, even in the face of so much adversity and superstition.
Character wise I loved the twins and how they dealt with the situation they were dropped into despite everything that was against them and I got rather attached to Aulf and Ingar too so I will definitely be reading the sequel to this to find out what happens next.

If your looking for something different to read give this a go, you won't be disappointed.(less)

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Jul 20, 2011 L.E.Olteano rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-review, reviewed, received-for-review

What a refreshing idea! Literally, refreshing. With the heat tormenting me, reading about a world of ice made it all better, at least for my mind.
I’ll be honest, I’m quite torn between a 3 and 4 butterflies rating. I’d give it a 4 for originality, age-appropriate tale-like structure, content and characters, but a 3 for the chemistry I had with said characters. Admittedly, I am well above it’s target; so, to make up my mind what rating I’d give it, I thought, if I had a kid, would I give him/her...more What a refreshing idea! Literally, refreshing. With the heat tormenting me, reading about a world of ice made it all better, at least for my mind.
I’ll be honest, I’m quite torn between a 3 and 4 butterflies rating. I’d give it a 4 for originality, age-appropriate tale-like structure, content and characters, but a 3 for the chemistry I had with said characters. Admittedly, I am well above it’s target; so, to make up my mind what rating I’d give it, I thought, if I had a kid, would I give him/her this book to read? And it’s a definite “YES”, something I wouldn’t quite say for some titles out there. But my reading experience does point more to the 3 segment, therefore, I rate Hexult a 3 (and a half) out of 5.

The atmosphere is very much tale-like, if a bit…chilling. A world engulfed in ice, where some knowledge truly does set you apart – that setting got my full attention right from the beginning. I loved the description of the environment, it is both built and presented beautifully.

The characters are interesting, especially the twins. As I kept reading, I had these flashbacks of an animated series I used to watch when I was younger, I’m not sure I remember the name, but it was about these twins traveling together, and when they’d hold hands they did some sort of Magic thing; anyway, I really loved the series, and I’ve been since a big fan of twins. It was a great pleasure for me to follow twin adventures, if I may call them so.

The plot itself is quite engaging, and I could definitely see a successful movie made based on Perry Aylen‘s work, I believe it would translate into a big time success. If I could have had something different about it, I think I would have liked the characters to be a bit more…charismatic? There’s something endearing about some of them, the twins especially, but maybe someone could have been just a tad more edgy perhaps, but that’s a very personal aspect of course.

As usual, I can’t keep from commenting about the cover. I love the cover, I mean, just looks at it; it’s beautiful!

All thing considered, I find Hexult to be a very charming tale, that I do recommend with a dear heart. It has that sprinkle of fairytale charm that we find so little of lately.(less)

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Jan 04, 2012 David King rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Hexult" by Perry Aylen is an enjoyable adventure story with the shadings of a post-apocalyptic and dystopian tone. It is firmly aimed at the earlier end of the young adults market although I believe that even younger children will also enjoy having this light and easy going story read to them. The genre of this story was am interesting aspect as I had to decide on if I would call this Science-Fiction or Fantasy. However, as the premise appears to imply the story is set in the Earth at an undefi...more "Hexult" by Perry Aylen is an enjoyable adventure story with the shadings of a post-apocalyptic and dystopian tone. It is firmly aimed at the earlier end of the young adults market although I believe that even younger children will also enjoy having this light and easy going story read to them. The genre of this story was am interesting aspect as I had to decide on if I would call this Science-Fiction or Fantasy. However, as the premise appears to imply the story is set in the Earth at an undefined future date I decided just to lean towards classing this as a Science-Fiction novel.

The story is set on a world where the temperature has dropped substantially and is now mainly covered in ice and people now use boats adapted to slide across the ice rather than sail upon water. On this world there is the land of Hexult which is a collection of islands that poke out of the ice, the islands are kept habitable thanks to the heating effects of various elements of geothermal activity.

When, Aulf a mailman and his crew member, Ingar discover a wreck on the ice they find two survivors, mysterious twins named Jacob and Elya who claim to have come from a land far across the frozen wasteland. These two youngsters have an understanding of science far beyond that of those on the islands and this science is soon mistaken for magic by a people who have forgotten much of the knowledge that may have been known in the past. Very soon, the twins find themselves the centre of fearsome prophecy and their attempts to save both their lives and reputation leads them on an adventure across the frozen wastes to all corners of the Hexult island chain.

I have to admit that I am well past the target age group for this novel but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it as the plot was engaging and moved at a decent rate. The world that has been created by the author is imaginative and exciting although I will say that it was a shame that it felt like the surface has only just been scratched. I now hope that in the proposed sequel we get to uncover even more about this interesting place and the people who live there.

One element I really appreciated was the various utilisations of knowledge and technology thrown into the book regarding things such as compasses, steel, ice lenses, mirrors, etc. I can actually envision children reading this novel and then asking their parents or teachers more about the interesting elements contained. I myself actually went and read up a little bit more on steel production and its history after reading "Hexult". Any book that can inspire the search for more information and knowledge in either me or others is a great thing in my opinion.

I found the main characters to all be rather endearing and there was an innocence present that was quite nice to behold. It really helps to draws you in so that you actually care about them and wish them on to succeed in their various endeavours. However, it did feel like there was something lacking a little in the characters to make them feel fully rounded. Basically, the large amount of innocence present within the various people in the story meant that it was hard to see any other elements personality, especially in regards to charisma. Even some of the various leaders in the isles just seemed to be missing a spark that I would have expected to see. It doesn't spoil the story but it just meant that the characters feel slightly unreal to me.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and interesting adventure story that should appeal to most young readers. I fully intend to read it with my own children when they are old enough to understand it and hopefully it will inspire some interest in the science and technology utilised in the novel. If you are a younger reader who wants to read something different form the current trend in vampires, zombies, etc. then you should give this a try.

This review and others can be found on my blog: Books & Things (less)

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Mar 30, 2013 Dennis M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Hexult by Perry Aylen, this is an Enjoyable, quick read by a new author. This book is marketed to the young adult crown but even adult will enjoy this book. This adventure take place around two remarkable young people who has lost their father, Elya and Jacob, 15 year old twins, Aulf and Ingar find the twins and they adventure begin. This book is a book that I would think would be a good added to summer read for those in the 5th thru 9th grade.

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Feb 18, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable story.

At first, I wasnt sure what to think because of the weird names - Aulf and Ingar. But, the story was quite captivating.

Jacob and Elya are found by Aulf and Ingar amidst their ruined ice craft. From faraway across the Ice Plain, Elya and Jacob have "magic" that has never been seen before. A compass and flint/steel. They try to fit into their new world, despite a crank "magician", a prophecy and other troubles

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Mar 15, 2013 Tam Williams rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved the story and characters in this book. It is quite an interesting idea of an ice world where science is forgotten and even simple things can make people's lives so much better. I am looking forward to sharing this with my nieces and nephew as they may learn from the themes and topics covered within the storyline of book. The only problem is I was left wanting more and cannot wait for a sequel.

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Mar 14, 2013 Megan Chambers rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this story. I think a sequel is in order, and I would definitely recommend this book to others. I was reading it to my 5 year old and he enjoyed it as well.

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Mar 20, 2013 Cassie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was an awesome story. I passed it on to my brother, who has been hooked!!

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Sep 06, 2011 Sift Book Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: erica

It is an adventure story aimed at tweens and while it will certainly appeal to middle grade and young adult readers, it is an enjoyable read for adults too; 5 out of 5 stars. Hexult is an exciting tale of adventure from beginning to end and leaves the reader knowing that good trumps evil anyday.

Please see the in-depth review at Sift: http://www.siftreviews.com/2011/09/he...

Review by: Erica of Sift Book Reviews
Sift Book Reviews received a free copy for review from the author. This has, in no way,...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Harry Nicholson rated it 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the world of ice and the inspired youngsters who struggle through it. I'm rather older than the target audience but nevertheless stayed with this absorbing story. Well drawn.

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May 06, 2013 Legato Darksummers added it · review of another edition

Shelves: daddy-dark-s-baby-warrior-list

May 03, 2013 Adriana marked it as purchased · review of another edition

Apr 24, 2013 Jenny marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: homeschool, fiction

Apr 06, 2013 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 01, 2013 Ra marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Apr 01, 2013 Katherine Alys de Vere marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review

Mar 30, 2013 Mallika Nawal marked it as to-read

Mar 30, 2013 Charles Emrys rated it 3 of 5 stars

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