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Defenders of the Scroll

by Shiraz

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 13 ratings · 12 reviews

A teenage boy.
A dark wizard.
A mystic scroll.
And the fate of a world hangs in the balance...

When Alex "the Axeman" Logan is pulled from his world to help a young princess, named Dara, save her kingdom from the Shadow Lord, he thinks there has been a mistake. He's a teen guitar player close to failing 11th grade, not some defender of the realm. All he has are some school

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Published (first published June 29th 2009)

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Dec 14, 2011 Liyana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Defenders of The Scroll has everything you'd want in a YA fantasy/ adventure book. It has my favourite parts of a book in it: action and adventure and excitement, with great mythology, history, legend and lore.

Just like the full title says.

The cover is gorgeous, but very misleading. My first thought was that the storyline would be something akin to a video game's plotline, but I was wrong. We're first introduced to the king of Mythos and his daughter Dara. The king is the epitome of what all fut...more Defenders of The Scroll has everything you'd want in a YA fantasy/ adventure book. It has my favourite parts of a book in it: action and adventure and excitement, with great mythology, history, legend and lore.

Just like the full title says.

The cover is gorgeous, but very misleading. My first thought was that the storyline would be something akin to a video game's plotline, but I was wrong. We're first introduced to the king of Mythos and his daughter Dara. The king is the epitome of what all future kings should aspire to be like: powerful, kind and just, kind of like Albus Dumbledore but with a title.

So this king, he had a great idea: to banish all the evil to a sekrit place called Shadow Hall, hidden deep within a forest. One day, all hell breaks loose, and the Shadow Hall takes on a life of its own, and guess who the main course is?

Yep. The King of Mythos. Om nom nom.

Dara then finds out that he left her a sekrit scroll. As this is a sekrit scroll, it has a great magical power: the ability to summon people! Dara uses this scroll to summon the leader of the Axeman to help her, but instead accidentally calls up Alex, the leader of the band Axeman...and just a teenager.

While Alex is in many ways just your normal, everyday teenager, he proves himself to be a handy person to be around, using his skillz and wit to help protect Dara and the scroll.

This book has such a great plot and action, and amazingly likeable characters. I won't reveal any spoilers, because this book is just that awesome and I'd rather you find it out for yourself firsthand. I wish though, that there was a more complete ending, with a better resolution. What is this "So ends book one" ending?

Stoopid cliffhanger.

Now let me talk about the actual book itself, not the story. I've already said that the cover is gorgeous. When you open the book, it's just amazing. The design is such that it's like we're reading from an actual scroll, but without the iffy writing and language. Then you add in the illustrations, which were apparently drawn by Steve Criado. It's a great package, illustrations, design and of course, the story.(less)

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Feb 19, 2010 Ziaria rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what I would think of this book at the beginning. It's a little out of my normal reading genre, but I have to say I really enjoyed this.

Your typical good vs. evil theme with all kinds of great characters along the way. The little girl who holds great power. A teenage boy sucked into the world to protect her, even though he's the furthest thing from a warrior. The nifty ability to pull things and people from the history books that came with him.

The book is full of rich characters, f...more

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Nov 11, 2009 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

Far, far away is a magical place called Mythos. There lives a king by the name of Mornak. He is also the most powerful wizard. Many years ago, Mythos started getting run over by robbers, murders and thieves. Mornak had an obligation to his people to keep them safe. So he had a huge building built. It is called the Hall of Shadows. It resides in Darkwood or Shadow Wood. The Hall is a prison to keep all the evil. Things have been peaceful since the construction of the Hall.

Flash forward to the pr...more

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Feb 15, 2010 IceJewel rated it 5 of 5 stars

When the powerful wizard and King of Mythos-Mornak gets imprisoned by the evil forces, his little 9 year old daughter 'Dara' is left alone to save herself and find a way to get his father out from the prison. All she is left with is a magical scroll given to her by her father.By her own power she accidentally summons a 15 year old boy Alex: a guitar -playing high school student to help and protect her.What comes next is Alex's journey to save Dara with the help of a magical scroll, his own histo...more When the powerful wizard and King of Mythos-Mornak gets imprisoned by the evil forces, his little 9 year old daughter 'Dara' is left alone to save herself and find a way to get his father out from the prison. All she is left with is a magical scroll given to her by her father.By her own power she accidentally summons a 15 year old boy Alex: a guitar -playing high school student to help and protect her.What comes next is Alex's journey to save Dara with the help of a magical scroll, his own history books and summoning a few others from another world and time : a hardened Roman Legionnaire, a swift Japanese Samurai, a mighty African Warrior, a fiery Amazon Archer, and a spirited Shaolin Monk.

Ahhh, what a unique and an awesome non-stop action packed fantasy book filled with adventures ! I loved it ! When I had picked up this book and checked its size, I really had no idea that I would finish it so early! But, the action started from the first page itself zapping me in the world of 'history, legend and lore' .There is danger lurking at every corner and every step! Even in difficult and dangerous times, there was hope, humor and a positive attitude shown by every character which I appreciated.This book didn't give me time to even think and mourn about the past events and I just couldn't stop reading it! Also, I have never read a book which is filled with so many characters in it.Major thing, all the characters are lovable,unique and are given equal importance! The description of the characters matches exactly to the way its printed on the book cover.I remember myself always turning to the book cover whenever any new character came and was described :)

OK, the hard work.I hate writing negatives about the book but, it has to be told !I loved this book, but, its not a standalone.It has abrupt ending and left me hanging somewhere in the middle! If I had the next book in the series, I would have jumped on it and started reading! I hope the next one releases soon and I get the chance to read it :)

Oh, did I tell you that this book has a few pictures in it and the pages of this book are in the form of a scroll(I meant a scroll picture printed on the page and then the words printed on it)?! I just hope that someday this book will be turned into a movie ! I'm sure it will be awesome!(less)

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Oct 04, 2009 Eleni ( La Femme Readers ) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 08, 2010 Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Defenders of the Scroll went above and beyond my expectations.

I normally don't enjoy fantasy/adventure books (or movies) but this particular book was highly recommended to me so I sat down and gave it a shot.

I never, ever imagined I would enjoy it as much as I did. I found I was staying up until the wee hours of the morn just to see what was going to happen. Suspenseful the whole way through!

The characters in the book were unique yet lovable and I found myself relating to them on so many levels...more

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Dec 20, 2009 Jennifer added it

I really, really, really, wanted to like this book, but I just cannot. It's not the

*story: which I think is very good, or the
*characters: which are comprised of different races and backgrounds, or the
*morals: which are sprinkled throughout the story, for example, everyone should just get along, racial harmony, believe in yourself, etc.

It's the writing. I think it's written for young people, like ages 10 and up. This represented the real problem for me, because I could not get past that. After...more I really, really, really, wanted to like this book, but I just cannot. It's not the

*story: which I think is very good, or the
*characters: which are comprised of different races and backgrounds, or the
*morals: which are sprinkled throughout the story, for example, everyone should just get along, racial harmony, believe in yourself, etc.

It's the writing. I think it's written for young people, like ages 10 and up. This represented the real problem for me, because I could not get past that. After reading about half of the book, I skimmed the rest to get the basic idea and ending. I'm sorry but I just could not get past the writing. I felt as though it was written for young teenage boys, and that is completely cool with me. I am not meant to read and enjoy every book. I am not the target audience for this book, so I get that. Unfortunately, there are some things I can't ignore or push past.

As I stated previously, the basic story is quite good, and I like how the Defenders represent different cultures and times, to teach acceptance and harmony. That's awesome and I wish more books would do that. Alex also has a lot of self doubt but he realizes he needs to pick himself up and soldier on. You can't run from your problems, but give your best effort and at least you will know you tried. Another good lesson for kids to learn.

Oh, and I almost forgot, the art in the book, including the cover, are excellent. The pages of the book are made to look like pages from a scroll. There are also full page pictures/drawings/sketches that are amazing. It put me in mind of a graphic novel.

I do think it's me and not the book. Look at all of these awards and things it has garnered:

Winner in the Fantasy category of the 2009 National Indie Excellence Awards
Finalist in the Action-Adventure and Young Adult Fiction categories of the 2009 National Indie Excellence Awards
Finalist in the Multicultural Fiction and Best Overall Design Fiction categories of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Honorable Mention in the Sci-Fi category of the 2009 New York Book Festival
Honorable Mention in the Sci-Fi and Teenage categories of the 2009 Beach Book Festival
Honorable Mention in the Wild Card category of the 2009 San Francisco Book Festival
(less)

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Dec 12, 2009 Sheree rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young fantasy lovers

Shelves: young-adult, reviews, own, fantasy-sci-fi, read-in-2009

Defenders of the Scroll is an exciting and imaginative ride of action and adventure, set in the fantasy realm of Mythos. The quest of good vs evil is not a new one but the Hall of Shadows (prison for all things evil in Mythos) is definitely a unique and disturbing concept. The book itself is really quite beautiful, each page is designed as a scroll and the illustrations throughout are stunning, adding to the overall package appeal.

When evil is unleashed in Mythos and King Mornak is captured, his...more

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Oct 09, 2009 Violet Crush rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

In Short: What an awesome book!!! It’s got action, lovable characters and a superb plot.

As we enter the fantasy world created by Defenders of the Scroll, we are introduced to 2 main people. Alex, a teenager who is bored with his life, who plays video games having ogres and wizards and feels that his calling in life is different than just going through another torturous year at school. He also leads a rock band called ‘Axemen’.

In another parallel universe, we meet 9 year old Dara, the daughter of...more In Short: What an awesome book!!! It’s got action, lovable characters and a superb plot.

As we enter the fantasy world created by Defenders of the Scroll, we are introduced to 2 main people. Alex, a teenager who is bored with his life, who plays video games having ogres and wizards and feels that his calling in life is different than just going through another torturous year at school. He also leads a rock band called ‘Axemen’.

In another parallel universe, we meet 9 year old Dara, the daughter of a powerful wizard and King of Mythos-Mornark. Mornark is not only powerful but also just and kind. He creates a place called Shadow Hall where all the evil in the Kingdom is banished. This hall lies in the heart of the Shadow forest. But one day, all hell breaks loose, The Hall takes on a life of its own, Mornark is captured and Dara is left alone to find safety and a way to release her father from the prison.

You ask how these 2 worlds meet? There is some goof up with Dara’s magic and instead of summoning the head of their army, Dara summons Alex. What ensues next is a ride through hell- with dark forces, magical creatures and even pirates. We also get to meet many other characters summoned by Dara to help Alex and her with the journey.

Honestly, I don’t remember when I had so much fun reading an action packed fantasy novel before. Every chapter is an adventure and every page has a danger waiting to pounce. It’s like a rollercoaster ride. And all these characters were soooo good, I mean loved them all, even the villain. I loved Dara, Mornark, Alex, Bantu, Tenzin, Scorpius, Maya…and so many more. Is it possible to love so many characters from a book?

One more thing I loved is Alex’s sense of humor and how his usage of slang confused other warriors. Defenders of the Scroll is a fun book, one that will pull you in and make you forget your surroundings. I love how in the beginning I could totally switch my mood from Dara’s world to Alex’s world within minutes without getting confused.

But then again, the 1 star less in the rating couldn’t be for nothing right? One very minor problem I found towards the end was how the warriors used language that was a little…let me say modern, language that I wouldn’t expect from an Amazon Archer or a Roman warrior. But that did not disturb me much, as I said it was a minor complaint. Also a little editing would have helped, as in to shorten the book a little.

The major complaint was the ending of the book. It doesn’t have one. I am okay with leaving enough scope for a sequel but this story kind of ends abruptly. It wouldn’t have bothered me much if this wasn’t an action-packed fantasy novel, but it is, and it has a lot of characters and lots of explanations of why things are the way they are. I’m just afraid that until I get my hands on the second book I might forget all. But I know that’s not the problem everyone has.

Finally, I would say that Defenders of the scroll is a book that men and women, adults and children will enjoy. This book begs to be made into a movie, I would be the first in line to see it. Can you tell I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book? When is it coming out Mr. Shiraz?

Oh wait…I forgot to tell you that I LOVED the beautiful artwork inside. It really is gorgeous.

http://violetcrush.wordpress.com/2009...(less)

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Dec 08, 2009 Alexia561 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-copy, fantasy, young-adult, contest

Wasn't really sure what to expect from this book, but have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Princess Dara is just a little girl whose father just started training her in magic, so it's understandable that she accidentally summons the wrong "Axeman" as her protector. And Alex is just a teenager who soon finds out that this wild adventure is all too real. But I love how all those hours spent watching movies and playing video games pay off when Alex is able to predict what should happen next...more

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Jun 11, 2010 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-or-before-2009

Defenders of the Scroll is an entertaining, non-stop action packed read. From page one, the reader is immersed in a incredible fantasy world. The world that Shiraz has created is fascinating, yet has believable aspects woven in. The plot held my attention, and kept me on the edge of my seat. One of the best things about this novel has be its characters. They are realistic, funny, and just so three dimensional. I loved getting to know them and watch their adventures unfold.

The only flaw to the no...more

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Oct 04, 2009 April rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, for-review, own, childrens, ya

Oops, I left this one at my parents.

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Feb 06, 2013 Trupti Dorge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own

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