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Fathers & Sons (Forts #1)

by Steven Novak (Goodreads Author)

4.61 · rating details · 54 ratings · 20 reviews

THIS EDITION IS NO LONGER IN PRINT. SECOND EDITION IS AVAILABLE.

For Tommy Jarvis, life has never been simple - quite the opposite, in fact. It is, however, about to become decidedly more difficult. Moments after stumbling through a doorway to another world, Tommy and his friends discover they are the key to ending a war in which the casualties are too great ...more

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Jun 20, 2011

Jenn (Booksessed) rated it

If the events of the children's crusade (both actual and fictionalized) teach us anything, it's that children do not belong anywhere near a war. But what happens when 99 worlds are at war and a prophecy predicts that the only way to save them and protect the hundredth world, lie in the hands of five children? And what happens when those five children are insecure misfits, not exactly friends, and thrown together by unfortunate events in their lives?

That's the premise of Forts: Fathers ...moreIf the events of the children's crusade (both actual and fictionalized) teach us anything, it's that children do not belong anywhere near a war. But what happens when 99 worlds are at war and a prophecy predicts that the only way to save them and protect the hundredth world, lie in the hands of five children? And what happens when those five children are insecure misfits, not exactly friends, and thrown together by unfortunate events in their lives?

That's the premise of Forts: Fathers and Sons, the first novel in the Forts trilogy. When I started the novel, I immediately took a liking to the character of Tommy. He doesn't have the best home life, which I can completely relate to. He's also routinely bullied on his way home from school. He's not the character that one would automatically think of as a hero. All of that changes when he finds a hidden doorway to another world. Joining along with him are his younger brother, former best friend, and a reluctantly observing neighborhood bully.

Upon traveling to the other world they find themselves surrounded by strange characters, in the midst of a war and suddenly capable of harassing superpowers, and quickly learn that in order to survive they must band together despite the fact that they don't always get along.

The writing of the novel is quite unique. It floats between the real and fantasy worlds with seamless ease. The characters, both human and fantasy are beautifully written and you find yourself enamored by even the most vile ones. The plot is so engaging you can't help but keep turning the pages.

There are some scenes of abuse in the early chapters of the novel that are difficult to get through, there is also some contextual swearing that may not be appropriate for younger readers. I do think that the Forts series is one that combines all the things that people love and expect from a fantasy series, while at the same time being completely unique. I feel it will be a great starting point for younger readers interested in the fantasy genre.

Despite being aimed for an audience younger than which I normally read, I was pleasantly surprised and thankful Steven offered this novel for review. No one should miss out on this series. It sticks with you long after the final page is turned. (less)

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Dec 08, 2011

Dana rated it

Shelves: first-reads, own

I got this book through First Reads. I really would like to give it 4.5 stars, but I decided to give it five stars instead of four because the author drew me an awesome picture in the front of the book. Plus I really like the book. The reason I was considering giving it 4 stars is because the kids-saving-another-world plot has been done quite a bit. The story is uniquely done, though, and I really enjoyed reading it. Another thing I like about this book is that the ending is slightly more realis...more

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Jun 08, 2011

M.J. Heiser rated it

Meet the Jarvis brothers. As if losing their mother to cancer at an early age wasn't a horrifying-enough thing to endure, they now have to put up with bullies, confusing friendships and alliances, and one of the worst family betrayals anyone can think of.

Then things get bad.

The Jarvis brothers, along with one of the afore-mentioned bullies and another school pseudo-friend, are pulled out of the world that's familiar and are taken to a new place, a completely alien and strang...more

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Jun 04, 2011

Bethany rated it

· review of another edition

Forts: Fathers and Sons takes place in Fillagrou, a once peaceful land now in the power of a war-loving dictator. Tommy Jarvis is human. He knows nothing about Fillagrou and its problems. Tommy has enough problems of his own, a dead mother, an abusive dad; he doesn’t need any more problems.
When Tommy and four other kids stumble across an entrance to Fillagrou, they discover they are a part of a prophecy. A prophecy to save everyone. But how can five children have that kind of power?
...more

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Jun 22, 2010

Steven Bergson rated it

Shelves: first-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "It was a remake of a movie that wasn't very interesting the first time around - identical story, different chacters."

The sentence above - from the novel Forts : Fathers & Sons - could be used to describe the book itself. However, in this reviewer's opinion, it wouldn't be wholly true. If the novel seems like a remake, that would be due to its use of several elements which the best heroic epics have shared for centuries (as discussed in Joseph Campbell's classic work The He...more"It was a remake of a movie that wasn't very interesting the first time around - identical story, different chacters."

The sentence above - from the novel Forts : Fathers & Sons - could be used to describe the book itself. However, in this reviewer's opinion, it wouldn't be wholly true. If the novel seems like a remake, that would be due to its use of several elements which the best heroic epics have shared for centuries (as discussed in Joseph Campbell's classic work The Hero with a Thousand Faces). Employing familiar plot devices (such as having the hero(es) embark on a journey, take up a quest, discover powers along the way, and undergo a personal transformation) does not guarantee that the story will be engaging and worthwhile. Fortunately, author Steven Novak skillfully spins his tale in a manner that allows the reader to understand and empathize with his protagonists and keeps the reader engaged in the narrative from the opening paragraph to the final lines.

One of the aspects of the novel which surprised me was the amount of melodrama it contained. To give just one telling example, Tommy (one of the book's heroes) is a reclusive teenager whose mother died of cancer, whose brother has become voluntarily mute,and whose father has become an alcoholic who regularly abuses him physically. On top of that, he keeps getting beaten up by the local bullies, who consider him "a weirdo". Such problems get put into perspective when Tommy later meets creatures whose homes have been decimated and who have seen their familiers (or even their entire race) slaughtered by the war-mongering, genocidal armies of the beings known as Ochans.

Tommy and his four companions end up trying to use their fantastic powers to aid the people of Fillagrou in their battle for survival against the Ochan forces. While their superpowers (most of which will seem familiar to readers of Fantastic Four comics) might seem to make these otherwise-ordinary teenagers super-brave, Novak has introduced a twist to give his characters (and the reader) a sense of uncertainty ; the powers are unpredictable (almost as if they have a life of their own) and don't always "activate" - even when their wielders deem them absolutely necessary to be turned "on". Thus, the teens are often called upon to find inner strength and courage, despite being weaker than - or outnumbered by - their opponents. Reminiscent of the comic book series Relative Heroes, each teen's superpower seems to be symbolic of their individual personality (e.g. Owen - who tends to observe and hide - has the power of invisibility).

At times, the story can get a bit complex. Novak deftly handles the pacing, chronology, and point-of-view. The chapters are quite brief (each of them shorter than 10 pages), helping Novak ease the reader from a present-day other-worldly segment to a present-day Earth scene to a flashback. Each chapter opens with a small illustration at the top of the page, showing off Novak's art skills, which seems even more impressive than his storytelling (and which is best exemplified by the full-color wraparound cover).

Occasionally, Novak seamlessly wedges in bits of of philosophy (e.g. "All of life is beauftiful ... even the parts we hate and even when it reaches its end"), psychology (e.g. "When something becomes commponplace, commonplace ceases to be frightening") or commentary ("The finely woven fabric of our life is often stained with the blood of the past") into the text, without coming off as preachy and without detracting from the flow of the story.

Overall, I would reccommend Forts : Fathers & Sons for the fantasy collections of both young adults and adults.

Forts : Fathers & Sons is just the first in the Forts series (as suggested by the ending, which doesn't quite tie up all of the loose ends) and I expect that the rest of the books in the series will be equally compelling.
(less)

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Sep 06, 2011

S.J. Wist rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-cookie-read

Tommy Jarvis doesn't want to save another world, he can barely endure his own. When his mother dies, him and his younger brother, Nicky, are put against bullies and their father's darker side of depression. When he falls into another world that is overwhelmed with warfare, his circumstances are about to go from bad to worse, as he is one of the five prophesied to save everyone.

Five children are the only hope to save Fillagrou and the odds against them are brutal. Fortunately, they mi...more

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May 24, 2011

Lyndsay rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book through firstreads, thanks you thank you thank you! This was a great read, and a striking story. At times, it reminded me of Chronicles of Narnia, what with the going to another world. But it was really the coming of age story that made me think of it. You have 5 kids who literally tumble into a world where they are forced to deal with circumstances beyond their control and they become better and more mature people because of it. They find things out about themselves that help th...more

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Nov 23, 2010

Jami Slack rated it

*4.5 stars*

I wan't sure of this one before reading, because it is not my normal read. I am very glad I took it on now. FORTS: Fathers and Sons is about a group of kids finding themselves in the middle of a war of a different world (or worlds). This story has magical powers, prophesies, new breeds of creatures, and all the other things I expect to find in a fantasy. But there was something much more hidden between the covers of FORTS: Fathers and Sons.

Mixed in with ...more

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Nov 30, 2010

Readingtween rated it

My Review -

This was a pretty good book. The very imaginative scenario and creatures were awesome.

The writing for Forts: Fathers and Sons honestly just wasn't great at times. It wasn't completely terrible but it seemed a little immature. But it wasn't the only thing that was immature. The characters were also immature. For example, one of the main characters was eleven years old, but, behaved like an eight year old.

The author sketched this inside my book!
Now...moreMy Review -

This was a pretty good book. The very imaginative scenario and creatures were awesome.

The writing for Forts: Fathers and Sons honestly just wasn't great at times. It wasn't completely terrible but it seemed a little immature. But it wasn't the only thing that was immature. The characters were also immature. For example, one of the main characters was eleven years old, but, behaved like an eight year old.

The author sketched this inside my book!
Now, the flaws in the writing are made up for, somewhat, by the creativeosity (if that's a word) of the whole story. If you like 8-foot-tall turtle men who's fastest sprint is about the same speed as the average walking speed of human, you will like this book. If you like little red dudes who are tougher then most fully grown men, you will like this book. I was delighted to read another book that could have limitless possibilities. Now, when I say this, I mean that the story could go anywhere and go on practically forever = limitless. Harry Potter is like this. Lord of the Rings is like this. Since the world of Forts (worlds) is so large, the story could go on in the book for hundreds, maybe thousands of years, introducing new characters and places. I will sometimes do this in my head with, say, Star Wars. Make up a new character. Make up his/her attributes and powers. See how he/she would fit in with the world of Star Wars and how they would effect everything. This is possible with Forts because Steven Novak made it limitless (I'm starting to say that word a wee bit to much).

Now, would I recommend this book to you? Depends. Do you like hundreds of different creatures, each with their own unique traits, abilities, and personalities? Then yes. Do you like portals from Earth that leads to one hundred different planets? Then yes. All-in-all, Forts is a good book. Not great, but if a sequel is written, it has limitless (there I go with that word again) potential to be a purely awesome book.

Austin (http://ReadingTween.blogspot.com/)(less)

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Sep 15, 2010

Ellie rated it

Shelves: fantasy, ya, tween

EDIT: I've been thinking about this book and I realized something: This book should be a graphic novel, NOT a predominantly text novel. This author's strength is more in his art and the stories he tells through his art. I'd definitely prefer to see this book in graphic novel format than in its current form...

ORIGINAL REVIEW: So basically I'm stuck. The violence is a little excessive and so far (if this can be toned down, which I think it can), I think this would be a better ...more

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May 12, 2011

James rated it

· review of another edition

Two brothers suffer terrible abuse at the hands of their alcoholic father. A young girl mourns the loss of her friend. A clumsy boy is lost among the crowd and struggles to find his way in the world. A neglected son bullies others because its the only way he can get attention. Five children, each with their own problem, are thrown into a war between races as far removed from our own as you can get. They are The Five and they are the only hope for Fillagrou, a land decimated by the Ochan army.
...more

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Aug 15, 2010

Rae Reads (Mesmeric Revelation) rated it

Shelves: own, signed, read-in-2010

This book is incredible. It sucks that I got sick so often over the last week or so and had to keep putting the book down to get rest. I didn't want to put it down. It reminded me a lot of The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis, which was pretty awesome.

I loved all of the characters, the plot and it had a lot of action. It is hard to pick my favorite character but I think I'm going to go with Walcott (King Walcott Shellamennes). He's a giant turtle and how can you possible go wrong with...more

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Apr 24, 2011

Mary Ann Bernal rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: adventure-children-fantasy

I found “Forts, Fathers and Sons” to be a delightful story. The reader becomes immediately involved in the lives of the main characters before they are thrust upon a journey which forever changes their lives. Like Alice and her adventures through the looking glass, the children are caught up in the machinations of war and conquest as they try to find their way home. Alien creatures, prophesies, strange powers and magic promises a thrilling ride. A must read!

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Aug 09, 2010

Margery Bloom rated it

Poignant story about a boy who only learns his own worth when entering another world. People aren't always who they appear to be. Excellent YA fantasy, with a message about the effects of child abuse and the resilience of children.

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Apr 04, 2011

Flora rated it

Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Flora by: Steven Novak

This book is a very well told Fantasy book for YA. I am looking forward to the rest of this series. I have this book on my Kindle. I have entered the contest to win a copy of this book for my 15 year old son.

like 1 like

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May 07, 2010

Mary Ann Bernal rated it

I found “Forts: Fathers and Sons” to be a delightful story. The reader becomes immediately involved in the lives of the main characters before they are thrust upon a journey which forever changes their lives. Like Alice and her adventures through the looking glass, the children are caught up in the machinations of war and conquest as they try to find their way home. Alien creatures, prophesies, strange powers and magic promises a thrilling ride. A must read!

like 2 likes

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May 01, 2011

Nina Perez rated it

Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Nina by: Steven Novak

Shelves: favorites

What a lovely mix of adventure, humor and heart. The children at that center of this story are easy to relate to and root for (even, sometimes, Donald). The new world introduced is filled with well-developed, interesting, and beautifully illustrated creatures. It's wonderfully layered with a pace that is both exciting and emotionally satisfying. I cannot wait to start the second one!

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Nov 15, 2010

Carmelo rated it

Shelves: own

A great YA book and interesting premise. Usually fantasy books don't interest me but this one has some cool adult themes for everyone. I look forward to the next installments.

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Jan 14, 2011

Hailey marked it as to-read

I tried to read this in September kind of didn't get into it. I will; however, to try to read this book again because I really don't like not finishing books.

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Sep 16, 2009

Steven rated it

What the heck grade did you expect me to give it?

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Feb 01, 2012

Enchanted YA marked it as to-read

Feb 01, 2012

L.W. Herndon is currently reading it

Jan 28, 2012

Kaitie marked it as to-read

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Shelves: young-adult

Jan 22, 2012

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About Steven Novak

Born in Chicago Illinois, Steven Novak has spent the whole of his life creating. After attending The Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus Ohio for four years he moved to California where he married his wife, Tamara. The pair have been together for nearly a decade. While working as a freelance illustrator and graphic artist, with occasional product and web design, he produced several succ...more

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Fathers & Sons (Forts #1)

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