Return to Exile (The Hunter Chronicles #1)

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Return to Exile (The Hunter Chronicles #1)

by E.J. Patten (Goodreads Author), John Rocco (Illustrator)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 277 ratings · 84 reviews

ONE BOY. UNTOLD ENEMIES. A WHOLE WORLD TO SAVE.?IT'S GOING TO BE ALOOONGTHREE DAYS.

Eleven years ago, a shattered band of ancient monster hunters captured an unimaginable evil and Phineas T. Pimiscule rescued his nephew, Sky, from the wreckage of that great battle. For eleven years, Sky Weathers has studied traps, puzzles, science, and the secret lore of theHunters of Legen...more

Hardcover, 512 pages

Published September 6th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

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Oct 12, 2012 Platte Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was able to obtain an advance reader's copy of this book from the publisher. That being said, Return to Exile is an epic adventure, perfectly balanced between a fantastical world of monsters, traps, weapons, and a precocious boy named Sky Weathers. Full of action, humor, and an incredible cast of characters, this is the kind of book that will not only appeal to young readers, but their older siblings and parents as well. With so many fantasy derivatives out there, I found Return to Exile to be...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sky doesn't belong anywhere, not at home and not at school, and he has no idea why. Long nights wandering spent looking for something he cannot name have left his parents sensitive to the slightest abnormal behavior. Sky can't explain his behavior except for the 'little monster' he has in his head and the marks on his hands. But when his family returns to Exile without his Uncle Phineas and the black mark on his hand bleeds black blood, Sky knows something is very wrong, and he starts to realize...more Sky doesn't belong anywhere, not at home and not at school, and he has no idea why. Long nights wandering spent looking for something he cannot name have left his parents sensitive to the slightest abnormal behavior. Sky can't explain his behavior except for the 'little monster' he has in his head and the marks on his hands. But when his family returns to Exile without his Uncle Phineas and the black mark on his hand bleeds black blood, Sky knows something is very wrong, and he starts to realize that what he always assumed were made-up stories about monsters may very well be real. With the reluctant help of some teenage monster hunters, Sky sets out to find his Uncle Phineas and the answers he has been searching for his whole life, which may in the end, cost him his life.

Boy, once this story started moving, it moving rapidly. There is plenty of excitement and the underlying mystery of Sky's identity and what happened to him that makes so many people want him dead pervades the book from page one. The only real problem I had was with some of the explanations of how the world worked, I found them somewhat confusing. But this did not detract from the exciting events or the development of the characters. Sky is a really sympathetic character as he struggles to control his 'little monster' and then his struggles once he discovers some answers. This aspect of the story I found unique in that it adds some uncertainty about Sky and his past and his future. This will clearly be explored throughout the series.

I have to say that I'm not really a monster person. And this book has many monsters in it, despite that fact I found the book compelling and the different monsters intriguing. I also appreciated the fact that the monsters were not all evil as they are often portrayed. Some of these monsters, as Sky learns, aren't all bad, and even play an important role in Sky's search. I recommend the book for those who appreciate longer more detailed fantasies with great characters and an intricate plot that twists and turns. The numerous traps and puzzles make for a nice touch. I definitely will be reading the sequel.(less)

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Jul 08, 2011 Joe Lunievicz rated it 5 of 5 stars

What came to mind for me immediately as I began this book was how unique and different the world that Patten built is. It is part Lovecraft with dark, dark, frightening monsters who are shapeshifters and tentacled, and razor sharp toothed with mouths on their heads and caps to cover them - part Solomon Kane from Robert E. Howard (the author of Conan), and all bizarre. Man these monsters with names like Whisper, Gnomen, Wargarou, Shadow Wargs, are creepy and imaginative and scary and they surroun...more What came to mind for me immediately as I began this book was how unique and different the world that Patten built is. It is part Lovecraft with dark, dark, frightening monsters who are shapeshifters and tentacled, and razor sharp toothed with mouths on their heads and caps to cover them - part Solomon Kane from Robert E. Howard (the author of Conan), and all bizarre. Man these monsters with names like Whisper, Gnomen, Wargarou, Shadow Wargs, are creepy and imaginative and scary and they surround the main character, Sky Weathers, who is likeable and always one step behind the plot which is one giant puzzle/trap. His mentor, Phineas T Pimiscule, is a wonderful creation and worthy of a book all by himself. The theme of puzzles and traps is fascinating and one of the things that intrigued my son about the book and also intrigued me. I was constantly trying to figure out what would happen next and was always surprised by the shifting landscape and characters. This is a world of shapeshifters and darkness.

Check out the opening line - always a key element in book selection for me:

Phineas T. Pimiscule was not what you'd call an "attractive" man.

This is a line that begs you to read on.

And this is a book you must also pay attention to. Half the fun was trying to guess what the solutions to the puzzles were just as Sky was. I especially appreciated the world-building done by Patten - epic in scope, logical and consistent in tone, and thought-provoking. I enjoyed having characters that were evil and good, monsters that were sometimes both at the same time, and good guys who could also be bad. Sky's world is not made of simple black and white.

Do I have complaints about the book? Patten's use of simile was a bit much with less, for me as a reader, being more. But this is a small thing compared to the success of the larger scope of the book and the craft of world-building he has demonstrated. The ending is just beautiful. I won't spoil it but I will tell you it reads like the perfect ending to a pulp serial - ominous, dark, and bookended by razor-sharp tooth and suction cupped tentacle.(less)

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Oct 21, 2011 Mrs. Riding rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, authors-i-ve-met, authors-who-have-visited-my-school, local-authors

After eleven years of playing games and solving puzzles with his Uncle Phineas, Sky Hunter finds that his uncle's teaching was not all just fun and games. Moving once again back to Exile, the little town where his family once lived, he and his family are thrown into the midst of monsters, the likes of which Sky had read about in the books he received from Uncle Phineas. Uncle Phineas missed Sky's twelfth birthday, so the mysteries begin when Sky starts his search for his beloved uncle, complicat...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Jessie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book had a slow start. Had I not been reading it for a book club, I probably wouldn't have continued. But it does pick up and start to grab you about 200 pages in. By then I wasn't reading because I had to, I was actually looking for stolen moments to read. There were plenty of twists and battles to keep you going through the second half of the book. As far as mood/feel goes it was like a hybrid of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Harry Potter, though not as well written as either of thos...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Rayden rated it 5 of 5 stars

Don't you love books with an engaging plot, characters that make you giggle, and end with an enjoyable conclusion? It's for these reasons that E.J. Patten is now one of my new favorite authors. Every sentence in this book has a purpose, yet he's still able to keep the book light and fun to read. He reminds me of A.A. Milne in that they both write with a level of indifference which makes it comical. While the storyline isn't absolutely the most original, he still puts a new twist on the fairy-ta...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Caren rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-fiction, fantasy

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

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Aug 30, 2011 An Abundance of Books rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grades-non-fiction, 2011-reviews

Featured at An Abundance of Books

eturn to Exile was an excellent mix of characters, tension, monsters, mayhem, and humor. While I didn't find it to be "scary" per se and some things were a bit predictable, it was a well paced read that I could not put down and read it in one sitting. Seriously, I stayed up until 3:oo a.m. to finish this book, I had to know how it ended.

Sky was a great kid, so full of heart even though the world seems to work against him. He is rescued by classmates who have take...more Featured at An Abundance of Books

eturn to Exile was an excellent mix of characters, tension, monsters, mayhem, and humor. While I didn't find it to be "scary" per se and some things were a bit predictable, it was a well paced read that I could not put down and read it in one sitting. Seriously, I stayed up until 3:oo a.m. to finish this book, I had to know how it ended.

Sky was a great kid, so full of heart even though the world seems to work against him. He is rescued by classmates who have taken it upon themselves to protect the town from monsters. These four mini MacGyvers have cobbled together body armor and effective weapons from garbage. They really don't know what they're fighting and are pretty much flying by the seat of their pants. One character, Hands, is turned onto vampire romance novels by his grandfather as a source of monster fighting techniques. (As a vampire romance reader myself, I found these bits very funny.) Sky has an older sister who just seems horrible at first, but you get to like her. (Loved Hannah and Tick in the final battle.) There are adults, who unfortunately work at Sky's school, that hate him. They're not deliciously evil teachers like Snape, they are vile and you want to beat them over the head with a chair. (Really, the more Miss Hagfish talked, the more I gasped in outrage.) Sky's monster books and bestiaries are a bit absurd but add some fun. The fight scenes in Return to Exile are great and some of the funniest I have ever read. Patten has created some great monsters and Rocco's small illustrations were a nice touch. It was at times a bit predictable, but never so much so that it ruined the story.

There were some things that could be negatives. There was a bizarre bit with the janitor and I hope it's explained in the next book, otherwise it's totally pointless and weird. Also, some of the technical talk about plasma and force fields was a bit too much for me. My brain generally turns off in those situations, but it's something I would mention to a student. Basically you could skim those few bits and be ok.

The Return to Exile is a great middle grades book and a good fit for the age group. (I'm not sure how much adult readers will like it, but the majority middle and high school audience should enjoy it.) It had some of the best fight scenes ever and I loved the mix of seriousness and humor. I would recommend this book to readers who liked the Percy Jackson or Alex Rider series. I'm looking forward to the sequel. I give it 5 out of 6 stars.

Read full review HERE (less)

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Jun 22, 2011 D.J. Butler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-reader

(Full disclosure: I am a friend of the author, and have read this book in draft and in ARC form)

** Kids fight evil monsters using weapons made of garbage, save the world. **

A lot of books don't get any better than their high concept. This one does. Patten is funny, in a way that appeals to both kids and adults. He writes great action. He plots against deep and interesting backstory. He concocts elaborate and funny riddles. He crafts vivid, believable characters, even when those characters are mo...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Robin Armstrong rated it 3 of 5 stars

The hype: One of the great universal questions is “Who am I?” and it’s asked a lot during the teenage years. It’s no wonder, then, that YA books often have their main characters asking that question. Often, the answer is that the main character is special in some way: a wizard, a genius, a mutant, whatever. In Return to Exile, that question is also asked, and answered, in a different way.

Tell me more: Sky Weathers, twelve years old, has been taught about traps, puzzles, and monsters by his eccen...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Sarah Abercrombie rated it 1 of 5 stars

I didn't actually finish this book, so it is not a "full bodied" review - more like a first impression.

This book is way overly burdened with metaphor and simile. I wished I had a red pen when I was reading it. "Traces of fading sunlight slipped through the canopy above, moving across the earth like matadors with threadbare capes teasing and taunting the night onward." You think? Another example - "The glass wall surrounded the Pimiscule manor like the arms of a street urchin clutching a loaf of...more

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Aug 09, 2011 Melysah Bunting rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I got to read "Return to Exile" (The Hunter Chronicles #1) by E.J. Patten courtesy of Simon and Schuster via Shelf Awareness. It's a young adult novel that is reminiscent of the author's literary interests. There is a lot of monsters and action. Let your imagination run wild!

Sky Weathers is a boy who loves puzzles and studies with his uncle, Phineas T. Pimiscule, about the Hunters of Legend, botany and all sorts of strange things. Sky and his family return to the city of Exile and uncover many s...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Jake Ashcraft rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was intense and filled with puzzles. Things happened that you would've never guessed would have happened. The timeline and ideas involved in this book is something I haven't seen before. The use of puzzles, knowledge and quick thinking, Sky worked his way through problems using his brain and what his Uncle Phineas taught him. From the book there were rules to traps "Rule 1: A good trap is like a good story: hidden and leading toward one inevitable conclusion." There are more rules, but...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Kirk rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just finished the book about five minutes ago, and I must say, it is difficult to give this book a super honest rating. I gave it a four, but I think it might have received a five had I not read a more adult oriented book a few weeks back. Was there action? Yes. Was there humor? Yes. But was the action sustained? Not so much. I guess that is always my problem. Not enough action. Unless, of course, I am talking about Percy Jackson who fights a monster every chapter. Amazing. Anyway, I did give...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Georgia Omer rated it 3 of 5 stars

I read this for a Book Club. If that weren't the case, I would've abandoned it. This book had a VERY slow start. After appx pg. 150-200 I finally started reading with understanding.

There were too many characters that came way too fast.

Until I met the author, I wasn't sure who his targeted audience was. After reading, I had decided this was perhaps age appropriate for grades5-8. The language and the whirlwind of the fantasy world however, was much too confusing (my opinion) for younger readers....more

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Oct 02, 2011 Kat Goldin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Return to Exile is a great book for those individuals who will totally concentrate on the happenings and characters of a novel, a lot s going on and you might need a score card to keep up! This magical storyline is quickly ushered along by the lead protagonist, Sky Weather who has returned with his parents to their hometown, just as magic and mayhem take on a more sinister role in this secretive place called Exile. Sky is an average 12 boy who does not enjoy school and is bullied. He perceives t...more

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May 07, 2013 Hope rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.76 stars. This book was fantastic! I didn't want to put it down! Unfortunately, I'm a slow reader. I never read when I have a headache, no matter how fun reading is, but I read the last 80 pages with a headache. Just goes to show how awesome this book is!! All the different monsters are created with precise detail and thought was clearly put into it. The twists and turns keep your mind spinning with wonder, and your fingers flipping pages almost faster than you can finish the page. This is a f...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked the book. It bothered me a bit at first, because there was a lot of info to learn (not your run of the mill every day sort of monsters) and a lot that seemed missing so it was hard to make sense of at first. Also the writing seemed patchy, I kept wondering how it had got through editing. But then I started getting a taste of Patten's humor, and started enjoying the book a lot more. He has a fabulous rare quirky humor that I found really refreshing. I was surprised at how freaky the book...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Steffi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, children-teen-fantasy

First off I really enjoyed this book. It had a different story than what I usually read. But the bad thing was it did take about 100 pages for the story to get going and probably another 100 for it to really start making since and being fun to read. Since I received this as an ARC, one thing that I would really love to see in the book is a pronunciation guide like you see for some sci-fi and fantasy books. I had trouble with some of the characters names and the monsters.

Each of the characters ha...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Janice rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: firstreads-giveaway

I must say that I am glad I stuck with this past the first painful 100 pages as the story is quite good. Sky makes for an engaging main character and I think the story shows a lot of promise.

I received an ARC of this through Goodreads First Reads program, so I am hoping someone stepped in to rid the author of his tendency towards atrocious metaphors and similes. And please--let's hope someone take away this guy's thesaurus already!

A few painful samples--note that I'm using examples from later in...more

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Aug 31, 2011 Jessie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Fantastic book! One of the best I have read! The main character, Sky, reminds me of my older brother with his love for puzzles/tricks/etc. The monsters and other creatures in the book are very well described and unique. The setting was captivating.
This book was nearly impossible to put down. I read the entire book in just a couple days. The pace is never ending and so much fun. Lots of detail. If you try speed reading, you will almost certainly miss something so take your time with each great pa...more

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May 22, 2012 Jessica (Books: A true story) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, own, 3-stars, blog, amazon, hardcover, utah-author, content-everyone

Return to Exile was like Ghostbusters (with teens) meets A Series of Unfortunate Events with a tiny bit of Inception sprinkled on top. It was a pretty cool combination. Just when I thought that nothing else could go wrong, it would go all Unfortunate-Events on me and get worse. The witty humor was one of my favorite things. There are two girls that talk like Jane Austen and they were so hilarious!

I felt like there was a lot going on in the plot. There are lot of unanswered questions thrown at yo...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Jessica Bronder rated it 5 of 5 stars

I originally received this book from Simon & Schuster’s Galley Grab but it expired before I could finish reading it. I had posted a review then got a copy of it from the Amazon Vine Program. Here is my updated review after having finished the book.

It is Sky’s twelfth birthday but it is the worst birthday ever. His uncle Phineas goes missing and he has to move to Exile. Now he feels like something is wrong. When he follows his father onto Phineas’ property, he is attacked by creatures that he...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Gina (My Precious) rated it 3 of 5 stars

INITIAL THOUGHTS:

Raiting: 3.5

A complex, lengthy (500+ PAGES) middle grade fantasy filled with plenty of action and battle scenes. The ideas and creative monster beasts made the story both fun and challenging. I had a difficult time keeping all the monsters straight, but I did find a helpful manual in the back which proved to be invaluable to the story line. Sky, the main character is witty, compassionate and brave. He does lack self confidence and faith in himself. His hunter friends all are uni...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Tracy Poff rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, fantasy, other-stuff-exists, middle-grade, location-sff

All Sky's life, his family has been moving from place to place, never staying long enough for him to make real friends. So, his best friend is his monocle-wearing uncle Phineas, who has taught him to solve puzzles and set and elude traps, and attempted to teach him botany. He has also taught Sky more esoteric knowledge--of monsters, and how to hunt or avoid them.

Sky's parents have always insisted that monsters aren't real. Now that they are moving back to Exile, where his parents lived before he...more All Sky's life, his family has been moving from place to place, never staying long enough for him to make real friends. So, his best friend is his monocle-wearing uncle Phineas, who has taught him to solve puzzles and set and elude traps, and attempted to teach him botany. He has also taught Sky more esoteric knowledge--of monsters, and how to hunt or avoid them.

Sky's parents have always insisted that monsters aren't real. Now that they are moving back to Exile, where his parents lived before he was born, Sky will discover just how real monsters are, and some secrets about himself, as well. Pity that the worst monster of all the Arkhon, will be released on the world in just three days, unless Sky can find a way to stop it.

Return to Exile by E. J. Patten is a middle-grade fantasy novel, the first book in The Hunter Chronicles. It's filled with fantastical monsters and exciting adventure, and characters with plenty of secrets of their own. With his uncle missing, Sky must decide who to trust and solve the riddles his uncle left for him, if he's to find Phineas and prevent the Arkhon from escaping its prison.

Patten is a bit wordy, initially. The first few chapters read like he was trying a bit too hard to make an impression, rendering the first few dozen pages something of a chore. Once the story picks up, though, you'll find it hard to put the book down. There are mysteries and problems to solve right up until the end, and there's always enough going on to keep you interested.

The world of Return to Exile is very well-realized, with a variety of monsters, plants (some monstrous), and monster hunters, forming a coherent world and history. If anything, Patten has created a world that's too interesting--I found myself wishing that I could read some of the in-universe books like The Evil Echo of Solomon Rose, so as to learn more about the history of the world. Hopefully, we can look forward to more details in future entries in the series.

Return to Exile is a great middle-grade fantasy book. It goes on sale September 6, 2011 in both hardcover and electronic formats.

Disclosure: This review is based on a free advance reader's copy.(less)

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Mar 14, 2012 Tabitha the Pabkins rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: middle grade youths, harry potter fans

Recommended to Tabitha the Pabkins by: goodreads

Shelves: first-reads, books-won, 1st-in-series, childrens, arc-egalley

I won this ARC from a First Reads, Goodreads contest shortly after I started using my Goodreads account more actively. Oddly this is the same time I found out about the book blogging world. It took quite some time for the ARC to arrive – in fact it arrived just one week before the actual book was to be released. Given how fat this book is for middle-grade fiction, it took me quite some time to finish it – 20 days in fact. Now normally 500 pages wouldn’t phase me, but I was in one of my moods of...more I won this ARC from a First Reads, Goodreads contest shortly after I started using my Goodreads account more actively. Oddly this is the same time I found out about the book blogging world. It took quite some time for the ARC to arrive – in fact it arrived just one week before the actual book was to be released. Given how fat this book is for middle-grade fiction, it took me quite some time to finish it – 20 days in fact. Now normally 500 pages wouldn’t phase me, but I was in one of my moods of wanting to craft rather than read and I didn’t fancy the idea of a “children’s” book at the moment.

So my thoughts on this book – I enjoyed it, I really did. There was plenty of mystery, action, riddles to solve, snarky humor and my favorite thing – MONSTERS! Who doesn’t love a good bit of monster action? I know I do – heck I collect them! Plus it’s so nice when a book keeps you guessing right til the very en- d.

There were often moments when I couldn’t get at all what might happen next. It was full of plenty of unexpected moments and had just enough hints here and there for you to have those “ah hahs” and know that the scene is being set up for later on and that perhaps that bit you ought to hang onto and remember. I really liked that and I think the younger audience will enjoy that. It helps you to get into the story and think you are solving the puzzles right along with the main character.

Now with all that said - I didn’t really start enjoying it thoroughly until one third of the way in. I think I was turned off to the fact that it was so thick for the genre it is aimed at. I kept thinking while reading it that its target age group didn’t seem to fit quite right. I have two twin nephews that are 9 years old – I don’t think they could pick this hefty book up until they were at least 14 which is the tail end of the age range it is categorized in. Though I do think they would enjoy it if I read it aloud to them (accompanied with all the funny voices of course).

One concern I had was I don’t think the mental images of most of the characters were built well enough. I could only successfully conjure up mental pictures of three of the characters. A few times I went back to the physical descriptions of the children so I could better get a mental grip of them again. The small bits of back story you got on each character helped add mystery to the story but I often wished there were a bit more by the time the book ended. One in particular I felt lacked in background so much so that it made it difficult for me to latch onto her emotionally (Crystal).

In the end, I would definitely recommend this book to readers that enjoyed the Harry Potter series. I really like the main character Sky a lot as well as his supporting cast and think he was a well rounded out character. He had a good balance of redeeming qualities and flaws which made him very endearing. I definitely plan to read the next one in this series!(less)

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Jul 26, 2011 Reading Vacation's Mom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sky is an eleven-year-old boy with a remarkable life. The thing is, Sky has no idea that he survived an epic battle when he was a baby. He doesn’t know that the puzzles and traps that fascinate him are really preparing him for the future. Once Sky turns twelve, the story unfolds and he is shocked by what he discovers. I absolutely loved learning about Sky’s background and future right along with him.

Oh my gosh, MONSTERS! All different kinds. Monsters with horns, others with tentacles, monsters t...more

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May 22, 2012 Sean rated it 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely love this book. I expected the usual hero-goes-through-challenges-and fights-some-bad-boss-but-not-the real-problem-leading-to-the-next-book scenario. But this book was all of that with a creative touch. The monsters are weird and freaky with weird and freaky names. The story is like some big elaborate puzzle with many missing pieces. E.J. Patten gave the narration of probably what a twelve year old would say. The book has action and mystery and like I said before, lots of creativit...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Bistro2012 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jessica S., 14
E. J. Patten
Return to Exile
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing 2011

I loved it. This book was a mixture of some steampunk and fanstasy. This was a fast page turner, but became a procrastiread because I did not want to finish it. It had many shockers and a great climax. Great for anyone that loves fanstasy. For anyone that loves a fast page turner with mythical monster and creatures.

Rating: 5 Hard to imagine a better book

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Oct 04, 2012 Celeste rated it 2 of 5 stars

I struggled with this book. There was too many different characters and monsters to keep track of and it was 500 pages long, which is a bit much for a middle reader. I felt like the solutions that got the characters out of scrapes were not believable and overall I had to force myself to read the book. That said, the things I liked about this book were that it made me laugh, I loved the first pages description of Uncle Phineas. I cared about the main character and once I could wrap my head around...more

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About E.J. Patten

In April 1974, a beautiful baby boy was born at a small hospital in Mesa, Arizona. E. J. Patten (“Eric James”) was in the next crib over.

The first story he ever wrote involved a strange ad, a Laundromat, and a bowl of chili; thankfully, it was never published.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Arts, and a Masters in Business Administration from Brigham Young University. He currently res...more

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Books by E.J. Patten

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“Sometimes the hardest things to believe are the only things worth believing at al.” — 16 people liked it

“And power without compassion is the worst kind of evil there is.” — 6 people liked it

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