Rise of the Dark One

The Titan Prophecy #1

by A.M. Crawford

A young adults story based on Greek mythology and the adventures of Charlie and his best friend Max as they time-travel between their home in an English moorland village and the Ancient World of their mission -- to save their own world from a catastrophic war foretold in The Titan Prophecy...

Genres: Fantasy

338 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2011

About the author

A.M. Crawford is a writer and journalist. Having spent many years penning articles for the British political journal Parliamentary Brief and trying to make sense of government policy - often more myth than fact - she, understandably, now devotes her time to writing fiction.

Reviews

[Lone Wolf · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the story of young boy Charlie, who learns he is the subject of a prophecy among the Greek gods. When a supernatural assassin is sent after him, he and his best friend Max are whisked away to the land of the gods by “Time God” Parseus, where he must try to prepare for his destiny.

The book was rather more juvenile than I was expecting (I found it in a charity shop and didn’t initially realize it was a children’s book). The writing style was quite bland and simplistic, with a lot of exposition and the focus always on Charlie’s childish point of view. There was also some sexism, such as Charlie’s sister not being allowed to join in his combat training purely because she’s female, and certain professions and hobbies being looked down on as “girl stuff”. This would be one thing if it was just that the gods had a sexist culture, but Charlie and Max are just as bad.

There was quite a lot of missing punctuation throughout the book (commas in particular), and the author never uses exclamation marks even when people are shouting. At one point, “chomping” is used when “champing” is meant. Worst of all, there is no conclusion. Not only do we not learn whether Charlie fulfils the prophecy, we don’t even learn what the prophecy is! The book ends on a cliffhanger, and you presumably have to read the sequel to find out what happens. Personally, I won’t bother.

[Samantha (A Dream of Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

'The Titan Prophecy: Rise of the Dark One' is a thrilling adventure ride through the world of ancient Greece. The book interweaves many well known Greek myths and legends such as Jason and the quest for the golden fleece, as well as featuring familiar names such as Hades, God of the Underworld. This was one of my favourite aspects of the book, as not only did this appeal to the part of me that's hooked on the stories of ancient powerful Gods but it managed to be educational and informative (in a fun way!) at the same time which is a credit to debut author A.M. Crawford who has obviously done her research. The only thing I thought was that occasionally there seemed to be a few too many characters introduced in quick succession and an explanation had to be provided for each God to ensure that the reader knew who they were and why they were well known in history. Sometimes this felt like a lot to absorb all at once.

At first glance this title could be seen as similar to the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan which also feature a boy hero but 'The Titan Prophecy' stands apart as an amazing and enjoyable read in it's own right. I picked this one up only intending to read the first few chapters and ended up becoming so immersed in the story that before I knew it I was half way through. There were also some gripping cliffhangers and some shocking twists at the end of many of the chapters which invariably had me reading on for just a couple more pages.

The story opens by introducing the main character Charlie and his best friend Max. Before long their lives are dramatically changed when they discover that an ancient prophecy foretells that Charlie alone will be the saviour of the Gods who are threatened by the Titans rising up and waging war on them. Not only that but Charlie is being sought after by the Dark One, a shadowy sinister form who's acting as the Titans' assassin. He's guided on his journey by a Time God by Parseus, allowing the action to move between the present day and ancient Greece. I was pleased to see that the time discrepancy was dealt with and an explanation was provided to how time moves differently between the worlds. This meant that the characters and plot could move swiftly backwards and forwards without leaving the reader wondering why no one had noticed they'd disappeared.

Taking place on land and at sea, there was plenty to keep the reader on the edge of their seat for much of the book. I really liked the modern day setting of the small village of Hesper and the creepy old Hesper House which stands forebodingly over the hell realm.

I would definitely recommend this book to those who love stories set in and about ancient Greece and those who are looking for an exciting and thrilling read. There's non-stop action as Charlie faces one peril after another but as all good boy heroes do, he never gives up! The first in a series, I look forward to finding out whether or not Charlie really can save the day.

[Donald Mclellan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a children’s adventure story based on Greek mythology, and the test of it therefore is whether it is a book of value to its intended audience — and the answer to that is very much Yes. The reason for so saying is not based on whether it might appeal to adults — that is not its primary market — but whether as parents this is the sort of book one would want one’s children to read. There is a great deal of competition in today's world for children's attention, so any book which can capture their imagination is to be commended. It is to be particularly commended if at the end the children’s interest in the subject — in this case the Ancient World and Greek mythology — is excited and they want to know more. A.M. Crawford should be congratulated for doing just that.

The author clearly knows the subject, but without becoming prisoner of it or surrendering to the parody manifest in the Percy Jackson series. The Gods in this book are made very real — Hades, Hephaistos, Ares, and Zeus are especially well drawn — and the descriptions of life in the Ancient World are excellent and entertaining. The central characters, Charlie, his sister Emily, and Charlie’s best friend Max, together with the urbane Time God who guides them between their adventures there and in their own remote English village, are perfectly established for what is evidently a series to be welcomed.

This is a hugely imaginative and original new book, and promises to become a significant contribution to the genre. But what is striking is the skill with which the author blends adventure and fantasy into a book which is — whisper the word — educational, and thereby opening ‘the closed world’ of Greek mythology to a new generation. Full marks to the author.

[Kara Lang · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hadn't heard of this series before I was asked to review it, but it was a fun and interesting read , but it wasn't my cup of tea a little young but still enjoyable. The series I feel is aimed at boys probably aged 10-14, maybe a little younger. I will certainly be keeping this in my book shelf for when my boys are old enough.

This book takes you on an adventure, which includes a Gothic house, Greek Gods, magic, time travel and mythological creatures. What more could a boy want. There are so many twists and turns and I love the original take this book has on Greek Mythology. I can guarantee this book will keep you turning the pages until the end.

The main characters are Charlie and his best friend Max, who's lives changed when they come across an ancient prophecy which says that Charlie will be the saviour of the Greek Gods during a war by the Titans. Charlie is in danger from the Dark one, can he save the Gods and himself. The book moves between time zones, which is explained by the Time God.

I think this is a great book for any Greek Mythology fan. Especially if they are boys aged 10 and above. It is a fun and gripping read, one I'm sure any young boy would enjoy.

[Nelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, I am going to try REALLY hard to do this without spoilers.

If you're looking for nothing more than an adventure targeted toward adolescent and pre-adolescent boys, this is the book for you. There is a lot that happens here and that's one of my biggest criticisms. The story is too confused with too much junk thrown in there. There's the cliche Gothic house of foreboding, Greek gods, various other mythological creatures, various magical items, inter dimensional and time travel, etc., etc. Too many cooks spoil the broth and I feel the story could have much benefited from a bit of plot simplification.

Although I do have to give Crawford credit for trying to make the already-been-done Greek mythology theme into something original and not just a copycat of Rick Riordan. As I said, the adventure is quite imaginative, although some of the resolutions are a bit simplistic, but this is a children's book after all.

This was just an average read for me and I don't know if I'll continue with the series. Maybe if the next book costs me only $.99 as well.

[LaQuita · Rating 4 out of 5]

A.M. Crawford’s The Titan Prophecy is a mythical adventure of Titanic proportions. The turn of phrase is bit advanced for my fourth grader mostly because they’re not exposed nearly enough to older type English. So suggesting this to my son will require me explaining some things. However, I believe the action and magic of the story will make learning to understand older English reading well worth it. We did much the same with “How to Train Your Dragon” which he loved reading, even if he struggled through the accents. I will be helping him read this, since I enjoyed the reading of it so much. Great book to get your reluctant readers to understand that reading doesn’t have to be boring. It can be magical, take you to another world, universe or even back in time.

http://www.justusgirlsblog.com/2012/0...

[Arch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is creative, original, and overall a highly enjoyable read. Strongly recommended.
Crawford has managed to originally create a fantastic spin on Greek mythology. It is obvious she has a very clear idea of what she wants to incorporate because she does it very well.
This book is simply an enjoyable read. It has plot twists, it has good characters: I could not put the book down. Any fans of Percy Jackson (a number which is numerous) should definitely read this book, and even if you haven't read that series, anyone who enjoys a well-written fantasy will love this book. It is aimed for children, and I think it is enjoyable.
Overall, this book is very well written. The author shows a lot of potential, and I look forward to reading anything else she has to write. Bring on her next books!
100%: you should read this book!

[joanne littleton]

I have Crawford autography to this book.