Keeper of the Realm

Keeper #2

by H.J. Ralles

In 2540 AD, the peaceful realm of Karn, 300 feet below sea level, has been invaded by the evil Noxerans. This beautiful city has become a prison for the Karns who must obey Noxeran regulations or die at their hands. In the second thrilling adventure of the Keeper Series, Matt uncovers the secrets of the underwater world. He must rid the realm of the Noxerans and destroy the Keeper. But winning level two of his game, without obliterating Karn, looks to be an impossible task. Can Matt find the Keeper before it's too late for them all?

Genres: Young Adult

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

I was born in the United Kingdom and moved to the USA in 1990-but I did spend 4 years of my childhood in Connecticut and New Jersey. I always loved to write. I wrote my first book at 10 years old and my first story was published in a New England camping magazine when I was 13 years old. My other passion is teaching. I have a Bachelor of Education and taught Grades 4 - 6 for 13 years.

In 1997 my eldest son challenged me to write a book that he would enjoy as much as his computer games. After Keeper of the Kingdom was published in 2001 I went back to the classroom as a visiting author, teaching writing workshops. I now have eight published YA science fiction novels and an exciting ghost story called The Ghosts of Malhado due for release on September 1st 2011.

In 2008 my husband and I moved from North Texas to Houston, with Sabby our devoted black Labrador and our new addition, Solo, a 1 yr old black Labrador/Retriever cross who is a bundle of fun. You can see photos of my dogs below the Newspaper Interviews. Our two sons have both graduated from college but come home regularly. I love my job! I am working on my next book and have a very busy school schedule again next year. Perhaps I will be visiting your school? Check my calendar page!

Reviews

[Conan Tigard · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great to read about Matt again. I got a chance to learn about Matt in the first book in the series, Keeper of the Kingdom, and was happy to see him continuing his adventures in another story. Although the background of the story was quite different then in the first book, I found that I liked this story even better.

Throughout the entire book, you can feel the tension that is created by having the Noxerans in the other half of the underwater structure, and the desperation of a race held in captivity. H.J. Ralles spins a wonderful Science Fiction tale aimed at younger readers, but has also created something that is quite enjoyable for booklovers of all ages.

Younger readers will instantly like Matt and his friends and will be eager to learn what is going to happen next. I did enjoy the fact that the violence of the first book in the series was toned down quite a bit. In fact, except for an accidental death, the book is not violent at all.

Overall, Keeper of the Realm is an excellent read for young readers that enjoy a fantastic yarn and full of surprises that will keep them guessing what will happen next. All I can really say is that I can't wait to read the next book, Keeper of the Empire.

I rated this book an 8½ out of 10.

[Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

amazing book featuring a teenage kid that after hours of playing his new computer game is sucked into it and to win it and get out he must defeat the keeper of the level to move on to the next. In Keeper of the Realm, the 2nd book of the series, Matt finds himself in an underwater layer that is split between two different races, one controlling the other. To win Matt must defeat the cruel leader of the invaders.