Keeper of the Kingdom

Keeper #1

by H.J. Ralles

In 2540 AD, the Kingdom of Zaul is a terrifying world controlled by Cybergon "Protectors" and ruled by the Keeper. Humans are worker slaves, eliminated without thought. Thank goodness it's just a computer game-or is it. For Matt, Zaul suddenly becomes too real when his computer jams and he is suckd into the game. Now he is trapped. He must use his knowledge of computers and technology to free the people of Zaul and return to his own world.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2001

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

[Averi Carroll · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very half baked in many aspects: characters, setting, and world building were all an interesting start but never felt fully followed through on. The ending with the twist was honestly pretty surprising and I thought it was a better way to end the book than the alternative but overall, really needed to dig more into the characters, set up the setting a bit more to where it was easier to visualize it, and explain the stakes a little clearer with more weight being given to deaths.

[Conan Tigard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like any book published by a first-time author, I am always a little skeptical. But I was pleasantly surprised by the way the story rolled along and with the character development. The characters were easy to read about, as they were quite likable, and the situations they are placed in are quite exciting.

The print is lager than normal, making it easier reading for the younger reader. I did like that Ms. Ralles teaches the reader a little about computers by giving some steps on how to open programs. I felt that it would have been nice if there was a little more of this. One thing that I had a little problem swallowing was the killing of the humans. Not a lot are killed, and the Protectors turn them into a pile of ash when they shoot them, but still...it is killing. Since this is a book for young adults, I thought it would have been better not to have that type of violence.

Other than that one little problem, Keeper of the Kingdom is an excellent story and I was very pleased with the storytelling. I would recommend this book to young adults who are not only into computers and computer games, but are also into science fiction. I wonder what will happen next on Level 2 in Keeper of the Realm?

I rated this book a 7½ out of 10.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeper of the Kingdom is a computer game in which the object is to get past the robotic Protectors to eliminate the evil ruler of Zaul and free the human workers. Humans are enslaved, working 12 hours a day to produce deadly chemicals for weapons, and they are eliminated without hesitation when they are too sick or too weak to work. When Matt's laptop locks up while he is playing, he finds himself sucked into the future world of the game, and the only way out may be to play it to the end...and win. To complicate matters, Matt dropped the CD-ROM with the instructions while he was running from the protectors, so he's not sure how to play. Can he free the workers? Can he get back home? I don't like the physical layout of the book or the type, and I didn't expect to like the book itself, but found myself pleasantly surprised. This is like Epic by Conor Kostick, but more easily understood by younger readers.

[Jacob Ryckman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book after the author came to my school wayyyyyy back in the early 2000s. At the time, I devoured all of her available literature and loved getting her new works. Now I am a teacher, and my students get to read them!

It's an easy read for language-learners, as there isn't a lot of complex sentence structure or high-level vocabulary, and the text is in large font. The story itself is a little dated (any story involving computers and technology will be eventually), but has a simple structure and is easy to follow. The characters are likable and you want them to succeed.

Is it the greatest work of all time? Certainly not. But it is still a thoroughly enjoyable read for people of many ages.

[Emily]

The author came to my school and I wanted to buy her books so right when I got home I bought the keepers series and the ghost book and I can't wait till they get here