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Keeper of the Realm Top Publications, January 2003, 232 pp. Trade Paperback $9.95 ISBN: 1-929976-21-6 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? REVIEWSGenre: Young Adult "We’re underwater!" Matt gasped. "Karn is exactly 300 feet below sea level," replied his captor. Matt leaned as far forward as the belt would allow. It seemed as though he were staring into an enormous aquarium. The scenery was breathtaking. He saw vibrant pinks and oranges of coral beds and iridescent colors of unusual fish. Matt was dazzled by the brightness of the huge underwater lights, which illuminated the coral reef. Small dark shapes shot past the pod and then the more recognizable forms of six to eight foot Bull sharks. Without warning, the penetrating eyes of a giant eel glared through the glass. Matt threw himself back into his seat, shaking with the shock, as the lengthy body slithered past the window. The pod continued to lose speed and rode gently into dock, making a quiet connection with the propelling mechanism at the other end of the tunnel. The windows beyond the cramped enclosure turned black, and once again Matt was sealed inside an eerie tomb. A high-pitched tone signaled the opening of the doors. The man pulled Matt to his feet and pushed him gently forward toward the exit. Matt was faced with another winding set of stairs back to the upper level. He began the climb, his captor close on his heels. At the top an illuminated metal tunnel, similar to the one in Area 5, stretched endlessly before him. Matt’s shoes clanked on the floor, which was constructed in sections of metal mesh suspended across the diameter of the tunnel. He could see through the tiny gaps in the latticework beneath his feet. Thick silver pipes ran the length underfoot and flexible black cables intertwined with the pipes at various points. The curved walls of the corridor were monotonous—highly polished with little to distinguish the first ten feet from the last. Several similarly dressed individuals passed by. They all looked briefly in Matt’s direction, but walked past without so much as a question. Each man was clothed in black from head to toe with large slip-on shoes, a chunky belt and no sign of a weapon. Their facial features were different, but each individual possessed the same shiny gold-tinged skin color and similar markings on the neck. After his encounter with the Cybergons in Zaul, the thought of being held captive by another race of androids made Matt very nervous. At the end, the tunnel divided. Matt followed silently down one of the many forks and through a single sliding door into a bright windowless room. Several abstract paintings carefully placed on the walls picked out the warm orange tones of the paint-work. A wide bed with a yellow covering was molded into the back wall. At one end a soft pillow and folded rectangle of silver cloth were stacked neatly. Matt felt hot. He was unsure whether the temperature of the room was noticeably higher than that of the tunnels, or if he was sweating with nerves. Or perhaps the bright colors of the room made him feel warmer? He removed his jacket and stood in the center waiting. Waiting for what? he wondered. "Rest here, please. You will be seen later." "Seen?" questioned Matt. He was not answered. His guide departed the way they had entered and the door slid closed. The silence in the room was haunting—no sound of voices or appliances—just an eerie stillness. Matt kicked off his Nikes, dumped his coat over the back of the tubular chair in the corner of the room, and clambered onto the bed. He curled his arms around his knees and rocked back and forth. He was sick with worry. Only hours earlier he thought he would be leaving Zaul and returning home. Instead he was here—somewhere called Karn. He bent his head in dismay, near to tears. "Home," he muttered. "How I miss home. How do I get home?" He dared not think about whether time stood still during his mysterious travels. Was his mother even aware that he was missing? "Bet she’s frantic," he worried. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes. Matt slapped his cheeks hard, as if he thought he might awaken from some terrible dream, but the room seemed even hotter. "Matthew Hammond, pull yourself together!" He wiped the sweat off his forehead with the bottom of his T-shirt and lay back on the bed feeling utterly miserable. After completing the Keeper of the Kingdom game, Matt finds himself transported to the underwater world of the Karn. He ends up finding both Varl and Targon, but cannot find their friend Doran, who was in the room when he finished the game. They soon learn that the people of Karn are being held prisoners on their half of an underwater structure. The Noxerans came down fifteen years ago and took over half of the structure and are keeping all of the Karns out of their half. The Noxerans are lead by Pricepa Nonius Balbus, a man who has visions of grandeur and sees himself as a modern Caesar. Lately, earthquakes have been rocking the underwater world, causing quite a bit of worry among the Karns. After all the years of virtual imprisonment, the Karn are fed up with depending upon the Noxerans to live and are planning a rebellion. But when the leader of the rebellion, Braymar, is found in the Noxeran's half of the structure and captured, Balbus decides that the punishment for this infraction will be five Karns to use as slaves. Meanwhile, Matt finally figures out that he is still in his computer game, but has lost his laptop. Since it isn't in the Karn half, it must be somewhere on the Noxeran half. He forms a plan with Varl and some of the Karn to infiltrate Noxera and find his computer. He suggests that they also attempt to rescue Braymar while they are over there. But as the rescue mission begins, Mat and Varl are unaware that the security procedures have been changed and they are walking into certain capture. Keeper of the Realm is the second book in the Keeper series. This is a young adult science fiction book set in the year 2540 and focuses on a boy named Matt who is from the year 2010. The story revolves his attempt to finish a computer game he started before he was sucked into the game. The only problem is that he now has to finish as a real character from inside the game. 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 Keeper of the Realm In this second book of the Keeper series, Matt
and his fellow game travelers are swept into level two of Matt's mysterious and
dangerous computer game. Only quick wits, lightening reflexes, and clever
strategizing will save them A Dangerous Computer Game Ralles, H.J. Keeper of the Realm,
Dallas, TX. Top Publications, Ltd. Co. 2003. 232 pages. $9.95 paper. ISBN
1-929976-21-6. Another Review at Myshelf.com
Keeper
of the Realm In Keeper of the Kingdom, Matt got sucked into his computer game and became deadly reality as he was pursued by the Protectors of Zaul. As Keeper of the Realm begins, Matt's computer failed to save the his victory and Matt begins the game over instead of going home. As he runs through the Forbidden Hall, his vision is blocked by the smoke and dust as the Protectors fire at him. Suddenly, Matt goes through a door and finds himself in a strange corridor. A sign on the wall says "DANGER." Matt feels a hand on his shoulder and turns to see a young man, heavily muscled, with wild black hair, golden skin and huge feet speaking to him in a deep voice. Matt has no idea where he is or how he got there, but he isn't in Zaul. His captor locks him in a room alone. When Matt awakens from his nap, he finds that Varl, the scientist from Zaul, and his friend, Targon, have been locked in with him. They don't know where they are or how they got there. Matt's laptop probably has the answers, but none of them have it. The three are taken to two of the elders, where they learn they are in the Realm of Karn. The Karns are under the rule of the Noxerans, who invaded their realm almost fifteen years before and now occupy more than half of Karn. Now, with the Karns' help, can Matt retrieve his computer from the Noxeran vault and free Karn? Will it take him home? Keeper of the Realm is an exciting sequel to Keeper of the Kingdom. This is a great read for young adults, though many young teens will also enjoy it. H. J. Ralles gets better wuth each book she writes FROM MIVIEWS SCI FIOne exposure to a group of LARP gamers is more than enough to
convince anyone that these role players live inside the world of the
game. Are video and computer gamers that...well...obsessive? How many people
would want to be in the game, following the rules and doing there best to
survive? Come to think of it, how many would make it through when the new
reality hits them in the face and they have only one life to risk; no
reset for when the boss beats them. Copyright ©2003 Lisa
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