The adventure continues as Jack and his friends travel to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon in the pulse-pounding second title in the Seven Wonders series
With Marco gone and the first Loculus lost, Jack, Cass, and Ally are no closer to saving themselves (or the world) than when they first arrived at the Karai Institute. But when Bhegad tracks down Marco deep in the desert, the kids are off on the next leg of their quest-to the ancient city of Babylon. There the kids find themselves faced with a daunting choice that makes them question everything they've learned so far. It's a gut wrenching decision, but what the kids don't realize is that it's also a trap. Surprises pile on surprises until a long-lost figure from Jack's past returns, and the kids find themselves forced to engineer an escape that might just turn out to be a different kind of trap altogether.
+++
Where would I start this? Well, the first couple of pages is like a sum up of the first book so it's pretty much good. Like reliving the somewhat thrilling adventure. After that, it lost me. I'm really looking for justifications that I've not wasted time. Yes, there were chapters that thrilled me, but the rest of it spelled confusion. I truly tried to be fond of it and failed. Big time. Like the first book (The Colossus Rises (Seven Wonders #1)), there's this feeling that you're reading it and you were lost somewhere there. I don't even have an idea where have I gone astray.
I'm so like Alice in Wonderland. Sucked up in a world that everything needs to be figured out and there's no way out unless if your common sense will steer you. I can say that this is better than the first book because at least now, you have A BIT of an idea of what was going on so I thought. So many ancient terms and names I can't even pronounce. I felt like I need Google EVERY freaking TIME. Of course, it's not a good thing.
The betrayal is somehow predictable, like I've already figured it out from the last page of the first book and this book only confirmed it. I also wonder why the characters haven't thought about the obvious. Jack's dreams are way so uncanny that it confused me more. It's not even giving him hints on how to deal with things. Apparently, the characters are confused of what they're doing as well. I know Marco has a point in siding with the Massa because in some parts KI is as vague as a dirty tank. On this side of things, one can really not know who the good or the bad guys are. Confusion is an understatement.
The adventure for the retrieval of the Loculi is action-packed. I'll give it to Peter. I enjoyed it. Especially since the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is beautifully depicted. Cass' ability to navigate impressed me too, but I don't know about Torquin, so Hagrid like.
As I've noticed, the book entirely focused on the adventure itself and forgot about character development. I'm expecting that Jack would eventually know what his powers are and save the day. Evidently, the author is setting him aside for now and then BOOM..
My powers are better than yours.
Yours truly, Jack McKinley
That's so cliche. I'm always expecting that lead characters should be bad ass. Not some weakling at first and then hero at the end. Authors should STOP doing that. Really. I also think Peter could possibly present the characters more to the readers for them to be love. It's a different feeling if a reader is so attached to the characters. It'll make them read more. Crave for them more.
I would not say that I can't recommend this book for readers have different views, but I'm quite skeptical in reading the third installment of this series. It's entitled The Tomb of Shadows and it was published the 13th of May, 2014. I really need some motivations to read it. Truly good motivations, but I would give it three stars still.
Next on this series..
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