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Published: May 17, 2011
Words: 85689 (approximate)
Language: English
Ebook short description
When the seas rose and the world froze, much knowledge was lost. Mysterious twins, Jacob and Elya, shipwrecked in Hexult, discover their superior understanding of science is mistaken for magic by the superstitious islanders. With the aid of Aulf the mailman and his fiery crewmate, Ingar, the twins must overcome terrible tragedy and danger, to save their reputations and their lives.Extended description
Shipwrecked on the frozen seas of an ice world, in a future so distant that the only traces left of our time are shards of glass, fifteen year old twins, Jacob and Elya, are rescued by Aulf, the young mail man, who earns a precarious living sailing his small boat between the treacherous arms of the Vajra Crevasse, to deliver mail to the troubled islands of Hexult.When the seas rose and the world froze, much technology was lost, and Jacob and Elya's superior knowledge of science leads the superstitious islanders to believe they are magicians. An ancient prophecy, predicting their arrival, spells trouble for the twins, and before long threatens their relationship with each other and puts and Elya's life in danger.
With the islands at each other's throats, Jacob and Elya come up with a revolutionary plan to help improve relations across Hexult, an idea instantly snapped up by Hexult's resident magician, Gabriel, who sees it as the perfect way to redeem his own fading glory, and immedia... (Read more)
Tags
magic, science, action adventure, tween, ice age, tween magical adventure humorous, tweenagers, tween fiction, tween fantasy, tween novelAvailable ebook reading formats
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Reviews
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Review by:
Madame Diotte
on Feb. 12, 2012 :
An original premise, good character development, and lots of action make this a truly enjoyable read! You will love getting to know Aulf, Ingar, Jacob, and Elya in this unusual adventure! Great for teens and adults alike!
(reviewed long after purchase)
Review by:
killie81
on Jan. 04, 2012 :
"Hexult" by Perry Aylen is an enjoyable adventure story with the shadings of a post-apocalyptic and dystopian tone. It is firmly aimed at the earlier end of the young adults market although I believe that even younger children will also enjoy having this light and easy going story read to them. The genre of this story was am interesting aspect as I had to decide on if I would call this Science-Fiction or Fantasy. However, as the premise appears to imply the story is set in the Earth at an undefined future date I decided just to lean towards classing this as a Science-Fiction novel.
The story is set on a world where the temperature has dropped substantially and is now mainly covered in ice and people now use boats adapted to slide across the ice rather than sail upon water. On this world there is the land of Hexult which is a collection of islands that poke out of the ice, the islands are kept habitable thanks to the heating effects of various elements of geothermal activity.
When, Aulf a mailman and his crew member, Ingar discover a wreck on the ice they find two survivors, mysterious twins named Jacob and Elya who claim to have come from a land far across the frozen wasteland. These two youngsters have an understanding of science far beyond that of those on the islands and this science is soon mistaken for magic by a people who have forgotten much of the knowledge that may have been known in the past. Very soon, the twins find themselves the centre of fearsome prophecy and their attempts to save both their lives and reputation leads them on an adventure across the frozen wastes to all corners of the Hexult island chain.
I have to admit that I am well past the target age group for this novel but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it as the plot was engaging and moved at a decent rate. The world that has been created by the author is imaginative and exciting although I will say that it was a shame that it felt like the surface has only just been scratched. I now hope that in the proposed sequel we get to uncover even more about this interesting place and the people who live there.
One element I really appreciated was the various utilisations of knowledge and technology thrown into the book regarding things such as compasses, steel, ice lenses, mirrors, etc. I can actually envision children reading this novel and then asking their parents or teachers more about the interesting elements contained. I myself actually went and read up a little bit more on steel production and its history after reading "Hexult". Any book that can inspire the search for more information and knowledge in either me or others is a great thing in my opinion.
I found the main characters to all be rather endearing and there was an innocence present that was quite nice to behold. It really helps to draws you in so that you actually care about them and wish them on to succeed in their various endeavours. However, it did feel like there was something lacking a little in the characters to make them feel fully rounded. Basically, the large amount of innocence present within the various people in the story meant that it was hard to see any other elements personality, especially in regards to charisma. Even some of the various leaders in the isles just seemed to be missing a spark that I would have expected to see. It doesn't spoil the story but it just meant that the characters feel slightly unreal to me.
Overall, this was an enjoyable and interesting adventure story that should appeal to most young readers. I fully intend to read it with my own children when they are old enough to understand it and hopefully it will inspire some interest in the science and technology utilised in the novel. If you are a younger reader who wants to read something different form the current trend in vampires, zombies, etc. then you should give this a try.
(reviewed long after purchase)
Review by:
Carol Brannigan
on Nov. 18, 2011 :
This was an enjoyable read. The genre is only very loosely science fiction (I would hesitate to even call it as loosely). I would describe this as a YA fantasy adventure with suggestions of post apocalyptic and dystopian tones. Even though it wasn't the genre I was expecting, I enjoyed the story very much. I think this would be a great read for children as it should keep their attention but would also provide some very important lessons.
I was happy about the message but also pleased that the author created believable characters that were fairly well developed. It was also nice that the ending wasn't wrapped up in a nice tidy bow- yes the story took care of the bulk of loose ends but not specifically with an unrealistic "happy ever after".
How was this relatively short book able to encompass tones of dealing with politics, superstition, irrationality, science and prejudice all wrapped up in an adventure story? Well- to find out that I would recommend reading it.
(reviewed long after purchase)
Review by:
Cindy Spangler
on Nov. 04, 2011 :
There are several great descriptions of the story on here. I will add that it is a lovely epic for early teens. I have to add that I really enjoyed the story and it would make a good "chapter" book, as each chapter added something to the story. I look forward to seeing more written in the Hexult world.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)
Review by:
John Hutchinson
on Oct. 22, 2011 :
Earlier reviews give a good plot summary. I will simply add that I would be very happy for my tween children to read Hexult. It would capture their imaginations without leaning toward inappropriate topics. A great read!
(reviewed within a week of purchase)
Review by:
Leanne Bell
on Oct. 03, 2011 :
After much kindle trouble I finally got to finishing this book and a big thanks to the author for the endless patience! A big big thank you goes to Perry Aylen (actually two very clever people working on the same novel!) for asking me to review this book.
To kick my review off here's the Goodreads synopsis to give you a brief introduction:
'When the seas rose and the world froze, much knowledge was lost.
Mysterious twins, Jacob and Elya, shipwrecked in Hexult, discover their superior understanding of science is mistaken for magic by the superstitious islanders.
With the aid of Aulf the mailman and his fiery crewmate, Ingar, the twins must overcome terrible tragedy and danger, to save their reputations and their lives.'
I love a good fantasty novel, especially as I'm one of those people who can imagine themselves in the places described in a book and I had no problems in doing so with this one. The text is so richly descriptive and highly imaginative that I found I could picture everything with clarity, from the Varja Crevasse and on to the wonderfully named Islands of Orking Do, Quayven and Pelago (among others!).
With regards to this, perhaps the only issue I had with this novel was that there was a lot of new terms and places to absorb and at first I found myself struggling to take it all in, but by the time I was further into the novel and place names and people had been repeated I found that it had all sunk in, so much so that even with the huge gap in reading this book due to my broken kindle, I was able to remember names of places and people with ease when I went to finish it.
For those who love your adventure and magic (erm science, I mean) this is also an adventure story with a twist and I found myself laughing on occasion at the citizens of Hexult who, in the bigger part, drove me nuts with their superstitions, and I found myself wanting to yell at them all.
One of the things that I quickly came to wonder was if the seas did rise and the world froze over and people forgot about science and common sense, would we go back to believing such things as magic, prophecy and judging people on such things? Or would we at least retain some of our knowledge? To me it would feel like a step backwards, but reading this book, it makes complete sense, because it would be quite easy in the absence of knowledge to revert to a very medieval attitude.
All that aside, the trips across the ice coupled with the fights, the raiding and the fantastical buildings that are created captured my imagination with ease and had my heart racing in some instances and I was left fascinated by some of the ideas and by the simple thought that it only takes a small group of people to change the world, even in the face of so much adversity and superstition.
Character wise I loved the twins and how they dealt with the situation they were dropped into despite everything that was against them and I got rather attached to Aulf and Ingar too so I will definitely be reading the sequel to this to find out what happens next.
If your looking for something different to read give this a go, you won't be disappointed.
(reviewed long after purchase)
Review by:
Donalisa Helsley
on Sep. 24, 2011 :
What a exciting change from the vampires and werewolves I have been reading lately. This book was a wonderful and entertaining adventure. Hexult is the story of two teens who are shipwrecked and saved. They are brought to a land where they are very different from the people around them. They are attacked verbally and physically due to fear and ignorance. The teens bring with them knowledge and information on how to build helpful items that are considered "magic".
I am always looking for a lesson learned and this story has a few. Perry expertly weaves in a lesson about predjudice. We learn along with the characters that just because someone or something is different doesn't make it "bad". Secondly, there were bits of science woven throughout the story. I found myself wanting to build an ice tower!
This story is aimed at ages 12-15 but I believe that it can be read aloud to younger children. Even adults will like it. Although it took me a chapter or two before I "got into" the story once I was in I didn't go to bed until I finished the book!
(reviewed long after purchase)
Review by:
Sift Book Reviews
on Sep. 06, 2011 :
Hexult is an adventure story aimed at tweens and while it will certainly appeal to middle grade and young adult readers, it is an enjoyable read for adults too; 5 out of 5 stars.
The author sets the drama of the shipwreck quickly and maintains a high level of adventure throughout the story in the form of raiders, an ill-tempered wizard, and islanders hardened by death and war. I liked how the unlikely, yet very strong, friendship between mailman Aulf and runaway/fighter/outcast Ingar was established from the start; it made me invested in them as characters and also in their relationship.
The other two main characters, twins Jacob and Elya, are equally as endearing and effective at capturing the reader. Their knowledge of science, or magic to the islanders, was very entertaining and drew some interesting parallels to mankinds continuing fear of things we cannot understand.
The writing style of Hexult is very clear and concise and a great level for a book aimed at tweens; it will sharpen a younger reader's vocabulary but is not too inaccessible.
I have no real criticisms of Hexult. It has a real childlike innocence and sense of wonder about it that make it a great book, especially for its younger target audience.
Hexult is an exciting tale of adventure from beginning to end and leaves the reader knowing that good trumps evil anyday.
Review by: Erica of Sift Book Reviews
Sift Book Reviews received a free copy for review from the author. This has, in no way, affected the reviewer's opinion.
(reviewed long after purchase)
Review by:
LE Olteano
on July 20, 2011 :
What a refreshing idea! Literally, refreshing. With the heat tormenting me, reading about a world of ice made it all better, at least for my mind.
I’ll be honest, I’m quite torn between a 3 and 4 butterflies rating. I’d give it a 4 for originality, age-appropriate tale-like structure, content and characters, but a 3 for the chemistry I had with said characters. Admittedly, I am well above it’s target; so, to make up my mind what rating I’d give it, I thought, if I had a kid, would I give him/her this book to read? And it’s a definite “YES”, something I wouldn’t quite say for some titles out there. But my reading experience does point more to the 3 segment, therefore, I rate Hexult a 3 (and a half) out of 5.
The atmosphere is very much tale-like, if a bit…chilling. A world engulfed in ice, where some knowledge truly does set you apart – that setting got my full attention right from the beginning. I loved the description of the environment, it is both built and presented beautifully.
The characters are interesting, especially the twins. As I kept reading, I had these flashbacks of an animated series I used to watch when I was younger, I’m not sure I remember the name, but it was about these twins traveling together, and when they’d hold hands they did some sort of Magic thing; anyway, I really loved the series, and I’ve been since a big fan of twins. It was a great pleasure for me to follow twin adventures, if I may call them so.
The plot itself is quite engaging, and I could definitely see a successful movie made based on Perry Aylen‘s work, I believe it would translate into a big time success. If I could have had something different about it, I think I would have liked the characters to be a bit more…charismatic? There’s something endearing about some of them, the twins especially, but maybe someone could have been just a tad more edgy perhaps, but that’s a very personal aspect of course.
As usual, I can’t keep from commenting about the cover. I love the cover, I mean, just looks at it; it’s beautiful!
All thing considered, I find Hexult to be a very charming tale, that I do recommend with a dear heart. It has that sprinkle of fairytale charm that we find so little of lately.
(reviewed long after purchase)
Review by:
Sonny- Literary Junkie
on July 17, 2011 :
The world is covered in ice. The only way to travel in Hexult is by boat.
Aulf is the mailman between the islands in Hexult and Ingar is his crew. One day on their way to deliver mail, Aulf and Ingar find a boat which has perished. Inside were twins Jacob and Elya; their father dead from the crash. When Aulf and Ingar take the twins in and help them, the four of them and the whole of Hexult dives into a world of adventure.
Raiders are around every corner, ready to jump on unsuspecting prizes. The islands are in shambles from the lack of trust and communication. Jacob and Elya seem to be a beacon of light in the ice covered darkness. They have brought with them the knowledge of science that is put into use to help the islands. But, the islands are not making the twin’s arrival welcome. They are suspicious people.
A small feud begins to breakout between the local wizard, Gabriel, and the twins. Because of Jacob and Elya’s strange knowledge science make the locals believe that they are new wizards. And Gabriel only fuels their flames to be back on top.
Finally, the islands begin to trust the strange newcomers, and with this trust comes a jump into the future. They people of Hexult that had once found the twins to be suspicious are now looking to them as almost saviors of their way of life.
My Thoughts:
First off, Hexult is not at my reading level or my particular taste in books. This book is more geared toward children and the middle school age group.
With that information out of the way, I do find the world of Hexult to be imaginative and enticing. Although, it did take me quite a few chapters before I was able to get the gist of the story and indulge in the characters. As the story went on and the more interesting Hexult started to become, the easier it was to lose myself in Perry Aylen’s words. But, I think that the world of Hexult could have been deeper, more exciting.
Aulf, one of the main characters is sweet and energetic. He captivates the audience with his never-ending generosity and love for Hexult. Ingar was just as equally interesting.
All in all, Hexult was an okay read. But, do not hesitate to pick this one up for your children. They adventure and the magic of an unknown world will be sure to captivate a young person’s mind.
(reviewed long after purchase)
Review by:
Joo
on May 31, 2011 :
Not normally my type of book, but I'm so glad I tried it. I was totally immersed in the world to the extent I'd be feeling cold just reading it.
It seemed like it was the start of an epic set of adventures, I hope so.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)