Eternal Seas by Lexi Rees ** Blog Tour Review, Extract & Competition**
I am happy to be featuring Lexi Rees' latest novel, Eternal Seas on Cat and Mouse Reading today. Not only do I have an extract for you to read and an insight into Finn's character, but also, a competition to enter, with a chance to win an Amazon Gift Voucher. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.
Eternal Seas is Book One in the Relic Hunters Series and is intended for Middle Grade readers.
Such a small parcel
shouldn’t cause experienced
smugglers much trouble,
but this parcel is far from normal.
Chased across the seas, Finn and Aria must solve the
mysteries within the parcel.
What does it mean? Who should they trust?
What will happen?
The fate of an ancient people depends on them
and time is running out ...
Extract
This short extract is the first time we start to learn a little
about Finn’s character when his sister is asking for his help …
The instant my head’s above the
water, she starts to babble, ‘Hurry up, Finn, get on board.’ Muttered complaints
of, ‘Why is he still in the water?’ and, ‘Why doesn’t he ever help?’ reach me.
I clamber up the ladder onto the boat. Water droplets fly off in all directions as I shake my head.
Aria dashes past, stowing away snorkels, masks, flippers, towels, and sunscreen; all the loose items that seem to accumulate on deck when you’re at anchor. She’s still grumbling.
‘Hey, that’s not fair!’ I protest, clearing the water out of my ears. ‘I’m out now. Anyway, why are we in such a rush all of a sudden? What’s going on?’
I am delighted that Lexi is also sharing her character profile for Finn with us today. Over to you, Lexi:
Lexi
But as a special bonus, here is my character profile for
him.
Character Profile
Name: Finn
Age: 12
Birthday: 1 July
General physical description: Curly brown hair and a deep
tan. He’s always scruffy, even when he really tries to look smart.
Hometown: He’s a world citizen! He lives on a boat, the
Alcina, and travels all the time. Because his dad is a smuggler, they need to
move a lot, but he doesn’t mind because he loves being at sea.
Best friend. He has lots of friends, all around the world.
He loves meeting new people and is generally relaxed and chatty which means he
makes friends easily.
Attitude toward school: Because they are always moving, he
doesn’t go to a regular school. Instead, he and his sister, Aria, are home
educated. His favourite subjects are Geography and Science. Although he can’t
play football when he’s on the boat, he’s always swimming. He also loves
climbing and running.
Grades: Variable! Make that very variable.
Favourite pastimes: Swimming and reading.
Favourite food: Lahmacun (pronounced Lah-moo-chin). It’s a
thin Turkish pizza with minced lamb and herbs on it.
Dress style: The same shorts and t-shirt as yesterday, which
he found in a pile on the floor in his cabin.
Strongest positive personality trait: Perseverance and
bravery
Strongest negative personality trait: Impulsive
Consideration for others: He learns a lot about this in
Eternal Seas.
Philosophy of life: It’ll be fine.
Most important thing to know about character: He has a
strong sense of family loyalty and will do anything to protect or help them.
Will readers like this character, and why? Yes! He’s either
you, your brother, or a friend.
Illustration
To complete the picture, I thought you might
like to see this illustration of Finn and his sister Aria from the book. My son
and I drew this sketch together. He
added the accessories: the pirrfu charm which Finn is holding, and the belt
with keys and pocket knife which Aria is wearing. He’s also great at doing
shoes which I can’t draw at all!
Cat and Mouse say...
I am sure that Middle Grade readers will love this fantasy adventure which establishes the characters and some of the background for the Relic Hunters Series. The story skips along at a steady but fast pace and unfolds naturally. As it does so, we learn more about Finn and Aria and what is so special about them.
I particularly like the illustrations which are peppered throughout. The chapters are short and readable. Above all, young readers can identify with the lead characters who have recognisable character traits. There are some lovely, atmospheric descriptions of the sea and a clever reimagining of London.
About the Author
Lexi Rees grew up in the
north of Scotland but now splits her time between London and West Sussex. She
still goes back to Scotland regularly though.
Usually seen clutching a mug
of coffee, she spends as much time as possible sailing and horse riding, both
of which she does enthusiastically but badly.
Her first book, Eternal Seas was
written on a boat; the storm described in it was frighteningly real.
Book link: Amazon UK
Thanks to Lexi Rees and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.
Do check out these other great bloggers!
Competition (UK only)
Win one of two £10 Amazon
gift vouchers (UK only).
To enter:
- Share a photo of you with the book (paperback or ebook) on Twitter or Instagram
- Tag @lexi_rees (Twitter) or lexi.rees (Instagram) and #EternalSeas
- Closing date 30th November 2018
- UK only
- Winners will be drawn randomly
Illustration competition -
would your children like to see their illustrations published in a book?
Six lucky winners will have
their illustrations printed in the sequel to Eternal Seas
Winners and runners up will
also have their drawings featured on www.lexirees.co.uk and on social media
Drawings must be in black and
white, and can be in any of the following categories
- Aria flying up in the sky
- a cat
- mountain ponies
- a snow eagle
- a demon-goddess
- a sailing boat
- Finn and/ or Aria
Please see detailed terms for
entry requirements
- Open to children aged 13 or under
- You can enter as many categories as you like
- Winners will be chosen by Lexi Rees
- Children’s name and age will be published together with their illustration. Parents/ guardians must confirm they are happy with this when they enter. Other information (e.g email address) will not be shared.
- No purchase necessary
- Closing date 31/1/19
- Entries must be scanned or photographed in high resolution and emailed to lexireads@hotmail.com. The winners may need to post originals if the images are not high enough quality for printing. Postage costs will be covered in this case.
- Full entry details can be found on www.lexirees.co.uk
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