George Ivanoff – Aussie Reviews

The Treasure of Dead Man's Cove & Mayhem at Magic School, by George Ivanoff

‘Treasure!’
You freeze. Where did that voice come from?
You are in the hallway of the small guesthouse in the seaside town of Seabreeze. You and your parents are staying here for the summer holidays.
‘Treasure!’

You Choose is an exciting new series of choose your own adventure type books from Australian author George Ivanoff, aimed at primary aged readers. In The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove , readers make decisions during a stay at a seaside town rumoured to have hidden treasure. Depending on what choices they make along the way they could uncover the treasure, or be destined for doom stuck in a cave with a rising tide. In Mayhem at Magic School the reader finds themselves with surprising magical skills, and has to decide whether to keep them hidden, or head off to magic school.

Both books will appeal to readers of a range of levels and interests. For reluctant readers, the appeal of being able to complete the adventure fairly quickly (in Mayhem at Magic School it is possible to reach the end by page 21, depending on the choices made), will appeal, but of course curiosity about where other choices may lead is likely to encourage further reading and rereading. The novelty value is heightened by the use of second person narrative (‘you’), which allows the reader to place themself in the story and encourages them to consider what choices they would make.

This high interest, fast moving pair is loads of fun.

The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove

Mayhem at Magic School

Both published by Random House, 2014

Gamers’ Rebellion by George Ivanoff

In this third and final of the Gamers trilogy, Tark and Zyra who have lived all their lives inside a complex computer game, have escaped. Real life, they’re hoping will be calmer and less frenetic than their life in the game. But they discover as much drama and as many secrets in the real world. Yet again, they’ve been separated, and are pawns of the battles of others. They both need to again work out who to trust and how to find each other. And instead of being just in one world, their battles are fought across various game world environments and the real world. They are helped and hindered by brilliant scientists, rebels, clones and others as their goal of freedom is widened to include myriad others.

The game was over! Or so they thought.

With hands tightly clasped, Tark and Zyra watched as all they had ever known melted away.

And then they were moving through greyness. It was like swimming through treacle. Up ahead, two intense points of white light called to them.

The greyness swirled around them, tugging and pulling.

Their fingers slipped and their hands parted. They were whisked away from each other and towards the light – towards the unknown.

The action zips between worlds with jet-propelled speed, tension rising with each world-crossing. Tark and Zyra are not just fighting for their own destiny, they are learning that they exist in a greater world where there are injustices that cannot be ignored. They are awakening beyond themselves and their digital world to assume their roles as leaders. There are plenty of gadgets and technology to please science fiction readers set in a powerful and engaging narrative. There are plenty of topics to generate classroom discussion eg ethics, moral responsibility, even the notion of what constitutes ‘life’ and ‘living’. But readers will come to Gamers’ Rebellion having enjoyed the first two instalments of the trilogy. Gamers’ Rebellion could stand on its own, but why miss all the fun and adventure of ‘Gamers’ Quest’ and ‘Gamers’ Challenge’? Recommended for secondary readers.

Gamers’ Rebellion, George Ivanoff Ford St Publishing 2013 ISBN: 9781921665974

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

Available from good bookstores or online.

Gamers' Challenge, by George Ivanoff

Sequel to ‘Gamers’ Quest’

Zyra took aim, almost saying a prayer to the Designers out o habit, and pulled the trigger. She watched the crossbow bolt slice through the air, pinning all her hopes on it as it made its way to its target. Could this bold be different? Could the fact that it belonged to the monks from the Temple of Paths be the deciding factor?

But just like every other wean Zyra had tried, the bold did not do its job. It froze as it met its target. Pixel by pixel, it was deconstructed and absorbed into the grey, sizzling nothingness.

Zyra and Tark have been part of a game world. Now, although they’re still in the world, they no longer have the protection of the Designers. They are no longer invincible, their weapons aren’t working, they need food and sleep. In their new quest for survival, they must find the Ultimate Gamer. Only he has the skills to help them overcome the virus that is sending deadly grey balls of static after them. Even when they think they know everything there is to know about the game, they discover that there is so much more to learn.

Gamers Challenge is a sequel to ‘Gamers’ Quest’. As in the first novel, there are many explosions, near misses and even bells and whistles! Zyra and Tark are keen to be together but events conspire to keep them apart. There are clues to be investigated, wrong turns, trusted figures who can not be trusted. There are also visitors from ‘Gamers’ Quest. <a href=”http://www.fishpond.com.au/product_info.php?ref=271&id=9781921665516&Gamers Challenge could be read as a stand alone title, but is much richer for the knowledge of ‘Gamers’ Quest. There are themes of trust, loneliness and family. This is a fast-moving novel, guaranteed to attract those who love video quest games. Recommended for 12+.

Gamers Challenge;, George Ivanoff&
Ford St Publishing 2011
ISBN: 9781921665516

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author

www.clairesaxby.com

This book is available from Fishpond.

Gamers' Quest, by George Ivanoff

1: Tark
Tark perched in a tree and waited. He kept his eyes on the path that wound its way through the Forest. He knew it was just a matter of time. All he had to do was wait…and commit highway thievery. he wondered, as he sat on this branch, whether or not the term highway thievery still applied if the perpetration occurred on a path. Pathway thievery? Would that make him a pathwayman instead of a highwayman?

Tark and his friend Zyra are both thieves. It’s what they have to do to survive. Survival in their world is a daily challenge. As if having to thieve wasn’t enough, there is magic and illusion everywhere. They are always on guard, always aware that nothing is quite as it seems. There are rules for the likes of them, rules that preclude them ever becoming more than friends. Tark overcomes a dragon in his quest for riches, but inadvertently sets off a chain of events when he is challenged by the dragon’s wife. Simultaneously, Zyra upsets The Fat Man and the pair are in even more danger. All they really want is a chance to visit Designers Paradise for a short while, to experience a ‘normal’ life.

Gamers’ Quest twists and twists as reality and fantasy combine and separate. The reader is presented with a reality that feels like fantasy and then a fantasy that resembles reality. What if the characters in a computer game were real and the world in which we live was actually part of a game? Where there were tasks to be mastered, tokens of success to be gathered, rewards to be won? This is the rollercoaster of Gamers’ Quest. The only sure thing is the friendship between Tark and Zyra. Together, with their combined skills, they must pit themselves against a changing world, before it is too late. Gamers’ Quest moves at breakneck speed from challenge to reward, from one world to another. Pitched squarely at readers who are computer-skilled, and game fans, it is a wild adventure. Recommended for upper primary to early secondary readers.

Gamers’ Quest, George Ivanoff
Ford St Publishing 2009
ISBN: 9781876462864

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s Author
www.clairesaxby.com

This book can be purchased online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.