Books like The Horn of Moran

Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...Alex, our wizard in training, has been back in the real world for a year and boy is it different than the respect he commands while adventuring. When he is called back on an adventure he is excited to continue his travels as he and his band quest to find the lost Horn of Moran and return it to Norsland before the nation erupts in war. They battle a goblin army, navigate an enchanted forest, and solve the sphinx's riddle... but will they make it in time?!The short review...I quite loved Slathbog's Gold, the first book in the series, so it was a no brainer to continue! I was excited to see how Alex would grow as a wizard and how his magic would change... I was NOT disappointed in this. The tower in particular was super fun to me... I love the conclusions he came to and how he worked out what he needed to do. My brother quite LOVES and adores this series and I think it speaks to boys who want to feel different from the crowd. So while some readers may call out a Gary Stu personality and an certain upbeateness to the plot i say that it teaches some lessons that are lacking in father absent homes. This is one of those series you give it a go and if it isn't for you then move along and don't stress, it's written for a particular reader in mind.This book certainly builds on the first as we are sent on the new adventure without the magic of learning how it all works that was in the first one. That made the start a little slow... because while attempts were made to make it fun, it just didn't measure up to the first adventure. This was complicated by the fact I didn't connect to the new band as much as I did the original one. While we met many of the old band members I miss the camaraderie that made the journey fun. The strength of this book is definitely the plot! Forman knows how to put Alex through his paces as a boy and as a wizard in training! Yes, he has adults he can rely on but he is the star of the book and is the character who grows a little more at the end of each adventure.Cover & Title grade -> A-The titles and covers have been really consistent in the series. I think this is one of the most communicative cover of all though. We meet Alex and see what the story is about. Each adventure is evident in the name too. I think a boy who read the first book or even one who is new to the series will certainly want to pick the book up and see what "adventurer's wanted" means and will be seduced by the premise!As a Writer...As a writer (sometimes) I feel like some readers are too critical of the writing aspect of a book. Reading reviews of book #1 on Goodreads I found it to be true. It makes me sad that readers write such debilitating criticism (if I were this author and read some of the 1 and 2 star reviews I would fall into a depression and probably stop writing for a time...) It's not that a reader shouldn't have their own opinions and nor should they "force" themselves to be positive. I think everyone has the right to believe whatever they want no matter if its foolish or wise. Okay? Okay.But since when do readers want to CRUSH THE VERY LIFE from a writer so they don't even want to write a second series?! And we are talking about a debut here (the criticism was about book #1)! This is only the second book this author HAS EVER WRITTEN! And the reason why only a limited number of adult readers typically read middle grade is because they aren't held to the standards of even YA. Yes, there are some extremely excellent middle grade and on the cusp of YA books! That's wonderful but there are writers out there who can become better too... given some constructive criticism. Some writers write for the wrong reasons and when they aren't wildly successful they end up going back to their day job... very naturally without fanfare. Those writers who clearly want to entertain a young person... those writers deserve a little respect for even finishing their book! Hahaha, no offense intended! Rant over.The Adventurer's Wanted series is about a good boy who is allowed to grow up in a world that treats him with respect no matter his age. He is given goals to meet and obstacles to overcome and grows from each one. He's surrounded by grown ups who listen to his ideas and allow him the space to put them into action. Is this idealistic? Hell yeah! But I love it anyway. The Horan of Moran is a great second book in the series and I look forward to book #3!⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Writing Style⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ World BuildingBOTTOM LINE: A great second installation in a stellar adventurer series for the wanderers hearted!______________________You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...