TITLE: Fledgling: Jason Steed
AUTHOR: Mark A. Cooper
PUB DATE: September 2010
PAGES: 240
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
SOURCE: I received an Advance Readers Copy from Paul at Sourcebooks when I met up with him this summer.
COVER: I just noticed that the finished copy of the cover is different from the ARC edition and the difference is the shadow of the guy isn’t on the ARC copy. Still the same I like the cover.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Tormented by his mother’s death…
Taken for granted by his father…
Trained in deadly martial arts…
Jason Steed is looking for a place to call home. He finds what he’s looking for in the Sea Cadets—an elite group of British youngsters being groomed for lifelong service in the military. But when a routine training exercise goes awry, Jason finds himself in the middle of a secret mission. The future of the world hangs in the balance…and Jason might be the only one who can save it.
MY THOUGHTS:
I never heard about this book until Paul handed it to me when I meet up with him this summer and he raved about it so I was curious about it so I read a bit of the first chapter and I have been dying to read it every since then but with it only coming out in September I decided to wait.
Well I picked up this weekend to read and I have to say I really really enjoyed it and had a hard time to put it down.
The book takes place in 1963 and I have to say honestly that most books like this doesn’t appeal to me but I have to admit that very quickly it didn’t feel like I was reading the book in that time period and at times I was like What? One example of this is when Jason is in Catherine’s bedroom and there is a picture of Jimmy Osmond and the Osmond’s hanging on her wall.
Jason is an eleven year old boy who is fearless (saves the Queen’s daughter and stands up to bullies), independent (this is due to the fact that his mother died when Jason was born and his father is always away because he is a naval officer in Her Majesty’s Navy) and a learner (learned how to speak Chinese and karate, he is the youngest to hold a black belt plus several other belts as well).
Jason has grown up in Hong Kong which lead him to wanting to learn to speak Chinese and to learn karate. In Hong Kong he developed his skill to the much surprise of many people who said he would never get his black belt because he was too young but he proved them all wrong.
When his father comes home from the Navy he informs Jason that they will be moving to London. This is something Jason isn’t all the keen on but quickly makes the most of it and wants to join the Sea Cadets even if it means lying about his age. In sea cadets he impresses his instructors with his skill and knowledge.
For summer vacation Jason will be spending it with Sea Cadets and doing some training with his regiment and several others from the UK although what seems like a harmless training quickly turns into a life and death situation. Will Jason be able to get out alive? Will what he’s learned be able to help him and others survive? Curious to know what its all about? Then go and pick up the book.
I think this would be a great book for a reluctant male reader because there is enough going in action to hold there attention plus its a quick read and not alot of pages.
What you might not know is that Fledgling, Jason Steel was actually self published in 2008 and it developed a huge following that Sourcebooks decided to take over and reprint the book.
Book two is called Boudica, Jason Steed and there is no release date as of yet and a book three is in the works.
Here is what Boudica, Jason Steed is about:
Triad Oath: If any of my sworn brothers are killed or arrested, I shall seek revenge.
If I do not do so I will be killed by myriads of swords.
Boudica; the Dragon Leader of the shadowy criminal organization known as
the Triads, has her evil plan exposed by Scotland Yard Undercover Intelligence
Unit. When she finds out it was with the help of Jason Steed who she had
once trusted. Jason finds himself in the cross hairs of an unforgiving blood
thirsty predator with harrowing consequences.
You can check out Mark A Cooper‘s website by clicking on his name. There is alot of great info to go along with the book on there.
copyright 2010, Cindy (Cindy’s Love Of Books)
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