Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A slightly confusing but unique first novel that captured my interest without really connecting to me.

Opening Sentence: It was the day Mom took the coast road to school.

The Review:

Michael’s family is pushing themselves through the grief of the loss of his father. When they take an alternate route to school the next day to escape a flood, he saves a dog that was seemingly about to commit suicide off a cliff. Michael exhibits a rush of superhuman speed and powers that suggest he is more than the ordinary boy, which quickly catches the attention of an organization called UNICORNE, that invests in supernatural activity. More surprising still, his father was a part of it. In order to help a ghost girl find peace and set things right where he lives, Michael must delve into parts of himself he didn’t know existed. And maybe, just maybe, he could find his dad at the end of it all.

This author has a previous series called The Last Dragon. I’m sure you’ve seen the covers at one point, with the dragon’s eyes peering up at you and a scaly background, in all different colors? I read most of them, and let me tell you, they just get more and more confusing as they go on. The first I enjoyed, as did the second and third. I went so far as to order the whole series from the library and try to marathon them in my youth, but in the end, the things that happened were too odd and confusing and strange for me to continue. Maybe it was my age. Nevertheless, I knew many people enjoyed these books (why else would there be seven?!) so I forged ahead and began to read this one, hoping for a better outcome.

I will say that D’Lacey’s books have plenty of originality. His first series, while odd, was super interesting and unique. This one had that same spark, because no one done anything quite like it before. We’ve got Michael’s strange powers, the trust issues with this UNICORNE organization, the connections between a dog and a dead owner, cellular memory… It’s all rather intriguing. But it’s also all rather jumbled together. Though (thankfully!) I mostly understood this book, it’s sort of difficult to get through such a dense plotline with the readers having to draw more inferences then it being explained. I’m all for showing and not telling, but if the plotline is as strange and new as this one, I’d like a little clarification of whether my thoughts about just went down were correct.

Though the overall concept was fun and the characters were interesting, there was still a disconnect I felt between me and the book. I couldn’t really connect to the plot and my emotions weren’t in tune with the characters. Yeah, I finished it, and it was good enough, but I just wasn’t invested enough to say I loved it. I think that others, particularly fans of D’Lacey’s others books who enjoy his writing style, would have lots of fun with this novel. But me? I didn’t get into it. Wasn’t connected to the characters or moved by the suspense, action, romance… And I found the way the plotline was structured a little weird and confusing.

Notable Scene:

“Wh-where are you taking me?”

“That won’t matter till we get there. Hold tight.”

She kicked away the stand.

“What? What’s he doing?” Garvey screeched. “Hambleton is gonna go nuts.” But the wind was already in my face, and school now seemed a tame alternative. We sped away, mocking the lines of traffic, and headed off into the flickering sunlight. I had no idea what was waiting for me. All I could think about was holding the girl and breathing her scent, which only seemed to add to her air of mystery — that and the creature inked on her shoulder. Just below the blowing collar of her dress was a small tattoo. As we slowed for a traffic light, I let go with one hand and touched a finger against the design, feeling the shock of her smooth white skin. She parted her lips and looked back, but said nothing. I took my hand away as we picked up speed, thinking about the book I’d been reading, how the tattoos found on The Illustrated Man were still by day but alive by night, foretelling grisly tales of death. What story did this creature tell? I wondered.

Who was the girl with the rearing black unicorn on her shoulder?

FTC Advisory: Scholastic Press provided me with a copy of A Dark Inheritance. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. ( )

This is an excellent mystery book that will twist and play with your mind as well as your imagination. I'd definitely recommend this book. 4Q4P The cover art is awesome and I'd recommend this to middle and high school adults. I decided to read this book because a friend of mine told me it was a good book. ZachV

From the author of The Last Dragon Chronicles comes a new middle grade fantasy series. Chris D'Lacey's Ufiles #1: A Dark Inheritance was published by Scholastic on June 1, 2014.

This new action-adventure series will appeal to a wide range of readers. Chris D'Lacey writes a captivating story of a boy who possesses an extraordinary, but dark talent, who is unexpectedly dragged into a chilling mystery. Don't be dissuaded by the book's use of the word "UNICORNE" as I originally was. I can assure you there's nothing frilly or girly about this story. There are zero unicorns running around in the story.

I liked this book more than I expected I would. The synopsis seemed interesting enough, but the summary doesn't really do it justice and I don't like to fill my reviews with spoilers about all the twisted, cool, exciting, and suspenseful moments that kept my eyes glued to the page. Bestselling author Chris D'Lacey hasn't let us down yet! The book is a fast-read with a great fantasy hook for readers like me who don't particularly like mysteries or feeling nervous when I read.

A Dark Inheritance is a well-written and captivating story that will keep you guessing throughout. I'd recommend this one for pre-teen boy readers who enjoy fantasy/adventure novels and who can handle a more mature middle grade read. A great back-to-school choice to get kids away from the TV and back into reading!

3.5 Stars ( )

The story starts with Michael saving the life of a dog that's going to jump off a cliff, but he does it in a completely unbelievable manner and then afterwards tries to convince people they didn't see him move at the speed of light and grab the dog. He is quickly recruited by an organization of which his father was a member, or so he is led to believe, and he has to solve the mystery of who the dog belongs to, and how his sickly classmate and the dog's ghostly owner are related. This is book one, but I don't know whether the series will take off or not. ( )