The Eyes of a King: The Last Descendants #1

by Catherine Banner

Book Overview

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD LEO NORTH'S prospects in life are limited. He attends military school, lives with his fearful grandmother, and looks after his brother Stirling. He resists his innate powers, because... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385662335
• ISBN13: 9780385662338
• Release Date: September 2009
• Publisher: Doubleday Canada
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Based on this debut effort, Banner's future as a writer is looking bright indeed.

On a cold June evening, 15-year-old Leo North discovers a book lying on a snow-covered street. When he picks it up, he immediately senses its powerful aura. Although hesitant, he decides to take it home with him. The next morning, he is surprised to see writing on a few of the book's previously blank pages. The pages contain stories, including one about the young prince Cassius the III. Fifteen years ago, the great Aldebaran wrote a prophecy that the young king and queen of Malonia would die, but that their son, the young prince, would live to reign over Malonia. Five years later, however, the prophecy seemed to come true, when the young Donahne royals were murdered during a hostile coup led by Lucien Kalitz. Rumors swirled that the young prince had survived and possibly had been exiled to the fabled England (the same place where Aldebaran was thought to have disappeared to years earlier). It seemed as though the wealth and good fortune of Malonia would be restored once again. As years went by, however, hope ebbed away and the supposed prophecy was reduced to a mere fairy tale. Leo doesn't know whether or not to believe the story, but he does know that to have a book relating to the prophecy is dangerous. His father, Harold North, was an acclaimed writer when he wrote about the royal family and Aldebaran's prophecy in his book THE GOLDEN REIGN. It was banned shortly after it was published, and Leo's parents were forced to flee the country, leaving behind Leo and his younger brother Stirling to be cared for by their grandmother Margaret. The relationship between the brothers is close, despite their differences, age or otherwise. Young Stirling hopes to be a priest someday and often likes to discuss what he learned in church or their father's books. Leo, on the other hand, has turned away from the church and doesn't care for school. The brothers attend one of the government-run military schools, which they each find difficult to learn from, especially when dealing with the abusive Sergeant Markey, who seems to single out the two boys. Following in their father's footsteps has also been greatly discouraged, a point that has made it difficult for Leo and his grandmother to get along. Despite Leo's increasing frustration about his life and limited future, one bright development is the boys' friendship with Maria, also 15, who moved into their apartment complex with her infant son Anselm and her mother. Meanwhile, stories continue to appear in the book, seeming to confirm Leo's suspicions that the book is potent with magic, as they give some answers and more questions concerning (and intertwining) the histories of Malonia and Leo's own family. However, when a tragic turn of events develops, Leo is set on a troubled path that will have him questioning the line between fantasy and reality. With a mature, eloquent style rarely seen in a young adult author, Catherine Banner weaves an immensely gritty yet heartfelt saga about the choices that people a

Daughter Liked it

i read about it in Scholastic Magazine. I am a teacher and I bought it for my 13 year old. She liked it.

An entirely different saga

Catherine Banner's THE EYES OF A KING tells of Leo, who has spent five years remembering his life, from military school and his oppressive family life to his blossoming magical powers. When he finds himself on a very different path because of this magic, he writes an entirely different saga in this fantasy for middle to high school students.

The next JK Rowling?

Move over JK...there's a new kid in town, and she's been creating quite a buzz. Nineteen year old Catherine Banner's debut novel, The Eyes of a King , the first in a trilogy was just released. I received a review copy from the publisher a couple of weeks ago and stayed up way too late last night finishing the book. And all I have to say is "WOW WOW WOW." I don't remember feeling this excited about a book and such anticipation for the next in the series since, well, Harry Potter. In a nutshell,The Eyes of a King , is the story of 15-year old Leo who lives with his grandmother and younger brother in the country of Malonia, which 10 years earlier was overtaken by the tyrant Lucien. Before the revolution, Malonia was peaceful, creativity such as writing, dancing, and singing, was encouraged, and the great magicians were revered. Now, it's pretty much a dictatorship, a Soldier-making factory, and completely stifling. The powerful magicians, except for the evil Talitha, have been exiled or forced into hiding. Leo and his brother go to a harsh military school where they are abused by the volatile Sergeant Markey. And Leo has special powers that he must hide. One day he finds a magical book where writing mysteriously appears. While Leo's world is falling apart around him, he is engulfed in the story of Malonia, the revolution, a powerful relative, and two teenagers, Ryan and Anna. But is it just a story? Leo soon learns how everything weaves together to bring the old Malonia back. The Eyes of a King is a book with mystery, suspense, love, grief, heartache, selfishness, and selflessness. Catherine Banner's masterful storytelling leaves no doubt that she is a force to be reckoned with in the writing industry. But is she the next JK Rowling? Both authors are British, and both write stories with a bit of magic, but I do think the comparisons stop there. As a complete Harry Potter fan, I dare to say that Catherine Banner is better. Her book has a level of maturity and realism that Rowling was never able to achieve through Harry Potter. There are no cutesy "accio" spells, chocolate frogs, or nosebleed nougats. And when I say realism, I'm talking about the ability to realistically convey the thoughts and feelings of teenagers. Perhaps the least favorite book in the Harry Potter series is The Order of the Phoenix. In this book, Harry is an angst-ridden teenager and a bit obnoxious, and readers didn't like this Harry. However, I think there would have been a more positive reception if Rowling could have more effectively conveyed this and made him seem more like a real teenager. In The Eyes of a King , on the other hand, Leo is also ridden with angst and deals with some pretty emotional stuff, but his thoughts, feelings, and actions are completely believable. I identified with him, I cried with him, I felt angry with him. At one point in the book, I actually wept, and I'm not talking eyes tearing up here. I'm talking humunga-junga crocodile tears, a splotchy

The Eyes of a King

This book was a great read. It was written to target a younger audience so it was very quick to read. I do not suggest this book for the younger teens since it deals with topic such as war, politics, and suicide. I thought that the story was written very well, it can be a bit tought at times to understand everything that is going on....I had to put the book down on a couple of occasion to go over everything in my head. It is hard to believe that this novel was written by a 14 year old. I am excited to read the next book. This is the first in a trilogy that is to be written. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.