Sometimes, a book stands on its own, completely aloof from its author. Bran Hambric is not one of those books.
Some people know author Kaleb Nation from his blog, KalebNation.com. Others know him as popular Twilight blogger/vlogger The Twilight Guy. However you've heard of him, the twenty-one-year-old is starting to become more and more popular in media across the United States, starting with his former radio host career.
A lot of things about Bran Hambric are much funnier when you've read even a few blog posts or watched a few of Nation's videos on his YouTube channel, which at the time of this writing has over 39,000 subscribers. For example, knowing about Nation's fondness for gnomes makes even the slightest mention of a gnome in Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse even more hilarious.
Not that The Farfield Curse lacks in humor in any way, shape or form. Nation's humor is similar to that of Kaza Kingsley of Erec Rex fame or even Lemony Snicket, author of bestselling A Series of Unfortunate Events novels. In particular, I thought that the fantastical humor of The Farfield Curse was similar to the jokes in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone, a favorite and bestseller across the world.
Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse is a novel for middle-grade readers, appropriate for readers above the age of twelve. (There's a little bit of violence - a shooting in the prologue - and though the description is not graphic at all, it still requires a little bit of maturity from a reader.) However, don't let the middle-grade label stop any older readers from picking up a copy of Bran Hambric. The book is based on a fascinating premise: what if your mother was a criminal? What if her crime was magic? And, most fascinating - what if you inherited her magic?
The book turns darker towards the end with a twist very like a popular YA novel that shall remain nameless, but the book remains believeable - the relationship between Bran and his mother-aunt figure Rosie is touching, just as the very bizarre relationship Bran has with his adoptive family will entice giggles from readers young and old.
In conclusion, Bran Hambric is a creative and clever novel appropriate for younger readers and even better for older readers. The novel was published on September 9, 2009 by indie publisher Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and has since become one of the most popular indie printer books of the year. Order your copy at Amazon.com or learn more at the Bran Hambric website.
And, by all means, check out one of the author's popular blogs. He is, after all, a pretty darn funny guy.
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