The Last Great Wizard of Yden

I've been wanting to do a write up on this book, The Last Great Wizard of Yden, by S.G. Rogers, for a while and my sister, Alisa, recently posted her review on Goodreads:

His 16th birthday had been the most horrible day of Jon Hansen's life, but things were about to get worse.

The ring - His father vanished when he went to retrieve the ring for Jon's birthday. When Jon puts the ring on, he notices that it is more than a simple ring!

The cuff - He found in his father's things after his father vanished.

The ring/cuff combo - transports Jon into an unfamiliar world. Jon and his younger sister, Sela, didn't know that all the fantasy stories their father told them about Yden were in fact true.

First trip to Yden... Jon is mistaken for a vagrant, chased by the cygards, and barely escapes. How he can he rescue his father when he can barely rescue himself?

Now that his father is gone, money is tight. So Jon transfers from Pacific Prep to the public school... Pacific High. While shopping for clothes for school he meets a pretty girl, Brett and finds out she goes to his new school. He also makes a new friend at his new school, Casey Scott. Things would be looking up if his arch-enemy, Fred, hadn't also transferred to public school.

Second trip to Yden... Jon finds himself in the dungeon with a woman warrior, Kira Szul, and is able to free them both using his magical powers.

While serving Detention together, Fred and Jon save an old man and a young woman from a burning car. Jon immediately recognizes Kira Szul and Dorsit from Yden. And his life has just become more complicated...

When Jon returns to Yden the third time he has an entire posse with him... Brett has been kidnapped by Efysian, the evil wizard who is holding Jon's dad captive, and taken to Yden. Jon returns with Casey, Kira, and Fred to rescue her. Dragons, evil wizards, a girlfriend AND a father that need saving...

I loved this book! There's mystery, action and adventure. It kept my attention from the first page. The first sentence is, "'Dad disappeared in a flash of light and a sound like thunder,' Jon blurted out." Not the best start to your 16th birthday. Life is rough for Jon for a while but he does make some friends and together they discover a world of magic, wizards and dragons. Jon finds out the truth about himself and his father. This is a fun YA fantasy and I think adults will like it as well (I certainly did). Book 2, Children of Yden, is now out, but I haven't read it yet.

My Rating: 5 stars