Balthazar Starblitz
Review by Serena Yates, Rainbow Book Reviews
http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com/book-reviews/balthazar-starblitz-by-aj-llewellyn-at-extasy-books
‘Balthazar Starblitz’ is one of those books that grabbed my attention through the title alone, I love the cover art for the mystery it exudes (which turns out to be quite fitting), and as for the story itself? What a treat! I’m not even sure where to start and I don’t want to say too much, because that would spoil the many surprises in this book, but let me tell you, if you like tea and mysteries, and enjoy a little time travel, you cannot go wrong with this one.
Flip, the narrator of the story, is in desperate need of a job. He has no idea what he is n for when he applies to work in a tea house – but the moment he tries to find the (non-existent) platform 13 at LA’s Union Station he figures out that he’s in trouble. I loved the various attempts he makes to get to his place of work (and it is never easy, each day presenting new challenges), and his boss, Mr. Chen, is a great guy But he sure doesn’t make it easy for Flip…
As interesting as Flip’s various excursions into different time periods are (and believe me, they are fascinating), the story really takes off when he runs into Balthazar Starblitz. With a few secrets and problems of his own, this werewolf is in desperate need of help, and Flip, of course, comes to the rescue. How he does it, and what else happens, you need to read for yourself. AJ does a great job at setting up then solving the problem, and said it much better than I could in a few short sentences.
If you like the supernatural, enjoy trying to figure out what is going on as the main character runs into one riddle after another, and are curious about Steampunk, definitely give this book a try. It is colorful, enigmatic, contains some great characters and events, and above all, is utterly charming and surprising at every turn.
