The Colossus Rises (Seven Wonders #1)

Being the huge Rick Riordan fan that I am, I always feel this huge hole in my heart when I have to wait months for his next release. I have totally found the answer to my woes in Peter Lerangis and his new “Seven Wonders” series. The first book, “The Colossus Rises,” had me reveling in kids with mysterious pasts and extraordinary powers realness!

“The Colossus Rises” follows four 13 year-old kids, Jack, Aly, Cass, and Marco, who are unknowingly the descendants of the royals of Atlantis. While this is just plain cool enough in itself, the royal bloodline also imbues these children with awesome abilities. Unfortunately, something about the genetic code that causes these abilities to manifest when they turn 13 also makes them die an early death. Early as in just a year or two later. Now Jack and friends are trying to use their abilities to track down the source of their powers (which has been separated and hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World), to hopefully find a way to stop their early deaths and potentially restore the lost city of Atlantis.

What really makes the characters in “The Colossus Rises” stand out is that their powers aren’t magical or god-given. Jack, Aly, Cass, and Marco all have extraordinarily heightened brain power. Cass can memorize anything instantly, Aly is able to hack into the world’s most protected computers, Marco has the willpower to overcome any fear (and the brawn to help him knock out any foes), and Jack’s power is still waiting in the wings to really manifest, but you know it’s gonna be good. I love that these powers aren’t your run of the mill powers. Nobody breathes fire, or shoots lasers from their fingertips, or shape-shifts into massive beasts. These guys can be beaten by sheer force, but they’re typically able to outsmart enemies with their wit. Their quick-on-their-feet thinking makes their victories that much more surprising because they don’t have one super physical ability they always fall back on.

Lerangis has his own mental superpower in that he knows how to pace a book. This bad boy has tons of action, and every scene logically moves into the next. There is no lull in the action boring you until the next suspense-filled moment. Plus, there’s always a little bit of humor thrown in that action as well, giving us a good laugh when the tension is thick.

I’ve got to tell you, I’m so glad Lerangis picked the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to be a major aspect of the series because that means we’re gonna get seven whole books. I no longer have to wonder where all of my Middle Grade adventure needs will be met!