Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud is a fast-paced fantasy adventure for all ages (10 and up) and is the first of a planned trilogy. Fans of magic, swordplay, secret agents, and conspiracies set in a modern everyday world will not be able to put the book down. Jon Thomason is a debut author and paints a vivid world of magic right under our noses and delivers rapid-fire action that keeps the pages turning.

Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud

Max has anger management issues. But she has a secret, too. She can make things happen. Like magic. She almost killed a loser skate punk and nearly used it on her stuck up older sister. The question is, can she do anything other than blow things up? Can she learn to control it? And is it really possible that an obscure teenage girl is the key to keeping all of humanity safe?

Philip just got his ring back. He got it taken away for messing with his teacher’s mind so he can cheat on a test. Now that he has his ring, he thinks he should be able to use his power to make his life better. A lot better. The problem is that people want him to be responsible. But if you could do magic, wouldn’t you use it to escape work in any way possible?

Aaron wants to be a soldier. He knows there are lots of people who would try to take over, and he’s determined to stop them. The problem is that there’s this new girl. And she might be not be on the right side of things. She’s really talented and pretty, but she might be able to destroy everything he believes in. Whatever the case, he knows he needs to learn to be world class with the magic sword while he figures out what to do.

Brynn never gets out. Her grandfather won’t permit it. Her only access to the outside world are high fashion magazines, so she has an unusual idea what she should wear. She’s dying to get out and travel. And adopt animals. Any kind of animal. Is she a lonely future granny with cats or are her ridiculous clothes actually the next fashion craze? What possible role could she play in the destiny of the world?

My Review

Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud is an awesome book about a typical 13 year old girl who just happens to find out that she is a jinni. Okay, maybe she’s not so typical. After all, how many jinnis do you know?

When I read the synopsis of this book, I really hoped it was going to be a great adventure. I wasn’t disappointed. When I read books meant for middle grade kids, I go into it with the eyes of a tween. I remember the types of books I loved to read when I was that age. Though the books I read as a tween were not quite this genre,  I loved books with lots of adventure and strong female characters. Plus, Max Xylander kicks your imagination into high gear.

The characters in Max Xylander and the Island of Zumuruud are great. Max is fierce. She is a cancer survivor, and this has made her strong. Brynn is kooky and fun and amazingly loyal. Aaron is a great friend with Max’s best interests in mind…most of the time. Philip is just nuts, but I love his character nonetheless. Angie and Jill are well-developed secondary characters whom I can’t wait to read more about in the sequels.

I love the Island of Zumuruud. It’s like Hogsmeade for the jinn. I want to shop in their stores and buy some of the trading cards.  I want to fly on a carpet that can hold a ton of furniture. If you love adventure, you need to read this book.

Author Jon Thomason

Jon Thomason lives with his family in San Diego, after many years living in the beautiful Seattle area. He has a successful career in high tech where he’s been fortunate enough to participate in many big-name industry releases.Storytelling permeates everything he does. In the moments when Jon is not helping build the story of the tech world, he can almost always be found working on a project: writing, photography, videography, graphics design, or 3D art.And he’s always careful to conceal his jinni magic abilities, though perhaps might slip one day and be discovered…