Reeling from a terrible accident that claimed the lives of his parents, Felix arrives at Portland College hoping only to survive the experience. In time, however, his reality star roommate shows him there is more to higher education than just classes, shared bathrooms and bad dorm food, and Felix gradually dares to believe he can put his past behind him. But a fateful storm looms on the horizon: In the nearby woods, two hikers become the latest victims in a series of gruesome murders; a disfigured giant embarks on a vicious cross-country rampage, killing teenagers who fail his ‘test’; and an ancient society of assassins tasked with eradicating the wielders of a mysterious source of power awakens after a long silence. Only one man–the school’s groundskeeper–knows that the seemingly unrelated events are connected, and that an eighteen-year-old boy stands in the center of the storm.
The Felix Chronicles: Freshmen
by R.T. Lowe
Series
n/a
Genre
Paranormal
Urban Fantasy
Publisher
Independent
Publication Date
May 11, 2015
The Felix Chronicles: Freshmen spans the first year of college of Felix, a young man traumatized by a horrific tragedy that claimed the lives of his parents. This starts off with a rather intriguing prologue set in a distant past that leaves no doubt that this story will carry a healthy dose of the paranormal. Then we move on to present day where Felix is reluctantly attending freshman orientation at Portland College, a seemingly drastic shift from fantasy to mundane. Soon after, his charismatic roommate, his long-time best friend, and two other new friends begin to draw him out of his self-imposed seclusion and depression. But then things get weird.
The story side steps into a number of terrifying events that seem unconnected at first, but eventually make sense in the overall story. I loved how it all starts coming together and how each event builds towards a very real danger for Felix and his friends whom I found myself worrying for, hoping they’d all make it through ok. That’s probably because they are relatable; even the reality TV show guy was likeable, despite his faults, and I thought the group dynamics rang true throughout. The various personalities were well balanced against each other and realistic.
As for the plot, well, it’s complex. There’s Felix’s bit, where he’s trying to come to terms with the loss of his parents and a healthy dose of survivor’s guilt, and that’s paired with plenty of romantic tension and drama and all the normal stuff one might associate with the first year in college. Then there’s Felix and his place in a centuries-old prophecy called The Warning, and it isn’t a good place to be, either, particularly when at least three separate secret organizations begin to take note of him. So yeah, there’s a lot going on, but it’s all interesting. There’s definitely an edge of danger and action. Magic and intrigue.
I very much look forward to finding out what happens to Felix and his friends in their second year of college, if they make it to their second year.
Overall, I loved this story. It was a good length, and while it seemed that the things happening on the side had nothing to do with Felix at first, those loose threads were drawn tight by the end of the story, though not all questions were answered, leaving plenty for the next book. Folks who love a good paranormal, contemporary fantasy will likely find this to their liking.
The review copy of this book was supplied by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
About R.T. Lowe
R.T. Lowe grew up in a small town in central Oregon where he frittered away his days on a cattle farm daydreaming about things without hooves. R.T. holds bachelors degrees in History and Psychology from Willamette University and a Law degree from Columbia University. He now lives in Newtown, Connecticut with his wife and three kids.
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