The Marauders by Tom Cooper | Rating: ★★★☆☆

As a note, this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for a review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

It's hard to believe this is Tom Cooper's first published novel. Tom does an excellent job in his writing -- you can feel the effort he put into creating this story and I must applaud him for that. It's virtually perfect when you consider that this is his debut novel. The Marauders is an excellent stepping stone and I hope it's just a show of what's yet to come from him, because his writing has the chance to be huge.

We're given a pretty standard and great starting point for the novel itself. We see a familiar world. Tom sets the scenes perfectly, a rich description and atmosphere, a fascinating cast of characters and a plot that flows steadily throughout. There's a great deal of humor that isn't overbearing and there are hints of mystery within the plots. He has a way with letting the story unfold that is both quick and fulfilling, it doesn't seem to skip over much and keeps you intrigued throughout your session.

While it is a great read, it perhaps just wasn't completely my cup of tea. Although it had sparked my interest and I finished it rather quickly, it isn't one that I, personally, will reread again and again. I didn't connect with it quite as well as I wanted to, but that's okay -- it was still enjoyable and entertaining. There was so much in the story that I liked and did not like.