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.


The highlight of the story is the way that Tom incorporates that world we know and doesn't water it down. He embraces it with a laugh. He has a great deal of humor throughout that will leave you chuckling through it all -- it's the perfect addition to your summer reading list if you're looking for something different. He doesn't miss a single beat, thankfully, and keeps the story going in a way that not many authors can pull off.

Especially considering how many characters are featured in the story itself. The Marauders could have gone horribly wrong, but it did not. And though I feel like more could have been done at times to further the plot, it was still a solid debut and an even more solid read. I think that this novel is something you'll have to read yourself to truly understand what I mean, therefore I hope you'll read the summary and pick up a copy in curiosity.