The Search for Synergy (Talisman 1) by Brett Salter

What worked:

Synergy is when two things work together producing something greater than the individual parts. That’s the gist of the story as Rome and Julian attempt to unlock their ultimate, hidden powers. Rome is skeptical to learn he’s actually a fire dragon and Julian wants to perform a ritual that will bond them as formidable warriors. It’s a bit overwhelming since Rome has only known his typical life as an eighth-grader living in rural Georgia. But that’s not totally true. He’s recently begun to feel a need to break free and an unexplained heat is building within him. Then, there’s the moment he burns down a neighbor’s tree and realizes something truly strange is going on. These thoughts make him realize that the things he’s hearing from Julian and the odd librarian aren’t as crazy as he first thought.

Julian adds humor to the story with his fun-loving, shifting nature. He likes to tease Rome while in his dragon form which can be unwise when speaking to a powerful beast that can crush or incinerate you. In contrast, Julian uses a respectful, royal, formal tone when speaking to his father, a wealthy man with a strong dislike for dragons. Julian’s change in attitude is amusing and Rome doesn’t miss opportunities for verbal payback. Julian’s father doesn’t know Rome’s secretly a dragon so their exchanges are uncomfortable at best. The father is aware of the centuries-old legends of knights and dragons but he views Rome as a peasant and treats him as one. While this relationship causes tension, it also contributes to levity as the boys must tolerate the man’s blowhard, gruff personality.

The plot includes action scenes and twists that develop excitement and intrigue. Garms are the smallest creatures passing from The Void, with the size and ferocity of large tigers. Julian and Rome learn to use their new abilities out of need as they’ll die if they’re unsuccessful. The Garms are relentless and strain the boys to their limits. In addition, there’s a mysterious woman spying on Rome and Julian from the shadows, moving swiftly away when Rome first spots her. The boys are aware there are other unknown characters involved in the inevitable invasion from The Void but they don’t know which ones will become allies and which ones will become enemies.

What didn’t work as well:

A couple of things bugged my brain when Rome transforms into a huge dragon inside a school hallway. The sizes of his immense body and the hallway don’t jive in my mind. Also, a point is made that Rome and Julian don’t follow the Synergy ritual correctly but it’s not apparent that it makes a difference. I’m wondering if something will come of it later.

The Final Verdict:

The book combines action, humor, and mystery with interesting characters and the end result is a highly entertaining start to a series. The gist of the story features two boys forming a lifelong bond to unleash their new powers, hopefully enabling them to save the world. Major developments will surely arise in future sequels so I recommend you give this book a shot now.