Atherton by Patrick Carman April 6, 2008

Just read The House of Power, the first book in the Atherton series by Patrick Carman. Carman is also known for his children’s series the Land of Elyon. I’ve never thought of myself as a fantasy or science fiction fan, but when I guess when you have great writing, it doesn’t matter the genre. I loved Atherton and I can’t wait for the second book in the series: Rivers of Fire.

The story in a nutshell is about a land called Atherton which is three tiered. The highest tier: the Highlands, the middle tier: the Tabletop, and the lowest tier: the Flatlands. The majority of Atherton’s residents live on the Tabletop where they raise livestock and farm fig trees. The Tabletop supplies the Highlands with food and other necessities. The Highlands are inhabited by an elite ruling group who control the world’s water supply. The residents of the Highlands do not mingle with those of the Tabletop. The Flatlands are unknown to either community. Atherton is the creation of a mad scientist, Dr. Harding, who is conducting an experiment with Atherton’s inhabitants. An adventurous orphan of the Tabletop named Edgar uncovers Dr. Harding’s experiment through an adventure of his own and makes a couple of new friends in the process. What is this mysterious experiment? And who is this Dr. Harding? To unlock the secrets, read Atherton: The House of Power and visit the series website: www.athertonseries.com.