Brianna and Matthew Penfold

Three teens discover their hidden powers, and join forces to save their world.

Three very different planes, Euporia, Aurelia and Immerxia, co-exist independently in a place that originated from a world called Pax. Euporia is a futuristic world, full of looming skyscrapers, big corporations and advanced technologies. Life for the citizens of Euporia is hard. Those who are lucky, are forced to work long hours in oppressive conditions in big technology companies. Those who are not so lucky, are exiled in the land of the forgotten. On the surface, Aurelia is a much brighter, picturesque place, full of sunlight, green spaces, and mansions on every street. Yet, all the wealth and power of Aurelia is controlled by an elite group of families. These oligarchs pass on their power and privilege from generation to generation. Immerxia on the other hand, is largely governed by social media, where citizens earn a living and their social status by buying, posting, and sharing their lives online. The citizens of Immerxia live so much of their lives in cyber-space, they struggle to understand what is real and what is fake.

The citizens of each territory are unaware of their neighbours, and they live in their own isolated world in relative peace. Until one day, life for all is threatened by the return of an old enemy. Three teenagers, fifteen-year-old Dez from Euporia, fourteen-year-old Arabella from Aurelia, and seventeen-year-old Walter from Immerxia are brought together by a powerful force. They meet in Animus, a land where all three planes converge, and discover they have been carefully selected for their unique abilities to restore peace. Dez, has the power to heal people; Walter, has the power to alter and manipulate objects; and Arabella, has the power to see into the future. The teens must learn how to work together and hone their abilities, to defeat the enemy and restore peace to their world.

The Intrepid Three: Animus Revealed, is a captivating, fantasy adventure from husband-and-wife duo, and debut authors Brianna and Matthew Penfold. This is a fast-paced, action-packed novel for young adult readers, set within three unique and different dystopian worlds. Each world is fascinating, and the book explores some of the key threats to our own humanity: the influence of big technological corporations, and the exploitation of human labour; the pervasive and invasive power of social media; and the growing wealth inequality which threatens our democracy. The characters are interesting, each from a different background with different life experiences. I look forward to reading how the characters develop and how their powers grow in the next book. The book will appeal to young adult readers who enjoy adventure, fantasy fiction and dystopian novels.   

As the first in a planned series, this book introduces the reader to the three worlds, the three main characters, and the back-story of Pax. The book ends on a gripping cliff hanger, and I look forward to reading the next instalment.

Star rating: 5 Stars

Summary: A fast-paced, captivating, fantasy adventure, set within three unique and different dystopian worlds.