Eoin Colfer’s The Reluctant Assassin is the first book in the “W.A.R.P. (Witness Anonymous Relocation Program)” series. Riley, a Victorian English orphan, is also the apprentice of the former magician and assassin Albert Garrick. Garrick attempts to get Riley to commit his first murder by letting Riley come with him on his next victim. However, this victim happens to be a scientist from the future and Riley gets sucked into a wormhole and sent to present day London. In present day London, Riley meets the seventeen-year-old FBI Agent, Chevron Savano. Soon after Riley, Garrick is also propelled into the future and is left fundamentally altered by the experience. He gains inhuman powers and the knowledge of a present day scientist. Chevron and Riley must escape Garrick with the Timekey in order to keep the past, present and future out of Garrick's bloodied hands.
As the apprentice of an assassin, Riley is sharp and full of many skills, but he is also rightfully terrified of Albert Garrick. For those expecting a character like Artemis Fowl, you will be disappointed. While Riley is smart, he's no genius. Chevron Savano is an FBI agent. She can be prideful and although she thinks before she acts, her actions aren't always appropriate for the time period. Niether character develops much throughout the story.
In all, this book was a good science fiction book. It is a time travel book so some of the concepts of the book can be a bit confusing, but Eoin Colfer writes in a way where the confusion of time travel doesn’t interfere with the enjoyment of the story. This book falls between the Young Adult section and the Juvenile Fiction section. The plot is fast moving and suspenseful. The book can also be gory at times, but also humorous. Eoin Colfer often provides detailed descriptions of the setting. I give this 341 page book 3.5 stars.
W.A.R.P.
The Witness Anonymous Relocation Program is a series of books by Eoin Colfer. The main characters Riley and Chevron Savano travel between the past and present.