Thank you so much to fellow paranormal author, the talented S C Skillman for sharing news of my new release in The Curse of Time Series. So kind of you.
So excited to say that the most recent release in the Curse of Time Series is available to buy. Book 2… Golden Healer. It is possible to read as a standalone but if you haven’t read Book 1 Bloodstone (to follow the story from its beginning…) do read Book 1 if you can. Buying links and information below for both books.
Dedicated to the one and only rollercoaster that I ever rode. It was in Portugal, and I was on holiday with my young family. I’ll never forget that day, I overcame my fears and rode a rollercoaster with the encouragement of my much-loved family, my husband, David, and daughters Natasha and Georgina. So, it’s time to ride another rollercoaster… I hope you will come along with me for this crazy ride! Let’s meet our fears together…
Blurb – Golden Healer
Golden Healer is The 2nd in The YA Paranormal Adventure Series – The Curse of Time.
I didn’t think my life could get any weirder, until the dreaded rollercoaster…
Amelina Scott’s destiny is to be a Krystallos: a magician of light, chosen to learn the ways of crystal magic on her 16th birthday. Located on a river pathway in a mysterious part of Cambridge, the Crystal Cottage is guarded by mythical beings.
Unfortunately, there are those who seek to harm this haven of light. Learning of Ryder – a Shadow Sorcerer with hypnotic powers – Amelina discovers that her own magic is now threatened, and that the Curse of Time might be unleashed again.
As secrets abound and the creatures of the Chronophage come alive, can Amelina become the true magician she needs to be?
A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal. NOTE: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.
The author is a magician with words. She crafts scenes of sublime fantasy that are clear and easily pictured in the mind of the reader. The gift of description is also present. The scenes are very easy to understand, and the reader is swept into the story.
There is a real ‘arryesque feel to these stories. If you were a fan of the original wizard and his gang then you will be drawn to Amelina and her crew. Ryder is the ultimate character. The author was so able to capture the inner feelings of this character. It wasn’t more than a few pages when I loathed the existence of that waste of air.
Fans of the first book will simply love this book. This book carries on the craftily created story and takes it along an energetic ride to the end. Fans of this series will simply not be able to wait until they get their hands on the much-anticipated third book.
I didn’t think my life could get weirder, but I was wrong…
Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house.
When an unexpected message arrives inviting her to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden path where she encounters Ryder: a charismatic, perplexing stranger.
With the help of a magical paint set and some crystal wizard stones, can Amelina discover the truth about her family?
A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal.
TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.
The First book in the series Bloodstone has received many fantastic reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and other platforms and was awarded a finalist book award recently from Amazon influencer N. N. Light, receiving a review rating of 5+ stars. Yes, she loved it a lot!
N. N. Light’s review:
A magical invitation, that doesn’t tear up, urges Amelina to go to Crystal Cottage to seek out the hidden secrets of her family. Amelina Scott knows her family isn’t what you call normal and neither is her house. No one she knows has a girl trapped in the mirrors. When she receives an invitation to visit Crystal Cottage, she doesn’t know what to make of it. Is it a prank? Is it a trick? She decides to ignore it and throws it in the trash. Only it doesn’t stay in the bin. She tries to cut it up but it doesn’t cut. It sings, it dances, it is somehow alive. She finally decides to travel to the Crystal Cottage to see what happens. Along the way, she meets Ryder and discovers magic (both light and dark) is all around. She interacts with magical people, beings, and objects while learning the truth of her family. What happens next will astound you, the reader. Are you ready for an adventure?
Bloodstone is an imaginative fantasy adventure I enjoyed from start to finish. From the first page, I connected with Amelina. She’s a delightful heroine. I could relate to her on so many levels. Everything from her curiosity to her reactions to her emotional state rang true. While it’s tricky these days to write an original fantasy story, M.J. Mallon wrote one of the most original fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. Taking bits from fantasy authors of the past, M.J. Mallon adds her own blend of magical realism and emotional coming of age to make Bloodstone a gem. The plot moves at a good pace with each chapter starting with a puzzle. What a creative way to keep the reader invested. The world-building is intricate and riveting. The characters are engaging and easy to connect with. Overall, Bloodstone is a brilliant story and when I finished, I wanted to read it all over again. If you’re a fantasy reader, you need to read Bloodstone. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I’d review it. My thoughts are all my own.
Meet a couple of the characters: The mirror girl Esme and the Creature… two wonderful images created by the wonderfully talented artist Carolina Russo.
And the 2nd book Golden Healer mentions a popular old haunt of Cambridge which has since closed down – Clowns Cafe.
Author Bio
My alter ego is MJ – Mary Jane from Spiderman. I love superheros!
M J Mallon was born in Lion city Singapore, a passionate Scorpio with the Chinese Zodiac sign of a lucky rabbit. She spent her early childhood in Hong Kong. During her teen years, she returned to her father’s childhood home, Edinburgh where she spent many happy years, entertained and enthralled by her parents’ vivid stories of living and working abroad. Perhaps it was during these formative years that her love of storytelling began bolstered by these two vivid raconteurs. She counts herself lucky to have travelled to many far-flung destinations and this early wanderlust has fuelled her present desire to emigrate abroad. Until that wondrous moment, it’s rumoured that she lives in the UK, in the Venice of Cambridge with her six-foot hunk of a rock god husband. Her two enchanting daughters have flown the nest but often return with a cheery smile.
Her motto is to Do what Your Heart Desires.
And her favourite genre to write is fantasy/magical realism because life should always be sprinkled with a liberal dash of extraordinarily imaginative magic!
Accolades: M J is a finalist in the Fantasy category of N. N. Light’s Book Award for her novel Bloodstone and a finalist in the International author. She has also contributed best-selling short stories to Dan Alatorre’s Box Under The Bed anthologies.
After so much hard work, beta reading suggestions, editing, rewrites, and editing help from the fabulously talented Heena Rathmore Pardeshi, Golden Healer, the 2nd book in The Curse of Time series is finally on its way. Heena gets top billing on my acknowledgement page as do all my fabulous beta readers and author friends in the community! Thank you all. And special thanks to Colleen Chesebro who set me on my way with book one: Bloodstone, there wouldn’t be a book 2 without her amazing help.
So excited!
Blurb
Golden Healer is The 2nd in The YA Paranormal Adventure Series – The Curse of Time.
I didn’t think my life could get any weirder, until the dreaded rollercoaster…
Amelina Scott’s destiny is to be a Krystallos: a magician of light, chosen to learn the ways of crystal magic on her 16th birthday. Located on a river pathway in a mysterious part of Cambridge, the Crystal Cottage is guarded by mythical beings.
Unfortunately, there are those who seek to harm this haven of light. Learning of Ryder – a Shadow Sorcerer with hypnotic powers – Amelina discovers that her own magic is now threatened, and that the Curse of Time might be unleashed again.
As secrets abound and the creatures of the Chronophage come alive, can Amelina become the true magician she needs to be?
A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal. NOTE: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.
Dedication
Dedicated to the one and only rollercoaster that I ever rode. It was in Portugal, and I was on holiday with my young family. I’ll never forget that day, I overcame my fears and rode a rollercoaster with the encouragement of my much-loved family, my husband, David, and daughters Natasha and Georgina. So, it’s time to ride another rollercoaster… I hope you will come along with me for this crazy ride! Let’s meet our fears together…
And a snippet:
PROLOGUE
Worms, caviar too,
Two unlikely friends share tea,
And Chit – ter—Chat – ter,
That Chiastolite, oh my!
And Amelina’s bloodstone.
Come with me… Through a gated door leading to a quaint herb and rose garden where two strange companions, Leanne and Eruterac, share a rare moment together.
Today, they marvelled at the beauty and fragility of the rose petals that created a dazzling display of white, yellow, pink and darkest crimson blooms. The delightful fragrance of roses and herbs filled the air, bursting with sweetness. In the background, a quaint old cottage with shuttered windows rested as if waiting for a passing stranger to dare to cross its threshold. Within, sunbeams alighted on all manner of crystals as they twinkled, longing for a release from their embedded position on the walls. The ground around the cottage stirred, breaking and settling as if threatening to draw the cottage back into its hiding place, the earth.
In the surrounding courtyard, there were cages and bird feeders hanging from the trees. White doves cooed and preened themselves in bird baths.
The creature Eruterac paid no attention to the antics of these exquisite birds. Instead, he fidgeted as he tried to rearrange his tall skeletal frame into Leanne’s dainty, wrought-iron chairs.
Leanne sat opposite him. Except for the tulle layers of her silken gown, her tiny frame appeared lost in the chair. She tilted her head with an air of grandeur, as if she were about to join a garden party frequented by the finest royalty, or perhaps by the gods themselves.
Eruterac had no such attire, except for his knitted Rasta cap with sun-cured palm leaves that covered his matted dreadlocks, infested with rotting insects and decaying skin and held together by lumps of graveyard earth.
His needs were a thing of the past, now his only concern were the worms that crawled across his bony frame. He held one such wriggling creature inches from the gap where his mouth used to be and edged forward, dangling it in front of Leanne’s nose.
“Dinner,” he joked as he bobbed his skeletal head.
Leanne shuddered. “No worms, thanks, dearest creature. Caviar for me!” She picked up her finest china teapot and poured the liquid into a cup. It flowed slowly, twinkling with myriad brilliant colours. When it filled the cup, it turned the colour Leanne expected. She’d thought of green tea and magical green tea it was.
Eruterac choked and spluttered on clods of earth as he laughed. “That’s foul. Green tea, how can you drink such muck?”
“Easy. I do so with a smile, unlike… poor you! I see worms oozing gunk where your dear mouth used to be,” replied Leanne, reaching forward to pat Eruterac on his skeletal shoulder.
They rested for a moment, her gentle hand on his bones.
“I’ll try not to drink such delicacies!” replied Eruterac, cracking his bones for a joke.
“Wise fellow. Forgive me for changing the subject, but your new hat is very fetching! It’s so brown and earthy with that Chiastolite death crystal and the black cross embellishing the cap’s centre.”
“Indeed, it’s a dark beauty, like an honourable death,” he said. His skeletal arm reached up to touch the crystal on his hat.
“Take heart, dear creature, forget death, and being bound to this cottage. Let us rejoice in the simple pleasures of life, which we take for granted…” Leanne pointed at their sublime surroundings.
Eruterac sighed. “Yes, there are times amid such tranquillity and beauty that I forget everything.”
A white dove landed on Leanne’s slender shoulder. She turned and smiled. But the dove thought better of it and alighted on the creature’s hat. It pecked away at the worms, making the creature smile.
“They know who provides them with a constant dinner of worms. And who’s boss.”
“Huh! A boss? You? That Chiastolite’s making you big-headed. Oh, my days! The protectors, you, and my dearest doves are all that I and my dear cottage need… But I mustn’t forget, I have news to impart – the Midsummer Fly is up to his tricks.”
“Where’s that stinking fly been to this time?” asked Eruterac, leaning forward, sending worms tumbling towards Leanne’s teacup.
Her eyes grew wide as she placed a protective hand over the top, but a few swift worms landed in the saucer. She swiped them away.
“Oh, anguish me. Worms in my saucer! How my flesh crawls. Ugh. I feel giddy.” Leanne placed her tiny hand on her forehead. Her multihued grey hair twirled like an ebullient rainbow in a cloudy sky.
“Leanne, forget the worms. You were talking about the Midsummer Fly?”
“Yes. The fly has been to Amelina’s. He flew in her open bedroom window, sampled her Krystallos blood but, other than that, my crystal ball refuses to grant me a vision. I placed my trust in Amelina, and I fear I was hasty.” Leanne sighed and her hands fell to her lap as her shoulders slumped.
“This gurgling, sensation in my gut tells me that a shadow demon threatens the cottage’s safety. I believe that the grasshopper and the fly are in cahoots. Either way, I could suggest this or that, but it would all be for nought. Amelina’s young and in time she will learn to value the magical gifts you’ve entrusted her with.”
He lifted his hat and a family of rats, which had been resting on his dreadlocks, ran free, knocking over Leanne’s teacup.
“Ugh. I wish you wouldn’t do that, Eruterac,” said Leanne, wagging her finger at him. “You pretend to honour me, but the last time you did that, you broke my precious china teacup!”
“How could you accuse me of such a thing, Leanne?” Eruterac’s eye sockets winked, crunching together, making a horrendous grinding sound.
“Stop that! You have no eyeballs – you devil! The rats devoured your eyes long ago. Enough.”
She paused for a moment before announcing, “The Bloodstone will find a way.”
“Of Krystallos blood and Amelina, I am certain,” replied Eruterac, bowing.
Looking forward to the book launch which should start in the next few days… Thanks to all those who have offered to help. If anyone else would like to join the launch party do let me know. Looking for ARC reviewers, social media gurus, blog sharers, lol. The more the merrier! This is a big celebration, I’m so happy I finally finished this. It’s been a huge challenge. Phew, wipes sweat off brow…
The First book in the series has received many fantastic reviews and a book award recently from Amazon influencer N. N. Light, receiving a review rating of 5+ stars. Yes, she loved it a lot!
Here is her review:
A magical invitation, that doesn’t tear up, urges Amelina to go to Crystal Cottage to seek out the hidden secrets of her family. Amelina Scott knows her family isn’t what you call normal and neither is her house. No one she knows has a girl trapped in the mirrors. When she receives an invitation to visit Crystal Cottage, she doesn’t know what to make of it. Is it a prank? Is it a trick? She decides to ignore it and throws it in the trash. Only it doesn’t stay in the bin. She tries to cut it up but it doesn’t cut. It sings, it dances, it is somehow alive. She finally decides to travel to the Crystal Cottage to see what happens. Along the way, she meets Ryder and discovers magic (both light and dark) is all around. She interacts with magical people, beings, and objects while learning the truth of her family. What happens next will astound you, the reader. Are you ready for an adventure?
Bloodstone is an imaginative fantasy adventure I enjoyed from start to finish. From the first page, I connected with Amelina. She’s a delightful heroine. I could relate to her on so many levels. Everything from her curiosity to her reactions to her emotional state rang true. While it’s tricky these days to write an original fantasy story, M.J. Mallon wrote one of the most original fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. Taking bits from fantasy authors of the past, M.J. Mallon adds her own blend of magical realism and emotional coming of age to make Bloodstone a gem. The plot moves at a good pace with each chapter starting with a puzzle. What a creative way to keep the reader invested. The world-building is intricate and riveting. The characters are engaging and easy to connect with. Overall, Bloodstone is a brilliant story and when I finished, I wanted to read it all over again. If you’re a fantasy reader, you need to read Bloodstone. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I’d review it. My thoughts are all my own.
She also awarded me finalist in her annual International author awards too.
I think things are on the up and up. Well, I hope so…
I hope you think so too and will give Bloodstone and Golden Healer a try. Especially, if you like stories that are different, that touch upon many pertinent family topics: such as mental health, vulnerability, growing up, aging, and learning who to trust in a refreshing and imaginative way.
There is something for everyone in this magical series whether you are old or young! I love it. And one thing I’ve learnt in this journey is you have to love your work. Which I do. <3
Lots of twists and turns, so I found it hard to put the book down. Very enjoyable to read as it kept me guessing!’ – Amazon Review. ★★★★★
An exciting story of love, romance and tear-jerking reality, from international bestselling author, Lizzie Chantree.
Have you ever felt invisible?
Working as a stationery supervisor and a sitter to a pair of internet famous, delinquent dogs, wasn’t how former cyber-specialist, Olivia, imagined her life turning out.
Sitting in a tiny cubicle with a decrepit computer and being overlooked had suited her for a while, but now she’s fed up, lonely and determined to make the world ‘see’ her again.
Heartbreaker, Darius, wants to fill Olivia’s days with romance and adventure, but their love of technology has taken them on very different paths, forcing her to leave her past behind.
Gorgeous undercover policeman Gabe, is steadfast in finding out if Olivia is part of an online scam. Someone is stealing money from high profile men, but something doesn’t feel right and he suspects someone else is manipulating her life. But why?
Can true love blossom from the most deceptive of starts? And can someone who feels lost, find a way to flourish against all odds?
My review
The Woman Who Felt Invisible captured my attention right from the beginning with a great opening chapter which immediately hooks. The premise about older women feeling invisible is such a perceptive idea and Lizzie Chantree has explored this with touching humour, attention to detail and great characters. I loved all the funny details, the hot house, the dogs, the internet sensation! Jen’s fake smile and how she looked down her nose at the other women.
The main character Olivia (an older woman who lacks confidence,) meets Constance, (Connie,) at the office xmas party and there is reference to Connie looking young but being in her 40’s. A tip off to suggest where the story direction is going…
There are so many funny little moments like when Olivia’s boss Greg, who happens to be her new friend’s cheating husband, corners Olivia in the stationery cupboard (where she works,) and Olivia stabs him with her pen.
After the office party Olivia and Connie become great friends and this is the pivotal point where the story changes and progresses to reveal stunning revelations about Olivia and her best male friend Darius.
The love interest/love triangle appears in the form of injured Policeman Gabe who is doing a stake out of Olivia as he thinks she’s a drugs criminal! And Darius who has his charms and an abundance of good looks too… no spoilers read to discover more!
Connie wants to plan revenge on her cheating hubby Greg. And a whole bunch of extraordinary revelations follow. A great read! Perhaps less romance than some of Lizzie’s other books. Lots of humour, and commentry on women being more powerful than they seem. Overall, an entertaining novel and a celebration of older women having much to offer society with Olivia’s character demonstrating many hidden aspects, talents and much to admire. I loved it. Light-hearted but thoughtful too.
My rating 5 stars. Highly recommended.
Do support my new Book Review Bookstagram account by liking, sharing and following. Link below.
Now, that my publisher Next Chapter has decided to go wide, it seems like a sound decision to offer my YA Fantasy Bloodstone to potential reviewers on Booksprout, which is a garnering reviews site, with 40,000 reviewers. I’m trying it out and will be comparing Booksprout to Book Sirens which I have already been using for some time.
Booksprout appeals to me as it links to many book buying sites, that BookSirens doesn’t, (Sirens only has Amazon, Goodreads, and BookBub,) whereas the sprout offers the possibility of reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble,iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, Smashwords as well as Goodreads and BookBub. Obviously, not all reviewers will post to all sites and you are limited in number to how many you can choose but still… it seems like a good option.
Also, it seems fairly easy to use. They claim that you can set up an ARC in ten minutes. I didn’t time myself but it seemed quick!
Also, the Sprout offers a free service – first 20 reviews for one ARC for free. Only downside is basic ARC Freeloader protection on the free version – there is a way to check a reviewer’s email for ARC reviewer’s blocks. This tool debugs why a particular reviewer may not be able to download your ARC. It will display any known or potential blocks that would prevent them from doing so.
So, try the free version at your peril. You can upgrade at a click of a button to pay for the full service including total piracy control. This starts at $10 a month for up to 50 reviewers per ARC.
Oh, and beware if you get any emails saying a reviewer couldn’t download your ARC. Ignore, or point them in the direction of the Sprout… all this is handled by the Sprout, this is a red flag.
Another reason for trying to increase my readership and reviews is the imminent release of Book 2, Golden Healer. The finished manuscript is awaiting edits with my publisher, the cover is done – and looks spectacular… cover reveal soon.
Let me know if you would like to be part of my release Team! For Book 2, Golden Healer.
If you are interested in reviewing Bloodstone on Booksprout, or perhaps if you’ve already read Bloodstone and are willing to add your reviews to sites such as Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Google Play, Kobo, and Smashwords, etc, please do! I need all the help I can get and am happy to pay it forward.
I do believe that Bloodstone and The Curse of Time series deserve a wider audience, like so many indie and small press books. And I hope you might help me to achieve that aim.
With regard to paying it forward, I recently starting a Bookstagram review account where I share my reviews. I’ve written close to 200, so not sure how long this will take me to catch up! So, please do follow, like and share to help me grow this and to encourage me to do so! I will mainly be sharing independent, small press authors with a few traditionally published favourites too. Plus some quotes celebrating my love of books, etc…
Once I’ve tried out the sprout and concluded my thoughts on the sirens I will give you the lowdown on my observations. And, I still have to try Voracious Readers… Next!
So, if you have any experience with any of these review garnering sites please comment below.
I’m pleased to be able to tell you that Alex Pearl’s ‘100 ways to Write a Book’, in which my piece is featured (along with 105 others) has now just gone live as a paperback on Amazon.
Alex Pearl will be publishing it in other formats so keep an eye out for that.
These author interviews initiated by Alex Pearl during the Covid epidemic started as a small lockdown project. But before long, Alex’s requests for author interviews on social media elicited an overwhelming response, and the project soon took on on a life of its own.
Within these pages, authors from a wide spectrum of backgrounds wax lyrical about their backgrounds, motivations, and working methods. Among this throng, self-published newbies rub shoulders with award-winning bestsellers from all corners of the globe, including the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Israel and Sri Lanka.
They provide a fascinating insight into this mysterious process of creating imagined worlds on the page.
Huge thanks go to the 100 authors who very kindly gave their time to participate in this project, as well as their consent for their words to be reproduced here in print. They are in no particular order:
Paul Waters, Jessica Norrie, David F. Ross, Drema Drudge, Chris Chalmers, Mark Farrer, Sue Clark, Hannah Tovey, Belinda Hunt, Glynn Holloway, Mark Eklid, Julian Dutton, Christopher Bowden, Alan Gibbons, Lily Mackenzie, Ian Critchley, Jadi Campbell, Tom Atkins, Jane Risdon, Charles Harris, L. C. Tyler, Fran Hill, Malcolm Knott, Nikki Dudley, Jacqui Castle, Ron Impey, C. J. Booth, Ashok Ferrey, Jennifer Irwin, Beth Duke, Vicki Olsen, Pete Langman, Pauline Morgan, Jonathan Peace, Sandy Manning, Shelley Wilson, P. J. Roscoe, Anthony Neil Smith, A. A. Chaudhuri, Jon Richter, Carolyn Hughes, Trish Moran, Madeline Dewhurst, Jeff Pollak, Louise Fein, A. B. Kyazze, Jack Byrne, M. A. Hunter, Tessa Harris, M. J. Mallon, P. R. Black, Nina Soden, Bill Arnott, E. Chris Ambrose, Paul Kane, Sam Blake, Douglas Skelton, Louise Mumford, Philip Henry, Hazel Prior, Lauren Emily Whalen, Laura E. Goodin, Simon Van der Velde, Dr. Manuel Matas, Jane Bettany, Regina Puckett, S. G. M.Ashcroft, Michele Kwasniewski, Judy Stanigar, Robert Craven, John Darling, Pramudith D. Rupasinghe, Richard Dee, Sophy Layzell, Lorna Dounaeva, Diana Stevan, Bradley Harper, Paul Gitsham, Sion Scott-Wilson, John Dean, Liz Martinson, C. J.Carver, Tony J. Forder, Sharron L. Miller, Patrick Osborne, Peter Turnham, Jude Lennon, Anna Holmes, Chris Calder, Jane Buckley, Rachel Brimble, Gail Aldwin, Anne Coates, Ian Riddle, Christina Hamlett, James Morgan-Jones, Alison Huntingford, Gila Green, Helen Pryke, Emilya Naymark, Marcia Clayton, James L’Etoile, Edward Trayer, Mark Leichliter, Lindsay J. Sedgwick, David Liscio, Kate Reynolds
Wow, this captured my attention from the beginning with such an intriguing prologue and kept me enthralled throughout.
17 year old Harper is determined to solve an eighteen year old crime mystery, with Abigail being the first in a series of murder victims, in a small town. Abigail’s sister Emily says she is missing and ‘Something took her.’
Harper is a great character, brave, determined and so well written. I really enjoyed reading about her and felt sympathetic to her plight. And her family dynamics added an extra layer of interest in this story.
There are many warnings, and dreams which would make most teenagers run a mile but Harper stays resolute in her intention. She meets some seriously creepy characters along the way including the beguiling Gideon and his creepy brother Elijah.
Many mysteries are revealed towards the end of the book explaining why she was so compelled to dig deeper putting her own safety at risk. And there are some loose threads to be further explored in the second book.
Denver Falls crosses genre boundaries, being both a crime/murder mystery with a definite supernatural/paranormal feel to it with the mention of Shadow people, wraiths, the scene in the forest, the underground mine, and the weirdly dated poetry book and what follows. At the drunken bonfire the (Natives) issue a creepy warning to the kids to scare them off as they … ‘Anger the forest,’ says old man.
I loved the scene with Harper dancing under the moon with Gideon and I enjoyed the romantic aspect of the story.
The ending is complete but allows for a nice introduction to the second book in this series, with hints at what is to come.
Highly recommended. 5 stars, fantastic debut novel. Definitely my kind of read!
I’d also like to mention that the narrator of the audiobook did a fabulous job and really brought the tale to life. 5 stars to her too!
The above link takes you to my new bookstagram account which I started recently. Please follow, like and share to support indie, and small press authors. Thank you.
Thank you so much to Didi Oviatt for this wonderful review of my YA Fantasy Bloodstone. Made my day! A great New Year’s eve present. <3
Here is a short paragraph from the review, do read the full review at Didi’s wonderful blog.
What a fun mix this book is of magic, mystery and compelling characters. It’s a young adult fantasy that piques your interest from the very first chapter. Amelina is a teenage girl with quite the family story to tell, and to figure out for that matter. Nothing is as it seems, as the magic that she’s surrounded with is unique and creative.