Blog Archives
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave
Young Cassandra struggles to find her place in the universe a girl on the cusp of womanhood. Considered a misfit, nature-lover Cass often finds herself at odds with her own family about caring for the natural world and the many creatures that inhabit it. But when a grim tragedy strikes, Cassandra is pulled into yet another world. It is in this new world she discovers her hidden powers at the brink of an infinite universe in need of her help. Finding numerous friends and allies, Cassandra must learn to conquer her hidden doubts and rise above the tragedy in order to heal a broken world with the most powerful force in creation.
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave by author Deborah Shining Star is a rich story about overcoming the tragedies of life and discovering each person’s special purpose in our vast, endless universe. Cassandra, finding herself between worlds, encounters many trials and heart-wrenching tragedies in both her “normal” life and the world of the fantastical. Seldom have I encountered a book that weaves together the magical and mundane worlds so skillfully, spinning a complex narrative that pulls the reader into a place where anything is possible. Cassandra fights to understand herself, her family, and the meaning of sacrifice as she learns from many wise elders such as Grandmother Shining Stars. Cassandra encounters mythical beings far and wide, from unicorns to star beings from another galaxy. And in Cassandra’s fabulous journeys, the common themes of love, forgiveness, healing, and hope are present on every page of this beautifully crafted tale. At the end of it, all, balance, harmony, and understanding of our place in the universe may be the key to everything.
Cassandra and the Crystal Cave is an excellent coming-of-age fantasy adventure. This book wraps up nicely and is good as a stand-alone adventure but leaves plenty of potential for other stories in the future. Perfect for all those who love a beautiful fantasy world where not even the sky is the limit.
Pages: 228 | ASIN : B0B3W872RV
Journey to Osm: The Blue Unicorns Tale
Journey to Osm follows the story of Blue, a young unicorn with a big destiny. Blue is part of a tribe of unicorns going extinct under the harsh rule of an evil sorcerer. A prophecy foretells that Blue will save them but when he is born without metal in his horn, and thus without magic, all hope is lost. When Blue comes of age at 12, he is faced with destiny but how can a magicless unicorn have any hope of saving his tribe?
The book is a fun and unique YA fantasy novel. I really loved the unicorn-centric view of the story. Unicorns are often left out or less significant in fantasy stories, and I think this is a waste of a fun and interesting creature. Author Sybrina Durant furthers this by taking an intriguing twist and really exploring the magic of the unicorns as well as what unicorn civilization looks like. I really loved the world she created with the metal symbol of magic and the hierarchy that creates and the different powers that the magical unicorns possess. With an evil sorcerer, a prophecy, a fight against good and evil, this all adds up to an imaginative and exciting fantasy world.
The plot of the book is that of the underdog character finding strength against evil. Blue is a very sympathetic character through this journey as he is young, sweet, and very strong-willed. From the very beginning of the book you can see how hurt he is that he doesn’t think he can save his people, reciting his mantra ‘No Metal, No Magic.’ But even with this, he does not give up. He trains hard even when he thinks there is no chance. This self-determination in the café of certain failure really endeared Blue to me as a character. Silubhra was also a character that I grew very fond of as she was so compassionate and kind. There are a lot of characters in the story, but I think the author did a good job of making them unique and interesting and I liked how we get to see multiple perspectives.
This book is an exciting fantasy story. Filled with adventure, magic, love, loss, hope, action, and destiny. The story came together well and kept me engaged in the plot from beginning to end. The book is a great read, particularly for young adult readers who love fantasy stories.
Pages: 353 | ASIN: B07LDKX25N
LITERARY TITAN 