What do you think?
Rate this book
Crystal Shade: Angeni, Volume 1
There are three types of angel stories in the world; the religious, the mainstream, the Crystal Shade. Discover Crystal Shade, the world's only Auralight Fantasy*.
“Thousands of stars could tell thousands of stories.”
Seven year old Grace always dreamt of becoming a guardian angel; like those who guarded and guided her people and prepared to bravely fight in a dreaded mythical event, the Crystal Shade – which never came. It's not like Grace ever wanted to see Demons. Or wants to know what evil and darkness is – things that no one ever faced on her world and as the legends says, the Crystal Shade carries within –, nor does she want to die to be reborn as a guardian. But she thinks the mysterious life of angels is so noble, a fable that it sounds exciting – until it actually happens.
Crystal Shade: Angeni, Volume 1 explores the early life of a young daydreaming soul who is destined to reveal the forgotten past of her home world and to seek the answer to the eternal question; what the legendary Crystal Shade really is.
*Auralight Fantasy (a.k.a. AuraFantasy or Auralight) is a new variation and mix of many genres. While it contains many Epic Fantasy, Young Adult, and close-to-Science-Fiction, close-to-Steampunk mechanical and / or fantastical elements, such as aura-powered flying and other machines and weapons, or a strange world with a blue sun, it also includes biological-fantastical elements, such as aura beings with superpowers, living in different spirit realms of an otherworldly ancient society with an atmosphere not just felt, but seen as emanating from person, places and other living and non-living things. The term “Auralight Fantasy” was coined to reflect the more overtly fantastical tones of Crystal Shade.
“Thousands of stars could tell thousands of stories.”
Seven year old Grace always dreamt of becoming a guardian angel; like those who guarded and guided her people and prepared to bravely fight in a dreaded mythical event, the Crystal Shade – which never came. It's not like Grace ever wanted to see Demons. Or wants to know what evil and darkness is – things that no one ever faced on her world and as the legends says, the Crystal Shade carries within –, nor does she want to die to be reborn as a guardian. But she thinks the mysterious life of angels is so noble, a fable that it sounds exciting – until it actually happens.
Crystal Shade: Angeni, Volume 1 explores the early life of a young daydreaming soul who is destined to reveal the forgotten past of her home world and to seek the answer to the eternal question; what the legendary Crystal Shade really is.
*Auralight Fantasy (a.k.a. AuraFantasy or Auralight) is a new variation and mix of many genres. While it contains many Epic Fantasy, Young Adult, and close-to-Science-Fiction, close-to-Steampunk mechanical and / or fantastical elements, such as aura-powered flying and other machines and weapons, or a strange world with a blue sun, it also includes biological-fantastical elements, such as aura beings with superpowers, living in different spirit realms of an otherworldly ancient society with an atmosphere not just felt, but seen as emanating from person, places and other living and non-living things. The term “Auralight Fantasy” was coined to reflect the more overtly fantastical tones of Crystal Shade.
- GenresFantasy
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2011
29 people want to read
About the author
István Szabó Ifj.
20 books13 followersBased out of Budapest, Hungary, Istvan began his writing and art career at a young age. His strengths include Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thrillers, as well as Spiritual, Romantic, and Political works. At the beginning of his career, two companies entrusted Istvan to create and write the stories of two of their video games. Since 2007, working parallel on several different projects, Istvan mostly developed and worked on the Crystal Shade franchise and wrote Crystal Shade: Angeni. As an artist for hire, he has created illustrations, character art, short CGI animations and marketing materials for various projects as well as for his own works, Crystal Shade: Angeni, 7 Post Meridiem, Nightfall and other unnanounced projects. In 2007, Istvan produced his first short movie "15 Minutes of Fame", in which Istvan was the screenwriter, director and storyboard artist. "15 Minutes of Fame" won 3rd Place at the UPC-AXN Film Festival 2007.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 24, 2012
At first I had a hard time getting into this story, but once I did I enjoyed it. This is the story of a seven year old girl, Grace, who longs to become a Guardian Angel. The story starts talking about Grace and her dream to be a Guardian Angel. It then goes into Grace becoming an angel, her training and the story of the Crystal Shade. Along the way Grace learns that training to be a angel is not as easy as it seems, she begins to question things and people, and she realizes there is bad as well as good.
This book is well written and cannot be rushed. There are many names in it that the reader would not have heard before and in order to understand the story you need to take the time to read slow and process it. It can get a little confusing at times but with focus and patience on the part of the reader it all comes together.
This is the first book in a trilogy and I am curious to see what happens in the next book.
http://youngadultbookaddict.blogspot....
This book is well written and cannot be rushed. There are many names in it that the reader would not have heard before and in order to understand the story you need to take the time to read slow and process it. It can get a little confusing at times but with focus and patience on the part of the reader it all comes together.
This is the first book in a trilogy and I am curious to see what happens in the next book.
http://youngadultbookaddict.blogspot....
March 31, 2012
To see this review and more like it check out my site at www.ufreviews.com
This was such an interesting story concept for me, I remember when I received the book for review, and I remember thinking to myself how is a story being told by a seven year old going to work. I mean even in the YA genre seven is a little young, I wondered if I was going to be able to identify with the character, and for me as a reader I need to be able to identify with the characters in the book. But the book is really so much more than I thought it was going to be.
To begin with I have to say that the writing was very captivating, as well as very vivid in its descriptions. I could easily take the descriptions of things from within the book and then imagine it in my head. The writing was really well done but the only down side to the writing in the book was how it was paced. There were definitely times when I wanted the book to pick up a little bit more because felt like the book was lagging a bit.
As for the little girl, who I was concerned about her age and my ability to connect with her, it really wasn't that hard to connect with her. She was a well written character, and it was a really interesting concept to read about. It's interesting to think about all the things that children want to be when they grow up, and I don't think I have ever heard a child wish to be an angel so it was certainly unique to have a child who really wants to be an angel.
I'm not sure that Grace knew what exactly being an angel entailed, but while she learning about how to be an angel you start to get a clearer picture that not everything is happy, there is clearly something going on that is not all good. So over the course of time you get to see not just the good side of being an angel but you also get to hear about the darkness of the Crystal Shade. The entire tone of the book changes, which is kind of an interesting twist to the book.
Overall, I would say that the book is a pretty good book. I think it has an interesting concept and had a good tone to the book. My only major complaint was that I wish the book hadn't lagged so much, that maybe it was faster paced. But other than that I think the book was pretty good and you might be interesting in giving it a try if you like angel books.
This was such an interesting story concept for me, I remember when I received the book for review, and I remember thinking to myself how is a story being told by a seven year old going to work. I mean even in the YA genre seven is a little young, I wondered if I was going to be able to identify with the character, and for me as a reader I need to be able to identify with the characters in the book. But the book is really so much more than I thought it was going to be.
To begin with I have to say that the writing was very captivating, as well as very vivid in its descriptions. I could easily take the descriptions of things from within the book and then imagine it in my head. The writing was really well done but the only down side to the writing in the book was how it was paced. There were definitely times when I wanted the book to pick up a little bit more because felt like the book was lagging a bit.
As for the little girl, who I was concerned about her age and my ability to connect with her, it really wasn't that hard to connect with her. She was a well written character, and it was a really interesting concept to read about. It's interesting to think about all the things that children want to be when they grow up, and I don't think I have ever heard a child wish to be an angel so it was certainly unique to have a child who really wants to be an angel.
I'm not sure that Grace knew what exactly being an angel entailed, but while she learning about how to be an angel you start to get a clearer picture that not everything is happy, there is clearly something going on that is not all good. So over the course of time you get to see not just the good side of being an angel but you also get to hear about the darkness of the Crystal Shade. The entire tone of the book changes, which is kind of an interesting twist to the book.
Overall, I would say that the book is a pretty good book. I think it has an interesting concept and had a good tone to the book. My only major complaint was that I wish the book hadn't lagged so much, that maybe it was faster paced. But other than that I think the book was pretty good and you might be interesting in giving it a try if you like angel books.
August 10, 2016
A story about a girl who is an angel in training. This story unravels from training sessions into more intense battle scenes and along the way we learn the story of the Crystal Shade.
At about 350 pages it was a detailed, descriptive and imaginative fantasy story that the reader. The author is an artist as well, if you take one minute to look at the website you will tell immediately there is a lot of detail and passion in his work. His writing is like art put into word form. It is descriptive in a way that will allow you to picture the world in your mind as colorful imagery and a blur between light and dark.
The main character is Grace, her greatest wish is to someday become an angel. When she dies and begins her angel training, she imagines all of her dreams coming true. She is living in a beautiful world, learning to do all the duties that you would imagine an angel would encompass. But everything cannot be perfect for long. As the story unravels and the reader learns of the Crystal Shade and the ever lurking darkness that lies outside her current realm, the story becomes more intense and darker. For there cannot be the good without the bad.
This book was not a fast read, it was something that I had to have complete silence for and completely shut off myself from the world to become immersed in it. The writing style is one that needs a concentration to read through, both detailed, imaginative it will consume you for the duration.
At about 350 pages it was a detailed, descriptive and imaginative fantasy story that the reader. The author is an artist as well, if you take one minute to look at the website you will tell immediately there is a lot of detail and passion in his work. His writing is like art put into word form. It is descriptive in a way that will allow you to picture the world in your mind as colorful imagery and a blur between light and dark.
The main character is Grace, her greatest wish is to someday become an angel. When she dies and begins her angel training, she imagines all of her dreams coming true. She is living in a beautiful world, learning to do all the duties that you would imagine an angel would encompass. But everything cannot be perfect for long. As the story unravels and the reader learns of the Crystal Shade and the ever lurking darkness that lies outside her current realm, the story becomes more intense and darker. For there cannot be the good without the bad.
This book was not a fast read, it was something that I had to have complete silence for and completely shut off myself from the world to become immersed in it. The writing style is one that needs a concentration to read through, both detailed, imaginative it will consume you for the duration.
September 24, 2013
I rarely write reviews, almost never, but Crystal Shade deserves recognition, so now I make an exception. One of the things that recommends Crystal Shade and makes its considerable length justified is its characterizations and interesting, unique story and world. I’m always little skeptical of the realism in fantasy. Realistic fantasy is like real life, seemingly nothing is black and white; there is no ultimate good and no ultimate evil, but Crystal Shade’s story and presentation is perfect in this. This is as close to reality as a fantasy or an angel story can get. In real life heroes sometimes die or commit murder or make mistakes. One review I read criticized the book because the plot didn't go in the direction the reader expected, the character was to in-depth, the story had moral values, and foremost because the plot was slower and more detailed. Honestly, I praise the book for the same reason.
Grace is one of the best examples of the in-depth characterization we find in Crystal Shade. She is the major character of the novel. She is a well written and simply an incredible, believable character. When we first meet her she is a daydreamer, eager to learn, eager to discover her home world – but along with her we quickly learn in the span of a few chapters that there is more to her than her attitude might suggest. She realizes the difference, reality and daydreams, and her mind must be her weapon; it is her wits that she wields instead of the legendary crystal blade about she always dreamed of. And the other characters are also so real. Women and even children are authentic. In many fantasy stories portrayal of women and children are really annoying. But unlike in other fantasy novels in Crystal Shade all the characters seem and act like real people you may love, like or hate.
Crystal Shade is possibly the most unique fantasy stories in the last ten-twenty years. It is not a copy cat of Song of Ice and Fire or The Lord of the Rings. It is Crystal Shade, a unique angel story which is not a religious propaganda, but a very strange mix of many genres and very unique fantasy tale for everyone. After so many fantasy stories it was refreshing to experience something completely different. The author makes a huge breakthrough with this well written, immediately engrossing, and incredibly intricate tale that keeps you hooked all the way through. It is a well plotted, but slower paced, still excellent, fresh fantasy tale, which is not for the mainstream lover, impatient and undereducated readers. And I’m serious. Crystal Shade is a professionally written book with one of the most beautiful proses. This book is not for Twilight or other mainstream fanatics. Plots, discovery, dreams and reality, myths and legends that all combine to create one of the most compelling novels I have ever read. Crystal Shade has a very unique story to tell. It is beautiful, it is slow and it is cruel as you have to understand what you read and you have to use your imagination to see everything. This book is decades ahead of it’s time.
Grace is one of the best examples of the in-depth characterization we find in Crystal Shade. She is the major character of the novel. She is a well written and simply an incredible, believable character. When we first meet her she is a daydreamer, eager to learn, eager to discover her home world – but along with her we quickly learn in the span of a few chapters that there is more to her than her attitude might suggest. She realizes the difference, reality and daydreams, and her mind must be her weapon; it is her wits that she wields instead of the legendary crystal blade about she always dreamed of. And the other characters are also so real. Women and even children are authentic. In many fantasy stories portrayal of women and children are really annoying. But unlike in other fantasy novels in Crystal Shade all the characters seem and act like real people you may love, like or hate.
Crystal Shade is possibly the most unique fantasy stories in the last ten-twenty years. It is not a copy cat of Song of Ice and Fire or The Lord of the Rings. It is Crystal Shade, a unique angel story which is not a religious propaganda, but a very strange mix of many genres and very unique fantasy tale for everyone. After so many fantasy stories it was refreshing to experience something completely different. The author makes a huge breakthrough with this well written, immediately engrossing, and incredibly intricate tale that keeps you hooked all the way through. It is a well plotted, but slower paced, still excellent, fresh fantasy tale, which is not for the mainstream lover, impatient and undereducated readers. And I’m serious. Crystal Shade is a professionally written book with one of the most beautiful proses. This book is not for Twilight or other mainstream fanatics. Plots, discovery, dreams and reality, myths and legends that all combine to create one of the most compelling novels I have ever read. Crystal Shade has a very unique story to tell. It is beautiful, it is slow and it is cruel as you have to understand what you read and you have to use your imagination to see everything. This book is decades ahead of it’s time.
April 29, 2013
I received this book free in return for an honest review.
The Good...
The beginning sets a great mood, making the reader want to know what the bogey in the dark is.
Most of the really good writing occurs near the end of the book. For example, there is some very good description of everyday animals we take for granted, which Angeni has never seen. It makes it easy to figure out what the creature is without the author having to name it.
Theme plays a major role in the entire book, leading to some thought provoking messages. I love stories that make me think about what I believe and what may be true. This book has a lot of passages that do that.
The Not-so-good...
The author warns in the description: "IMPORTANT: Please be advised that Crystal Shade: Angeni and its episodic release, Crystal Shade: Episodes is not a fast and easy mainstream read. You can't quickly skim through and read it in one night, but you have to absorb the words and create the fantasy in your mind. Therefore, if you don't like slower-paced books or non-mainstream storylines, please read the excerpt before making any purchase."
If you're looking for a book that begins with conflict or is paced faster than a snail, look somewhere else. This is an epic tale and, as the volume number indicates, will be told in more than one book. In fact, the story ends just when the conflict begins. I like to call this the Soap Opera Gimmick: end every book in the middle of a fight so the reader will buy the next one to see what happens. I don't know about other readers, but I feel cheated when authors do this. Leave me with questions, but don't leave me in the middle of a conflict.
Another complaint I have is the overuse of some words, especially the words "shy" and "cold." It made me think of what Inigo says to Vizzini in the Princes Bride: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
Lastly, there are entire scenes that seem to be unnecessary. For instance, why does it matter to the reader what the names of the gods and goddesses are and what provinces they supposedly rule? The author spends an extrodinairy amount of time on world building, using specific names and stories to explain the placement of each province. Perhaps the information will come into play in another volume, but it was tedious in this one.
The Overall...
Take the author's warning seriously! While I enjoy books that make me wonder about truth and reality, I also like them to balance that with action and external conflict. Crystal Shade has very little of that, which often bored me. There is plenty of action near the end, but it left me unsatisfied because the story itself didn't end. My suggestion is this, read Crystal Shade if you enjoy long, slow tales and don't mind a cliff hanger ending. If that's not the type of story you like, then you'll probably want to pass on this tale.
The Good...
The beginning sets a great mood, making the reader want to know what the bogey in the dark is.
Most of the really good writing occurs near the end of the book. For example, there is some very good description of everyday animals we take for granted, which Angeni has never seen. It makes it easy to figure out what the creature is without the author having to name it.
Theme plays a major role in the entire book, leading to some thought provoking messages. I love stories that make me think about what I believe and what may be true. This book has a lot of passages that do that.
The Not-so-good...
The author warns in the description: "IMPORTANT: Please be advised that Crystal Shade: Angeni and its episodic release, Crystal Shade: Episodes is not a fast and easy mainstream read. You can't quickly skim through and read it in one night, but you have to absorb the words and create the fantasy in your mind. Therefore, if you don't like slower-paced books or non-mainstream storylines, please read the excerpt before making any purchase."
If you're looking for a book that begins with conflict or is paced faster than a snail, look somewhere else. This is an epic tale and, as the volume number indicates, will be told in more than one book. In fact, the story ends just when the conflict begins. I like to call this the Soap Opera Gimmick: end every book in the middle of a fight so the reader will buy the next one to see what happens. I don't know about other readers, but I feel cheated when authors do this. Leave me with questions, but don't leave me in the middle of a conflict.
Another complaint I have is the overuse of some words, especially the words "shy" and "cold." It made me think of what Inigo says to Vizzini in the Princes Bride: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
Lastly, there are entire scenes that seem to be unnecessary. For instance, why does it matter to the reader what the names of the gods and goddesses are and what provinces they supposedly rule? The author spends an extrodinairy amount of time on world building, using specific names and stories to explain the placement of each province. Perhaps the information will come into play in another volume, but it was tedious in this one.
The Overall...
Take the author's warning seriously! While I enjoy books that make me wonder about truth and reality, I also like them to balance that with action and external conflict. Crystal Shade has very little of that, which often bored me. There is plenty of action near the end, but it left me unsatisfied because the story itself didn't end. My suggestion is this, read Crystal Shade if you enjoy long, slow tales and don't mind a cliff hanger ending. If that's not the type of story you like, then you'll probably want to pass on this tale.
July 24, 2016
I haven’t read very much high fantasy, because the genre intimidates me. For years, I have avoided reading it, and I’ve read very few high fantasy novels. After reading Crystal Shade, I feel mostly confused and still intimidated by high fantasy.
I’ve always avoided high fantasy because I’ve always believed that I won’t understand it. The confusion I have over Crystal Shade doesn’t just deal with being confused about the story, although I do admit that I was confused throughout parts of it. I’m also confused because I’m not sure I really understood it. For me, I felt like the story was slow, and during those times (e.g., the angels' training), I wondered what the point of it was. What I’m really confused about is: am I right about the way I feel, or am I wrong? I haven’t read enough high fantasy to be able to compare Crystal Shade to anything, so I don’t know if high fantasy tends to be slower in terms of the story and whatnot. If it does, then Crystal Shade is probably the right pace for a high fantasy novel. I'm starting to think that I truly don't understand high fantasy, because even though I overall understand Crystal Shade (well, mostly), I kind of feel like I just didn't get it, and I think that’s because of me, not because of the book.
Despite my confusion, there were moments when the writing was so great that I didn’t care whether or not I was understanding the story as a whole. As long as I understood those good moments, I was happy. The idea of the story is interesting and when the writing really supported the story, I felt like high fantasy is a genre I might start reading more of. I liked Angeni as a character; I liked her inquisitiveness and her desires to be good, not just at what she did (like art), but as a guardian. She was very easy to like. I also liked her sister Aurora, and her playfulness, but Angeni was easily my favorite character. The other thing I really liked was the three seasons, Slumberous, Deciduous, and Prosperous. They were obviously the same as some of our seasons (winter, fall, and spring), and I enjoyed reading about them. Finally, I enjoyed the storytelling aspect of the novel; storytelling fascinates me, and I like it when is shows up in novels.
The final verdict: I didn’t fall in love with The Crystal Shade the way I hoped to, but I also didn’t hate it. I assume that for the high fantasy genre, this is a solid novel. I’m still not convinced that high fantasy is the genre for me, but I think that people who like high fantasy more than I do and who have more experience with the genre than I do will really enjoy The Crystal Shade.
I’ve always avoided high fantasy because I’ve always believed that I won’t understand it. The confusion I have over Crystal Shade doesn’t just deal with being confused about the story, although I do admit that I was confused throughout parts of it. I’m also confused because I’m not sure I really understood it. For me, I felt like the story was slow, and during those times (e.g., the angels' training), I wondered what the point of it was. What I’m really confused about is: am I right about the way I feel, or am I wrong? I haven’t read enough high fantasy to be able to compare Crystal Shade to anything, so I don’t know if high fantasy tends to be slower in terms of the story and whatnot. If it does, then Crystal Shade is probably the right pace for a high fantasy novel. I'm starting to think that I truly don't understand high fantasy, because even though I overall understand Crystal Shade (well, mostly), I kind of feel like I just didn't get it, and I think that’s because of me, not because of the book.
Despite my confusion, there were moments when the writing was so great that I didn’t care whether or not I was understanding the story as a whole. As long as I understood those good moments, I was happy. The idea of the story is interesting and when the writing really supported the story, I felt like high fantasy is a genre I might start reading more of. I liked Angeni as a character; I liked her inquisitiveness and her desires to be good, not just at what she did (like art), but as a guardian. She was very easy to like. I also liked her sister Aurora, and her playfulness, but Angeni was easily my favorite character. The other thing I really liked was the three seasons, Slumberous, Deciduous, and Prosperous. They were obviously the same as some of our seasons (winter, fall, and spring), and I enjoyed reading about them. Finally, I enjoyed the storytelling aspect of the novel; storytelling fascinates me, and I like it when is shows up in novels.
The final verdict: I didn’t fall in love with The Crystal Shade the way I hoped to, but I also didn’t hate it. I assume that for the high fantasy genre, this is a solid novel. I’m still not convinced that high fantasy is the genre for me, but I think that people who like high fantasy more than I do and who have more experience with the genre than I do will really enjoy The Crystal Shade.
March 2, 2012
The first novel introducing us to a fantasy trilogy upon we get to learn about the crystal shade and the main heroine of the story. How do I know it's a she? Let's take a look. From the cover there are some hints that might give some mental notes to some connections that I keep in mind for later on.
From the title I derive one of the keywords Angeni , it is an abbreviated girl name for angel. So the figure in the center is a girl with angel wings. Also we see the number 11 showing 3 times. Not only does this number shows the publishing date it is also versed inside the beginning of the story. We might also consider some symbolism or spiritual meaning behind the number and what I found out in some resources, which tell that one understanding of the number 1 is a new beginning and purity , in case the number occurs doubled then the power of the attributes are increased, no guarantees provided.
In the first chapter there is an old man indulging in his old memories, playful children come along and want to hear a story, so he tells the story of the person most dear to his heart, the one who he met long time ago and became one of the legendary guardian of the crystal shade. Displayed to us is a small glimpse into the childhood of Grace Sessa Aredia from the outskirts of Odessiana in the valley of Seradelphia. Her ultimate dream is to become an aresian guardian with white wings. Every person has a guardian angel for a lifetime, it guides the holder in giving hint of notions to which way to follow but in the end the holder must decide for him -/herself. The story continues where Grace actually becomes chosen by a higher mother to become a guardian, at first it is very hard for her to leave her family behind at such a young age, which symbolizes her pure soul and a start to a new beginning as Angeni. She has to learn about suffering, good and evil to be able to protect the people in Sachylia, and foremost will learn something on the crystal shade. Follow Grace in her search for the truth.
I liked the idea of the storytelling as well as the graphic style in the cover image that gave hints to the story. But the story line was kept on a slow pace, too slow for me to keep up with the mystery.
From the title I derive one of the keywords Angeni , it is an abbreviated girl name for angel. So the figure in the center is a girl with angel wings. Also we see the number 11 showing 3 times. Not only does this number shows the publishing date it is also versed inside the beginning of the story. We might also consider some symbolism or spiritual meaning behind the number and what I found out in some resources, which tell that one understanding of the number 1 is a new beginning and purity , in case the number occurs doubled then the power of the attributes are increased, no guarantees provided.
In the first chapter there is an old man indulging in his old memories, playful children come along and want to hear a story, so he tells the story of the person most dear to his heart, the one who he met long time ago and became one of the legendary guardian of the crystal shade. Displayed to us is a small glimpse into the childhood of Grace Sessa Aredia from the outskirts of Odessiana in the valley of Seradelphia. Her ultimate dream is to become an aresian guardian with white wings. Every person has a guardian angel for a lifetime, it guides the holder in giving hint of notions to which way to follow but in the end the holder must decide for him -/herself. The story continues where Grace actually becomes chosen by a higher mother to become a guardian, at first it is very hard for her to leave her family behind at such a young age, which symbolizes her pure soul and a start to a new beginning as Angeni. She has to learn about suffering, good and evil to be able to protect the people in Sachylia, and foremost will learn something on the crystal shade. Follow Grace in her search for the truth.
I liked the idea of the storytelling as well as the graphic style in the cover image that gave hints to the story. But the story line was kept on a slow pace, too slow for me to keep up with the mystery.
June 25, 2012
Seven year old, Grace, wants to be a guardian angel with all of it's nobility with, in typical child fashion, not thinking about the downside.
I finished this book last week and thought long and hard about the review I would write. This was an interesting read and beautifully written. I didn't think, reading the description, that I'd buy Grace as a 7 year old but I do. The writing style and setting were very vivid and alive. While reading this book I was constantly reminded of "Dune" by Frank Herbert. Not that the storyline is anything like the Herbert novel but the feeling I had while reading evoked memories of sitting outside as a younger person reading that novel and tracing back over things to make sure that I got where the story was going. I think this novel is mislabeled as YA, I think it's all ages. I'm not sure, as I sit here now, that I fully understood the book but I realized at some point over the last few days that maybe we're not meant to understand. Maybe as the story unfolds, we achieve clarity.
I didn't indentify with little Grace but I bonded, in a sense, with her character. She's incredibly well written. There are times, within the storyline, that I wanted to shake her or warn her and isn't that the sign of a good novel? When you care about the characters? I think little Grace is done well in this respect.
I was given this book to review and the author told me that it would take a long time to read. I read it in a sitting...a long sitting, but a sitting nonetheless. I was captivated with the world described and the complexity of the storyline. There are times when it's not so fast moving but I think this is a novel in which the reader gets lost so let it last forever, I say. I think all ages will enjoy this entrancing narrative with beautiful settings and age appropriate dialogue. I would give this novel to my 10 year old to read.
I finished this book last week and thought long and hard about the review I would write. This was an interesting read and beautifully written. I didn't think, reading the description, that I'd buy Grace as a 7 year old but I do. The writing style and setting were very vivid and alive. While reading this book I was constantly reminded of "Dune" by Frank Herbert. Not that the storyline is anything like the Herbert novel but the feeling I had while reading evoked memories of sitting outside as a younger person reading that novel and tracing back over things to make sure that I got where the story was going. I think this novel is mislabeled as YA, I think it's all ages. I'm not sure, as I sit here now, that I fully understood the book but I realized at some point over the last few days that maybe we're not meant to understand. Maybe as the story unfolds, we achieve clarity.
I didn't indentify with little Grace but I bonded, in a sense, with her character. She's incredibly well written. There are times, within the storyline, that I wanted to shake her or warn her and isn't that the sign of a good novel? When you care about the characters? I think little Grace is done well in this respect.
I was given this book to review and the author told me that it would take a long time to read. I read it in a sitting...a long sitting, but a sitting nonetheless. I was captivated with the world described and the complexity of the storyline. There are times when it's not so fast moving but I think this is a novel in which the reader gets lost so let it last forever, I say. I think all ages will enjoy this entrancing narrative with beautiful settings and age appropriate dialogue. I would give this novel to my 10 year old to read.
July 2, 2013
Pros:
- Beautifully written elegant and enchanting read
- A complex and very unique heroine and a great storyteller
- Believable secondary characters and dialogues
- A brand new fantasy world. No known classes, no known weapons or character traits. Finally!
- A very unique, unpredictible and interesting angel story which is finally not a religious propaganda, but it is for everyone. Forget everything you think you know about angels. These angels, rather guardians are much better.
- It is about a journey and revelations. Finally it is not a book full of actions just to keep you entertained. Peace dominates
- Few, but well crafted and memorable battle scenes
- Each detail has a place, each element has a purpose
- A so strange, realistic and very detailed fantasy world without the known cliches, mixed with science fiction and other genres. The description says its an Auralight Fantasy. It perfectly describes the book
- Long chapters with a story in a story. Each chapters has a beginning, middle and an end
- Great contrast between the beginning and the end
- Cliffhanger ending. Intense, full of unpredictible twists.
Cons:
- Slower read. Patience required
- It is not for everyone
- Long chapters (148,000 words, but only 9 chapters)
- Cliffhanger ending. You have to wait for the sequel.
- Beautifully written elegant and enchanting read
- A complex and very unique heroine and a great storyteller
- Believable secondary characters and dialogues
- A brand new fantasy world. No known classes, no known weapons or character traits. Finally!
- A very unique, unpredictible and interesting angel story which is finally not a religious propaganda, but it is for everyone. Forget everything you think you know about angels. These angels, rather guardians are much better.
- It is about a journey and revelations. Finally it is not a book full of actions just to keep you entertained. Peace dominates
- Few, but well crafted and memorable battle scenes
- Each detail has a place, each element has a purpose
- A so strange, realistic and very detailed fantasy world without the known cliches, mixed with science fiction and other genres. The description says its an Auralight Fantasy. It perfectly describes the book
- Long chapters with a story in a story. Each chapters has a beginning, middle and an end
- Great contrast between the beginning and the end
- Cliffhanger ending. Intense, full of unpredictible twists.
Cons:
- Slower read. Patience required
- It is not for everyone
- Long chapters (148,000 words, but only 9 chapters)
- Cliffhanger ending. You have to wait for the sequel.
April 21, 2014
Once I started the book, not sure if it is because I am reading other books simultaneously, but so far not keeping my interest. I may have to restart and hope that I can gravitate to this author's style of writing. I see in the synopsis that it is a mixture of genres like SYFY, Fantasy to name a couple of which I usually like reading.
Sadly I was unable to complete this read after reading up to page 40+. I re-reviewed the synopsis to see how it caught my interest; however, I saw that the author was trying to showcase a 7-year-old girl Grace who had quite an imagination and great desire to be a guardian angel but seemed mutually impossible since she didn't have wings. It was staged in a fantasy world: Crystal Shade and featured guardian angels and briefly covered evil winged ones too up to the page I read. I was intrigued with the angelic beings, yet the book just didn't work for me.
I received a eBook copy via Smashwords from the author and reading it on Aldiko reader. I believe I received an ARC copy over a year ago from the author to provide a honest review. (Reading on tablet).
Free book read received in 2012 (tried to read in 2014).
Adrienna Turner
Author of God is in the Equation
www.dream4more.org
Sadly I was unable to complete this read after reading up to page 40+. I re-reviewed the synopsis to see how it caught my interest; however, I saw that the author was trying to showcase a 7-year-old girl Grace who had quite an imagination and great desire to be a guardian angel but seemed mutually impossible since she didn't have wings. It was staged in a fantasy world: Crystal Shade and featured guardian angels and briefly covered evil winged ones too up to the page I read. I was intrigued with the angelic beings, yet the book just didn't work for me.
I received a eBook copy via Smashwords from the author and reading it on Aldiko reader. I believe I received an ARC copy over a year ago from the author to provide a honest review. (Reading on tablet).
Free book read received in 2012 (tried to read in 2014).
Adrienna Turner
Author of God is in the Equation
www.dream4more.org
July 5, 2012
The first book in a trilogy of a little girl who becomes a guardian angel as she has dreamed of becoming in her short life.
The story starts out describing who she is, the area she lives in and her dream of becoming a guardian.
Parts of the story are told by an elderly gentleman relating the tale of Angeni to two small children.
The story revolves around her learning to become a guardian, the training, the elder guardians and a story of the Crystal Shade which most guardians in training do not believe in.
While the author and others call Crystal Shade a slow read, I did not find it so. I give the book 5 stars for great story writing,a well thought out plot, interesting characters and place descriptions without being wordy.
I am looking forward to reading part two and discovering more of Angeni's story. And wondering if the elderly gentleman is the Prince, the human Angeni is guardian to.
The story starts out describing who she is, the area she lives in and her dream of becoming a guardian.
Parts of the story are told by an elderly gentleman relating the tale of Angeni to two small children.
The story revolves around her learning to become a guardian, the training, the elder guardians and a story of the Crystal Shade which most guardians in training do not believe in.
While the author and others call Crystal Shade a slow read, I did not find it so. I give the book 5 stars for great story writing,a well thought out plot, interesting characters and place descriptions without being wordy.
I am looking forward to reading part two and discovering more of Angeni's story. And wondering if the elderly gentleman is the Prince, the human Angeni is guardian to.
June 14, 2013
"Thousands of Stars could tell Thousands of Stories"
The story of a girl who wants to be an angel, not thinking about the downside. A beautifully written, interesting, complex and unique tale, a very strange mix of fantasy and science fiction. The storyline is not like anything I have read before and the descriptions created in this novel are so realistic and vivid, and appear almost as fine art.
The story of a girl who wants to be an angel, not thinking about the downside. A beautifully written, interesting, complex and unique tale, a very strange mix of fantasy and science fiction. The storyline is not like anything I have read before and the descriptions created in this novel are so realistic and vivid, and appear almost as fine art.
January 24, 2012
This book is a change from everything I've read recently. The story itself unfolds more gently, the action moving at a slower pace most of the time. The writing is beautiful. Elegant, even.
I love the way every person has their own guardian angel, who not only protects them, but can float around them as a tiny ball of light, hide in plain sight, make a flower blossom.
I love the way every person has their own guardian angel, who not only protects them, but can float around them as a tiny ball of light, hide in plain sight, make a flower blossom.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews