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Amber #1

Deep Amber

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A rift has opened . . . Worlds are colliding . . . And a knight on horseback has been spotted in Wemworthy town centre. Could mysterious substance deep amber be the source of all the chaos? It's down to modern-world siblings Cat and Simon to join forces with apprentice witch Dora and castle mischief-maker Jem to investigate. But can they mend the rift and find the deep amber before it falls into the wrong hands?

153 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2014

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21 people want to read

About the author

C.J. Busby

9 books14 followers
I wanted to be a children's writer from the age of about 10, but got distracted and became an anthropologist instead. I did fieldwork research in south India and then worked for ten years as an academic. I wrote my first children's book, Frogspell, while taking a break between jobs. The sequels, Cauldron Spells, Ice Spell and Swordspell are all now out and I'm working on a new trilogy, starting with Deep Amber which is out in March 2014. My books are fantasies, aimed at ages 7-10, with lots of humour and adventure. They are equally aimed at girls and boys - and grown-ups seem to quite enjoy them too!

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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Profile Image for Max.
200 reviews10 followers
July 14, 2018
I didn't hate this book, it's just not my fave! It has some amazing characters which I liked and I like where the plot is going. However, it didn't feel like too mich happened. I k ow it is only a 250 page book of something like that, but I don't know? It just didn't click with me. I am really unsure if I'm going to continue because some part of me cares and the other part just wants to read other things?? I'm am undecided 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️
207 reviews
August 27, 2018
A reasonable book - some nice humour. I didn't really connect with the characters though and the climax seemed to happen too soon. Don't know if I'll read the next one.
292 reviews221 followers
March 27, 2015
Having truly enjoyed C. J. Busby’s Frogspell series, I was incredibly excited to hear about her new series. This series is aimed at children just a little older and is intended for those who really enjoyed Frogspell. Thus, I am pleased to report that Deep Amber is yet another fun, adventurous and magical book that I am certain many children will find entertaining and worth reading. Upon finishing this book, I found I was excited to realise that there would be more books to come.

Once more, C. J has set this book in a magical world full of fun and mysterious things. So when odd items start appearing that these people have never seen before, questions are instantly asked. The items in questions have come from the modern non-magical world; ours! Further to this, a few magical items have also ended up on Earth. The adventure that ensues from this dilemma is full of humour and suspense and just really makes this book entertaining. The plot is well-thought out and full of little twists and turns everywhere that keep the reader turning the page. I found it difficult to put this down when my curiosity of what was going to happen next was so high.

Just like in her last series, the characters in this book are really great and really realistic. They’re all fun to read about and they’re easy to get attached to! I found myself trying to read slower so that I could keep them alive just a little bit longer. Dora was an apprentice witch who was constantly making small mistakes that she struggled to get herself out of and really helped to bring a level of fun to the book. She was also full of heart and one to really look out for! Jem was a mischevious boy who was ready for some adventure and ready to barge in without thinking things through. He turned out to be really helpful and great to see in the story. Simon was also adventurous and liked to let his curiosity get the better of him. He was a character that I loved reading. Catrin, being the oldest had a bit of a wiser tone to her character but she was also full of flair and liked to be apart of the adventure as much as the next person! I found her to be a truly inspirational character in the story!

One of the best things about Frogspell was C. J’s writing style and the way that she managed to create the essence of a child within her book. With all the fun, action, adventure, danger, bravery and curiosity in the book, it almost feels like a child itself. Fortunately, this is something that she has managed to continue doing in Deep Amber. This book seemed to really have it all and with all the right emotions, it would be difficult for children to dislike this story. I completely admire C. J. for her writing talent and can only hope she will continue to write wonderful and fun stories for children.

This book was great! It had a little of everything and I still get small snippets of the things that happened and can’t help but smile. It is the perfect adventure book and one that I could imagine being made into a children’s animation film one day. All the characters were loveable and fun to read about and you simply finish reading this book feeling like you’ve found something good. Really enjoyed this book and would be quick to recommend it, especially to younger children who like books with quests and magic! But I also believe teens and adults will find the fun in this book as well.
Profile Image for Helen .
860 reviews38 followers
November 24, 2015
A rift has opened... Worlds are colliding... And a knight on horseback has been spotted in Wemworthy town centre. Could mysterious substance deep amber be the source of all the chaos? It’s down to modern-world siblings Cat and Simon to join forces with apprentice witch Dora and castle mischief-maker Jem and investigate. But can they mend the rift and find the deep amber before it falls into the wrong hands?

I read and really enjoyed the Frogspell series, so when I saw these C J Busby titles [Deep Amber & Dragon Amber] in the new stock at the library I grabbed them. These are a bit more 'grown up' than the earlier stories, aimed at more confident readers.
Deep Amber is still a good fun tale, not too complicated but with enough action to keep the interest.
I'm keen to start the sequel, as it ended on a cliff-hanger.
Profile Image for Nicole.
822 reviews25 followers
March 11, 2015
If you have a confident 7-12 yr old reader this is a great book one in a trilogy.
Dora is an apprentice magician. Things start to appear in her world like goggles for looking under water!
In Cat and Simon's world they have just moved to their dead Auntie's house where things are going missing. However things seem strange as visitors come by asking about objects and Amber.
Back in Dora's realm her master, the Druid, sends her to the castle to see Lord Ravenglass about the objects appearing. She has to go through the Forbidden Forest so has a naughty squire called Jem to assist her.
As the realms merge closer together the truth about Deep Amber is revealed.
Now the scene is set I am looking forward to book 2 Dragon Amber.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
108 reviews4 followers
January 24, 2015
The start of a super new series from C J Busby. Her previous series "Frogspell" etc were a great take on the Arthurian legends for young children. This book is aimed at a slightly older audience and is based on crossovers between two worlds. When objects such as mobile phones start appearing in a medieval castle and a sword arrives in a modern home, it is time for questions to be asked and action to be taken. A great story and I look forward to reading more.
Profile Image for Zayneea.
262 reviews9 followers
November 19, 2014
The magic world and the world that we know are have strange objects vanishing and appearing from the other places. It quickly becomes apparent the cause of the mysterious objects is just to a rift caused by some Deep Amber. Nice story for children & look forward to getting around to reading Dragon Amber next which have already got a copy of from the library waiting on the shelf....
8 reviews64 followers
July 9, 2014
Delightful book that is like a cross between the early Harry Potter books and The Magician's Nephew by CS Lewis. Would make a wonderful holiday read for confident 7-9 year olds.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews

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