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North Mystic
"North Mystic" is the 2014 First Place Winner of the Purple Dragonfly Award for excellence in children's literature in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category.
Leprechauns in running shoes, trolls who are afraid of the sunlight, and three children unwittingly prepared to lead a revolution...
A small assemblage of Leprechauns makes their home in a land they name North Mystic. The tiny species are the descendants of immigrants who escaped from Ireland during the siege of Viking pirates in the 900's by stealing away in one of the Viking's own longships.
For several years, they live in peace and prosperity, harvesting their gold from the roots of their shamrock fields. But, alas, all does not remain so idyllic. A band of Vikings crosses the treacherous North Sea and arrives at their shores. The big brutes kidnap their children and demand a tax of all their gold, promising to return the next year with their children if the ransom of the next year's crop of gold is paid to them.
Meanwhile, living in a condition of opulent neglect, the three Callahan children are, unwittingly, preparing to perform a great work. While their parents carry on their busy lives without them, the children are raised under the careful supervision of cameras, microphones and computer screens. On an otherwise ordinary day, the eldest child, Evelynd, discovers a trap door in the floor of the linen closet. Curiosity leads the adolescent and her two younger siblings, Avery and Drew, on an amazing adventure to North Mystic where their arrival have been foretold for hundreds of years.
Will the three children be able to help the Leprechauns secure their freedom? Read "North Mystic" to find out!
Leprechauns in running shoes, trolls who are afraid of the sunlight, and three children unwittingly prepared to lead a revolution...
A small assemblage of Leprechauns makes their home in a land they name North Mystic. The tiny species are the descendants of immigrants who escaped from Ireland during the siege of Viking pirates in the 900's by stealing away in one of the Viking's own longships.
For several years, they live in peace and prosperity, harvesting their gold from the roots of their shamrock fields. But, alas, all does not remain so idyllic. A band of Vikings crosses the treacherous North Sea and arrives at their shores. The big brutes kidnap their children and demand a tax of all their gold, promising to return the next year with their children if the ransom of the next year's crop of gold is paid to them.
Meanwhile, living in a condition of opulent neglect, the three Callahan children are, unwittingly, preparing to perform a great work. While their parents carry on their busy lives without them, the children are raised under the careful supervision of cameras, microphones and computer screens. On an otherwise ordinary day, the eldest child, Evelynd, discovers a trap door in the floor of the linen closet. Curiosity leads the adolescent and her two younger siblings, Avery and Drew, on an amazing adventure to North Mystic where their arrival have been foretold for hundreds of years.
Will the three children be able to help the Leprechauns secure their freedom? Read "North Mystic" to find out!
206 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2013
381 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Evans
25 books142 followersI am a graduate of Oregon State University. Upon graduation, I spent five years teaching at the middle school and high school levels. My writing, at that time, was limited to curriculum. That was not fun.
While raising my children, I coached their Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination teams for seventeen years. I helped them write their own stories for the competitions. During this time, I also wrote two parent handbooks for the Salem, Oregon School district on sex education.
About fifteen years ago, I was able to combine my passion for horses with my love of writing. I researched and wrote two equestrian trail guide books for the Denver area. By “research” I mean that I spent every Friday riding my horse on a new trail, be it on the plains or in the mountains. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it! The result of that work was the publication of Riding Colorado-Day Trips from Denver with Your Horse, and Riding Colorado II. Both books continue to sell very well in the Denver to Colorado Springs area and have made my horse famous.
I was able to combine my love of horses with my love of fantasy in my first Trilogy. The Mist Trilogy, comprised of Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness and the Rising Mist received a gold medal from the Mom's Choice Awards. My next fantasy, an allegory of the Revolutionary War, but with Trolls and Leprechauns, won first place in the Purple Dragonfly Awards for fantasy. I took a brief (2 year) break from writing fantasy to complete a contemporary, coming of age novel titled "In the Heart of a Mustang." This YA novel won first place in the Literary Classics Awards for Young Adult fiction and second place in the Nautilus Awards in the same category.
On October 1, 2016, I released the first book of my new fantasy series "The Stone of Mercy: Book 1 of the Centaur Chronicles."
I have now expanded my writing interests to include Historical Fiction: "PINTO! Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History," and "The Sand Pounder - Love and Drama on Horseback in WWII."
I have also had fun working with illustrators on five picture books: "PERCY - The Racehorse Who Didn't Like to Run," and "The Skullington Family Series."
I describe myself as a “Mozart” type of writer as opposed to a “Beethoven” writer. When I sit down to write, the words just flow and I don’t have to go back and do a lot of revisions.
While raising my children, I coached their Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination teams for seventeen years. I helped them write their own stories for the competitions. During this time, I also wrote two parent handbooks for the Salem, Oregon School district on sex education.
About fifteen years ago, I was able to combine my passion for horses with my love of writing. I researched and wrote two equestrian trail guide books for the Denver area. By “research” I mean that I spent every Friday riding my horse on a new trail, be it on the plains or in the mountains. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it! The result of that work was the publication of Riding Colorado-Day Trips from Denver with Your Horse, and Riding Colorado II. Both books continue to sell very well in the Denver to Colorado Springs area and have made my horse famous.
I was able to combine my love of horses with my love of fantasy in my first Trilogy. The Mist Trilogy, comprised of Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness and the Rising Mist received a gold medal from the Mom's Choice Awards. My next fantasy, an allegory of the Revolutionary War, but with Trolls and Leprechauns, won first place in the Purple Dragonfly Awards for fantasy. I took a brief (2 year) break from writing fantasy to complete a contemporary, coming of age novel titled "In the Heart of a Mustang." This YA novel won first place in the Literary Classics Awards for Young Adult fiction and second place in the Nautilus Awards in the same category.
On October 1, 2016, I released the first book of my new fantasy series "The Stone of Mercy: Book 1 of the Centaur Chronicles."
I have now expanded my writing interests to include Historical Fiction: "PINTO! Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History," and "The Sand Pounder - Love and Drama on Horseback in WWII."
I have also had fun working with illustrators on five picture books: "PERCY - The Racehorse Who Didn't Like to Run," and "The Skullington Family Series."
I describe myself as a “Mozart” type of writer as opposed to a “Beethoven” writer. When I sit down to write, the words just flow and I don’t have to go back and do a lot of revisions.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 18, 2015
While fans of my other books, "Behind the Mist," "Mists of Darkness," "The Rising Mist," and the "Riding Colorado" books might be disappointed that there are no horses in "North Mystic," I think this is my favorite book that I have written. My target audience is middle-grade readers and I wrote it so that 9 to 14 year old's would learn to love to read. It is a fantasy version of the Revolutionary war...only with Leprechauns and Trolls and three children who find themselves in the position of leading a revolution. With weapons reminiscent of Swiss Family Robinson and a little Leprechaun Magic, anything can happen!
February 5, 2020
My boys and I loved this book! My youngest received a signed copy for Christmas and picked this for his book talk. He doesn’t love reading but was so engrossed in this book. What boy wouldn’t love a book about leprechauns, trolls, and three children with beautiful souls and gifted minds.
March 6, 2017
On my “to read” list for some time, and I was happy to get to it. Unfortunately I was dissatisfied with the novel.
Yes, indeed, all children should be loved “best of all” and if not at home, a leprechaun village will do just fine.
But creative solutions to problems only coming into play after violent solutions had failed were—to say the least—disconcerting. Modeling is important—aggression should not be the first response to a problem.
Characters, even secondary characters, deserve development. Evil nannies don’t turn over a new leaf for no reason.
And I am not your “dear reader.”
The author did have a light and pleasing style, and I’m apt to try something else by her in the future, but this was a disappointment. Not recommended.
Yes, indeed, all children should be loved “best of all” and if not at home, a leprechaun village will do just fine.
But creative solutions to problems only coming into play after violent solutions had failed were—to say the least—disconcerting. Modeling is important—aggression should not be the first response to a problem.
Characters, even secondary characters, deserve development. Evil nannies don’t turn over a new leaf for no reason.
And I am not your “dear reader.”
The author did have a light and pleasing style, and I’m apt to try something else by her in the future, but this was a disappointment. Not recommended.
July 8, 2013
“And just where am I supposed to find another nanny by tomorrow? Mrs. Callahan screeched.” The opening words to North Mystic drew me in. On the first page, I quickly discovered that Mrs. Callahan is a wealthy, self-centered woman who communicates with her three children, the heroes of the story, via a video system that is reminiscent of monitoring systems used in prisons.
Mrs. Callaghan is so self-centered that she is comically despicable. Yet, I found myself feeling a dash of sympathy for this woman who easily becomes so frustrated and flustered that she crashes through garage doors without realizing that they are closed. Despite the unusual way of communicating with the children, there’s also a hint that Mrs. Callaghan loves them as most evenings she and her husband, Fred, dine formally with their children, for precisely one hour and for some reason the children enjoy being with them.
By the end of the first chapter the children (Evelyn, Avery and Drew) are introduced to their new nanny, Miss Rhonda Schmidtwitch. Mrs. Callaghan selects her precisely because Schmidtwitch detests children and because she is perfectly attuned to using the sophisticated prison-like communications system to interact with them.
After Mr. & Mrs. Callaghan decide to leave their children for a three-month vacation, the children escape their prisoner-type existence by entering the alternative world of North Mystic where they are welcomed by leprechauns who have been awaiting their arrival for many years. The leprechauns’ lore says that the children will liberate them from trolls who have been extracting a tax of 100% of the leprechaun gold that the townspeople grow from the roots of plants.
The leprechauns expect that the children will be their saviors. Of course, the three children rise to the occasion with some plans that a middle-grade or preteen reader will find interesting. (No spoilers here.) Along the way many months pass and Mrs. Callaghan develops a greater appreciation for her children. When she, her milk toast husband, and the children are reunited there’s a definite promise of a more fulfilling and loving life together.
I read North Mystic straight through while I was on an airplane flight. It made me smile immediately and it held my interest even though I am old enough to be a grandfather to the intended audience. Children will love the personalities of the leprechauns and the three Callaghan kids. They’ll pick up a bit of world history as they journey through the leprechaun’s colorful and magical world which includes shamrocks, streets made of colored stones that sparkle in the sunlight and Rainbow Lake where every drop of water contains sunshine.
Escape into North Mystic, a world of fun and fantasy. It features strong visual imagery and a story where the children triumph over pressure and unfair circumstances.
I was provided with a free review copy by the publisher. No remuneration was paid for this review.
Mrs. Callaghan is so self-centered that she is comically despicable. Yet, I found myself feeling a dash of sympathy for this woman who easily becomes so frustrated and flustered that she crashes through garage doors without realizing that they are closed. Despite the unusual way of communicating with the children, there’s also a hint that Mrs. Callaghan loves them as most evenings she and her husband, Fred, dine formally with their children, for precisely one hour and for some reason the children enjoy being with them.
By the end of the first chapter the children (Evelyn, Avery and Drew) are introduced to their new nanny, Miss Rhonda Schmidtwitch. Mrs. Callaghan selects her precisely because Schmidtwitch detests children and because she is perfectly attuned to using the sophisticated prison-like communications system to interact with them.
After Mr. & Mrs. Callaghan decide to leave their children for a three-month vacation, the children escape their prisoner-type existence by entering the alternative world of North Mystic where they are welcomed by leprechauns who have been awaiting their arrival for many years. The leprechauns’ lore says that the children will liberate them from trolls who have been extracting a tax of 100% of the leprechaun gold that the townspeople grow from the roots of plants.
The leprechauns expect that the children will be their saviors. Of course, the three children rise to the occasion with some plans that a middle-grade or preteen reader will find interesting. (No spoilers here.) Along the way many months pass and Mrs. Callaghan develops a greater appreciation for her children. When she, her milk toast husband, and the children are reunited there’s a definite promise of a more fulfilling and loving life together.
I read North Mystic straight through while I was on an airplane flight. It made me smile immediately and it held my interest even though I am old enough to be a grandfather to the intended audience. Children will love the personalities of the leprechauns and the three Callaghan kids. They’ll pick up a bit of world history as they journey through the leprechaun’s colorful and magical world which includes shamrocks, streets made of colored stones that sparkle in the sunlight and Rainbow Lake where every drop of water contains sunshine.
Escape into North Mystic, a world of fun and fantasy. It features strong visual imagery and a story where the children triumph over pressure and unfair circumstances.
I was provided with a free review copy by the publisher. No remuneration was paid for this review.
June 21, 2013
The opening of the book starts off about a wealthy parent, Mrs. Callahan seeking a new sitter, but oddly doesn't have to interact with the kids. The new sitter has state-of-the-art technology to monitor with video footage and speak to the children on a microphone. Reading this bothered me dearly since I used to be a caregiver, no interaction, touch, but only directing and seeing children on technological equipment and expecting them to behave practically on their own.
A chapter later, the adventure begins...what's behind the door to explore. This takes me back to when I first read C.S. Lewis' children novel "Chronicles of Narnia." Although the adventure starts with precious jewels, gold, and meeting Leprechauns and hearing about the horrid stories of the trolls who kept requiring their gold even though the Vikings are no more, this former teacher (M.J. Evans) finds a way to not only make this novel adventurous but a tool for showcasing historical events around 1062AD where the Vikings were destroyed by the King of England. It also teaches independence, to fight for what you believe in and hold so dearly, and strategically as well as collectively unite as a unit to win the battle that lies ahead. Each person uses their talents, intellect, or former learning skills to stand against their worst enemy with speaking up for their rights or simply will have to physically fight. This adventure finds a way for young people to see and utilize their talents collectively and freely to do what is right for the common good.
Dream 4 More Reviews has received North Mystic by the author for a book review.
Dream 4 More Reviews,
What a Dream!
Adrienna Turner
www.dream4more.org
A chapter later, the adventure begins...what's behind the door to explore. This takes me back to when I first read C.S. Lewis' children novel "Chronicles of Narnia." Although the adventure starts with precious jewels, gold, and meeting Leprechauns and hearing about the horrid stories of the trolls who kept requiring their gold even though the Vikings are no more, this former teacher (M.J. Evans) finds a way to not only make this novel adventurous but a tool for showcasing historical events around 1062AD where the Vikings were destroyed by the King of England. It also teaches independence, to fight for what you believe in and hold so dearly, and strategically as well as collectively unite as a unit to win the battle that lies ahead. Each person uses their talents, intellect, or former learning skills to stand against their worst enemy with speaking up for their rights or simply will have to physically fight. This adventure finds a way for young people to see and utilize their talents collectively and freely to do what is right for the common good.
Dream 4 More Reviews has received North Mystic by the author for a book review.
Dream 4 More Reviews,
What a Dream!
Adrienna Turner
www.dream4more.org
March 6, 2014
This is an adorable little book (about 200 pages). It is a fantasy booked aimed at pre-teens, I would say, but I enjoyed the book too. The book is about 3 children - Evelynd, Avery, and Drew, who have lonesome, fairly unloved lives, but discover a secret passageway that leads them to a magical land called North Mystic where leprechauns live and there are talking animals and magical lakes. The leprechauns live under the fear of evil trolls who come every year to take their gold. The arrival of the children herald to the leprechauns that perhaps they can defeat the trolls. The children agree to help, and they each have skills that help prepare the leprechauns for the battle ahead. The writing is well done, and the story is uplifting and heartwarming. In fact, I think I may save this book for my the children of my friend though they may be a little young for it now.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.
I won this copy in one of the Goodreads giveaways.
June 24, 2017
This book was fantastic! I haven't read such a fun adventure in a long time and the author's creative use of old favorites like leprechauns and trolls was outstanding! A completely fresh take on these legends
August 5, 2013
My husband, Darrel, and I both read the book and loved the imaginative tale that combines adventure, daring, creativity, and love. From friendly leprechauns to evil trolls, North Mystic is a whirlwind fantasy that entertains and enlightens. Adults and young readers alike will enjoy the journey!
May 10, 2016
I felt like I was getting a history lesson on the art of war with this story. It started out ok but then the politics started. Not what I was hoping for at all.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews