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Avaland
“Welcome to the Coliseum, the most important grounds the world’s magical arts has ever seen, and in which the fiercest Gladiators reside.”
“You will be collecting these medallion’s, one for each of the elements.” The coin spun, changing from platinum to bronze, gold then silver. Each face revealing the words Magnum Opus.
An orphan, her talisman and a cast of extraordinary creatures are brought together in Avaland, a place where nothing is quite as it seems.
Charlotte is wrenched from her ordinary village life and finds herself in a magical world where she needs to learn the necessary skills to graduate to full Guardian status – and discover the special powers she was born with.
Exploring the labyrinth Charlotte is required to complete a set of tasks, from battling with dragons in Gregorie’s Gorge to slaying sirens in Mermaid Cove.
Alongside her new friends, Mandy and Frugal a diverse mix of monsters, fight to restore equilibrium to the kingdom, although some are not quite so enthusiastic about their quest.
Charlotte walks the path of her destiny to discover who she really is.
“You will be collecting these medallion’s, one for each of the elements.” The coin spun, changing from platinum to bronze, gold then silver. Each face revealing the words Magnum Opus.
An orphan, her talisman and a cast of extraordinary creatures are brought together in Avaland, a place where nothing is quite as it seems.
Charlotte is wrenched from her ordinary village life and finds herself in a magical world where she needs to learn the necessary skills to graduate to full Guardian status – and discover the special powers she was born with.
Exploring the labyrinth Charlotte is required to complete a set of tasks, from battling with dragons in Gregorie’s Gorge to slaying sirens in Mermaid Cove.
Alongside her new friends, Mandy and Frugal a diverse mix of monsters, fight to restore equilibrium to the kingdom, although some are not quite so enthusiastic about their quest.
Charlotte walks the path of her destiny to discover who she really is.
342 pages, Paperback
Published April 18, 1
164 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 26, 2018
Magical
Avaland is an all-embracing fantasy that is so beautifully written that you are completely engrossed in a set of adventures in a magical realm. The storyline follows a well-adopted recipe made most famous by JK Rowling in Harry Potter. In Avaland, Charlotte is the unexpected teenager destined to play a major impact on the world and fight against a powerful spell that only she seems destined to break.
Charlotte is an orphan raised by a mother and father who discovered her beneath an old oak tree along with a crystal when she was 6 years old. She has grown up feeling that bit different and an outsider. Amy Croucher Rose does a great job of creating a protagonist that we can easily connect with and root for, being empathetic towards her vulnerabilities and soft demeanour. She casts her as the underdog with a powerful secret lurking and develops a character that is appealing, naïve, and somehow resourceful. There are a wonderful array of characters developed around Charlotte to add to the adventures, those that become friends, those that are protecting from a distance, and those that are searching for an opportunity to harm her.
When the time comes for Charlotte to be transported to Avaland she immediately connects with Mandy, a Blue Hag, and Frugal, a Hobgoblin. They travel to the Coliseum to study and train to become Guardians of Avaland. When they arrive at a large “Sorting Tree” called Arafolle they are all given a Talisman and Charlotte is declared “Quartz Clear” to the astonishment of those around her. On visiting the woman in the fountain she is given a diamond bracelet that winds around and embeds itself into her forearm. The Quartz Clear Talisman is the VIP of all talismans and is assigned only to those that are destined to change the course of history. Charlotte’s crystal is only one part of a greater gem that various members of the Quartz Clear group possess, plus a missing part.
In the magnificent Coliseum, there are species of all sorts including Werewolves, Shape-shifters, Cyclops and Vampires. Charlotte is introduced to those that will be part of her training team and to those within her talisman group. Oh no the Irish creature in the tall green hat didn’t just say “Top of the mornin’ to yer.” That aside, the cast of characters is extensive yet not overpowering and they all bring aspects to the story that add value and intrigue. As she develops friends and relationships there is always suspicion as to which side any friend may be on.
The trainees will go through hours and hours of physical and weapons training and then undertake a number of tasks in the Labyrinth that must be completed in order to progress. Each task is to find a large medallion and they will be given clues as to their whereabouts in the Labyrinth. These adventures are exciting, pacey and fraught with danger.
I don’t have an issue following a great recipe for a storyline, but this felt too much like Harry Potter. There were also the stereotypical connections and relationships that I wasn’t fussed on, such as the love interest. Harry Potter and Percy Jackson fans, will love this book and it is really well written with loads of side interests and detail that creates a depth in the narrative that is totally entertaining.
I would like to thank Amy Croucher Rose for providing me with a copy of Avaland in return for an honest review.
Avaland is an all-embracing fantasy that is so beautifully written that you are completely engrossed in a set of adventures in a magical realm. The storyline follows a well-adopted recipe made most famous by JK Rowling in Harry Potter. In Avaland, Charlotte is the unexpected teenager destined to play a major impact on the world and fight against a powerful spell that only she seems destined to break.
Charlotte is an orphan raised by a mother and father who discovered her beneath an old oak tree along with a crystal when she was 6 years old. She has grown up feeling that bit different and an outsider. Amy Croucher Rose does a great job of creating a protagonist that we can easily connect with and root for, being empathetic towards her vulnerabilities and soft demeanour. She casts her as the underdog with a powerful secret lurking and develops a character that is appealing, naïve, and somehow resourceful. There are a wonderful array of characters developed around Charlotte to add to the adventures, those that become friends, those that are protecting from a distance, and those that are searching for an opportunity to harm her.
When the time comes for Charlotte to be transported to Avaland she immediately connects with Mandy, a Blue Hag, and Frugal, a Hobgoblin. They travel to the Coliseum to study and train to become Guardians of Avaland. When they arrive at a large “Sorting Tree” called Arafolle they are all given a Talisman and Charlotte is declared “Quartz Clear” to the astonishment of those around her. On visiting the woman in the fountain she is given a diamond bracelet that winds around and embeds itself into her forearm. The Quartz Clear Talisman is the VIP of all talismans and is assigned only to those that are destined to change the course of history. Charlotte’s crystal is only one part of a greater gem that various members of the Quartz Clear group possess, plus a missing part.
In the magnificent Coliseum, there are species of all sorts including Werewolves, Shape-shifters, Cyclops and Vampires. Charlotte is introduced to those that will be part of her training team and to those within her talisman group. Oh no the Irish creature in the tall green hat didn’t just say “Top of the mornin’ to yer.” That aside, the cast of characters is extensive yet not overpowering and they all bring aspects to the story that add value and intrigue. As she develops friends and relationships there is always suspicion as to which side any friend may be on.
The trainees will go through hours and hours of physical and weapons training and then undertake a number of tasks in the Labyrinth that must be completed in order to progress. Each task is to find a large medallion and they will be given clues as to their whereabouts in the Labyrinth. These adventures are exciting, pacey and fraught with danger.
I don’t have an issue following a great recipe for a storyline, but this felt too much like Harry Potter. There were also the stereotypical connections and relationships that I wasn’t fussed on, such as the love interest. Harry Potter and Percy Jackson fans, will love this book and it is really well written with loads of side interests and detail that creates a depth in the narrative that is totally entertaining.
I would like to thank Amy Croucher Rose for providing me with a copy of Avaland in return for an honest review.
September 10, 2018
“Beautiful and captivating.”
An abandoned baby in a forest with unknown magic power and a magical artefact. If this plot sounds familiar it's because it is. The fantasy genre is so saturated these days most books will follow a well-trodden, predictable (yet comfortable) path.
Fortunately, this is where the predictable ends and the magic begins. Amy Croucher Rose really has managed to do a fantastic job of using the familiar themes and characters (gargoyles, goblins etc.) that accompany most fantasy books and marry them seamlessly with the weird and wacky in a novel and exciting way.
The book starts grandly with a prologue describing the crazy lives of a doddery old man shouting at kids who move his cabbages and his wife who cooks bizarre and gross sounding food. This not only sets the scene but brings the main protagonist close to the reader's heart as, admit it, we all know that old man down the road. This more than some books can manage from front cover to back.
The world of Avaland is a story -rich fantasy world that is as familiar as it is novel and unknown, making this book a joy to read. Simply kick back and relax as this beautiful world unfolds with plenty of mystery and more than a few comedic moments that had me giggling to myself.
No book is perfect. However, some can come very close though, and this is one shining example of such a story. My little niggle with this is that perhaps the climax could have been a little more expanded and longer as while the build-up and climax were satisfying it just felt a little too quick.
This minute thought aside, Avaland is a truly wonderful piece of fantasy storytelling which has just enough space to keep you turning the page while leaving you at complete ease as you marvel at the world that unfolds.
A must read for any lovers of fantasy.
Alex
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
An abandoned baby in a forest with unknown magic power and a magical artefact. If this plot sounds familiar it's because it is. The fantasy genre is so saturated these days most books will follow a well-trodden, predictable (yet comfortable) path.
Fortunately, this is where the predictable ends and the magic begins. Amy Croucher Rose really has managed to do a fantastic job of using the familiar themes and characters (gargoyles, goblins etc.) that accompany most fantasy books and marry them seamlessly with the weird and wacky in a novel and exciting way.
The book starts grandly with a prologue describing the crazy lives of a doddery old man shouting at kids who move his cabbages and his wife who cooks bizarre and gross sounding food. This not only sets the scene but brings the main protagonist close to the reader's heart as, admit it, we all know that old man down the road. This more than some books can manage from front cover to back.
The world of Avaland is a story -rich fantasy world that is as familiar as it is novel and unknown, making this book a joy to read. Simply kick back and relax as this beautiful world unfolds with plenty of mystery and more than a few comedic moments that had me giggling to myself.
No book is perfect. However, some can come very close though, and this is one shining example of such a story. My little niggle with this is that perhaps the climax could have been a little more expanded and longer as while the build-up and climax were satisfying it just felt a little too quick.
This minute thought aside, Avaland is a truly wonderful piece of fantasy storytelling which has just enough space to keep you turning the page while leaving you at complete ease as you marvel at the world that unfolds.
A must read for any lovers of fantasy.
Alex
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews