What do you think?
Rate this book
The Treasure
YA/NA Fantasy
Matilda lives in a mythical land in a castle that once belonged to her parents. Until he died, her father had been Lord Chamberlain to King Stephen. Left alone, Matilda’s mother married the man Matilda calls the Oaf. However, after her mother dies, Matilda’s life becomes one of great hardship. Her step-father and his son mistreat her and make her life miserable.
The village of Oakvale, where Matilda lives, and its twin village of Elmswood suffer great adversity and poverty. For two hundred years there has been war, as the villagers fight each other for the wondrous treasure that is hidden somewhere in King Stephen’s castle. After two centuries of bombardment, the castle is in ruins, except for one tower that remains impenetrable.
Alaric, an old, wizened man, is gatekeeper of King Stephen’s castle and its remaining tower. Matilda visits him every afternoon. He is her only friend.
When the Oaf and his son make a final assault on the castle to find the treasure, all their lives are turned upside down.
Matilda lives in a mythical land in a castle that once belonged to her parents. Until he died, her father had been Lord Chamberlain to King Stephen. Left alone, Matilda’s mother married the man Matilda calls the Oaf. However, after her mother dies, Matilda’s life becomes one of great hardship. Her step-father and his son mistreat her and make her life miserable.
The village of Oakvale, where Matilda lives, and its twin village of Elmswood suffer great adversity and poverty. For two hundred years there has been war, as the villagers fight each other for the wondrous treasure that is hidden somewhere in King Stephen’s castle. After two centuries of bombardment, the castle is in ruins, except for one tower that remains impenetrable.
Alaric, an old, wizened man, is gatekeeper of King Stephen’s castle and its remaining tower. Matilda visits him every afternoon. He is her only friend.
When the Oaf and his son make a final assault on the castle to find the treasure, all their lives are turned upside down.
- GenresFantasy
85 pages, ebook
First published December 15, 2019
23 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Read
32 books101 followersMulti Award Winning, multi genre author, Ellen Read, is the author of The Thornton Mysteries – cosy murder mysteries set in Australia. Ellen also writes ghost stories and thrillers. Her latest book is a fantasy, based on the Triple Goddess of Celtic mythology and soon to be published by Serenade Publishing.
When she’s not writing, she’s reading, painting or taking photographs.
Ellen loves to read fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. She particularly loves history and stories of ancient myths and legends. Authors such as Agatha Christie, Mary Stewart, Robert Graves, Edgar Allan Poe, and Victoria Holt have influenced her work.
www.ellenread.com
https://linktr.ee/ellenreadauthor
When she’s not writing, she’s reading, painting or taking photographs.
Ellen loves to read fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. She particularly loves history and stories of ancient myths and legends. Authors such as Agatha Christie, Mary Stewart, Robert Graves, Edgar Allan Poe, and Victoria Holt have influenced her work.
www.ellenread.com
https://linktr.ee/ellenreadauthor
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 15, 2019
The Treasure is a merging of two ideas.
First of all, Greek Myth of Icarus inspired me. However, the message behind the story comes from a poem I wrote years ago about greed, arrogance and, ultimately, love and peace.
The two ideas came together in The Treasure.
***
This story is free on my website.
***
In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth. Icarus and his father attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. Icarus' father warns him first of complacency and then of hubris, asking that he fly neither too low nor too high, so the sea's dampness would not clog his wings or the sun's heat melt them. Icarus ignored his father's instructions not to fly too close to the sun. When the wax in his wings melted, he tumbled out of the sky and fell into the sea where he drowned, creating the expression don't fly too close to the sun.
First of all, Greek Myth of Icarus inspired me. However, the message behind the story comes from a poem I wrote years ago about greed, arrogance and, ultimately, love and peace.
The two ideas came together in The Treasure.
***
This story is free on my website.
***
In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth. Icarus and his father attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. Icarus' father warns him first of complacency and then of hubris, asking that he fly neither too low nor too high, so the sea's dampness would not clog his wings or the sun's heat melt them. Icarus ignored his father's instructions not to fly too close to the sun. When the wax in his wings melted, he tumbled out of the sky and fell into the sea where he drowned, creating the expression don't fly too close to the sun.
August 12, 2020
The message in this story is for every era. Such a surprise. I loved it.
February 5, 2021
In a kingdom torn apart by decades of petty strife, Matilda, daughter of nobility, is forced into life as a servant to her abusive stepfather. The ruins of the King's nearby castle contain a mystery that many have attempted to solve. When Matilda discovers her stepfather's plan, she's determined to undermine it.
This was a very quick read. I found it was written very much in the style of fairy tale or fable, and I think it generally succeeds when viewed through that lens.
I think a bit more length would have allowed for more development, more even pacing of the major events, and more subtlety in general. I tend to enjoy very straightforward stories with clear good/bad guys less than those with less clear heroes/villains, so this is strictly a personal opinion.
Having said that, I concede that I am not likely the target reader for this story. It seems fitting for a bedtime story, based on the thematic material and the way the story evolves, and it would work really well in that arena.
There were some small errors that were missed, as well as some awkward wording. Owing to the short length of the story, I do feel that the editing should have caught these elements.
I received a copy of this story via the author.
This was a very quick read. I found it was written very much in the style of fairy tale or fable, and I think it generally succeeds when viewed through that lens.
I think a bit more length would have allowed for more development, more even pacing of the major events, and more subtlety in general. I tend to enjoy very straightforward stories with clear good/bad guys less than those with less clear heroes/villains, so this is strictly a personal opinion.
Having said that, I concede that I am not likely the target reader for this story. It seems fitting for a bedtime story, based on the thematic material and the way the story evolves, and it would work really well in that arena.
There were some small errors that were missed, as well as some awkward wording. Owing to the short length of the story, I do feel that the editing should have caught these elements.
I received a copy of this story via the author.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews