childrens book – Kate M. Colby

The Dream Walker (Land of Mystica Series #1) by Michelle Murray
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Dream Walker (Land of Mystica Series #1) by Michelle Murray transports the reader to the land of Mystica, where a once-trapped wizard has escaped his magical bonds and is wreaking havoc on the kingdom. Miranda, a seemingly-normal college student from the human realm, begins to have dreams about a distraught king in a magical land. When Miranda goes to a local bookstore to research her dreams, she learns that she is actually a dream walker — a person with the ability to see into other worlds during dreams and even travel to those other worlds. Recognizing her destiny, Miranda transports herself to Mystica and takes on the quest of saving the land from the evil wizard.

The Dream Walker has everything fantasy readers crave in a novel. Mystica feels like a land where anything is possible and offers a captivating variety of fantastical locations, magical acts, and amazing creatures and beings. It features everything from wizards to dragons to chivalrous huntsmen. Readers will easily become enchanted with the world Murray has created and enjoy the twists and turns of Miranda’s journey.

From a plot standpoint, The Dream Walker moves quickly from one part of the quest to another. There is rarely a dull moment, which makes for a fast read. The language is straightforward and a bit simple, and when combined with the steady action, it makes for an engaging, family-friendly story for children and young adults.

At the same time, my main critique with The Dream Walker is that the plot moves a bit too quickly. The book itself is rather short and feels to be written more in summary than in scene. As someone who was intrigued by the concept and adored the land of Mystica, I would have liked to have more detail of Miranda’s adventure and for the novel to have had more room to develop characters and really immerse me in the plot, as opposed to jumping quickly from one bit of action to the next. Likewise, I will say that the language was a bit too simplistic for my taste (but again, that is more acceptable for a children’s novel), and the novel definitely needs the touch of a good proofreader.

Overall, The Dream Walker (Land of Mystica Series #1) is a fun fantasy adventure that takes place in a magical, intriguing land. With a bit more fleshing out of the plot and less summarizing, this could be a fantastic novel. As it stands, it is a quick-paced, light read, perfect for children or young adults looking to embark on a quest.

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If you are interested in reading The Dream Walker (Land of Mystica Series #1) and would like to help sponsor my writing and research, you can purchase it through my Amazon Associates Store. By doing this, you will not pay a cent extra, nor will the author receive a cent less, but I will receive a small commission on the sale. Simply click the book’s title or the book’s image.

The Slapstyx by Annabelle Franklin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The Slapstyx by Annabelle Franklin is a charming children’s novel. It follows twins Gemma and Georgie on their mission to stop the Slapstyx goblin tribe from producing dirt and put environmentally-UNfriendly cleaning product ZOOM!!! out of business.

The Slapstyx contains numerous characters and themes that children love. It has magic – goblins, mermaids, and dreamwalking – that is playful and never too scary. Georgie and Gemma are both ambitious, clever, and kind. While I would have liked to have seen a bit more personality distinction between them, both girls are well-developed and very likable. The villain, Zachary Zigstack, is comically portrayed and the perfect level of evil for the twins to face. The side characters, while a bit simple, are developed enough for a children’s novel and touch on issues that many children have to tackle, including friendship, a parent’s remarriage, and (step-)siblinghood.

The over-arching theme of The Slapstyx is environmental consciousness. Franklin spends ample time explaining how ZOOM!!! adversely affects the environment. While much of the plot is enveloped in magic, there are still “real-world” elements that teach children about environmental issues, such as hints to capitalistic greed, toxins in the ocean, and animal endangerment. The environmental theme is well done and a great way to introduce children to this issue.

The writing itself is clear and simple, which allows the story and the characters to be the focus of the novel. The tone of The Slapstyx is playful and witty. Even in moments of danger, Franklin keeps the tone light and inserts comic relief. However, the novel does end on a rather violent note. While I do not think it was too violent for children, it did come as a bit of a surprise after how playful the rest of the novel was.

Overall, The Slapstyx is a fun novel with an important message. If your child (or even you) likes magic, adventure, take-charge characters, and socially-conscious themes, you will enjoy The Slapstyx.

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If you are interested in reading The Slapstyx and would like to help sponsor my writing and research, you can purchase it through my Amazon Associates Store. By doing this, you will not pay a cent extra, nor will the author receive a cent less, but I will receive a small commission on the sale. Simply click the book’s title or the book’s image.