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Fantasy Book Review

Mage Quest by Julia Blake.

Buy now in eBook and Paperback from AMAZON

Mage Quest, volume two in the Erinsmore Chronicles, is the perfect sequel to Erinsmore.

It has been six long years since Ruby left Erinsmore, and now she is finally back in the magical land. But Ruby is not alone; someone followed her through the portal, young Finley Smith, nephew to Ruby’s friend Mick, and the only other person who knows of the magic. Once in Erinsmore, Ruby finds that twenty years have passed for her sister Cassie, and Ruby is aunt to twins who are now coming of age. Her niece is headstrong and wilful and one day be queen. But first, she must find her Mage.

Ruby and young Finley join the ‘mage quest’, but is Finley ready for such an adventure that has only existed in fairy tales? There are heroics, battles with dark magic and an evil foe out to conquer Erinsmore.

With a cast of diverse characters, old and new, and three fabulous dragons, they travel through this story, this epic adventure that, along the way, realise that sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.

Fantasy is not an auto-read for me, but once again, Julia Blake swept me into the pages of this extraordinary adventure. This series is a must if you love medieval-based fantasy, Arthurian legends, dragons, and of course, we must not forget about the pirates!

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Book Review – Avalon Hall by Ruth Miranda

Congratulations to Ruth Miranda on the release of her new fantasy novel, Avalon Hall. I was lucky to have had an ARC edition. Avalon Hall is available to purchase Kindle or Paperback at Amazon.

Avalon Hall by Ruth Miranda – this is Ruth doing what she does best. A story of vampires, witches, fantasy and magic. This is a book of two halves, both as important as the other, coming together just enough at the end, but most certainly leaving you craving more.

Modern-day Scotland. We are introduced to a cast of contemporary characters, all well-crafted and intriguing with their own backstories. Set against the magnificent architecture of Avalon Hall, a modern-day school for adult preternatural, a place to nurture their new magical talents that manifest in their late teens or early twenties. This is no Hogwarts; there is more lurking the rooms and halls than just magic; and beyond the Hall, the vast grounds hold their own secrets. There is one student with her own damaged past that has the talent to step beyond the ‘now’ into the ‘then’. She has a vital role to play, unravelling the past mysteries and miseries of Avalon Hall’s hidden resident.

Just as your heartbeat starts racing, the author halts, whipping you off to the past. A place home to myth and Arthurian legend. But don’t think for one second you are about to receive a run of the mill story of King Arthur. Avalon Hall offers so much more. Instead of the general, the author gives us her own interpretations and thoughts, taking you across the lake at Avalon, delving into the history, the ancestry of who we know to be King Arthur, weaving us a tale that is so in-depth you feel kin to it. This second part of the book is so painstakingly meticulous, a richly woven tapestry of characters, each playing their role in carving the future of who will be known as King Arthur.

I’m now eagerly, and not so patiently, waiting for the second book in this series. Avalon Hall offers so much for those who adore fantasy, those stories abundant with witches and magic, but also those like me, who adore the mysteries that surround Arthurian legend.