Evan and Claire Jones are typical teenagers, forced to go with their parents to yet another boring museum ... that is, until something extraordinary happens to make their day a little more than interesting. After following a strange little creature into a closed exhibit, Evan and his older sister, Claire, discover the Serpent’s Ring, one of the magical relics formed from the shattered Mysticus Orb. Purely by accident, they have awakened its powers and opened a portal to Sagaas, land of ancient gods.
Before the siblings can comprehend what has happened, the Serpent’s Ring is wrenched from Evan’s hand by an enormous fish and flown back to Aegir, the Norse god of the sea. Evan and Claire, accompanied by a band of unlikely heroes, must retrieve the Serpent’s Ring before Aegir uses its immense powers to flood all the lands on Earth.
Life has returned to normal for fourteen-year-old Evan and his older sister, Claire. That is until Dunkle, a clever but stinky little imp, pays an unexpected visit to their school. He has come to take the siblings back to Sagaas, the mythical realm of the gods. Once again, a Relic from the ancient Mysticus Orb has fallen into the wrong hands. Only Evan and Claire, with their unique mystical abilities, can help find it.
Through the power of the Trickster’s Totem, a coyote trickster has escaped. His laughter echoes throughout the realm, as he spreads mischief and mayhem. He burns an entire crop of popcorn, carves his grinning image into sacred artifacts, and things really get interesting when he shape-shifts into Evan’s friends.
Claire and Evan must capture the Trickster, retrieve the Totem, and be careful not to become sidetracked by robotic Steampunk animals, “sweet” pixie-like Pains, and a problematic mermaid … all while dodging Mothman-like aces. Most surprising, Evan discovers the true reason dragons exist in the Native American Spirit World.
A magical part of H.B. Bolton’s childhood was being swept into worlds of enchanting characters, fantastical creatures and extraordinary powers—simply by picking up a book. As a mother and a teacher, she was compelled to create imaginary worlds of her own in order to share them, not just with her children, but with all children. H.B. Bolton lives in Florida with her supportive husband and two highly spirited children. Shh, can you keep a secret? Not only does she write books for the young-at-heart, adventurous sort who yearn to dive into a good young-adult fantasy story, she also writes spellbinding, heart pounding women's fiction. These particular books are written under the name Barbara Brooke, but that's another story, altogether.
My Review:
WOW!!!! I can not believe how much I liked this book geared towards 4th - 6th greders!!! I LOVE mythology and this author did a fantastic job of making mythology fun and interesting for young children. The author basically had no violence in the books, and I can not wait to see what this great author will write about next!
Book 1 is about Norse Gods and I liked how the author based the characters on mythology, but added her own twist. I also liked how the kids were always learning before they traveled. They were at a museum in book 1. I also liked the secondary characters like the imp. It was interested to read about Evan and Claire as the saved Earth (Terra) from being destroyed.
Once they leave Earth they are in a place that is the center hub for all mythology. Depending on what way you go is what world you will "walk" into. There is Native American, Norse, Egyptian, and a way to get back to Earth. Each place is represented by a certain color that matches their mythical energy. How cool would it be to go from the pyramids to Asgard, and then back home to Earth? I really enjoyed the history lessons that were weaved into the story without overpowering the book. Book 1 is when they are introduced to "reality" and as first they are nervous, but after they realize that Earth needs their help they try to get the ring back. I loved the different relics and what they represented! Book 1 has recipes at the end and was a great read. Both books have a reference guide about. This was great for me, because I forgot who someone was, and the reference guide told me. Book 2 also had a list of totems and their meanings, and questions to help the reader find out what their animal totem is. Book 2 was about dragons and book 1 was about a Sea Serpent.
The author also added a paranormal twist and gave Evan and Claire special abilities.
These books were really cool to read. I am definitely going to read book 3, and hopefully the author will keep writing about all the different areas of mythology! Book 3 is going to be about Avalon, a wizard, and an egg!
I am given these books 5/5's :) These are keepers! I was given copies to review, however all opinions are my own!
The Serpent's Ring is FREE for Kindle May 28th through June 1st.
Please follow the tour here: http://www.candacesbookblog.com/2013/03/blog-tour-sign-ups-tricksters-totem-by.html
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Your review made my day :) Thanks for showing so much enthusiasm when describing the characters and the worlds they visit.
ReplyDeleteYAY! I'm so glad you really loved these! Thanks so much for your thoughts and for hosting a tour stop!
ReplyDelete