Imagine a world where dragons fly, mysterious cats can talk, and beauty lives in abundance. But something sinister is waiting…

Jorie and the Magic Stones, by A.H. Richardson, is the first book in a fanciful series about a spunky and energetic 9-year-old redhead who goes to live with her great-aunt in the stately Mortimer Manor. Upon finding out the enigmatic legend behind her new home and discovering a mysterious book under a floor board in her bedroom, Jorie sets out with her new friend, Rufus, to find out if the legend is true.

And what they unearth is amazing. 

At the bottom of a lake rumored to have no bottom, or “The Tarn,” as it is called, Jorie stumbles upon another world- a world in which she has familial connections. She soon discovers that she is the child  who was prophesied to save this fantastic world from an evil sorcerer.

And so begins an adventure fraught with danger, uncertainty, and unending loyalty in which Jorie and Rufus embark upon a journey like no other, with the assistance of a mischievous baby dragon and the Great Grootmonya, a powerful and kindly sorcerer from the beautiful city of Cabrynthius.

Will Jorie save the day?

I guess you’ll have to read it to find out!

From the moment I opened this book, I was drawn into the story. Since childhood, I’ve always leaned towards fantasy genre books, and this one didn’t disappoint! It certainly helped that the main character, Jorie, immediately reminded me of Hermione from the Harry Potter series, while Rufus reminded me of Ron, and I imagined the great Grootmonya as a Dumbledore-ish character.

If you’re looking for a page turner, this is it! I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen next and always looked forward to a quiet moment when I could pick the book up and continue from where I left off.

The one part of the book that disappointed me a little was Jorie’s confrontation with the evil sorcerer. It was a little too short for me, but since this is the first in the series, I’m hoping the subsequent books will explain things a bit more. And I do look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Although certain parts were a little scary, I do plan on reading it to my kids because, in my opinion, it is still appropriate for young children since it was written in such a way that it just adds to the adventure. To be honest, I would love to see this as a movie. The creativity is simply astounding.

I highly recommend this book as a read-aloud or as an independent reading resource for older elementary to middle school age children. As for me, I can’t wait to read the next one!

–Shelly SangreyPosted on January 7, 2017Categories Book Reviews