|
As more reviews come in for The Rock of Realm, I will be placing them here.
Enjoy.
Lea
The Rock of Realm
By Lea Schizas
Reviewed by Alex Shapiro - Freelance Writer, Reviewer
Now that was an experience! I've never thought
a YA novel would really draw me into the story and keep me interested from the first word to the last... but that was
until I started to read "The Rock of Realm" and found impossible to put it down. I read it with an adult eye,
so to speak and, I have to confess, I finished it in one setting, while forgetting everything else I had to do for
the rest of the afternoon. Beside the fact that it was a reading therapy for me, it was an enjoyable, engaging read.
Why?
Well... for many reasons.
"The Rock of Realm" had a fairy-tale effect on me, while allowing
me a chance to escape the stressful day and find refuge in a world of fantasy, with ordinary and extraordinary
characters caught in extraordinary circumstances. It made me think of campfires.
The
pace is steady, the plot is engaging and, as readers, we find it easy to identify with its characters. Once
we enter the fantasy world of the real-and not so real-characters, we step into the world of fairy tales, which
suddenly comes to life in front of our eyes. As a result, we are not passive readers anymore.
How
does the author accomplish this difficult task? By taking the art of storytelling to higher levels. For Lea Schizas,
storytelling is a gift, and she masters it so well, taking her readers along on an adventurous trip to an imaginary
place, while she unveils to us the powers of "The Rock of Realm."
As readers, we become part of the story
and identify with its characters. We cheer for them and encourage them to bypass the obstacles placed
in their way, and earn to see them arrive safely home.
The author holds the merits for yet another
element of surprise, which is difficult to accomplish-for example the smooth transition between human talk
and animal talk. I bet you that, after reading "The Rock of Realm," you won't look at your dog or squirrel-or any other
pet you may have-the same again. After reading "The Rock of Realm" you'll learn to be more loving, more
understanding to your pets and also your family and friends.
"The Rock of Realm" is a book
to read alone or to together with your family or friends. Read it and you'll see!
Review from Carma Dutra:
I really admire anyone who can write fantasy in such a realistic way. I
liked the way you balanced the real world and the fantasy world with the characters and the relationship between Alex and
Butch really touched my heart. If animals could truly talk this is the type of relationship I would want to have. You offered
the reader enough suspense to make them want to keep turning pages with just enough harm coming to the characters to be believable.
However, I wish that Alex had been able to find out why her mother never told her about this part of her life. Your
words were very descriptive and vivid. I was able to picture in my mind all the wonderful colors of the ship and the birds
and castle. I could even feel the tension of the storms. The Rock of Realm is the type of fantasy that any pre-teen or young
teen would enjoy reading.
Lea, I wish you the best with this book.
Review by Bob Medak:
"A great tale of magic and otherworld adventures for the young and young at heart...The Rock of Realm is a fast
paced story that inspires you to continue reading to see what is going to happen next. I would highly recommend this book."
Link here to read the full review:
Clayton Bye - Author
"The Rock of Realm is a fantasy novel for young adults...My favorite constructs were her slime-hurling Braks. Pops, the
squirrel, rated a close second."
Reviewed by Allyn Evans, Author of Grab
The Queen Power: Live Your Best Life!
www.queenpower.com Following the basic introductions in Chapter One, Author Lea Schizas takes the Reader on a fantastic journey filled
with villains, creepy creatures and enchantment. What starts off as a tale about a typical fourteen-year-old girl turns
into a magical journey. “The Rock of Realm”, a fantasy book for the young adult reader,
hooked this forty-something Mom from beginning to end. Rather quickly into the story, fourteen-year-old Alex and her friends
Sarah, Butch, Pops and Jinx find themselves in a new and strange world. As the story unfolds, Alex’s illusions
about her mother’s mundane life unravels and the excitement begins. Forced to rely on intuition, Alex
leads her friends as they fight the dangerous life forms that rule Dread’s Forest. Lured to this scary place by
her long lost Uncle Dread, Alex and companions face spine-tingling challenges while attempting to bravely face the unknown.
Finally understanding that perceptions can be different from reality, Alex makes wise yet risky choices to solve the
riddle, a riddle that involves her Mom and Uncle. Young adult readers will find this exciting journey entertaining
as well as meaningful. Besides demonstrating that courage is a beneficial attribute, the Author weaves a story that
shows the importance of loving and accepting your friends unconditionally—weaknesses, strengths and all. Most
importantly, the reader will learn that following your inner knowing or guidance is the strongest weapon of all. Highly
recommended for forty-something-year-old moms and young adult readers.
Reviewed by Rev.Marie Davies - BookPleasures.com
Learning that mom and dad are more than just parents is a revelation to most
children but for Alex Stone the surprise is greater than normal. When Alex, a
typical fourteen-year-old girl, finds herself magically transported to the Kingdom of
Realm, she learns that her mother is no ordinary domestic diva but a Queen in exile. Her mom’s royal status makes Alex a princess but Alex doesn’t let it go
her head.
The adventure begins when Alex opens a portal that draws her into her family’s
ancestral kingdom. Alex, her best friend Sarah, her faithful retriever Butch,
her pet squirrel Pops and their guide Jinx, a talking hamster, set out on a quest to find a way to return home. They travel through a wonderful world where the trees and the animals talk, the rivers run pink and not
everything is as it appears.
The foursome must make their way through the ancient family castle. The palace
is a maze of dangerous creatures and magical perils. The outcome of the final confrontation depends on the answer to one question. Alex will learn if family love is strong enough to overcome evil threatening Alex,
her friends and her world.
Lea Schizas teaches young readers important lessons about courage, friendship
and family in a fun, easy to identify with manner. The magical world of Realm
will appeal to the imaginations of the young and the adventurous of every age. Rock of Realm is a wonderful book for parents
and children to read together.
The Rock of Realm
by Lea Schizas
Review by: Marilyn Peake, Author of The Fisherman’s
Son Trilogy http://www.marilynpeake.com
The
Rock of Realm is a wonderful children’s fantasy novel written by Lea Schizas. At the beginning of the novel, life is normal for the fourteen-year-old main character, Alex Stone, and
her best friend, Sarah Breckenridge. The reader has some hint that strange things
might happen, when conversations between Alex’ s dog Butch and a squirrel named Pops are shared with the reader. However, at the beginning, this seems to be nothing more than animal communication
revealed.
However,
by the end of chapter one, it is clear that the reader has stepped into a wonderful fantasy world. On the way home from babysitting, Alex and Sarah walk through Greendale Park. There, Alex is hit in the head by “a small, pink granite rock, glimmering in the moonlight“;
and Sarah finds a “beige pouch with purple stripes” that is filled with gold glitter. Repeating words that she learned in English class, Alex sprinkles glitter around herself and Sarah while
chanting, “Glitter I toss, safely I will cross, into your realm it will lead, the rock I possess, evil digress, the
Queen I am to thee.” Suddenly, the wind picks up, the glitter swirls and
turns into a haze, and the girls along with Butch the dog and Pops the squirrel are no longer in Greendale Park.
And
that’s where the adventure begins. The girls and their two animal companions
(who they can suddenly understand) must unwrap the mystery of a new land to which they have been transported. The first clue is given to them by a talking tree: “The Rock of Realm is used as a passageway to
enter Dread’s Forest or any other part of Rock Kingdom … But, beware. Dread’s
Forest is a dangerous place now since Dread has resurfaced.”
The
author, Lea Schizas, does a wonderful job of creating in descriptive language such things as: talking trees, a magical ice
palace, mud beings, “Qulany” birds, Oracles that guard Rock Kingdom, the golden fish of the Qulany River, an invisible
boat, and so much more. While the reader travels through fantastic places, moral
lessons are absorbed as well. Without preaching or making the lessons too evident,
Lea weaves into her book important messages such as the destructive power of jealousy.
I recommend The Rock of Realm
for children, and for parents to read to their children. This book is perfect
for hours of enjoyable family reading time.
Lea!
I took your book on vacation and read it in one day. I thought it was GREAT! My 10-year-old niece then picked it up and
immediately was captivated. She liked the talking animals and had so many questions about that.
Anyway, you definitely need to write more stories about the Princess and Queen Miranda.
Allyn Evans
Join Queen Me and other Queens
at: www.queenpower.com.
Author Lea Schizas has created likeable characters and enough plot twists and deception to keep readers guessing. Hats
off to Schizas for a fine first novel for young readers.
|
