Book Review: The Shaman

Posted: November 11, 2023 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Review, Self-Discovery, Speculative Fiction | Tags: Book Review, Joseph Carrabis, Magical Realism, The Shaman, Writing to be Read | 3 Comments

About the Book

Gio Fortuna, a boy spurned by his parents for being “slow,” is raised by his grandfather in the ways of the Practice, a rich esoteric discipline drawing upon mystic traditions passed down over thousands of years from a multitude of cultures. Written in five parts chronicling Gio’s life, The Shaman sees Fortuna embark on a journey from initiate to adept, young boy to old man, as he navigates a network of teachers, each with their own unique lessons and challenges. Steeped in wisdom applicable to all, The Shaman is an inspiring story that proposes a unique path to self-discovery and growth unlike anything written before.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Shaman-Joseph-Carrabis/dp/B0CJ43GCDH/

My Review

I received an ARC copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Shaman, by Joseph Carrabis is an adventure into the human coondition and beyond. I’ve learned more about myself from this book than I ever have from any work of fiction. A journey into the magical worlds of world cultures, this tale uses magical realism to guide us through an amazing adventure. As always, Carrabis is a master at lining his fiction with valuable lessons for all of us.

The magic of shamans lies within Gio Fortuna and Shaman is the story of his journey to discover the magic within himself, learn to use it, and teach others who are eagar to learn. But as he learns, others don’t understand, and they fear him for what he does. Feeling outcast and trying to find his place in life, Gio is on an amazing life-long journey of self-discovery. He learns something new with every interaction, whether they be teacher or student. For Gio, the incredible is ordinary, although most everyone else is left in awe.

Carrabis skillfully crafts his tale into life lessons learned by his character, Gio. As Gio ventures through life on a soul searching journey, each lesson is portrayed in a way which leaves them open to interpretation, for the reader to attach their own meanings. If you read this book, you will, too, without even realizinng that you’re doing it. I read chapters over repeatedly in order to grasp the meanings that were waiting there for me, although sometimes differing from their meanings for Gio.

I have always been interested in the mystical, but it hasn’t come naturally to me. I’ve never truly been able to meditate, and often fallen asleep during my attempts at it. Gio shows me what I need to do, but I need to learn to do it: lower – center – relax -breathe. The lessons which Gio learns and teaches are within the grasp of us all, and the author kindly lists them at the back of the book, where they can be referred to easily. As for the rest, we must each seek out our own path in our own way.

A spiritual oddesy in human nature, with so many lessons inside. I give The Shaman five quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.

Book Review: Bloodstone

Posted: August 18, 2023 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Paranormal, Review, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult | Tags: Bloodstone, Book Review, Fantasy, M.J. Mallon, Magical Realism, Paranormal, Writing to be Read, Young Adult | 18 Comments

About the Book

Book Cover: A clock
Text: Bloodstone: The Curse of Time Book 1, M.J. Mallon

I didn’t think my life could get weirder, but I was wrong…

Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house.
When an unexpected message arrives inviting her to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden path where she encounters Ryder: a charismatic, perplexing stranger.
With the help of a magical paint set and some crystal wizard stones, can Amelina discover the truth about her family?
A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal.

TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.

INSPIRED BY: The World Famous Corpus Christi Chronophage Clock, created by Dr. John C Taylor, OBE, and artist Anya Gallaccio’s Crystal Grotto, in Juniper Artland, Scotland.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Bloodstone-Paranormal-Fantasy-Adventure-Curse-ebook/dp/B097QZBKNY

My Review

Bloodstone is Book 1 in M.J. Mallon’s The Curse of Time series. I’m not sure what I expected when Ipicked up this book. I’m a sucker for time-travel stories, and the subject of time and parallel worlds perplex me, so I suppose I expected something along those lines given the claock on the cover and the series title. But that is not at all what this book is. But, Bloodstone may be just as enchanting.

This tale is a young adult novel dealing with the issues of a fifteen-year-old girl who has a very strange life. While her home life may be disfunctional, other parts of her life are magical in this delightful tale of magical realism. Things happen which may seem odd or unusual, but they seem to be everyday occurances in the fantastical world which Mallon has created.The result is a paranormal fantasy that deals with real adolecent issues like friends and boyfriends, peer pressure, depression, self-harm, and betrayal, in a manor that raises awareness, and still entertains.

Another unexpected touch the author offers up in this story is a syllabic poem as the heading of each chapter, which offers a hint to the events in the chapter to come. I found this to be a clever way to clue readers in and creative way to add to the magicalfeel of the story.

A refreshing surprise, Bloodstone captured my attention and my heart. I give it five quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.

Day #5 of “The Click of a Pebble” Book Blog Tour: My Review

Posted: February 26, 2021 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Blog Tour, Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Review | Tags: Barbara Spencer, Book Review, carinatae mythology, Fantasy, Magical Realism, The Children of Zeus, The Click of a Pebble, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | 2 Comments

What they are saying on Amazon:

“This was a great coming of age fantasy story. I really enjoyed seeing these young characters struggle to survive in the aftermath of the massacre that leaves them only each other to depend on. Their journey drew me in and had me reading this entire book in one sitting, I’m looking forward to reading more books set in this fascinating world.”

In her Day #3 post for this tour on Robbie’s Inspiration, author Barbara Spencer talks about magical realism. I really loved her definition. She describes it, “Magical realism takes place in our world and follows its rules, except occasionally those rules are skewed.” I haven’t read a lot of magical realism, but what I have read have mostly were silly stories that were just kind of fun to read, with no real buy in because they were so ridiculous.

Not so with this skillfully crafted tale, which begins to lay a solid basis for the magical elements of the story. The Click of a Pebble had my buy in from the first pages and maintained it throughout the story. It was sweet and tragic, but there was nothing silly about it.

The Click of a Pebble is the tale of three children, Yost, Zande and TaTa, the only survivors of a massacre of their people. Ripped away from all they have ever known, they must stand together and go on, holding on to who they are in a place where things are new and different and try to fit in. They quickly learn that they dare not reveal their true origins, or risk falling prey to the same bigoted thinking that brought on the demise of their clan, because they are different, gifted. As they grow to know the family which welcomes them into their home, they begin to develop attachments with those around them and feel as if they belong. But, they are carinatae, children of Zues and what lies ahead for them is very different from the futures imagined by those who take them in.

Barbara Spencer has done a marvelous job of drawing the reader in and making her care about the characters, masterfully weaving historical detail into this wonderful coming of age fantasy. It touches on issues that ring true for many of us, at the same time portraying a time and culture in detail, with well developed characters readers will relate to. As the first book in her The Children of Zeus trilogy, Spencer does not tie everything up with a nice bow, but instead chooses the perfect point in the story to close off this chapter and leave the reader with a need to learn how all the loose ends will be resolved. I give it five quills.