Title: The Enchanted Opal
Author: Alan R. Smith
Publisher: Blueprint Press Internationale
ISBN: B08XSR1H2L
Pages: 221
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
Reviewed by: Jennifer Bailey
Pacific Book Review
Katheryn is a typical pre-teen girl; she plays soccer, gets into mischief such as sneaking into a circus. The only difference is she has dreams that feel realer than real, and she is being followed by a man cloaked in red: Abaddon. Years ago, prior to the death of her parents, she is gifted a talisman intended to help protect her from Abaddon. Soon Katheryn begins going into a dream world that resembles the 11th century where she meets a young boy on the docks of Venice, Italy just before the First Crusade. As the kids navigate the lands and experience pirates, kidnapping, befriending royalty and finally confronting Abaddon, they learn valuable lessons about responsibility and integrity.
The Enchanted Opal is an adaptation of another novel by author Alan R Smith: The Enchantments of the Haglady. Smith brings some of the elements from that novel into The Enchanted Opal. Alan R. Smith really lures his readers into the story right from the first chapter. He opens with a birthday party, and then grandma talking about mysterious dreams and alluding to a sinister person; making the reader really want to know what is going to happen. He spends a couple chapters building up the character of Katheryn and making her someone relatable to the young readers. The author does spend a little more time with descriptions and actions rather than dialogue, but this does not affect the quality of this face paced novel. Smith does an excellent job integrating historical aspects into the story to keep the reader engaged and interested.
There is a lot going into this novel which makes it such a good book for young adults. Alan R. Smith gives readers young characters which are relatable; a mysterious creepy bad guy, a mysterious yet comforting woman who sparks folklore among the children along with adventure, mystery, personal growth and more. Smith writes in a way that garners excitement from the readers; capturing the excitement of his young characters and transfers that joy, excitement, and fear to his audience. He fills readers with intrigue and keeps them wanting – no longing – for more of the story.
Alan R. Smith’s young adult novel The Enchanted Opal is a wonderful tale that is perfect from readers of any age. It’s great to read to kids and have them read themselves as they get older. It makes the perfect addition to a young reader’s shelf. The Enchanted Opal is the perfect book to help kids get interested in not only reading but history as well.
