by John Stephens
Three siblings who keep getting kicked out from orphanages find a secret magic book that transports them to another world.
Orphans, a magic book, a secret world—I have to confess I didn’t have high hopes for originality in this book, but I was pleasantly surprised.
The world of The Emerald Atlas is fully imagined with a plot, creatures, and magical rules that I haven’t seen anywhere else.
Then there’s the pace! The book begins with a magical abduction and after a short slow bit at an orphanage, it takes off and doesn’t look back. The author, John Stephens, used to write for TV, and it shows. There’s a host of characters in The Emerald Atlas, but they are managed beautifully, and the non-stop action makes it almost impossible to put down.
The Emerald Atlas is definitely a younger book. This is no steamy teen romance, but neither does it have a dumbed-down plot. There’s wonderful, perilous adventure in this book, which makes it great fun to read at any age.
Want to know more? Here’s the book trailer for The Emerald Atlas:
Sara Zaske 