Reviewed by Alexander Rigby for Readers' Favorite

In "Parry Pretty and the Eight Realms: Caught in the Slipstream of Time" by S.J. Musgraves, the young heroine Parry Pretty is both contorted and confused as she continues to wake up on the same day over and over again, caught in the slipstream which keeps replaying her days and forbidding her to move forward. Although the day is repeated, each time she lives through it, it is different, as she continues to meet new creatures, discover new places, and comes to understand that her world is not the only one that exists. Throughout this story, Parry learns that there are eight realms, all different from each other in a multitude of ways. She meets friends and foes along the way, not always knowing for sure which is which, and who is trying to help her, and who is trying to sabotage everything, causing the slipstream to continue on forever.

The thing I liked most about the first adventure of Parry Pretty was how original it was. I was astounded by the vast quantity of characters and situations that S.J. Musgraves puts her main character into. From midgi, thunderbirds, a Gent, Omea, the Lady, and deaffers, the beings who exist in this world seem endless and they cause the story to move along in an exciting manner, as I never knew what kind of new character Parry would come across next. Although the synopsis of this book may sound a bit complicated with the way the days recycled themselves, the author has a way of making it flow in a logical manner. I would recommend this novel for preteens, as it may be a little too complicated for children under the age of ten to understand. All in all, it is a well-written introduction to the world of the eight realms. When I came to the final pages of the story, I wanted to know what was going to happen to Parry Pretty next.

Reviewed by Dr. Oliva Dsouza for Readers' Favorite

Prince Rhine a.k.a Pid to his best friend, Firebreather the toy dragon, is on a quest which takes him on a thrilling, adventurous journey through the four kingdoms. He has to search for the Black Demon so that he can know the Great Secret. But before that he has to get the Quadrunes, the four treasures of the Black Demon from each Kingdom by defeating the Tetrarchs that guard them. Helped by his friends Firebreather, Moth,Claw, Charles and Wander, Pid goes fearlessly on a journey of his lifetime. Will he be able to learn all that he is meant to? Will Pid conquer the four Tetrarchs and complete his quest? Most of all, will Pid be able to defeat Arkon? Will the Great secret be what it promises to be?

What a wonderfully crafted story! I was hooked from the word go. Dragons, soul parents, fantasy kingdoms with imaginative names and most of all the endearing prince Pid: What more can a mother ask for to keep her child engaged when she has the help of such a fantastic book. I cannot stop myself from recommending this book to all. With lessons on humility, friendship, love and courage, "A Journey to the Four Kingdoms" by Karl F. Hollenbach has it all. Firebreather and Pid's friendship is an example for all of us and kids can learn a lot from it. The final truth about the great secret is an eye opener and makes one think about the various quests we all tend to run after all our lives. Overall an enchanting read that deserves all the five stars.

Reviewed by Lee Ashford for Readers' Favorite

“The Golden Scarab: The Quest Series - Book 1” by S.W. Lothian shares the story of JJ, Linc, and Rani, as they are called back through time by Egyptian gods Anubis and Horus to recover a Golden Scarab containing the evil nature of the god Seth, and return it to the goddess Ma’at for protection so that Seth can never again become the evil being he once was, and longs to be again. Provided by Horus with a handful of magical items to help them on their quest, these three youngsters face countless obstacles as they attempt to retrieve the Golden Scarab from within an intricate labyrinth, while being pursued by an army of Uberdiles serving Seth. Will three children from the future be able to outwit an army of evil statues? Will they make it through the labyrinth unscathed? Will Seth be defeated in his efforts to regain his “evilness” so that he can take over control of Egypt?

This tale is a great adventure, intended for a middle-grade audience, but very much enjoyable for much older adults as well. I was enthralled by it and happily look forward to reading the next book in the series. The three children quickly learned to trust and depend upon one another, as their very lives truly did depend on being able to count on each other for help. I am not sure how this book would be classified, as it could be considered adventure, action, fantasy, Sci-Fi, or even historical fiction. One thing is certain: it can be classified as good entertainment. It reminded me in many ways of the Indiana Jones series of movies, and in my opinion would make a very decent movie itself. I strongly recommend this for any reluctant readers in the target age group, with the understanding that mom and dad will also want to read it.

Reviewed by Rita Vetsch for Readers' Favorite

"Sagaria" is an intriguing and action-packed fantasy novel written by John Dahlgren. The world of Sagaria is found through a magical portal in the forest. It is fourteen year old Sagandran Sacks who discovers the portal through his grandfather, Melwin. When Melwin is captured at night, Sacks must muster up enough courage to transport himself to Sagaria in search of Melwin. During his quest, Sacks encounters an evil entity named Arkanamon who has dark plans for Sagaria and the Earth with the help of the Shadow World. He establishes alliance with an unlikely band of misfits including a human-sized frog, an eccentric wizard, a princess named Perima, and a small but fierce rodent. They must all combine their strengths and skills to defeat the stealthy Shadow Knights and monstrous Worgs throughout their journey. Will they be able to find Melwin and save both Sagaria and planet earth?

Well, John Dahlgren hits it out of the ball park yet again with "Sagaria". I thought that he couldn’t possibly top his first novel entitled “The Tides of Avarice,” but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I absolutely LOVED "Sagaria" just as much as "Avarice!" I am very impressed with the layout of this masterpiece of a novel. The chapters play out like a major motion picture movie and the language is very easy to comprehend for any teenager or adult. I am just blown away by Dahlgren’s creativity, organization, and solid gold plot in this novel. He makes the readers feel as though they are part of the story, and it truly takes a very talented author to be able to accomplish that! The cover of the book is also captivating and very noticeable to any reader walking by. You just have to pick this book up to see what it is about and you will not want to put it down. This fantasy novel has it all: from never-seen-before villains, enchanted forests, quests and magic, to three dimensional characters and brilliant imagery that fill this novel full of fun surprises and entertainment. I know that Dahlgren’s books will be picked up by some huge motion picture company or made into mini-series events. They have great potential to succeed in every form throughout the world! I am truly honored to have had the opportunity to read both of Dahlgren’s fantasy novels and if I could give him 10 Stars, I would have!