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Jen Barton was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1971 and spent much of her life on the East Coast. In 2008, at age 36, she and her family moved to California. With two cars, she and her husband moved two dogs, two guinea pigs, a cornsnake and their 10-year old daughter across the country. She counts the five day road trip, including a near escape by both dogs on Day 3, as one of her best experiences to date.
In 2009, with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Philosophy from Millersville University, Barton realized her childhood dream to become a writer. One van full of bored kids, one long day of travel, and Fiona Thorn was born. She's been writing ever since.
When not taxiing her teenage daughter hither and yon, Barton loves reading (especially fantasy by George R. R. Martin), cooking (anything with pasta is a hit), and writing (magical worlds with obstinate teen girls is always a favorite).
In 2012 Fiona Thorn and the Carapacem Spell was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Southern California Book Festival. Later that year Barton was named 1st Runner Up in America's Next Author for her compelling short story of an old woman trapped in her own body, "Movin' On Up."
Reviewed by Joy Hannabass for Readers' Favorite
Orphaned girl Fiona Thorn, along with her talking horse Manzy, sets out to save her best friend Jaydin Rowan, who had wrongly been put in prison. But Fiona finds that the rescue is not as easy as she was hoping it would be. What she also finds is a run-in with three princesses that she befriended. The book takes readers on a most unusual, fun, and interesting journey. This is a fantasy tale that is sure to grab you from the beginning and won’t let go until the last page is read.
Fiona Thorn is a middle grade/YA fantasy and is written for tweens/teens. I usually don’t read fantasy stories, but I tried this one and found it to be good. With a host of interesting characters that were very well created and developed, I found myself enjoying Fiona’s spunky personality, and her determination to save her friend Jaydin was heartwarming. I can’t leave out Manzy, the talking horse, who seemed to have more knowledge and wisdom that the rest of them.
Jen Barton does a wonderful job of weaving together a fantastic story with interesting and fun characters, adding lots of twists and turns to make your reading experience one you will remember for a while. This is a really good story, and if you love fantasy books, this is a must-read. And if you are looking for a great read for your teenagers and their friends, look no further because Fiona Thorn and The Carapacem Spell is the book.
