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Reviewed by Melinda Hills for Readers' Favorite
No matter how bad something is, something else could be worse! That is what 12-year-old Jessie Maison discovers when she becomes friends with the new boy next door, Chris Ketra, in The Raystone by C.L. Gristwood. Jessie is lonely since she is bullied and feels she doesn’t fit in. Chris is new in the neighborhood and doesn’t let things like that bother him. Together, they find a beautiful stone that glows and are magically transported to a far-away land with an evil king, talking creatures and a Beast that has been awakened and hunts them down. Jessie and Chris meet strange and wonderful friends as they try to make their way home. Akai, a talking wolf, and Whistler, a griffin, help them escape the dungeon of the king and find the wise Jinny who should have the answer to how to get back home. Working together, they discover that evil trolls, a wicked king and even an ancient beast can’t keep them from reaching their goal. Once they get there, will there be enough magic left to find their way home?
The Raystone by C.L. Gristwood takes younger readers into a fantasy world that offers plenty of excitement, magical creatures and the issues of young teens trying to fit into society. Friendship, trust, alienation and acceptance play large parts in the course of this story that teaches without being obvious. The writing is lively and the characters are interesting so it is easy to become part of this amazing world and experience the action along with Jessie and Chris. The best part is that there are more books in The Raystone Saga to continue these exciting adventures!
