Aria and Liam

The Magic Chalice

Children - Adventure
178 Pages
Reviewed on 10/30/2023
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Courtnee Turner Hoyle for Readers' Favorite

In her fifth book in the Aria and Liam series, The Magic Chalice, Coline Monsarrat continues to follow her adventure-seeking heroes. Aria and Liam are thirteen-year-olds who live in Sommetville and solve mysteries in history. With their individual talents, like coding, archery, intelligence, a penchant for history, and combined sleuthing, they race across time. After Liam’s Halloween bravado and a scary incident, the children are transported to fifteenth-century Wallachia. As if they are an answer to her call, the magic woman, Simona, recounts the number of victims as the town mourns the loss of vanished family members and friends. Aria and Liam must get Dracula to drink holy water from a magic chalice, but it doesn’t seem like a workable plan as they enter his castle.

Coline Monsarrat delivers adventure, humor, and history in a delightful series that could appeal to both middle-grade students and adults. Kids will read about Aria and Liam while learning facts about other cultures and diving into history without fully realizing it. The banter between the time-traveling duo is priceless, and the book includes a lesson on legends and folklore that could create an important discussion between children and caregivers. Monsarrat describes a cast of characters who are unique and well-detailed, and they each have a role to play in the story’s outcome. Aria and Liam’s dog, Pingo, and their friend’s pet, Pippa, are a cute pair who provide comic relief and help. Aria and Liam: The Magic Chalice is a great selection for readers who enjoy an adventure series with history and friendship.

Luwi Nyakansaila

It is Halloween, and Liam and Aria dress up as vampires, Dracula and his countess, to have a great time at the infamous haunted house in their town. They take Liam's dog, Pingo, with them and meet up with their friends and their dog, Pippa, who is dressed up as a cute pumpkin. While roaming the haunted house, Aria, Liam, Pingo, and Pippa are transported to a dark and eerie place where people with flaming torches are ready to burn them because they believe they are Dracula's children. Luckily, they are proven innocent, but they are put in more danger because they are given the task of vanquishing Count Dracula, who has been terrorizing the area. This confuses Aria and Liam because Dracula the vampire is a mythical character, not a historical figure. It is up to them to follow the evidence to uncover the mystery of Count Dracula of Wallachia. Grab a copy of Aria and Liam: The Magic Chalice by Coline Monsarrat to enjoy Aria and Liam's fun adventure in medieval times.

Aria and Liam: The Magic Chalice is the fifth book in the Aria and Liam book series. Reading the second book in this series, Aria and Liam: Enigma in Rome, made me eager to read this one. The story has historical knowledge, adventure, and comedic moments that will make you laugh out loud. Aria and Liam are a clumsy duo, and with Pingo and Pippa, things get even more chaotic. I love that some things have not changed. Liam is still acting like he does not want to time travel, while Aria is cheerful whenever they get a chance to go on an adventure. The book has illustrations at the beginning and end that show the main characters. These help readers visualize the story. My favorite characters were the little canines, Pingo and Pippa. Their antics were hilarious and somehow helped save the day. The book is well-written and has fun and intriguing chapter titles. I enjoyed reading this story and hope to read more books from this series and Coline Monsarrat. Great work.