Chrystallia and the Source of Light

by Paul Michael Glaser

In this beautifully illustrated children's fantasy story, two siblings struggle against sharp-edged, bedazzling foes to arrive at a place of knowing, to which they and everything belong. It's Christmas, but thirteen-year-old Maggie and her ten-year-old brother Jesse are anything but joyful. Their mother is dying, the bank is about to foreclose on their home, and very soon, everything about their lives will change. In an adventure that takes them below the earth's surface to a realm inhabited by crystalline life forms - some of which seem to have been spawned from the children themselves - the sister and brother discover the strength of their bond, the breadth of their courage, and the awesome power of love. Amid dazzling displays of colours and shapes, Maggie and Jesse must move through crystal planes and canyons as they do battle with King Bloo, the princes Red and Orange, and Holy Clear. Jesse learns from Princess Amethyst that the thing that scares him the most can waken him to his greatest strength. Sharing his secret with Maggie ultimately leads the two to a place of forgiveness, called home.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction

296 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2011

About the author

P.M. Glaser - Paul Glaser is best known for his portrayal of Starsky in the 1970s’ series Starsky & Hutch. In addition to his many acting roles, he has also found success behind the camera, helming films like The Running Man, The Air Up There, and Kazaam. Glaser has always loved storytelling, whether as an actor, a director, or—now—a writer. With Chrystallia and the Source of Light he presents a rich, dynamic story that captures insights he’s arrived at through his own real-life experiences.

Reviews

[Pam Meserve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chrystallia and The Source of Light' by PM Glaser...

It's more than just a book...it's a fun, fantasy adventurous journey, as well as a beautiful journey of the heart...hold the book close to yours when you read it or just hold it and 'reflect'...you may feel empowered within...and every time you read it, and I think you will read it many times...you will find something new and that's just one thing that makes this book so extra special.

Chrystallia and the Source of Light is heartfelt, often whimsical and very moving (got tissues??), it’s a story where a brother and sister, Jesse and Maggie, journey to a land never seen or even known before, a 'place' that you cannot even begin to imagine and just when it seems that there is no way out, and the end of 'Light' is eminent, there is a miraculous transformation which takes the characters, and subsequently the reader, to a 'place' within themselves and delivers them all to a realization of what life and our journey together is all about!

It’s told through the eyes and heart of Maggie who takes in quite a bit of the atmosphere around her deeply into herself. Her survival instinct is projected by creating a `false,' tough exterior to her being. She questions her `self-worth,' judges herself harshly, and thereby, indirectly and unknowingly, others. Jesse is a sensitive young boy with the gift of the `positive power of belief.' He is full of unconditional love, and trust, belief in others and 'things.'

And in this new 'land' of Chrystallia, it’s full of wonderful zany characters, made of crystals, are really cool and full of 'attitudes,' and 3D-personality, all 'living' in an incredibly colorful world of crystals where 'rules' govern the order of the 'moment.' I have no doubt that you will find and feel that some of them are 'a part of you’ too! I love Baz, he's one of my favorites...very dutiful, and dedicated, loyal…right to the end. Princess Amethyst for her glowing inner beauty and wisdom...Torri for her 'humor', honesty and inquisitiveness...certainly Pyrope...genuine in his innocence and hopefulness...ahh so many to enjoy and have fun with! King Bloo.. “AAAaaahhh, aaahh-CH-CH-CH-CHOOOOO!!” It will make a great animated film!

Paul's vivid use of descriptive and figurative language is quite imaginative, inspirational, poetic and fresh. There is wordplay full of symbolism and mystery, like a puzzle loaded with laughter, subtle witticisms, terrific puns, comedy, and rhymes and riddles! There are cool messages, some in unique 'sing-song' fashion, of faith, hope, compassion, love, forgiveness, and valuing relationships throughout like a treasure chest full of the richest gems that you've found only after searching high and wide with an ancient world map encrypted with hidden code and symbols.

Through the gift of Paul's narrative writing, you can feel yourself a part of the presence with Maggie and Jesse, and while you can truly feel them grow together in a bond that was deeply hidden within themselves, a bond they didn't even know they shared, you will actually witness how they discover their love for themselves, for each other and the awesome power that grows from 'within' during their journey.

It's very apparent that Paul M. Glaser was able to dig into that very 'place' from deep inside, you know, that 'secret place' most of us have wherein you discover things you didn't really know about your 'self.' He explores the areas of the mind, heart, and well-being in a fun and imaginative, mysterious way that is poignant for anyone in any 'plane of time.' It's a novel for the young and not so young and one that children and young adults especially will identify with. I think you will agree that this is arguably one of the best of all family books, and destined to become one of those classics of world literature that children and adults will enjoy together for generations.

There have been many other fantastic fantasy adventures written in the past, like 'The Wizard of OZ,' 'Alice in Wonderland,' the works of Charles Dickens and currently, 'Harry Potter,' and Twi-Light series etc, but now it’s time for them to move over…clear a neat space on your mantle…there are none like 'Chrystallia and the Source of Light.' So read on, journey on and discover your own new personal adventure by truly finding a unique way of 'thinking outside the box.' Discover ‘love’…

...it’s a ‘big’ thing you know, it can ‘do’ a lot of things to us and Chrystallia will touch your heart in many ways and differently every time you read it! It will help you think about your own love(s), your own life and how, now matter what, there IS love and that you can (and should…don’t take people, things…life for granted) find appreciation for everything and everyone you have in your life, even if you have experienced some great sorrow that overwhelms you, changes you. That’s what Chrystallia IS about...‘love’…OUR ‘Light’ and maybe by reading it a few times, sharing your thoughts with others, you will find what that means for YOU and those around and in you and you will find ‘your way home.' And maybe, just maybe, Chrystallia can help deliver you from situations, feelings of helplessness, fear and deliver you into knowing, experiencing 'love.'

Can’t finish my way too long review without mentioning the artwork by Dave Zaboski (check out his other illustrated books too)…it’s awesome! He really captures the vivid detail and passion of Paul M Glaser's 'world'...some of them would make cool mini posters...especially the inside dust jacket of all the characters...this alone would make a fun border to decorate a room with. Paint your room in Chrystallia fashion!! Hmmm…I think I will have some fun and paint my own wall murals like that!

Love...it IS the `purest aspiration of humankind...it ties us all together'...

Ohhhh. "You've got spaahkle, Mister!"
Thanks for a sharing a part of your 'self'...your experiences...your journey...
I hope You will find Your heart!

Spread the Light!

[Karissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got a copy of this book through Librarythings's Early Reviewer program. I was very excited to read it; it sounded like a wonderful middle grade fantasy adventure in a fantastic Alice in Wonderland like underground fantasyland. Well it wasn't. What it was was very difficult to read, confusing, and obnoxious. I stopped reading after 100 pages because it hurt my brain and because it made me sad. It made me sad that some poor kid might pick this book up to read and then never read fantasy again because of this book. I am very sensitive to the fact that kids picking up fantasy like this are very impressionable and think that quality stories should be targeted at that age group. Enough rant...on to the review.

Maggie and Jesse have a mother who is dying and are being forced to move out of their house because of her medical costs. Then one night their Christmas tree grows roots in the living room and opens the way into a magical crystal world full of crazy characters.

I am trying to think of something good about this book. The pictures throughout were very well done and fun. The book itself was a very nice package; nice cover, pages, and font. The idea behind the book is a wonderful one. Reading the synopsis made me excited to partake in this magical adventure.

Unfortunately it was incredibly poorly executed. Initially the language and conversations between the characters was a bit awkward but I was willing to overlook that as the adventure continued hoping I would get to the wonderful fantasy world I had been promised. Well, things just got worse.

When Maggie and Jesse enter the underground they apparently awaken some of the crystals down there. We don't know how this happens. Things aren't very well explained and that whole scenario is very hard to picture (despite the wonderful pictures). I was constantly re-reading to figure out exactly how all this magic was working and still didn't really understand what the author was trying to portray and picture. That is just the worst...a fantasy world that is so poorly described that you can't even picture it.

Still I was willing to wait to understand the world and continued reading hoping to get to the good parts. This is when things go even worse. A plethora of characters enter the book, they aren't well described and are hard to distinguish from each other. Then all these characters start to speak; Glaser has written the characters' words to phonetically represent the accents they speak in. So basically when the characters talk they each use a different set of misspelled words to represent their accents. It was almost impossible to read. I had to read parts of the book outloud just to figure out what the heck a given character was saying and even then sometimes the sentences didn't make much sense.

Can you imagine giving a kid a book with the majority of the words misspelled? It confused the heck out of me and I can't imagine what it would do to a kid learning to read. I thought maybe I was being dense and tired, so I gave the book to my husband and asked him to read a couple pages. His response was "What in the world does that even mean? Is this really a published book?"

Here is an example: "Yoo will be rooled IN, against, undt for. Rooled goot undt bad, right undt wrong, rooled here, rooled zere, up und down, und everyvhere!" That is the guy with the German accent speaking. Here is another quote from the next page "But they eeth th-thoft an' their out-thide eeth m-moofing', an' th-thee other were undereth'd, an' there eeth no r-rool for--" This is the guy with the lisp. I believe there is also a guy with a French accent; all of it is spelled goofy and impossible to read. My eyes are glazing over just typing the quotes in for you, yes they are really spelled like that...I double and triple checked them.

Overall, I pretty much detested this book...it is one of the worst books I have read this year. It made my eyes cross, my head hurt, and made me sad for any kid who has this book as their first foray into fantasy. Please go read Harry Potter, or Fablehaven, or Percy and the Olympians or The Books of Beginning....do not even try to read this book. I have no idea where all the positive review are coming from. Sure it is a cool concept but it impossible to read and very poorly written. The concept counts for something but not for everything.

[Lorraine Bkx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many people will know P.M. Glaser as actor Paul Michael Glaser. Since reaching celebrity status in the 70's, Mr. Glaser has branched out creatively, becoming a director and now an author. His family was touched by AIDS in the 80's when his late wife, Elizabeth, contracted the disease through a blood transfusion after giving birth to their first child, Ariel. She unknowingly passed the disease onto Ariel and then to their son, Jake. Ariel passed away in 1988, Elizabeth in 1994. Jake is HIV positive and healthy. Only Mr. Glaser did not contract the virus.
He claims to have had 'many teachers' who helped in cope with the tragic losses in this life. A very private person, Mr. Glaser first started communicating his philosophy of life in a blog. He once said that he had the choice to either become a bitter, old man or to open his heart to others and to his ability to love. He chose the second option.
Now, Mr. Glaser has incorporated his philosophy into this wonderful work of fiction, "Chrystallia and the Source of Light". It's a magical story about a 9 year-old boy and a 13 year-old girl who are at a cross-roads in their lives. It is told in the girl's voice.
They are about to spend their last Christmas with their mother in their beloved home. Their mother is dying and the home is about to be repossessed by the bank. The brother and sister have a long-standing, and often comical, sibling rivalry. The brother is fascinated by rocks and crystals. One night, after everyone in the house is asleep, they are awoken by strange sounds in their house. The Christmas tree seems to have taken root in the house and there is a huge crack in the floor. The children fall into this crack and find themselves in a magical, often cruel kingdom, where everyone and everything is made out of rocks and crystals. They meet various characters with very specific personality traits, that seem to be extensions of the children themselves. Many of the characters have accents (French, German, Russian, Puerto Rican, Southern US) and they are transcribed perfectly by the author. They are on a mission to get back home, with or without the help of the crystal beings.
Mr. Glaser has had a long-standing fascination with rocks and crystals and it's apparent in the story. All information is very well-researched.
Of course, the underlying message of the story is his very own philosophy of life: what is the purpose of fear in our lives? The purpose is to bring us to our hearts and our ability to love as well as to feel compassion for ourselves and others.
The book is appropriate for children and adult alike. Although it's a serious subject, the impending death of a parent, it is handled beautifully and gently.
The descriptions in the book are so colourful that you can see the crystal world and the characters in your mind. Also, I was amazed at how Mr. Glaser was able to get into a 13 year-old girl's mind and tell the story from her point of view.
I certainly hope that Mr. Glaser continues in this creative vein because he is as good a writer as he is an actor and director.

[Jojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is told in the point of view of Maggie, a young girl frustrated with all the things happening around her. Her mom's dying, they're losing their house, and now she and her brother, Jesse, has wound up in a strange new world. Enough is enough! Maggie wants to go home and she'll do whatever it takes to do that.

Glaser has written an original read filled with unique characters and an interesting world made of crystal and rock. The story was concise and fast-paced so that you'll be halfway through the book before you know it. I was impressed with Maggie's character development and it was nice to see her grow up from the pouty girl in the beginning. The ending was sweet and meaningful and carries a very significant message.

Although the characters were fun and unique, there was either too many or Glaser didn't do such a great job juggling them. For example, when we are first introduced to all the crystal people, Maggie and Jesse is shoved to the background. Every now and then, they'd yell out, "where are we?!" but are completely ignored. It's never a different question either, by the way. A few chapters after that, the siblings take center stage and Pytrope and Scheelite are silent. I might have missed something but it felt like they were forgotten until the very end of the book. Also, a lot of the characters have accents which can be difficult to follow along (ranging from texan to french and so on). I had trouble, anyway. Another issue was that the characters are mainly reactive. This and this has happened to the group! We must run! Oh no, it happened again! Run some more! It's not until two-thirds of the book is through before we see someone do something productive.

Pro: interesting characters with quirky traits, unique plot, character development, sweet and meaningful
Con: reactive rather than proactive, characters "disappear", Maggie is very annoying until she matures, accents (depends on the reader whether you'll like it or not)

Overall, this book was nice and sweet. This book is best suited for our younger readers but anyone can read and enjoy it. However, I would like to point out to parents that when we meet King Bloo, there is an overly dramatic scene where he is snuffing gold dust. Whether or not you mind you or your child reading something like that is up to you. Aside from that hiccup, the book is very kids-friendly and fun to read.

Won from the Early Reviewers Giveaway in return for an honest review

[Cynthia Bugsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when you're thirteen years old and you feel that your whole world is falling apart and there is NOTHING you can do about it? Maggie, tell us her story.She feels her life sucks because her family seems to like her eleven year old brother Jesse more than they appreciate her. She wonders if anything is wrong with her but decides to put on the facade of being tough and uncaring. She takes on this defense mechanism to protect herself from her feelings of being unwanted and unloved. Her brother Jesse, on the other hand, seems to be the innocent and sensitive kid who seems to have more fun because he is gifted with looking at everything from the positive point of view. He loves everyone, believes everything and has a natural inclination to trust ' everything.' Christmas is coming and their house won't be their home anymore because business hasn't been so great and the bank threatens the family with foreclosure. Aside from that however, another seeming tragedy is that their mother is dying and it is the family's last Christmas they will spend in their home. Naturally, Maggie is pained and rather angry not knowing what will happen next and wondering what bad or good is yet to come. On the other hand, Jesse is more positive and hopeful keeping in his mind and heart the lessons of his mother to always have faith come what may. Both siblings discover that this isn't the only world, and that there is an exciting place of crystals under the earth where they meet amazing creatures. After all the excitement in the strange world of crystals and quartz, they end up knowing that no force in any universe is mightier than love.

[Beverly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing's Early Review Program in exchange for an honest review.
Chrystallia and The Source of Light by P. M. Glaser
Maggie is a young girl who's life is falling a part. Her mother is dying. Her family is loosing her home. As the holidays approach, Maggie and her little brother Jesse find themselves in a strange new world - Chrystallia. and all Maggie wants to do is go home.

What I liked about the book: I didn't like anything. OK, the concept was interesting, but the book just didn't live up to the potential.

What I didn't like about the book: I hesitate to write this review. It seems everyone liked this book, except for me. I really did not like this book. It felt like a badly crafted mishmash of Alice and Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz.

The story was too hard to follow and quite frankly gave me a headache. There was either too many characters to follow. The flow of the story between the characters was too choppy. I kept losing the plot. This book is billed as a children's fantasy, but many of the characters have accents that are difficult for young readers to follow. A mangled mess of French, Russian and South Texas accents made the story even more difficult to follow. (And probably explains the migraine I got every time I read this book.)

[Zachary]

I won this book from goodreads but never have received the copy. So, i can not make an deeper comment on this book.

[Malinda Wickham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Being a fan of books for young adults/teens and fantasy, I really wanted to like this book. Mr. Glaser was a guest at a convention I attended and I was pushed into buying this. So I read it. I started it in August 2017 and finished it yesterday. I was determined to push through it. I personally found this book to be just awful. A family who may lose their home, a dying mother, two young children (neither particularly likable), and set on Christmas Eve. What could possible go wrong? The kids fall into a hole that develops in the floor of their home, beneath the Christmas tree no less, and wind up in a world that has talking minerals/rocks (who have bad accents). Why, oh why, did Mr. Glaser write this book?

I try to find something redeeming in any book I read. I'm at a loss with this one.

For the record, there is nothing offensive. It's just a badly written story, in my opinion, of course.

[cherubEagleEyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely inlove Paul. He was my favourite in Starsky n Hutch; fancied him like craze; just wish he lived nearer to me. I think he still looks handsome.

I knew he would go far; he is amazing. Brill actor, terrific painter, fab director n screen player n fantastic author. Really adored this amazing book. Recommend this to all, from young to old. My daughter loves this; she was def quiet listening to the story. I am so glad that Paul read it himself which made it that more special cos he put so much feeling into his creation; he was def sending us on a jorney n I honestly dont think anyother would of succeeded in doing it just as Paul wanted n needed. I wanted to get the book signed, but unfortunately!I missed that promotion, so I just got it via Audible. My all time favourite, such a beautiful, gorgeous story n Paul really brings it to life; walking on Crystals

https://youtu.be/qHEmm61yNtw

[Maria Thomson]

I have not read it yet got it ordered,I was watching Paul on a interview,use to love him in starsky and hutch,find him a good actor, I was listening to him describe the book and was really draw to the great honesty and depth of it,I could relate to its meaning myself and it was so nice to see the real person behind it, thank you Paul for sharing this with us,my respect to you.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a difficult time reading the conversations with the Chrystallia characters, but I enjoyed the Christmas story revolving around Maggie and Jessie and their dying mother. I think that children would love this adventurous tale. I may have enjoyed it more as an audio book, where I wouldn't have had to decipher what the characters were saying.

[Laura June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, intriguing, Fastenating! An adventure into a world of characters who are searching for what they are convinced, is lost. A human journey as well. This is a manuscript that could produce a delightful film. There is so much detail, I will surely read this book again. Thank You ❤️

[Edith Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Book!!! PMG did a great job with this and the Audio is out of this world. PMG did the audio himself and he does all the voices differently with great sound effects.

[Evelyn Puerto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chrystallia and the Source of Light is an imaginative story about two children who fall into a world where crystals come alive. The sibling rivalry between the children was well drawn, and was intensified by the sorrows they were living with: their's mother impending death from illness, the forced move from their home because the family's money went to medical bills rather than the mortgage. The adventure in Chrystallia forces them to look at themselves and each other in a different way.

The fantasy world PM Glaser created is fascinating, filled with the living crystals, all with their own forms, personalities,and accents. The accents may be a little difficult for some readers. This would be a great book to read out loud with kids, or would make a wonderful audio book.

I read the book on Kindle, but recommend the hard cover version for the fabulous illustrations. If I could have rated this book 4.5 stars, I would have.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite parts of this book were Maggie's memories at the beginning of each chapter. I think PMG is at his best when he directly confronts the feelings like he does in those little bits. Some of them were hard to read because they're so sad, but boy did I understand where Maggie was coming from when I did. It was like someone got inside my 13 year old brain and put it on paper. The rest of the story was good, too. It reminded me of me and my brother and how much better we are at life when we remember that we're on the same side. We're so different, but when we honor the best parts of each other, we are both better, more powerful people. I also loved the theme of working through your fear and finding out what's on the other side.

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another young people's book that didn't quite engage me. The use of language was lovely, the book itself was beautifully made. Some of the characters were more interesting than others. the book is a keeper for who wrote it not because I would reread it. I came to it too old.

[Melanie McCullough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review to follow.

[Diane Dunham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wiity, funny, entertaining, easy to read. Illustrations are awesome. Plus you can learn a little something about gems, rocks and minerals.