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Mystical Aria: Seeking the Gallion Queen
Psychic tween Aria Vanir of Virginia Beach trusts only her mother with the knowledge of her visions until she connects with technically and spiritually advanced aliens, the Gallions. Then Aria confides in her best friend, Tommy Manger. His surprise doubts and anger threaten to end their friendship. When the Gallions beam Aria, Tommy, and Aria’s tomboyish older sister, Jackie, aboard their superspaceship, Aria’s mother makes a bold move to save her daughters. None of them realize that the Navy has sent Aria’s SEAL father, William, on a mission to capture the Gallions or destroy their superspaceship. Worse, William has no idea that he’s putting his daughters in harm’s way.
Nashata, Queen Supreme of the Gallions, leads the diplomatic mission to make peaceful contact with Aria, the only human she trusts with the secrets of her people. Can Aria succeed in her quest to meet the queen in person, despite the fears and disbeliefs of those closest to her?
Nashata, Queen Supreme of the Gallions, leads the diplomatic mission to make peaceful contact with Aria, the only human she trusts with the secrets of her people. Can Aria succeed in her quest to meet the queen in person, despite the fears and disbeliefs of those closest to her?
- GenresAliensMiddle Grade
230 pages, Paperback
Published January 31, 2016
About the author
Jean Neff Guthrie
3 books31 followersJean Neff Guthrie is the author of Mystical Aria: Seeking the Gallion Queen and the winner of Literary Classics 2017 Gold Award for Fantasy - Tween. Her poem, “Baler Twine,” written in honor of her father’s seventy-fifth birthday, won a National Cattlemen’s Magazine contest and was published in its March 2001 edition.
Jean has a BS in dairy science from Virginia Tech and a MS in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has earned certifications as a Project Management Professional, ScrumMaster, and SAFe 4 Agilist. Jean works in the Atlanta, Georgia, area as an author and information technology project/program manager. She lives in Smyrna, Georgia.
Jean has a BS in dairy science from Virginia Tech and a MS in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has earned certifications as a Project Management Professional, ScrumMaster, and SAFe 4 Agilist. Jean works in the Atlanta, Georgia, area as an author and information technology project/program manager. She lives in Smyrna, Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 24, 2016
Aria, a psychic preteen, has an incredible vision of another world. Using her tDiary (sort of a futuristic Ipad) she records her vision, as well as her desire to meet residents from that world. To her surprise, her comment is responded to via communications through her tDiary, and eventually plans are made for Aria to visit the Gallions. The initial meeting of the two cultures does not go smoothly, but then Aria finally makes a pleasant connection with the Gallions only to find that her father has arrived on the scene while on an extraterrestrial military mission.
Aria and her friends are given special gifts which allow them to interact with the universe in unique ways. Each child has a different gift with its own unique attributes. There is a great moral to this story in which they must learn to overcome individual challenges on their own. The kids learn they are stronger and more capable than they had first believed. A fabulous adventure, with elements of fantasy and science fiction, this book is sure to appeal to young readers. The author's descriptions of the Gallion characters brings to life a charming, and entirely unique world. Her delightful sense of humor is shown in wonderfully imaginative scenes which add great depth to this terrific book for young readers.
Aria and her friends are given special gifts which allow them to interact with the universe in unique ways. Each child has a different gift with its own unique attributes. There is a great moral to this story in which they must learn to overcome individual challenges on their own. The kids learn they are stronger and more capable than they had first believed. A fabulous adventure, with elements of fantasy and science fiction, this book is sure to appeal to young readers. The author's descriptions of the Gallion characters brings to life a charming, and entirely unique world. Her delightful sense of humor is shown in wonderfully imaginative scenes which add great depth to this terrific book for young readers.
December 17, 2016
Fantasci-fi adventure in the Pacific Ocean in 2028. (I'm sooo glad Starbucks is still reigning Queen of coffee then!)
Cover: Fabulous! You CAN judge this book by its cover!
Mystical Aria is a young teen novel I won from a goodreads giveaway, with the intention of reading it to my grand daughters, for whom the author lovingly signed the book.
The family relationships were realistic, even by today's standards. The human characters, in general, were fun and unique, with each one having a defined personality. The sibling rivalry and devotion to one another were award-winning, as were the glimpses of Tommy and his older Drake.
We even peeked at the intricate difficulties of a marriage to a serviceman.
The long-term pre-existing friendship was creatively shown and the interactions were set the mood that misunderstandings, trust, and loyalty run deep.
The alien race ... At the beginning, they seemed to be developing well and off to a good start. They started to get bland and blend together when it seemed the scene shifted to their ship. Maybe their race is more unified and in sync with one another? If so, it wasn't clear. Their actions and dialogue melted more than contrasted. Exception was the Elvis impersonator. Very distinctive.
Although their technology was advanced (as we expect in sci-fi) it lacked them sharing their world and culture. The emphasis was mimicking the human culture and its underdeveloped understanding, which is too typical and disappointing- especially when the book started off strong with tDiaries, tHTV, tVid, tBinders. In turn, it left a void in a partially built world.
As this is geared towards our younger generation, I may be a bit nitpicky.
*views of a slightly older reader*
This adventure book was charming and flawlessly written. Structure, flow, and grammar was professionally represented.
I would definitely recommend it and would pounce on another book by this author!
Cover: Fabulous! You CAN judge this book by its cover!
Mystical Aria is a young teen novel I won from a goodreads giveaway, with the intention of reading it to my grand daughters, for whom the author lovingly signed the book.
The family relationships were realistic, even by today's standards. The human characters, in general, were fun and unique, with each one having a defined personality. The sibling rivalry and devotion to one another were award-winning, as were the glimpses of Tommy and his older Drake.
We even peeked at the intricate difficulties of a marriage to a serviceman.
The long-term pre-existing friendship was creatively shown and the interactions were set the mood that misunderstandings, trust, and loyalty run deep.
The alien race ... At the beginning, they seemed to be developing well and off to a good start. They started to get bland and blend together when it seemed the scene shifted to their ship. Maybe their race is more unified and in sync with one another? If so, it wasn't clear. Their actions and dialogue melted more than contrasted. Exception was the Elvis impersonator. Very distinctive.
Although their technology was advanced (as we expect in sci-fi) it lacked them sharing their world and culture. The emphasis was mimicking the human culture and its underdeveloped understanding, which is too typical and disappointing- especially when the book started off strong with tDiaries, tHTV, tVid, tBinders. In turn, it left a void in a partially built world.
As this is geared towards our younger generation, I may be a bit nitpicky.
*views of a slightly older reader*
This adventure book was charming and flawlessly written. Structure, flow, and grammar was professionally represented.
I would definitely recommend it and would pounce on another book by this author!
April 15, 2016
What an enchanting adventure! I know it’s a young adult, teen read but at 66 I thoroughly relished it --- aliens, space craft, kids, seals --- a young adult plot, well written with a wonderful “just beginning adventure” ending….can’t wait for the next one!
August 17, 2019
I love this story.
It well written and exciting. Fast paced and enjoyable.
A mix of si-fi and fantasy and a book I highly recomend!
It well written and exciting. Fast paced and enjoyable.
A mix of si-fi and fantasy and a book I highly recomend!
August 30, 2017
I had a spot open on my TBR and picked another Georgia author to read and review. This time, it’s Mystical Aria: Seeking the Gallion Queen by Jean Neff Guthrie. The book is a fantasy/sci-fi novel aimed more at tweens and early YA, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
Synopsis (from the author): Alien RSVP: Yes!
Psychic tween Aria Vanir, of Virginia Beach, trusts only her mother with the knowledge of her visions until she connects with technically and spiritually advanced aliens, the Gallions. Then Aria confides in her best friend, Tommy Manger. His surprise doubts and anger threaten to end their friendship. When the Gallions beam Aria, Tommy, and Aria's tomboyish older sister, Jackie, aboard their superspaceship, Aria's mother makes a bold move to save her daughters. None of them realize that the Navy has sent Aria's SEAL father, William, on a mission to capture the Gallions or destroy their superspaceship. Worse, William has no idea that he's putting his daughters in harm's way.
Nashata, Queen Supreme of the Gallions, leads a diplomatic mission to make peaceful contact with Aria, the only human she trusts with the secrets of her people. Can Aria succeed in her quest to meet the queen in person, despite the fears and disbeliefs of those closest to her?
What I liked: I enjoyed the way Aria used her hidden gift to communicate with the aliens. I also appreciated her willingness to accept the Gallions as friends, rather than with suspicion as the adults did. The supporting characters added quite a bit to the story, especially Aria’s sister Jackie and Tommy. The Gallions added a bit of comedy relief to the story, and their technology was cool! All in all, a nice read!
What I didn’t like: Despite what Tommy and Jackie brought to the story, the characters were not fleshed out as well as they could have been, and Aria’s father’s reaction was too predictable.
Overall impression: Mystical Aria: Seeking the Gallion Queen is an excellent book for the tweens and young adults. It dealt with conflict, opportunity, trust, and family all while entertaining me. Though written for younger ages, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
My rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 stars)
Synopsis (from the author): Alien RSVP: Yes!
Psychic tween Aria Vanir, of Virginia Beach, trusts only her mother with the knowledge of her visions until she connects with technically and spiritually advanced aliens, the Gallions. Then Aria confides in her best friend, Tommy Manger. His surprise doubts and anger threaten to end their friendship. When the Gallions beam Aria, Tommy, and Aria's tomboyish older sister, Jackie, aboard their superspaceship, Aria's mother makes a bold move to save her daughters. None of them realize that the Navy has sent Aria's SEAL father, William, on a mission to capture the Gallions or destroy their superspaceship. Worse, William has no idea that he's putting his daughters in harm's way.
Nashata, Queen Supreme of the Gallions, leads a diplomatic mission to make peaceful contact with Aria, the only human she trusts with the secrets of her people. Can Aria succeed in her quest to meet the queen in person, despite the fears and disbeliefs of those closest to her?
What I liked: I enjoyed the way Aria used her hidden gift to communicate with the aliens. I also appreciated her willingness to accept the Gallions as friends, rather than with suspicion as the adults did. The supporting characters added quite a bit to the story, especially Aria’s sister Jackie and Tommy. The Gallions added a bit of comedy relief to the story, and their technology was cool! All in all, a nice read!
What I didn’t like: Despite what Tommy and Jackie brought to the story, the characters were not fleshed out as well as they could have been, and Aria’s father’s reaction was too predictable.
Overall impression: Mystical Aria: Seeking the Gallion Queen is an excellent book for the tweens and young adults. It dealt with conflict, opportunity, trust, and family all while entertaining me. Though written for younger ages, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
My rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 stars)
February 17, 2016
At first, I thought I wouldn't enjoy the book. I liked the synopsis but once I started, I felt like it would be a book I wouldn't enjoy. It was a slow beginning but once I read the first couple of chapters, I was able to really get into the book and I really enjoyed it as the story unfolded. The characters in my opinion were well developed and I really liked characters such as Aria. Overall, I feel like it was a really good novel. Keep up the good work! I would definitely recommend this book to others.
August 24, 2016
I thought this was a very fun Science fiction/fantasy adventure reminiscent of a cross between Disney's Chronicles of Narnia series and disney's Lilo and stitch.
From the moment I open the first page I couldn't put the book down it was that compelling and the way Mrs.Guthrie visualized The Galion world was epic.
I was excited to learn from her website that she plans to turn this into a series and I can't wait to dive into more.
From the moment I open the first page I couldn't put the book down it was that compelling and the way Mrs.Guthrie visualized The Galion world was epic.
I was excited to learn from her website that she plans to turn this into a series and I can't wait to dive into more.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews