Jack Fox and the Crystals of Time

by G.J. Anderson

Jack Fox is an adventurous twelve-year-old with a penchant for trouble. When he stumbles across a mysterious old transporter and is accidentally teleported away through the universe by a magic crystal, he finds himself trapped in a world filled with strange creatures, frightening beings and unimaginable dangers. To return home, Jack must acquire the Crystal of Time and the Crystal of Codes. But once there, he soon discovers that there is much more at stake than just his own life.

Count Riavath, Tassiotus' evil sorcerer and ruler plans to use the crystals to open a portal to invade other worlds. If he succeeds then Earth will be threatened and Tassiotus will be doomed forever. With the help of a few courageous friends and allies, can Jack acquire the crystals he needs, unite the good people of Tassiotus against the sorcerer and his army, stop his evil scheme and return home to the ones he loves? Or will Count Riavath kill him first, initiate the portal and begin his invasion?

The fate of many worlds has fallen to one boy.
The battle of Good versus Evil has begun.


Children's fantasy author G.J. Anderson will transport you to a world beyond imagination with this epic tale of friendship, courage and sacrifice. Suspense-filled adventure, swashbuckling action, mystery, magic, humour, grand-scale battles and many unforgettable characters make Jack Fox and the Crystals of Time a must-read for all ages.

368 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2016

Reviews

[Jason Hubbard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is perfectly serviceable for young people, but I couldn't help but get distracted by some of the lapses in logic. For instance, Jack Fox is told he has only thirty-six hours before an evil sorcerer on another planet has the chance to teleport to Earth, but judging from how Jack and his friends travel across different climates and landscapes, it seems as if two or three weeks have passed instead. Throw in one of the most unrealistic battles I've ever read, and you have a book that will make you scratch your head till people ask you if you have fleas.

This book also has the same kind of problem that the recent "Alice in Wonderland" movie has: It doesn't quite know what tone it wants to strike. What starts out as a whimsical adventure eventually turns into a Lord-of-the-Rings-style war epic complete with characters seemingly quoting Dr. Seuss in the middle of a bloodbath.

Overall, the story is okay, if only because I could tolerate the endless otherworldly names reminiscent of Star Wars' "nerfherder" reference ... whatever that is.