Journey from Skioria

by Kandi J. Wyatt

Tania is lost, shipwrecked on an unfamiliar shore. With no friends or family, the nine-year-old girl must make her way through the realm of the woodland people to a town she's never heard of. With unexpected allies from the forest, Tania departs on a wild adventure where storms rage and the forces of nature do their very best to end her journey before it has truly begun.

In a land full of magic and evil forces, can one young girl make it home alive?

Lord of the Rings meets Narnia in this standalone middle grade fantasy by author Kandi J Wyatt.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure

152 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2017

About the author

Kandi J Wyatt lives with dragons, most in human form--and some even blow fire! She spends her days providing space for teens to be themselves, inspiring them to be more than meets the eye, and spilling hope into their world. When she's not hanging out with fictional characters, Kandi's chilling with family watching anime or playing games. Her toddler granddaughter keeps her running--often in circles--and full of joy.

Want to know more? Eager to dive into the worlds Kandi creates? Head over to https://kandijwyatt.com and see what it's all about.

Reviews

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free ecopy of this middle grade fantasy story from Aurora Publicity and Kandi J. Wyatt in exchange for an honest review.

Nine year-old Tania has separated from her family after a boating accident. She washes ashore in an unfamiliar woodland area that is populated by creatures called the Skiorians, Terrans, and Avarians. If she ever wants to see her family again, she and her new allies are going to have to trek for days through the magical and dangerous forest on an adventure of a lifetime.

Journey from Skioria by Kandi J. Wyatt is a fun younger MG adventure novel that would be wonderful for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. It's a short, quick read with good world-building. I liked getting to know the world that Tania has just been flung into after that boating mishap. Unfortunately, I didn't feel all that connected to our cast of characters. The writing is well done, but I still felt disconnected from Tania. I think part of that comes from the fact that we don't get to meet Tania's parents in the very beginning. I would definitely have preferred to get a good sense of her relationship with her mother and father from the start. Although, this is Tania's story, I would have also preferred to see a little more of her parents when she get back to their side - that they had done more to locate their daughter after she was gone for so long.

Overall, if you'd like to try a good MG adventure fantasy in the vein of classics, you may want to try Journey to Skioria. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I was hoping, but it's still worth trying. It's goes quickly and you may enjoy Wyatt's world-building. Thanks again to Aurora Publicity and the author!

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always on the lookout for child appropriate reading, one that allows a child a simple adventure that will fuel their imaginations without fear or monsters and plants the seeds for a love of books that will last a lifetime. JOURNEY FROM SKIORIA by Kandi J. Wyatt is one of those reads that an adult can read with a younger child, a child can read on their own and a family can talk about afterwards. A child doesn’t need the minutest details, they need a story that talks to them at their level. As an adult, of course I want more to make me believe, I want answers to unasked questions, but Kandi J. Wyatt writes for children, she addresses their innocence with a make-believe, safe adventure while still deftly weaving pieces of real life into the mix!

Young Tania has washed ashore on a distant land after a boating accident with her family. Her adventure begins when she meets the many races of people in this magical land of forests, mountains and even people who can fly. In a world where she is alone, she is not friendless, and kindness abounds, as everyone comes together to help her embark on a journey that will take her back to the land of humans. Follow her journey, feel the bonds she has formed with her new friends and witness a heart-warming moment of discovery for a young boy who never quite fit in in his family!

A delightful read that is ideal for children in its sweet innocence, positive feelings, wonderful descriptions and lovable characters!

I am voluntarily reviewing this copy!

Publication Date: September 5, 2017
Publisher: Kandi J. Wyatt
Genre: Middlegrade Fantasy - 6-12 YO
Print Length: 152 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

Tania, a 9-year old girl is shipwrecked in an unfamiliar forest. There she meets Trilicius who is from the land of Skioria who helps her to find her way home.

This sounded like a really magical story from the blurb... I read it despite how I HATE the cover because if it worked it would have been a cute middle grade find...

Here's the thing... There is NOT ONE offensive thing in the entire book. It's not poorly written. It's not written so as to talk down to a reader. The characters are all quite well fleshed out! I admire Tania and really enjoyed all the woodland people who accompanied her. There is no overt moralizing. NOTHING will offend a secular reader... except the story is basically a hike over an extended period of time.

I liked the idea of Skioria but other than to flesh out the other hikers all the world building was for naught. There wasn't even any plot having to do with it being the land of Skioria! It could have simply been a bunch of hikers without a car or phone. The lack of the people of Skioria having cars or technology is one of the main reasons they have to walk out, that does not plot make! A hike and all the problems that can happen on a hike can be constituted as plot but I wasn't really captured by it nor was it magical.

Except for the plot to walk Tania out of the forest, there is only one other side plot to do with a birth secret concerning a member of her party. I'm not sure why parents lying to their children about their birth is the ONLY plot that is safe to be included in a Christian story but oddly another book I reviewed that is also Christian Lit also has the same plot device!

The only reason I could read the book until the end is because the characters were well formed and their relationships were developed enough that I appreciated how they interacted even if it wasn't motivated by anything really exciting. I did appreciate especially Tania's friendship with Fyrh but without conflict it becomes extremely hard to relate to, bond with and connect to the characters!!

⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Premise & World Building
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⭐ Cover & Title
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐ Development & Storycraft
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Writing & Narrative
⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Relationships
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⭐ Feelings

BOTTOM LINE: For gentle children who can't take any more conflict than one gets into on a hike.

Thanks to Aurora Publicity and Kandi J. Wyatt for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my review.

______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...

[Brett Salter · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Journey from Skioria” by Kandi J. Wyatt
Review By Brett Salter

Opening Line: “TANIA, MOVE AWAY from the railing! Look out!”

Favorite Line: "In the morning seagulls flew through the blue sky, and by mid-morning the sun crested the mountains to the east. As the day wore on, the beach slowly widened and the mountains receded further to the east, creating a wide sweeping panorama before them."

The Review:
“Journey from Skioria” is a middle-grade book for kids seeking adventure and magical realms. It's got uplifting themes about facing your fears and utilizing your abilities to their fullest. As well as working together as a team to accomplish tasks that seem impossible (like a long journey home). Finding oneself and finding friendship during troubles is a key theme which is perfect for the target audience this book aims at. As well as found family versus born family and how they are different but equally as important.

Let me start by saying thank you to the author for providing me a free copy for my review. Kandi does such an awesome job pulling the reader into her incredible world that by the end, I was sad to leave it. The book is a standalone, but I feel that we could always revisit Skioria in future installments if Kandi ever decides to. The world is so rich in description and beauty that I feel like there's plenty of more stories to come out of there. And Kandi does a great job catching every detail in her writing that Skiroia and the surrounding areas just pop off the page in the reader's mind. The unbelievable descriptions put forth by Kandi create a tangible reality that would be lovely to visit. And her "fish out of water" scenes with her characters in the human realm are hilarious.

There are several characters in this book, but the main group consists of Tania, Trilicius, Arun, Fyrh, Jay, Kern, Holly, and Fil. This group is a good mix of Skiorians, Avarians, and Terrans which are all races that beloing to the world of the novel. They are a good-hearted group, and the relationships between them all seem genuine and grow as the plot goes along. The novel uses elements of portal fiction where the main character (Tania) falls off a boat and ends up in the magical wooded land of Skioria. Shes immediately taken in by Trilicius who wants to get her to the village council of elders who should decide what to do with the human girl. The action soon picks up as the bodyguards assigned to Tania, each with their own unique abilities, face several hardships to get the girl back to her family.

I want to talk about the characters in this book as I feel that they are the spotlight of the text. Specifically, two chacraters really jump off the page at you. The first is Auran. Although he does not begin the adventure with our group, they do meet him on the way, and he decides to join them because he knows the way back to Tania's land. So, we have the perfect guide character for the group. Kinda like Golem in LOTR, but this guide is not doing this for selfish intentions. Though he DOES harbor a secret that comes out eventually during the journey. I will say this, Auran hits the mark perfectly as a guide character as he starts out overbearing and short-fused with the group, urging them to finish their trek quickly. Then, he comes around to an understanding place due to some familial revelations and an injury. By the end, he has come full circle as a round character; mysterious past guide turned friend and helper. And he is able to let the reader in on some things that the others don't understand, so that helps further the narrative.

The second character I want to talk about is Trilicius. Now, although the scenes and settings and dreams were described in magnificent prose, there was not a huge description of Trilicius's physical appearence (unless I missed it), but the book cover gave me the right idea. He appeared there exactly as he appeared in my noggin. And Trilicius was just the coziest, and nicest chaacrcter of the bunch. He really felt like the morale spearhead of the group eveidenced in his storytelling, and his encouragement of certain charcaters to do the right thing. It fit perfectly that he was the one to find Tania. Another Skiorian may have just left her by the river to perish. His role as father of the group mirrors the idea of lost family reunited in other instances (Fyrh and Auran. Tania and her estranged, mariner family). Trilicius is a flat character, but in theory only. He is easily one of the more relateable characters and a heartwarming delight. I also thought it was great when Tania compared him to a dwarf and the description she gave offended him. It was hysterical!

This is a terrific book! In my opinion! It's the perfect length to tell a adventurous journey story, but also the right amount of pages for the target audience. Having kids myself, I know how attentions can wane and screens can quickly replace written words. But Kandi has something cool cooking here. Not only was I entertained, but I had some very pleasent flashbacks to media from the past that this book reminded me of. In comparing this book to other works of art, I had a strong "Willow" vibe at the beginning. Mostly because of the way I pictured the village council and how they made a decision to take Tania (Elora Danan) back to her family. And the heavy burden assigned to Trilicius just like Willow in that movie. I also found many things that reminded me of The Princess Bride such as the story of Aryx who always repeated the same phrase, "Yes. milady" each time he visited Reasa. This definitely felt like Wesley's "As you wish" mantra to Buttercup in that film. I thought it was an excellent addition. Plus using Aryx's Dipper to help them navigate was world-class, tie-in storytelling. Bravo, Kandi!

One last thing: I like to add this "one last thing" section as an insight into how weird I am when I read books. When I read this book, it's exquisite world-building constantly had me imagining Skioria and the other realms as a theme park! Each scene had me visualizing the natural beauty as decorations for a dwarf and fairytale themed park with the plot points as the rides. Think about it! You could have a log flume ride that spills over like the river and a planetarium for Aryx's story. It could have a big splash ride that mimics Tania's plunge from the boat and arrival at Skioria. And you'd have to include the trees of the Skiorians that kids could climb and do like a rope-walk. Not to mention a petting zoo full of stampeding sheep? You could even have some kind of roller coaster that has you climb a mountain-themed queue line and then "fall" down the side of the mountain! I mean, I'm just spitballing here, but wouldn't it be cool to visit an amusement park with characters from this book running around as entertainers! I mean, I would definitely go. Probably buy a season pass!

I would recommend this book for anyone interested a quick, clean adventure over the age of 8. That includes adults! The chapters are not too long for younger kids, and the content is in NO WAY too scary for anyone reading at the elementary school level. I didn't even get to tlak about Old Man Shadow who I feel is an intriguing character that could easily have his own spinoff book. If you've got an afternoon and you feel like using that brain power instead of re-watching The Hobbit for the 100th time, definitely check this one out! Lastly, Carson's Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts? I nearly fell out of my chair laughing for sure!

Final Review: 4.7 Fyrh crafted crutches out of 5

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a middle-grade novel about a nine year old girl who is washed overboard in an accident at sea and winds up in a place called Skioria. She meets several kinds of woodland beings who decide to help her get back to where the humans live so she can return to her parents.

Keeping in mind that I am not a middle grader myself - I probably would have enjoyed this story more 20 years ago - I thought it was pretty good. There's a secondary tale woven into the main story that I didn't expect, and Tania's journey home is both touching and adventurous.

I received a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easily recommending this story to the Middle Grade (MG) level readers. An enjoyable fantasy adventure that can be read by young and older readers alike. The story starts as the main character, Tania is shipwrecked on a distant land following a tragic accident with her family and her own adventure then starts in a magical land where she meets magical creatures and makes new friends throughout all the while trying to find her way back home. It was a lovely story, that I am sure will get children into reading – it’s right up there with the likes of Nevermoor and Begone the Raggedy Witches. I would like to take this time to thank the author who personally reached out requesting me to read her story, really want to find the hardcopy, it’s definitely one I want to have in my collection!

[Jacki · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This book was short and sweet, just 140 pages. The story kicks off with Tania shipwrecked on a land with no recollection of how she got there or where her parents could be. She immediately meets a strange dwarf-like man called Trilicius. He is kind to her and takes her into his home and shows her the land of Skioria, which is a fantasy village connected to other fantasy villages (Avaria and Terra,) which are hidden in our modern world.

Tania soon meets Trilicius' wife and his other Skiorian, Avarian and Terran friends, and he takes to the village council of Skioria where the council elders decide to send her with the group of her new friends, who are charged with escorting her back to the human world where she can be reunited with her parents. The story focuses on the journey Tania takes with her friends on the way back to human world, where they pick up a new friend named Auran, on a mountain. He turns out to be the estranged family member of somebody in their group, and leads the group successfully and safely to Tania's world, as he is familiar with the road they must take.

So what are my thoughts? This book gave me happy feelings when I finished it. I felt happy, cozy and satisfied. The author has a way with words and can weave a pretty story with the use of gorgeous, intricate descriptions of the natural setting that surrounded the characters. Here's an example of that:

"They topped the last rise just as the sky burst with oranges and purples. A flat beach spread before the group as far as they could see, with the ocean to the left and the mountain bluff to the right. Sunlight reflected off the calm roll of the surf."

This book is great for earlier middle grade readers and there are some very interesting plot twists that could entertain and interest a reader of any age. Beyond that, I don't think this book would be that enjoyable for adult and young adult readers.

The reason I say this is because older readers are often looking for complex, relatable and lovable characters. This book lacks that heavily. There was little character development in the story and the dialogue was incredibly boring and unrealistic. Each character seemed to have practically the same personality and all responded to each other in the same way: they all lacked unique voices and personalities. On top of this, there was no physical description of any of the characters except for a tiny bit on Trilicius and Tania's mother at the very end. There was no physical or linguistic differences between the Avarians, Terrans or Skiorians, though they are from different lands. The only physical hint we get of the woodland people is that Trilicius is a Skiorian and is hairy and dwarf-like.

Some points in the book feel almost choppy. There was a lack of flow. Dialogue or dreams that protagonist, Tania, had would occur with very few description of how or why it was happening. In the next sentence, after a dream or a piece of dialogue, it would be a whole new topic or conversation which messed up the flow of the story and added confusion. Tania is only nine years old but has the same voice and mental capacity as any of the adult characters.

The story will probably become dull to more advanced readers as there is little to no character conflict between the group of adventurers at all. Anytime a character disagreed with Auran, the leader, he would give in and agree with them automatically.

The book's synopsis describes that the group must fight forces of nature on their journey, but there really was no forces of danger that hindered them from moving on besides one broken leg and a capsized boat which was quickly remedied. When Tania was successfully reunited with her parents, they were not surprised that she was alive, or that she miraculously disappeared to a magical land or that she was being brought back by dwarf creatures and a strange man. They don't react like parents who likely assumed their daughter had been dead for over two months.

The ending was happy, and the descriptions set a lovely tone to the book. The author can definitely write descriptively but this book lacked believable characters and interesting events and plot points. Overall, the book felt disorganized, seemed to lack effort and love, and felt pretty impersonal. Despite that, this book would be a fun adventure for elementary and early junior high students.

[Erin J Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute middle grade story with fun, believable characters in an imaginative world. For my tastes, it could have used a bit more action, but as it is, Journey from Skioria is an enjoyable, refreshing little adventure.

The world of Skioria is rich and well-developed: peopled by different races reminiscent of Hobbits and pixies. Skioria itself is a bit like a mix of Lothlorien, Hobbiton, and Narnia - so basically an awesome place to live in.

Sadly, Tania needs to get back to her family, and since she's only nine, we can't really blame her for that. Speaking of which, I thought Tania seemed very believable as a nine-year-old human girl. It definitely wasn't one of those stories where you have to suspend your disbelief as a pre-teen ends up doing stuff a seasoned ninja would have trouble accomplishing.

On that subject, however, I would have appreciated a little more action. Even in The Lord of the Rings series, days of hiking cross country is just not all that exciting to read about.

To her credit, author Kandi J. Wyatt does throw in lots of fun stuff like family secrets, reveals, myths, and delectable scenery. But even with all that, I can only take so much of people hiking towards civilization.

Luckily, the book is a fairly quick read, so it didn't really have time to bore me. I just think the story would have grabbed me more if the most exciting thing that happened in it wasn't a run in with some unwieldy sheep.

Then again, if anything did grab me in this book, it was the sweetness of Tania's friends and the richness of the world Wyatt has created. That's no small feat, and if the story sometimes succumbs to some Tolkien-esque countryside rambling, I think there are worse things in life.

woodbtwntheworlds.blogspot.com/2017/0...

[Jenelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story about a young girl who gets separated from her parents on a boating trip and washes up on the shores of a land filled with small folk. Tania's new friends pledge to do everything in their power to take her safely home, but it is a long journey and many dangers lie in their path.

I liked the premise of the story and enjoyed the various characters. It is a light-hearted romp of a tale, and I believe it would be excellent for younger children. I'm fairly certain that my daughters (ages 9 and 6) would enjoy it very much. In this story, there are difficulties to be faced, but no serious dangers. There are obstacles to overcome, but friends to help each other through them. And while Tania does encounter some people with gruff personalities, nobody is truly unkind and there are no darker themes.

With the exception of one of the characters who has an ability to fly (that is a racial trait of his people, the Avarians) there is no magic in this fantastical tale, either, so for those who love fantasy but have an aversion to magic, this one might be up your alley.

Personally, I never really felt emotionally gripped by or invested in the characters. For an adult reader, the story was fairly simplistic, and I felt that much of the adventure was much too easy and straight-forward. However, I do think that had more to do with the fact that I am much older than the target audience for this book. If I had read it as a kid, I think I would have loved it. I gave it three stars because I honestly liked it, but I can't say that I loved it.

I would have liked to see Tania's parents express quite a bit more concern over her being missing for TWO MONTHS, and a bit more relief over her safety at the end. I did like that there was a happy ending and that Tania and her parents continued to visit the forest and see her new friends.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nine-year-old Tania has become shipwrecked in a boating accident. She washes up on a distant shore. Unknown to her, Tania has found the land of Skioria. She is taken in by Trillicus and his mate Holley. They are Skiorians and are the same height as Tania, despite being adults. Skiorians live high in the trees and are experts in the forest. Tania wants to get back home and to her parents, but that is difficult. The Skiorians will have to travel with Tania back to the human world. It is a treacherous hike and the Skiorians are not known to the human populations. With help from a Terran, an Avarian and another friend, Tania will find her way back, but will she want to leave her new friends?

This was an easy to read, exciting middle grad adventure set in a magical world. Tania is desperate to get back to her parents after washing up in Skioria, however she is also captivated by their magical world and the Skiorians themselves! I found myself wanting to explore their world more and how they lived. I was a little dissapointed in the patriarchal society that was reinforced in Skioria, further showing middle grade readers that this is the norm. Tania's adventure home was the best part for me. During her adventure Tania formed deep bonds of friendship and pushed herself to do things that she never thought she could do. As an adult reader there were several times I had to take large suspensions of disbelief, especially at the end when her parents don't seem overly concerned that their daughter who has been missing for more than a month is reunited with them; however, as a middle grade reader I would have found this book to be a fun adventure into and out of a mysterious world hiding under our noses.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Kandi J. Wyatt has been one of my favorite authors since I was first introduced to her “Dragon’s Courage” series. She has the ability to suck you in from the very beginning. Her world building is always exquisite. In this book, we meet Tania who falls overboard and wakes up in a strange land with strange people around her. As she travels with her new friend, Trilicius to his home of Skioria, he describes all that she sees. Kandi’s world building puts you right in the middle of the world. I equate it to the first time I watch the movie Avatar. I was amazed at the creativity of the world. That’s what Kandi does with words.


The Characters she has created are wonderful. I loved that Tania was taller than the Skiorians, Terrans and people from Avary. She has given them each their own culture that we can relate to. I found Tania to be very believable. This is probably because I have taught that age and have grandchildren that age. I absolutely loved the idea that a council had to be convened to decide how to help Tania get back to her family. This gives us a look at how their world operates. This is a great fantasy, adventure story. Since I am one of those adults that absolutely adore reading middle-grade fiction I can recommend it to middle-grade kids that I teach. I am always pleased to place Kandi’s books on my shelves. This one is another I will recommend to my students and to all adults like me who love not only great stories but specifically middle-grade stories.

[Patricia Hamill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Journey from Skioria follows Tania, a little girl who finds herself shipwrecked in a mysterious land. She quickly makes friends with the tiny inhabitants, and they agree to accompany her safely back to her family. Along the way she experiences the wonders of Skioria and it's neighbors.

What I liked about the story most was Fyrh's story. It had some depth and a good resolution. I also enjoyed some of the lore and tales told by the adults along the journey, but they were still all rather short and simple. I also enjoyed some of the pranks, but they did tend to make the adults seem more childlike than the children at times.

I was a little disappointed by how Tania, despite being the focus of the story, took a back seat to all the antics of her companions. She's basically an observer, and besides a little bit of conflict she perceives on behalf of Fyrh, there isn't much danger or risk for her to overcome.

As for the illustrations, different ones are featured at the start of each chapter, but I couldn't identify them in the context. Captions would have helped. I really wanted to know who belonged to each image.

Overall, it's a pleasant read, but without a lot of meat. I imagine younger middle graders might like it, and I didn't find anything in the story objectionable, but I wouldn't really recommend it to adult readers.

I received the review copy of this book from the author's publicist.

[Irina (Beautiful pages) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this as an ebook for a review from the publishers. It's a nice little story for children. I think many of them will like it. Not so much adults though. There is a lack of the plot and events, the story feels dragged and not much happens. It is more focused on family than adventures or anything like that, which is absolutely fine, but I expected it to be more magical and adventurous than it was. I also felt like there weren't enough descriptions if places or of the creatures who lived in Skioria, it was difficult to imagine things sometimes , so it was rather plain. The Skiorian "people" seem to be interesting though, they live outside of civilization, which is an interesting concept and so much more could have been done with it. This is a slow paced novel, could be cosy for some people who want to escape to a nice world with nice and kind characters in which everyone supports each other. I liked how kind everyone was to each other, I think it is important in a children's book. Sometimes some things would be unbelievable though, especially the parents thing... Overall, I enjoyed it a lot less than I thought I would, but like I said before, it could be a nice and cosy read for some people.

[Jolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story of friendship and adventure

This was a wonderful story of a group of rather different people coming together and forming a special bond of friendship to help a young girl make her way home. They had to overcome a number of obstacles along the way adding a nice sense of adventure. A very lovely tale for children to enjoy and this adult enjoyed it too.

[Today We Did · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today We Did
After Tania is washed overboard, she awakes far from home in a world unknown to her. There she meets and befriends Trilicius and Holly, part of a group of tree-dwelling people. In order to help Tania find her way home again, they join forces with some other peoples from the nearby lands. Together they make the long journey over the mountains, along the coast, rivers and lakes, and through fields to the lands of the humans.

Journey from Skioria is by the author of the Dragon’s Future series, which was wonderful, so I was pretty excited to read her next adventure. The adventure begins within the first few pages as Tania meets Trilicius and is brought back to Skioria, where, though she is only a child, she stands as tall as the adults she meets.

While this is a fast read, it is well written, with appropriately levelled language and clear imagery. The world of Skioria is carefully crafted, immersing the reader in the forest, its people and their lifestyle. The three groups of peoples, Skiorians, Terrans and Avarians, are also well described and developed. The pace was steady, with some bursts of action. I expected more action than there was, but the developing friendships between the group members, some family secrets and discoveries still made this an exciting read.

All of the characters were interesting. Trilicius and Fil made me laugh; such a pair of jokers! It also amused me when all of Trilicius’ hair kept getting caught in the bushes as they traveled. I liked Fyrh best; he was also the one that grew the most as a character through the story. His backstory and family history, and what he learnt on the journey was a high point of the book.

I am still wondering a few things, such as how Tania ended up so far away after falling into the ocean. Also, Tania was gone for such a long time, were her parents searching for her? Did they fear the worst? Their reactions weren’t quite what I expected. Having said that, I am no longer a child myself, and probably wouldn’t have thought that way when I was!

Journey from Skioria is a heart-warming adventure suitable for middle and upper primary school students. It is also a good book to share aloud with children.

*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.

[USOM · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is certainly a good feeling middle grade novel, I found it difficult to connect with Tania (in fact my favorite character may have been her friend). But in general it was a challenge to really feel what the characters were going through. There's also a little bit of suspension of disbelief, which is important not only in fantasy, but also it seems in this middle grade novel about certain elements. All in all, it's a quick read that leaves you with a satisfying ending no doubt!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...