MMGM: Gabriel Stone and the Divinity of Valta by Shannon Duffy

Date Published: January 1, 2013

ISBN: 0985029471
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Themes: Good and evil, magic, friends

About The Book: Gabriel Stone is a twelve-year-old boy still reeling from the unsolved disappearance of his mother. With a dad who’s hard to relate to, and mounting pressures at school, Gabriel lets off steam by hiking in the place where his mother was last seen. There, Gabe and friends find a crystal that proves not only beautiful, but magical beyond their wildest dreams. Only, magic and beauty come with a price: in order to return home, they must save the dying world of Valta. —Goodreads

First Line: Gabriel stopped midstep near the water's edge, captivated by the sparkling colors glowing beneath the frigid river.

What Others Are Saying: “The non-stop action and twists kept me guessing, while the heart-melting romance took my breath away. With its enchanting storyline and endearing characters, Spectral is captivating.” —YA Bound

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Rose Garcia

Moosubi Reviews

What I Thought: Shannon Duffy has created a great adventure for boys and girls alike. These twelve-year-olds manage to save a dying world, learn to depend on each other and even get to work a little magic. While I didn't find the plot intensely original there is tension almost every page and the world Duffy creates is unique. It took a while for me to see the characters, they are pretty generic. That said, eight to thirteen year old Tweens will surely enjoy the ride. Reminded me of Brandon Mull's Beyonders in it's non-stop adventure. 

About The Author: Shannon Duffy

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Who: "I write Middle Grade and Young Adult. I grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada and now live in Ontario, Canada. I'm the mom of one sweet boy. I love writing, reading, working out, shopping, traveling, and my guilty pleasure is reality TV. My YA Paranormal Romance, SPECTRAL, and the first in my MG Fantasy series, GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is out now. Look for the Gabriel Stone sequel, GABRIEL STONE AND THE WRATH OF THE SOLARIANS, Feb/14. I also have a new YA Cyberpunk series coming out. The first novel in the series is titled, AWAKENING." —Goodreads

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Whew!  This has been a whirlwind couple of weeks. Needless to say, I'm a bit behind in my reading. I can't complain. I'm on a writing retreat in San Francisco writing my brains out, sight-seeing and enjoying sunshine! (Like, everyday...#amazing) So next week I won't be doing MMGM, but never fear, I'll be back on April 1st. This is not an April Fools!!  "I'll be back," in my best Arnold impersonation. 

A total feast of the senses...

Thank you San Francisco!!

Upcoming MMGM Schedule

April 1st: Blud and Magik by Preston Norton

April 8th: No Ordinary Excuse by Michelle Adams

April 15th: Mirage by Jenn Reese [Book 2 of the Above World Series.] You can see my review of her spectacular first book here.

April 22nd: Calvert The Raven and the Battle of Baltimore by J.S. Fuqua