Fast-paced magical tale for readers young and old

Author Valinoria Troy delivers an enthralling middle-grade fantasy adventure full of bravery, love, and magical creatures in book 3 of the Lucky Diamond Trilogy. The Great Forest continues the adventures of the twins Cathy and Alan and their siblings with the help of the magical gifts left to them by their parents. 

About the book: The Great Forest

This book opens with the children living in the castle. The king of the diamonds has asked the twins to enter the Great Forest on their eleventh birthday to finish the cleansing of the land following Queen Rose’s demise. But before they even have their birthday party, the castle is attacked by boars, and the twins are kidnapped and carried into the hostile Great Forest surrounded by deadly plants.

While all this is going on, Susan and Vicky accompany King Paul (to town) and find themselves fighting a deadly black fog that eats people and Yvonne finds a counterfeit note from the twins and doesn't know they've been kidnapped!

Book review: The Great Forest by Valinoria Troy

While The Great Forest’s targeted audience is 8–12-year-olds, I'd say this book is for anyone who is never too old for magical fantasy, fighting monsters, and a whole host of magical beasts, including the cursed trees of the Great Forest and a black fog ready to devour every living thing in its wake.

If you’ve read the first two books in this trilogy, I can tell you that this one is faster paced from the get-go with adventure at every turn. When the story does slow down, it is typically for something that tugs at the heartstrings. I love the characters. Troy did an incredible job developing her characters. Throughout the series, they continue to grow in depth as they work through the barrage of challenges thrown at them.

While this book is written for middle schoolers I recommend it to all ages, especially those who enjoyed the action of the Pendrangon series or the magic of Narnia. I am happy to give The Great Forest 5 stars and recommend the entire series to the whole family.

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As BookHookup, I am a long-time book reviewer and received a free review copy of this book in collaboration with Blackberry Book Tours. I have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About author Valninoia Troy

Valinora Troy has been writing since she could read, if not earlier. Her first book, started at the age of six, featured a girl finding a magic diamond. It took her all summer to write the first few pages. Since then, she has written many stories, both short and full length novels. THE LUCKY DIAMOND, her first full length middle grade children's fantasy, was published November 2021. Its sequel REVENGE OF QUEEN ROSE followed in June 2022.