The Moon Coin
By: Richard Due
ISBN: 9780983886723
Published August 25, 2011 by Gibbering Gnome Press, A Division of Ingenious Inventions Run Amok, Ink
Available Format: ebook
My Rating: ★★★★★
Lily and Jasper’s Uncle Ebb is full of mystery and fabulously imaginative tales—uh, stories packed with dragons, merfolk, giants, and faeries. But, it is all just fun and bedtime stories or so they believe. When Uncle Ebb vanishes, Lily and Jasper stumble upon something much more powerful than they could have imagined. Lily is swept into a world she knows so very well but could not have believed truly existed. There’s no denying it now. Not only do she and her brother have to find their uncle, they must also help unite the moons of the Realm and bring prosperity and peace once again.
This book is one of the reasons why I absolutely love my “job”; I get to read these incredible (all too often undiscovered) gems and share them with all my friends and family! I never turn down a good children’s/YA book, so I immediately told Richard I would certainly love to read and review his book. I cannot express to you how impressed I have been!
If I had to compare The Moon Coin to any other work, I’d say it is a cross between Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings. It reads very well for middle grade and younger YA, like Narnia, with the immense fantasy of LOTR. The imagery is so captivating, Lily is so mature, and the reader is swept along her adventure as if we are riding the Rinn or facing the dragon ourselves. It is everything you want a great fantasy to be and then some.
I shared this book with my six-year-old as our bedtime story this week. I would read to him until he went to sleep, then continue reading ahead. The next evening, I would condense the parts I had read and then continue on with the next chapters. He was always full of fantastic questions about the story and the characters involved. He loved the illustrations and, of course, wished there were more. I actually do too, but everything is told so well, I had no trouble whatsoever imagining the story for myself.
The Moon Coin most certainly rates up there with my absolute favorite books and is in the top three of my favorite children’s books. I hope Richard will publish a print version! Everyone must give this one a try; you won’t be disappointed. Mr. Due, PLEASE don’t take long getting the next in the series ready for us J... There are so many mysteries to be solved, I may simply burst with anticipation!
In case you missed it yesterday, Richard provided us with a lovely guest post/interview with his amazing illustrator. Go HERE to have a look at all the goodies including the incredible book trailer his twelve-year-old daughter created for him!!
