Assessment:
Plot: The plot is paced well and never slows down. There are a lot of engaging and well developed scenes here, though the protagonists face little real difficulty in their various tasks, which blunts the impact of their victories.
Prose/Style: This novel is engagingly well-written, with appropriate language for the target audience. The prose is easy to follow and great fun to read.
Originality: Despite the inventive premise and gratifying story arc, many aspects of this novel align with genre conventions. Nevertheless, this sequel broadens the narrative premise established in the first book; those familiar with the previous work will be particularly eager to see where the fantasy adventure takes them next.
Character Development: The characters have distinct personalities and abilities. They are well defined, though they come across as somewhat older than they are in terms of tone and language usage, an incongruity that can impact the work's authenticity.
Date Submitted: August 27, 2019
The Lost Princess and the Jewel of Periluna is a work in the tradition of C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles and the Curdie books of George MacDonald. Robert Sloan has produced a riveting fantasy that grabs you in the first chapter and won't let go until the last -- and leaves you eager to read the next Hamelin Stoop volume. The book imaginatively uses mythopoeic distinctives of a morally charged subcreation, but perhaps its greatest strength is that it tells an exciting story that will fully hold the attention of older children and adults.
Hamelin really wants to find his parents but his guides on his quest tell him he has other things he has to do that take more priority than that. He listens and follows their guidance. He meets a young man looking for a jewel, a princess that is looking for her sister, and he gets a pair of gloves that give him strength and more. Off they go...
12 Gates Publishing sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you). It has been published so you can buy a copy now.
This is a middle grade adventure that contains bits of magic and interesting beasts and plenty of danger. This is the second book in the series and the pace picks up here.
Hamelin needs his eagle friend to get where he needs to go and to give him hints on how to handle the next crisis. Sometimes he's there and sometimes he's not. Hamelin has his gloves, his male friend has shoes that help him walk faster and hold him secure on the ground, and the princess has a scarf that lets her see far away. With those tools, they have a chance of saving the princess and the jewel. The man who has her isn't willing to give her up, though.
There are clashes, attempts at murder and more but they persist and are rewarded. The next story will probably cover the attempt for Hamelin to be rejoined with his parents. However, the captor has learned he's alive and he has other plans for him...
Hamelin Stoop: The Lost Princess and the Jewel of Periluna now has a 30-second book trailer! Watch the trailer on Youtube on HamelinStoop.com.
