Penny Preston and the Raven’s Talisman (Misaligned Book 1)

Raven's TalismanOverview for Penny Preston and the Raven’s Talisman – When the Shadows from her nightmare attack her in the cafeteria, eighth grader Penny Preston panics and unknowingly creates a trans-dimensional rift.  The rift banishes the Shadows, but instigates a food fight ending with the principal dripping tapioca.  Summoned to the counselor’s office, she fears suspension, but instead discovers that she is misaligned. She exists in more than three dimensions.  Misalignment gives her special abilities, but unless she immediately begins training she risks losing her sanity.  She agrees to secretly train with her counselor and his friend Master Poe, an exile from the seventh dimension trapped in a raven’s body.  In training, she learns that she is the key to preventing higher-dimensional beings from entering our universe. If she fails, they will gain god-like powers in our dimension, treating us like cartoon characters existing solely for their entertainment.  Together with Simon, her multi-dimensional cat, Penny struggles to save her relationship with her best friend, protect her universe, and uncover her connection to Celtic myth.

Reader Reviews of Penny Preston and the Raven’s Talisman: 

Review by Diana in SC from Goodreads:  The next big kids’ fantasy adventure!

This YA fantasy wowed me with an imaginative story, well-developed characters, a magic system that makes sense, and a lot of fun! I love that the lead character is a smart, likable, eighth grade girl. Penny and her best friend Duncan are nice, good, compassionate young people. Penny’s two magical mentors are quite interesting and likable as well. The friendship between Penny and Duncan is sweet and cozy. Also, Simon the special cat is a great addition to the cast. The magic system based on inter-dimensional energy and Welsh druidry really made sense. The writing is top-notch! I am so impressed with this audiobook that it is my all-time favorite YA fantasy, placing it above “The Hobbit”, “Harry Potter”, and “The Chronicles of Narnia”. There is very little violence and no objectionable material. Parts of the story might be too complicated for kids younger than 12 or 13. This book deserves to be famous, and I highly recommend it to everyone 12 and up.

Review by Paris Kat from Amazon
…I’m an adult who mostly reads historical fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is well-plotted, well-paced, and Penny and Duncan are a very appealing early-teenage couple who obviously want to be more than friends but are too young and awkward to make it happen. Their normal lives as teenagers (swim team, school projects, family life) ground the story and are adeptly interwoven with the main plot of the inter-dimensional war.
 
I loved how Penny was the protagonist, rather than in the sidekick role that girls in this genre are usually consigned to. I also liked that the adults in this story are mostly nurturing and even kind of interesting.
 
Highly recommended for middle-school-age readers who enjoy this genre.
 
 
Review by Journeyofangie from Goodreads
…I thought it would be a miss for me. But fortunately, the story and the characters were able to capture my interest and made me unable to put down the book. It was quite a ride…
 
This book has a very atmospheric tone to it…It has bits of mythology, archeology and crime solving on it but it did not overwhelm the main plot. The writing is easy to get into.

Recommended for fans of middle grade fantasy.❤👍

P.S. There’s a cute and loyal cat named Simon.🐱

 
Review from a NetGalley Reviewer
…My favorite part of the book is from the half to the end of the book because I think it was fascinating. I couldn’t even stop reading at that point. And I really loved the characters and their relationships…

In conclusion, if you’re a huge fan of fantasy and sci-fi and love creepy vibes or dark academy vibes or just want to read something with reading, you should definitely read (Penny Preston and the Raven’s Talisman).

 

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