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Bloodstone (The Curse Of Time Book 1) Kindle Edition
Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house.
When an unexpected message arrives inviting her to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden path where she encounters Ryder: a charismatic, perplexing stranger.
With the help of a magical paint set and some crystal wizard stones, can Amelina discover the truth about her family?
A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal.
TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.
INSPIRED BY: The World Famous Corpus Christi Chronophage Clock, created by Dr. John C Taylor, OBE, and artist Anya Gallaccio's Crystal Grotto, in Juniper Artland, Scotland.
'A smartly plotted YA fantasy adventure with a strong cast of characters.
A RED RIBBON
WINNER and highly recommended!' The Wishing Shelf Book Awards.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJune 22, 2021
- Reading age13 - 17 years
- Grade level8 - 12
- File size3527 KB
Editorial Reviews
Review
WINNER and highly recommended!' The Wishing Shelf Book Awards.
A magical invitation, that doesn't tear up, urges Amelina to go to Crystal Cottage to seek out the hidden secrets of her family. Amelina Scott knows her family isn't what you call normal and neither is her house. No one she knows has a girl trapped in the mirrors. When she receives an invitation to visit Crystal Cottage, she doesn't know what to make of it. Is it a prank? Is it a trick? She decides to ignore it and throws it in the trash. Only it doesn't stay in the bin. She tries to cut it up but it doesn't cut. It sings, it dances, it is somehow alive. She finally decides to travel to the Crystal Cottage to see what happens. Along the way, she meets Ryder and discovers magic (both light and dark) is all around. She interacts with magical people, beings, and objects while learning the truth of her family. What happens next will astound you, the reader. Are you ready for an adventure?
Bloodstone is an imaginative fantasy adventure I enjoyed from start to finish. From the first page, I connected with Amelina. She's a delightful heroine. I could relate to her on so many levels. Everything from her curiosity to her reactions to her emotional state rang true. While it's tricky these days to write an original fantasy story, M.J. Mallon wrote one of the most original fantasy books I've read in a long time. Taking bits from fantasy authors of the past, M.J. Mallon adds her own blend of magical realism and emotional coming of age to make Bloodstone a gem. The plot moves at a good pace with each chapter starting with a puzzle. What a creative way to keep the reader invested. The world-building is intricate and riveting. The characters are engaging and easy to connect with. Overall, Bloodstone is a brilliant story and when I finished, I wanted to read it all over again. If you're a fantasy reader, you need to read Bloodstone. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it. My thoughts are all my own.
My Rating:
5+ stars BlueTick Amazon Reviewer N. N. Light
From the Author
About the Author
I'm a member of : The Society of Children's Writers and Book Illustrators
Product details
- ASIN : B097QZBKNY
- Publisher : Next Chapter; 3rd edition (June 22, 2021)
- Publication date : June 22, 2021
- Language : English
- File size : 3527 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 384 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #4,295 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
M J Mallon was born in Lion city, Singapore, a passionate Scorpio with the Chinese Zodiac sign of a lucky rabbit. MJ spent her early childhood in Hong Kong and her teen years in Edinburgh, enthralled by her parents’ stories of living and working overseas. Her experiences sparked her current desire to travel and see the world from her two favourite places, Edinburgh and Portugal. She often returns to her old home in Cambridge, the inspiration for her YA Fantasy series, The Curse of Time.
Standing by the world famous Corpus Christi Clock in Cambridge, watching it in awe, she ponders what might happen next!
MJ loves to write magical stories, sprinkling them with a liberal dollop of extraordinarily imaginative magic!
Next Chapter Publishing YA fantasy series
Bloodstone - The Curse of Time Book 1
And the 2nd in the series
Golden Healer - The Curse of Time Book 2
Her writing credits include paranormal, best-selling horror, supernatural short stories, flash fiction, poetry, pandemic inspired poetry and best-selling anthologies. Poetry/flash collections include Lockdown Innit, Mr. Sagittarius Poetry & Prose, The Hedge Witch And The Musical Poet and Do What You Love!
Her eclectic blog shares her love of reading, reviewing, writing, poetry, photography and travel: https://mjmallon.com/
VISIT MJ's SOCIAL MEDIA SITES:
https://linktr.ee/mjmallonauthor
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Top reviews from the United States
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The pacing of the novel is well-balanced, keeping readers engaged and curious about what will happen next. Mallon expertly weaves multiple plot lines together, creating a sense of anticipation and excitement. The incorporation of poetry and prophecies adds an extra layer of intrigue, making the story even more intriguing and mysterious.
Furthermore, the underlying themes of family, friendship, and self-discovery add depth to the narrative. Amelina's journey is not just about solving a mystery, but also about finding her place in the world and understanding her own identity. The themes are seamlessly woven into the story, giving it a relatable and heartfelt quality.
Though the book ends on a cliffhanger, it serves as a promising introduction to the series. Readers will undoubtedly be eager to continue Amelina's journey in the next book. I absolutely loved Bloodstone The Curse of Time by MJ Mallon. It kept me captivated throughout the whole book. I love a good mystery and the magic of this book. Thankfully, I have the next book Golden Healer.
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2023
The pacing of the novel is well-balanced, keeping readers engaged and curious about what will happen next. Mallon expertly weaves multiple plot lines together, creating a sense of anticipation and excitement. The incorporation of poetry and prophecies adds an extra layer of intrigue, making the story even more intriguing and mysterious.
Furthermore, the underlying themes of family, friendship, and self-discovery add depth to the narrative. Amelina's journey is not just about solving a mystery, but also about finding her place in the world and understanding her own identity. The themes are seamlessly woven into the story, giving it a relatable and heartfelt quality.
Though the book ends on a cliffhanger, it serves as a promising introduction to the series. Readers will undoubtedly be eager to continue Amelina's journey in the next book. I absolutely loved Bloodstone The Curse of Time by MJ Mallon. It kept me captivated throughout the whole book. I love a good mystery and the magic of this book. Thankfully, I have the next book Golden Healer.
The arts feature prominently in this book, including music, painting, and poetry, and they fit well with the descriptive writing style. You flow through the scenes on the vivid words and emotions, bringing to life the characters and their interactions.
I enjoyed the unique take on mysticism brought into the world here. Music, art, and crystals all play a part in the low-key magic of the world, and the story sets up the broader series plot well. The timeline of the early part of the book was somewhat confusing due to some of it being conveyed through character reflection rather than as it took place, which broke me out of the story a bit.
Overall, if you enjoy the arts and descriptive writing, this one is worth a read!
This poetic story features italicized poems and song lyrics throughout the book as direct references to written art, and a plethora of simile and metaphor are found throughout the narrative to expand upon this intent. Written in the first person, the majority of the book features internal reflection and observations, limiting the outward action that takes place. Readers experience British colloquialisms and vernacular when characters do speak to one another, and this adds another layer to the unique style of this story.
Overall, the plot progression is challenging to discern, but the story itself shows promise in the writing style and general concepts. At the beginning of the book, readers are introduced to an unusual object known as a chronophage, which makes an appearance within the story. This initial explanation helps orient readers to this potentially unfamiliar reference upon its inclusion in the narrative. Despite the difficulties in its delivery, this is an intriguing beginning to a young adult series with many interesting components.
I received a copy of this book from BlackBerry Book Tours and I chose to leave this review.
Excellent work! I'm Looking forward to reading more of the series.
Top reviews from other countries
So, we meet Amelina, she’s just your standard teenage girl, I had three daughters; I get the comparison. And she’s a very well written character, as they all are. A little family weirdness, parents who have changed, from her perspective at the start it’s hard to see why. There’s a black cat who appears and a girl trapped in the mirrors in the house. And the obligatory interesting relative.
Then we come to her peers, a wannabe rock band and the strange guy called Ryder, who saves her from a couple of potentially dangerous boys. As the story develops, we see him in different shades, is he a good guy or not?
It turns out that Amelina may have the solution to all the problems that seem to beset her family. It’s all to do with crystals and gaining the knowledge to use them.
The story never falters, set around Cambridge and its landmarks, we follow Amelina’s journey as she seeks to uncover the reason for her father’s disappearance, why is he so different now that he’s back? Surely, this must also hold the key to her mother’s behaviour, explain why she’s so uptight and unwilling to talk about anything.
She must learn to use the power that she discovers she has; while dealing with all the other things that your average teenager has going on. The narrative is well thought out and we can see the development of Amelina as we are pulled by the strength of the writing towards the final pages.
All the characters are all well-drawn and fit together perfectly. The things that Amelina finds and uses, from her paints to her drums are well thought out and well described. There’s a bit of fantasy, as well as some beautifully written dream sequences. The overall world-building creates a wonderful, spiritual atmosphere.
There’s a bit of poetry at the start of every chapter, a nice touch that leads us into the action.
The story bravely tackles issues of mental health and self-harm, but in such a sensitive way that it can only help improve understanding.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, it resonated on so many levels, I understand a sequel is in progress, that will be on my list.
Amelina lives in a melancholy household populated by a prematurely old father, a broken-hearted, frazzled mother, a mysterious cat named Shadow, and a schoolgirl trapped within the household mirrors.
Amelina is desperate to escape the heaviness of the house, and keen to solve the mystery of her father’s curse. This leads her straight into the arms of the irresistible Ryder. But Ryder has secrets of his own, secrets that could jeopardise Amelina’s own latent abilities.
Bloodstone is a book unlike any other I’ve read, replete with such wonders as a magical paint box, powerful crystals, electrifying music, and haunting poetry. Some darker issues such as self-harm are addressed, along with the angst of teen relationships, but these are handled with maturity, and the author provides a list of helpful resources in the end-matter.
There are some intriguing subplots that remain tantalisingly unanswered, which I am sure the author will address in the next instalment.
Overall, Bloodstone is a highly entertaining read, brimming with originality, and perfect for the teen in your household.
Readers will find themselves immersed in an intriguing plot that makes a solid opening for a series as the story progresses. Mallon enhances an already strong concept with vivid descriptions and imagery, which many readers will appreciate. Arthurian legends and numerous magical elements are cleverly woven into a storyline focussing on more typical teen issues, such as friendships and relationships. This all helps to craft a read that will be enjoyable for both lovers of fantasy and classic teen dramas. While, at times, I felt the plot was lagging slightly, the peculiarity of the setting and short chapters (or puzzle pieces as they’re called) kept me reading throughout. Once the pace picked up later on in the story, I really was enticed, and the ending has certainly left me wanting to read the sequel. Highly recommended.
A captivating multi-layered fantasy that, just might not be…
Fantasy novels are not my thing, although I do read them every now and then to test if I have changed. It’s a bit live olives, I don’t like them, but you never know…
So, why did I read this book? The answer is simple, I know the author to be an accomplished poet and, I do so admire how a poet can distil a narrative in a descriptively succinct and engaging way. I was not disappointed and even at the start of every chapter there is a short verse, which I truly loved. I also like books that have a narrative stimulated by an external source and this book is, I understand, inspired by the Corpus Clock in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, sometimes known as the Grasshopper clock – I looked it up and could see and imagine my own stories. (I’ve tried to add a pic).
However, my interpretation of Bloodstone might not be exactly as was intended by Mallon, but, this is how I read and enjoyed the book.
Amelina Scot, a 15 year old lives in a family home with what is described in the blurb as a dysfunctional family and, I can see why this might be seen as the case. In my mind though, I read this as a teenage girl, her body coursing with hormones, self-doubt, too many thoughts, too much angst, not least for her parents. Her father, now a mere shadow of his former self, no interest in anything and frequently on the missing list. And, mother, a worrier, for husband whom she no longer recognises, and a daughter she no longer understands and transposes this into displays of anger.
For me though, I saw this as depression and, a household depressed with no way out. The house is wracked with negative emotion and this is picked up on by Amelina, desperately looking for reasons why. A school friend went missing, where is she? Well, Amelina sees her trapped in the mirrors in the house and she converses with her lost friend. The cat, a muse? Certainly Amelina bestows feline special powers and it is all so real.
So, what is the answer? How can Amelina fix things, even her close friends seem distant as she becomes trapped in her imagination? An aunt gives her crystals and a paint set and, naturally, these offer Amelina a gift; to see as a seer, to paint as a manically possessed artist.
What follows is a wonderfully woven tale of heroes, villains, monsters, even the grasshopper, as time plays games with Amelina. So, regardless of how you understand the narrative, and no more plot spoilers, but I defy you not to become a tortured soul yourself; so read it. I am a slow reader, but it means I absorb so much and, maybe, I misinterpret, but Bloodstone is a novel that transports in mind, soul and spirit – 5 stars.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bloodstone-Curse-Time-Book-1-ebook/dp/B097QZBKNY/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=Bloodstone&qid=1629530444&s=books&sr=1-8
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2021
A captivating multi-layered fantasy that, just might not be…
Fantasy novels are not my thing, although I do read them every now and then to test if I have changed. It’s a bit live olives, I don’t like them, but you never know…
So, why did I read this book? The answer is simple, I know the author to be an accomplished poet and, I do so admire how a poet can distil a narrative in a descriptively succinct and engaging way. I was not disappointed and even at the start of every chapter there is a short verse, which I truly loved. I also like books that have a narrative stimulated by an external source and this book is, I understand, inspired by the Corpus Clock in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, sometimes known as the Grasshopper clock – I looked it up and could see and imagine my own stories. (I’ve tried to add a pic).
However, my interpretation of Bloodstone might not be exactly as was intended by Mallon, but, this is how I read and enjoyed the book.
Amelina Scot, a 15 year old lives in a family home with what is described in the blurb as a dysfunctional family and, I can see why this might be seen as the case. In my mind though, I read this as a teenage girl, her body coursing with hormones, self-doubt, too many thoughts, too much angst, not least for her parents. Her father, now a mere shadow of his former self, no interest in anything and frequently on the missing list. And, mother, a worrier, for husband whom she no longer recognises, and a daughter she no longer understands and transposes this into displays of anger.
For me though, I saw this as depression and, a household depressed with no way out. The house is wracked with negative emotion and this is picked up on by Amelina, desperately looking for reasons why. A school friend went missing, where is she? Well, Amelina sees her trapped in the mirrors in the house and she converses with her lost friend. The cat, a muse? Certainly Amelina bestows feline special powers and it is all so real.
So, what is the answer? How can Amelina fix things, even her close friends seem distant as she becomes trapped in her imagination? An aunt gives her crystals and a paint set and, naturally, these offer Amelina a gift; to see as a seer, to paint as a manically possessed artist.
What follows is a wonderfully woven tale of heroes, villains, monsters, even the grasshopper, as time plays games with Amelina. So, regardless of how you understand the narrative, and no more plot spoilers, but I defy you not to become a tortured soul yourself; so read it. I am a slow reader, but it means I absorb so much and, maybe, I misinterpret, but Bloodstone is a novel that transports in mind, soul and spirit – 5 stars.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bloodstone-Curse-Time-Book-1-ebook/dp/B097QZBKNY/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=Bloodstone&qid=1629530444&s=books&sr=1-8