Queens of Aventurine

by Jan Bozarth, Analeia Bella Madden (Illustrator)

Overview

Teen sisters Annabel and Maureen Brighton, receive a mysterious shoebox containing their inheritance from their mother. It contains a letter, a tapestry, and a family artifact. The artifact is a magical device that transports the sisters to the world of Aventurine where they discover their family legacy, their powers and the hundred year prophecy affecting Aventurine and the human world. The sisters meet magical creatures, Queen Miley, a Merlin-like guide, their mortal enemies, the Shadowans, and a surprising true love. Annabel and Maureen each find their destinies, in and out of Aventurine. This coming-of-age hero's journey includes saving not one but two worlds while learning how to use their powers for good. 

Queens of Aventurine is the first book in Bozarth's Coded for Greatness series, a YA and Middle Grade fantasy adventure series. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781735749020
Publisher:	Aventurine Dream Publishing
Publication date:	02/29/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	80
File size:	5 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

2024-04-01
In Bozarth’s middle grade/YA series starter, an English teenager in 1960 is swept into another world to find her destiny.

Sixteen-year-old Annabel Brighton and her 13-year-old sister, Maureen, have just suffered a devastating loss: Their parents were killed in a car accident. The two girls inherit a large estate that multiple relatives have their eyes on, and they also receive subtle and powerful gifts, including a destiny tapestry predicting Maureen’s life; a “Story Seed,” which records the family’s story; and a Mermaid Crystal Viewer that transports the siblings to the world of Aventurine, which they had previously only known from their mother’s tales. “Aventurine is ruled by one queen every hundred years,” explains Prince Shallamay, the first person they meet there upon arrival. “She is supposed to be born to this role, or, if all else fails, chosen by all the Queens and other leaders from every land and tribe.” Annabel and Maureen take their new situation mostly in stride, until they must separate so that Annabel can search for her missing destiny tapestry while Maureen returns to Devon. Annabel soon makes an important discovery about her role in the new world, which prompts her to spend years learning new skills so she can defend Aventurine from an evil force known as the Shadowans. This is a text-heavy novel for middle-graders and young teens looking to start a new fantasy series. Readers who love exploring new magical realms will enjoy Bozarth’s deep worldbuilding, which introduces the Faeren tribes, led by women; the Commonan tribes, led by men; and warlike Shadowans. However, this aspect of the novel greatly outweighs its plot, which is oddly paced; it meanders through scenes of botany lessons, for instance, but skips over entire decades of Annabel’s life as a queen, despite seemingly important events. Madden’s occasional grayscale illustrations of animals and characters lend themselves to the vintage but surreal aesthetic of the alternate world.

A well-developed but confusingly paced novel for readers who love fairies and magic.

Kirkus Reviews