Review: The Rock of Ivanore by Laurisa White Reyes

I love fantasy books for young readers. They make for such light, easy and entertaining reads. The Rock of Ivanore by author Laurisa White Reyes was no exception.

About the book
The annual Great Quest is about to be announced in Quendel, a task that will determine the future of Marcus and the other boys from the village who are coming of age. The wizard Zyll commands them to find the Rock of Ivanore, but he doesn’t tell them what the Rock is exactly or where it can be found. Marcus must reach deep within himself to develop new powers of magic and find the strength to survive the wild lands and fierce enemies he encounters as he searches for the illusive Rock. If he succeeds, he will live a life of honor; if he fails, he will live a life of menial labor in shame. With more twists and turns than a labyrinth, and a story in which nothing is at it seems, this tale of deception and discovery keeps readers in suspense until the end.

This was a really fun and feel-good book to read. I read it in one night because I just wanted to find out how everything will turn out. The writing is simple and easy to follow. It had adventure and magic. It talked about friendship, love, honor, and loyalty, but it also had some dark moments. There have been reviews that the story, events and situations in the book aren’t something new, and it’s quite true but that didn’t really bother me. It was still exciting and entertaining. This book would be great for young readers before they get on the hard core fantasy stuff. It’s great for adult readers, too, if they just want a relatively quick and fun fantasy experience.

I received a review copy of this book at no cost and with no obligations. All opinions and views expressed here are my own.

About the author

Laurisa White Reyes has been writing since the age of 5 when she wrote her first poem on a scrap of poster board. After earning a degree in English at California State University at Northridge, she spent thirteen years writing for various magazines and newspapers, working as a book editor, and teaching creative writing. She gave up all that six years ago to follow her lifelong dream of writing novels. Her first book, The Rock of Ivanore, will be released in May 2012.Besides writing, Laurisa is also a voracious reader. She also loves musical theater, chocolate, sushi, ancient history, bearded dragons, and rain storms. She lives in Southern California with her husband, 5 children, 4 birds, 2 lizards, 2 turtles, 1 fish, 1 dog, and a partridge in a pear tree.

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