Disclaimer: I received this e-book from the author. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Crystal Shadows, Gripping New Blood

Author: R.J. Parker

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: mg readers, fantasy lovers

Publication Date: May 28, 2020

Genre: MG Fantasy

Recommended Age: can’t recommend, dnf-ed

Publisher: Olympia Publisher

Pages: 155

Synopsis: Sarah Field lives alone with her dad, a teacher at her school. The two of them share a close bond and, unusually, both have the same birthday, which they also share with Sarah's grandfather, who died when Sarah was small. Sarah knows very little about her grandfather, and her dad insists on keeping it that way.

However, one night, Sarah finds her dad acting in a mysterious way and also hears strange noises after her dad has gone out. Sarah's friends come to the rescue to help her investigate, and they make a shocking discovery. Someone is living in the attic! And that someone is none other than Sarah's grandfather! But, this is no ordinary grandfather...

With the discovery of her grandfather comes the question as to whether Sarah has the power to give life to the amulet - the Telum Deos - that will help to fight the forces of darkness.

Review: I had to DNF this read. The book was written a bit weird and I had to re-read several passages to understand what was going on. The book has promise and looks like it would be fun for middle grade readers, but it needs some more revision.

Verdict: It’s good, just needs work.