The story begins with the trio facing an urgent threat: Professor Penn is raising an army of beasts, and the island’s natural balance is crumbling. Plants and animals are dying, volcanoes are erupting, and waterways are drying up. Convinced that these disasters are linked to Penn’s schemes, Alethea, Kayla, and Rustus split up to tackle the crisis from different angles. Kayla ventures into the ruthless Southlands to uncover Penn’s plans, Rustus seeks ancient prophecies in the hidden Crystal Caves, and Alethea journeys to a new realm to rally allies against the looming danger.

Jess French, a veterinarian and conservationist, infuses the story with her deep love for animals and the natural world, creating a richly detailed setting where humans and beasts coexist in a delicate balance. The island’s ecological collapse serves as a poignant backdrop, adding urgency and depth to the characters’ mission. The novel also weaves in themes of trust, unity, and the importance of listening to both people and nature, making it not only an exciting adventure but also a thought-provoking tale.

The three protagonists are well-drawn and relatable, each bringing unique strengths and perspectives to their quests. Alethea’s leadership, Kayla’s resourcefulness, and Rustus’s determination make them a compelling team, even when they’re apart. Their individual journeys are filled with danger, discovery, and moments of growth, as they learn to trust others—both human and beast—and heed the whispers of ancient legends.

The world-building is a standout feature of the book, with vivid descriptions of the Southlands, the mystical Crystal Caves, and the new realm Alethea explores. The inclusion of mythical creatures and magical elements adds a sense of wonder, while the environmental themes resonate with contemporary concerns about conservation and sustainability.

"Beastlands: Legend of the Crystal Caves" is a thrilling and heartfelt adventure that will captivate young readers and animal lovers alike. Jess French’s storytelling is both engaging and meaningful, offering a perfect blend of action, mystery, and environmental awareness.

After reading the first book in the Beastlands trilogy last year, I have been waiting (im)patiently for Legend of the Crystal Caves to be published and have been fortunate enough to receive an early copy. I will try to keep this as spoiler-free as possible for those of you who have yet to read Beastlands: Race to Frostfall Mountain but seriously, if you haven't then you must.

We are returned to Ramoa where three friends were separating to follow their own expeditions and attempt to accomplish individual quests in different realms for the common good. Alethea needs to unite people using the cure for a deadly disease as leverage to convince the people of Ataria to leave before the devastating eruption of the volcano destroys the city. In order to do this, she must overcome their prejudices formed by misinformation. Rustus must attempt to locate the secret underground city that has been home to the Lia'Oua since they were driven from the land by colonisers. If he and the Marquis can find the magnificent and mysterious Crystal Caves, they must gain the trust of the Indigenous people forced into hiding. Kayla's mission is possibly the most treacherous of all. She must work to stop the Professor and prevent the release of a dangerous, genetically modified hybrid whilst confronting her past and learning secrets which could clear her name. If only there wasn't a dark and manipulative force at work within the palace walls preventing truths from being told.

Jess French knows animals. She knows bugs and all creatures great and small, this much is clear from the plethora of excellent non-fiction books which she has written. The crossover from non-fiction to fiction writing (and vice versa) isn't always successful for authors yet Jess has taken aim at the middle grade fiction genre, fired and hit the bullseye from a distance whilst flying on a pangron! IYKYK!!!

I read this in a single sitting and immediately pulled out our well-thumbed copy of book 1 to reread with the children before taking them on this second, epic adventure. There are themes of conservation, the damage of careless colonisation to both people, land and Indigenous species and some of the most fantastic opportunities for imagining this breathtaking world that any reader age 8+ could wish for. A big, fat, crystal embossed 5 stars from me.

The evil Professor Penn is still at large and Althea, Kayla and Rustus are the only ones who can stop her. At first, they spilt up to find a way to defend their homes but the island is changing and danger is closing in. Can the three friends stop Penn and how will the Legend of the Crystal Caves help them?

Jess French has once again combined her passion and knowledge of animals and plants to create stunning, believable settings for this second book in her Beastlands Series. I raced through Legend of the Crystal Caves barely breathing and groaning at chapter ends. This is a bold and wildly imaginative sequel with the best characters pitched against almost impossible challenges.

I absolutely LOVED it and can highly recommend Beastlands: The Legend of the Crystal Caves. I simply can’t wait for book 3!

Last time round (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6293925144) we had three young characters go off into the wilderness and try to save their worlds. Alethea did make huge inroads to that end – she found a cure for the Coronasniffles – sorry, the Scourge – and brought it back. The city is clear of the disease now, but not all the threat, for the three know of a Big Bad Professor who wants as much power as she can get, and is creating demonic beasties to that end. Alethea's problem now is that the Cardinal is ignoring her demand that he listen to her talk about that threat. Kayla is trying to get the Baddie's back-story, which could be awkward due to spies in the royal house, and Rustus? Well, he's boringly meeting some new people and encountering earthquakes, in a quite surprisingly dull recap chapter.

The issue here is that that surprise disappears. Or surprises, for I was delighted how involved the list of plant and animal species was last time and how well it didn't sound like random, wacky fantasy world building. That surprise is lost here, for it does sound just as I always feared. The surprise of the three kids working so well together – in a typical "youths find their hidden destiny" quest book – is also not a surprise here, as they're not together. Instead the plot is a way for the trio to each get into pickle after dilemma after problem, and while the issues they all face are fine and dandy you can't half see all the characters being moved around this chessboard to get to where they need to be.

There's also no surprise when this character turns out to be a family member, that character turns out to be a family member, and so on and so forth. I mean, it was a surprise the first time you realised that could be the case, but not when it kept happening.

All told this was quite a shocking disappointment – especially in the light of being a companion to the excellence of before. Previously we'd had the old and new both done well and in fine balance; here we get too much that is mediocre, and of minor concern to the grand scheme of things – unless Book Three, due 2026, is really going to pull the rug from under our eyes. This isn't nearly bad enough to ruin the memory of the first book, and it doesn't seem to spoil the end of the trilogy, but I've yet to see more of an obvious trudge of a middle book. Don't read this if you've not enjoyed the delights of what came before – and you might join me in finding this comparatively disposable when up against what is either side.

A fantastic continuation to the original story, as the three heroes continue their search to save their world. It is full of amazing creatures and people who have always feared each other, but who need to learn to trust them. The story takes us on a helter skelter ride, where there is hardly time to draw breath. I can't wait for the next in the series.