Magic Keepers: Crystal Chaos

Lively series opener, as a girl kind of inherits a hoard of ancient artefacts – and some magical crystals. Here in this launch book we see what happens when a slice of ancient Egyptian life comes back to, well, life. The fact the book has to convey that drama as well as all the scene-setting, of establishing the crystal magic and the friendships playing out across all the future books, means this feels a slender action piece, but we're still not really short-changed. A welcome start to a friendly bit of fantasy – and this author certainly knows how to string franchises along, meaning this looks full of promise. Four stars plus.

When Ava moves into her great aunt Edith's house, she inherits her aunts 'curios.'
Ava's archaeologist aunt has collected the curios during her life and although they aren't particularly valuable, Aunt Edith hopes that someone may find them special.
This 'someone' is Ava. Along with her dog Pepper, Ava soon begins to realise just what 'special' means - the curios are magic! Ava is fascinated with a box of crystals; each one has a power which is connected to the earth and each one helps Ava with the exception of the resurrection crystal which resurrects an ancient mummified crocodile that begins to terrorise Ava's new town.

Armed with a new two new friends - Lily and Sarah they set out to capture the crocodile - but this is only the start of their adventures. What powers do the other curios have?
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book!)

I chose this book because it looked like a lot of fun, and it was.

The story follows Ava, when she and her mum move to a new town, because they’ve inherited a house there. The house is full of mysterious old artefacts, and magical fun ensues.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It only took me about an hour, but it was a lot of fun. There was magic, and humour too. I really liked Ava, and Lily. And, of course, Pepper the dog! I loved the way the girls worked together to solve the problem.

I loved the illustrations by Giang, they really bring the story to life. I particularly loved the one when Pepper’s food has been eaten by the mysterious creature!

Overall, this was a fun and quick read, full of magic. I hope there will be more books to enjoy in this series.

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

Magic Keepers: Crystal Chaos is a Charming book full of excitement, adventure and magic!

When 10 year old Ava and her mum move into an old Victorian house after inheriting it from her mother's Great Aunt, Ava is thrilled to discover the house comes with more than just a creaky staircase and dusty curtains! Great Aunt Enid collected strange artefacts over her years: statues, vases, mummified animals .. but what piques Ava's interest most is a box of "magyck crystals." As Ava picks up the crystals and feels a surge of energy, she knows there must be more to these old treasures than meets the eye! She enlists the help of her new friend Lily to find out more about the crystals and their purpose, but when the girls let their excitement get the better of them and ignore warnings not not use the crystals with an unfocused mind... Crystal chaos ensues!

This book is full of personality, Linda Chapman has created adorable, relatable characters bursting with humour and courage. With a compelling narrative voice, Ava is charismatic and shows empathy to those around her – everything you could want in a main character!

Chapman sensitively touches upon problems with literacy (possible dyslexia) and the insecurities that come along with it, in a way that many children can identify with. Featuring characters who support her in this without questioning her abilities makes for a lovely story.

This is a great past paced book with humourous twists, likeable characters, and suspense from the start. Perfect for readers age 8-12, featuring gorgeous illustrations throughout to aid the reading experience done by Hoang Giang.