“Topaz and The Green Fairies” by Pat Frayne

TOPAZ AND THE GREEN FAIRIES

Pat Frayne
CreateSpace (2015)
ISBN 9781518621154
Reviewed by Faryal Jabbar (age 15) for Reader Views (2/17)

“Topaz and The Green Fairies” by Pat Frayne takes place in a magical world of green fairies, lovable animals, and a strong King Conjure Cat ruling over the desired land Knownotten. Bozel, a young green fairy must save his entire species from a treacherous storm that is threatening to destroy their island and its inhabitants. He embarks on a rocky journey, braving the desolate Barren Island, home to the black fisher bats. He makes friends and finds new species on his journey to find a new home for his people. Will King Topaz, Bozel, and the rest of the gang be able to rescue the green fairies before the island is swallowed by the great Slewnecky River?

While reading this novel I had the recurring feeling of warmth and intrigue, a perfect combination for a bedtime story. The book reminded of me of a big book of classic children stories I used to have and the magical animals that lived in those pages. Though I thought that the story was stretched to a slower pace in some chapters, this book would be excellent for fantasy loving children around the ages of seven to twelve. Bozel is easy to relate to and I think anyone could see a part of themselves in at least one of the diverse characters. The written thoughts of the characters helped me empathize with the characters, as I believe many children will. I would advise readers to go in without any presumptions–I went into the book with the image of talking animals who acted like people. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author added realistic animal behaviors to the characters making them feel more real.

Mrs. Frayne effortlessly switched through different points of views, each character nicely developed, however I was left wondering about the mysterious spirit on Barren Island and King Topaz. I especially loved the beautiful imagery and the map included in the book. The morals I found in the book included friendship, family, and above all–not to judge a book by its cover. For those looking for an exciting story for their children, or frankly anyone who loves a fresh classical adventure, I recommend “Topaz and The Green Fairies” by Pat Frayne.