A land of myth and legends. . .
A world out of balance. . .
And a last hope to heal an ancient pain.
Cleona Willow is more than ready for college. Though it means leaving her best friend Brian behind, studying in Ireland is her dream. She longs to explore the land her grandmother knew so well, but leaving Brian is harder than she would like to admit.
Two worlds collide when a necklace left to Cleona by her grandmother magically pulls her and Brian to Terratalam, a world apart from their own—and a world out of balance. It rains nearly every day, the crops barely produce, and kingdoms wage war. The Great Tree, Terratalam’s fabled life force, was destroyed so long ago that only stories and legends remain.
Navigating the secrets of the past and their growing feelings for each other, Cleona and Brian must unite the mythical Foll Stones and heal the land. If they fail, what will become of Terratalam—and what will become of them?
The Foll Stones is a fantasy romance, a very different genre from what I’ve written previously. In truth, however, this was one of the first stories I ever completed. I’ve been thinking about these characters and their journey since at least 2009! The root of this story comes from my love of the natural world, and my relationship with my grandmother. In The Foll Stones, The Great Tree is the most important magical element. I’ve always felt a connection with nature, and I wanted to share that passion in a story with dynamic characters in a classic quest to save the world.
The world of Terratalam is a creation of my mind, but it is heavily influenced by my love of Ireland and the British Isles. My maternal grandmother lived with us when I was growing up. She was from Northern Ireland, and being Irish was part of our shared identity. She was a great storyteller, and I remember listening to her tales of life in Ireland when she was young. This story was inspired by her, and her unfailing faith that I would “turn out well.”
https://merytonpress.com/our-authors/brigid-huey/
My Thoughts
Cleona Willow recently graduated high school in Vermont and will be headed to Ireland to study at Trinity College, she is excited but sad at the same time as her best friend Brian will be staying behind. Unfortunately, Briqn will not be joining her at college. So they are determined to do as much as they can during their summer break.
Cleona's Grandmother recently passed leaving Cleona, Grandmother has the same name and left a necklace to Cleona. Upon inspection, they are both sucked in and she and Brian to are transported to Terratalam. They find that this other world is a gloomy place, the sun doesn't shine, always rainy, and crops don't grow very well. and two nations are at war.
They find that there is a legend that will restore a tree that was destroyed a long time ago. In order to fix this tree, they will need three more stones, one of which Cleona already has from the necklace. They meet Wren and Aine who live in this mystical, magical place that they have landed in.
They find that they will need to go elsewhere to find the stones that they are looking for. They enter the forest that is fraught with danger. In order to enter Terratalam they will need to disguise themselves or be in danger from the Queen. The problem with all of this is that there are a lot of myths and legends, what to believe? Or will they ever get to go home? Are they stuck in this other world?
I don't usually read fantasy, but this one of course caught my attention. While reading this book you will find yourself transported back in time to a totally magical world, lots of danger from the Queen. Immerse yourself in this novel for awhile, lots of Celtic legends to be had.
I liked the story, I give it 5 stars.
Thank you, Kathleen, for the fantastic review. I enjoyed reading your thoughts on Brigid Huey's The Foll Stones. Her story grabbed my attention from the beginning, and I loved it!
ReplyDeleteThank you Janet!
DeleteThank you, Kathleen! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story!
ReplyDelete