LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
May 2017 Debut of the Month | High-octane, high-stakes fantasy quest in which a teenage boy finds himself embroiled a world of warring lands and self-sacrificing teenagers.
At first, “gangly” Joe might seem an unlikely hero. The gripping opening scene sees him bullied by a pair of boys who steal his headphones. Then, when he flees to safety, Joe falls and finds himself in unfamiliar surroundings. Disoriented, he meets and helps a girl called Kaia who says she's a Carcassian Runner, in training for something called the Crystal Run. While Joe insists he has no idea as to how he ended up here, Kaia’s people suspect him of being an enemy, or in possession of special powers - what else could explain him having passed through the protective Shield that surrounds their territory? But Kaia senses that Joe isn’t a threat and so reveals that the peaceful, weaponless Carcassia is at war with the Kanabians, and their only means of defence is the Shield. In order to uphold its power, three Runners are chosen to pass through the Shield at the turn of each cycle. Kaia has been chosen, and now Joe is to accompany her, and everyone knows that Runners can’t return…
This atmospheric YA debut from a bestselling novelist brims with all the hallmarks of a classic fantasy quest - a vividly evoked world, heart-rending conflict, compelling action - and the friendship that blossoms between Kaia and Joe makes their mission all the more powerful. ~ Joanne Owen
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About
The Crystal Run Synopsis
The gripping children's debut from the Sunday Times and Irish Times No. 1 bestselling author is a page-turning fantasy quest novel.
On a typical afternoon, teenage Joe is being chased by bullies from school when he accidentally runs through a portal to another world. He finds himself in a training camp for a group of teenage boys and girls who will become Runners. Each cycle, three Runners are sent to place the power sources that will secure the shield that protects their land, Carcassia, and keeps the enemy Kabanians at bay.
Once they've achieved their objective, a toxin is released into their bodies and they die. No one is permitted to return through the shield. And nobody can remain in the enemy territory. Joe is sent on the next Run, accompanying the Runner, Kaia. He is hoping that he will find a way back to Earth - much to Kaia's annoyance, as she is focused only on her goal. Gradually, a delicate friendship develops between the two, and Joe wonders if he can save Kaia as well as himself. But as they pursue their Run, Kaia and Joe come to question the histories they've been given, and the ambition of their enemy. The Run suddenly becomes more dangerous than anyone could have envisaged.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781444927085 |
| Publication date: |
4th May 2017 |
| Author: |
Sheila O'Flanagan |
| Publisher: |
Hodder Children's Books an imprint of Hachette Children's Group |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
316 pages |
| Series: |
Crystal Run |
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Press Reviews
Sheila O'Flanagan Press Reviews
This atmospheric YA debut from a bestselling novelist brims with all the hallmarks of a classic fantasy quest - a vividly evoked world, heart-rending conflict, compelling action - and the friendship that blossoms between Kaia and Joe makes their mission all the more powerful. -- Joanne Owen Love Reading 4 Kids
Will appeal to youngsters who enjoy reading about dangerous quests Sunday Independent
O'Flanagan's writing is crisp and concise and her plotting deft Belfast Telegraph
Intriguing hints that all it not what it seems within Kanabia SFX Magazine
Well-written, with a strong plot and excellent characters, this book gives us an exciting, classic-style fantasy filled with intrigue Inis
Author
About Sheila O'Flanagan
Sheila is an ex-bond dealer and financial journalist whose novels have all been immediate No 1 Irish bestsellers and Sheila also writes a weekly column for the Irish Times. Her books have been described 'as necessary to women as chocolate, and just as addictive!' Her last three novels have sold in excess of 1,000,000 copies in their British editions. With each publication she breaks her record of weeks at No 1. She was the recipient of the prestigious Irish Tatler Literary Woman of the Year award in 2003.
More About Sheila O'Flanagan
