The Crescent Stone by Matt Mikalatos

Back Cover:

A girl with a deadly lung disease . . .
A boy with a tragic past . . .
A land where the sun never sets but darkness still creeps in . . .
A bargain that brings life, but may cost more than anyone can imagine . . .

Madeline Oliver has never wanted for anything, but now she would give anything just to breathe. Jason Wu skates through life on jokes, but when a tragedy leaves him guilt-stricken, he promises to tell only the truth, no matter the price. When a mysterious stranger name Hanali appears to Madeline and offers to heal her in exchange for one year of service to his people, Madeline and Jason are swept into a strange land where they don’t know the rules and where their decisions carry consequences that reach farther than they could ever guess.

Review:  I read the excerpt of this book, and then went half mad waiting for the rest of the book to be sent to me. I devoured this book in a sitting and was left wanting more. In short, I highly recommend "The Crescent Stone" to anyone who enjoys young adult fiction. It is a masterpiece along the lines of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and George Morris' Seven Sleepers Series. 

Despite having finished this book well over a week ago, the story of the Crescent Stone has been reverberating around in my mind ever since and refuses to let me stop thinking about it (surely, a sign of a good book!). In addition to being action packed and highly entertaining, this story had an unusual and thought provoking depth to it. Matt Mikalatos clearly has a passion for social justice, and in a seamless matter he managed to incorporate some rather strong themes of social justice and bring the reader's attention to present day social injustices without interfering with the story at all - in fact, it definitely added to the tale. 

The Crescent Stone takes place in a parallel universe that is linked to Earth - The Sunlit Lands. The world Mikalatos has created is vivid and multi faceted. He has clearly spent a lot of time figuring out the intricacies of his world, and it is a pleasure to read. I felt like I was actually there. The different races of 'people', the different religions, the currencies, the magic.... it was magnificent.  In addition, the characters were a very creative, unique, and delightful assortment of individuals. I sincerely hope there is another installment to this tale.

Thank-you to Tyndale Publishing House for a PDF version of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.