Bloodstone Reviews, The I-Ching and Clocks!

The variety of responses to Bloodstone have been varied, and thoughtful.. No two people will read a book and have the same opinion. That is the beauty of writing, reading and reviewing.

Books are extraordinary and reviewers are amazing!

I was so touched by this recent review which begins with a short poem written by the reviewer. What a lovely way to express your thoughts on a book.

“A coming-of-age adventure The girl in the mirror holds a key In a hologram, every piece is part of the whole But each way I turn The mystery deepens Poetry and teens are not subjects which I normally consider go together. Wrong! I loved the light and creative structure of this book with its Puzzle Pieces and poetry at the beginning of each chapter, like a reading from the I-Ching. Protagonist Amelina is delightfully thoughtful and the author has

created a great little voice to carry the story. Cats, crystals, invitations that talk to you, girls who live in mirrors – the full paranormal range and more is here and in this multi-faceted, dysfunctional family and home. Everything lives!” Claire Doyle.

Claire Doyle’s review taught me something too – I’ve never heard of the I-Ching, (perhaps I should have,) so I googled it and found that The I Ching is a classic book of Chinese wisdom. How fascinating!

From Wikipedia: The I Ching or Yi Jing (Chinese: 易經, Mandarin: [î tɕíŋ] (listen)), usually translated as Book of Changes or Classic of Changes, is an ancient Chinese divination text and among the oldest of the Chinese classics.

Claire’s comment is a huge compliment, I must find out more!

Indeed, I’m a deep thinker, curious about time and how we are all at the mercy of the ticking clock.

The inventor of the Corpus Christi Clock, Dr. John C. Taylor OBE (the clock is one of the novel’s inspirations,) has this to say about the clock and mankind…

People say the most important invention for mankind was the wheel. I think that’s untrue – I think the invention which changed mankind most of all is the clock. The wheel is the servant of mankind, but clocks control us.

I have to agree and share Dr. Taylor’s fascination with clocks.

Here are the clocks that inspire me to write a YA Fantasy about time, and a family curse!

Images courtesy of Dr John C Taylor OBE

There are several reviews that mention mental health issues, a crucial part of the narrative and particularly evident in the character of Esme, The mirror girl, who you can see here in this amazing portrait created by Carolina Russo

In her review PAR mentions Bloodstone’s trigger warning and goes on to say… “ I always want to start out with the trigger warning as my background and training are in this area. That said, what an interesting and intriguing novel! Bloodstone is the first book in The Curse of Time series. Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her extremely dysfunctional family. Her father disappeared and has now returned as a totally different person. The once happy family is now in extreme discord. Add to all of that some intriguing features such as a suicidal girl in the mirror, an unusual friend she meets along a forbidden path, and add to that that Amelina appears to have descended from a magical family you will find yourself entirely intrigued. This author of this novel is extremely gifted and is able to bring to the surface many issues that are not often discussed in a dysfunctional family system. I really enjoyed this novel and highly recommend it to others. ”

Fellow Next Chapter author Pete Adams admits that he is not a fan of fantasy. How can this be? But… he was kind to review Bloodstone and left this thoughtful remark as part of his review:

“What follows is a wonderfully woven tale of heroes, villains, monsters, even the grasshopper, as time plays games with Amelina. So, regardless of how you understand the narrative, and no more plot spoilers, but I defy you not to become a tortured soul yourself; so read it. I am a slow reader, but it means I absorb so much and, maybe, I misinterpret, but Bloodstone is a novel that transports in mind, soul and spirit – 5 stars.

A snippet from a review quote from Destiny Bridwell – “I have to stay this book was a little strange in the best of ways”. 

Thank you Destiny, that is exactly my intention!

The Blurb…

I didn’t think my life could get weirder, but I was wrong…

Fifteen-year-old Amelina Scott lives in Cambridge with her dysfunctional family, a mysterious black cat, and an unusual girl who is imprisoned within the mirrors located in her house.

When an unexpected message arrives inviting her to visit the Crystal Cottage, she sets off on a forbidden path where she encounters Ryder: a charismatic, perplexing stranger.

With the help of a magical paint set and some crystal wizard stones, can Amelina discover the truth about her family?

A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal.

TRIGGER WARNING: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.

So, if you are in desperate need of a story that is a little strange, curious, and different do give Bloodstone a try. It is the first in a series and there will be more to come.Do read the reviews on Goodreads as these are varied and plentiful and will surely whet your appetite!

Author Bio

MJ’s motto is to always do what you love, stay true to your heart’s desires, and inspire others to do so too, even it if appears that the odds are stacked against you like black hearted shadows.

Favourite genres to write: Fantasy/magical realism because life should be sprinkled with a liberal dash of extraordinarily imaginative magic!

Published With Next Chapter Publishing YA fantasy series.

Bloodstone – The Curse of Time Book 1

And the 2nd in the series to be published thereafter…

Golden Healer – The Curse of Time Book 2

MJ’s writing credits also include a multi-genre approach: paranormal, best-selling horror, supernatural short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She has worked with some amazing authors and bloggers compiling an anthology/compilation set during the early stages of COVID-19 entitled This Is Lockdown and has also written a spin off poetry collection entitled Lockdown Innit.

She’s been blogging for many moons at her blog home Kyrosmagica, (which means Crystal Magic.) where she continues to celebrate the spiritual realm,her love of nature, crystals and all things magical, mystical, and mysterious.

Her eclectic blog shares details and information about her new releases, author interviews, character profiles and her love of reading, reviewing, writing, and photography: https://mjmallon.com/

Further Links:

To read the reviews on Goodreads, an excerpt and to buy visit:  https://www.nextchapter.pub/books/bloodstone

Universal Amazon Book Buying Link http://mybook.to/bstmm

Please note that Bloodstone also has expanded distribution and is available via various book stores including Barnes & Noble.

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~Morgan~