Star Rating: 4.5 ‘A top-notch fantasy populated with charismatic, larger than life characters.’ The Wishing Shelf REVIEW A year or so ago, I reviewed the first book of this trilogy, And I remember very much enjoying it. The author, I recall, understood the importance of pacing in a fantasy adventure of this sort. She also knew how to develop her characters, helping the readers to fall in love with them. Well, I'm delighted to tell you, Heartstone is no different. The story is thrilling, the setting is fascinating, and the characters keep on surprising me. Of course, it's the two central characters, Kep and Ash, who are particularly interesting for the young adult reader. As the two characters battle to do the right thing, the author works hard to show how they develop, molded by a world of mystery and betrayal. With a gold-tipped pen, the author offers the reader a twisting plot and a plentiful supply of danger. In terms of readership, this is very much a young adult book. I suspect most 13 to 16 year olds will find this story bold, exciting and worthy of recommending. Do you need to read the first book before beginning this? Possibly. It will help you to understand the characters better. But as a standalone novel, it still works and will still give much reading pleasure to teenagers. Do I recommend it? Absolutely. It's a gem! A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review www.thewsa.co.uk