MMGM: The Lucky Diamond by Valinora Troy

 

Five children are orphaned in Lowdar after their last adult family member was exiled from the community. Now the children live on the streets and life is even harder. When they find a diamond, it turns out to be no ordinary gem. They have met Lucky, a princess in a magical species. Lucky needs to return home, but there are many beings trying to stop her at any cost. The children agree to bring her home and Lucky promises they will be rewarded. A canoe, named Charlie helps them on their way and they have many dangerous terrains to pass- from water to mountains. Four of the five children have a special gift given to them by their mother before she died, and the items help them on their way. During their travels they get split up and their lives are in peril. Encounters with Queen Rose show the children what evil is capable of and they hope to help stop her from taking over the kingdom.  Will the children meet up with each other again? Will they get Lucky home? Can Queen Rose be defeated? You will have to read this fabulous fantasy to find out! 

Lucky Diamond by Valinora Troy was a fast paced fantasy that kept me captivated. It is the first in a series, but I was happy that everything wrapped up at the end of the story and I wasn't left on a cliffhanger! The siblings each have their own personality and I enjoyed seeing the way they interacted with each other. The magical elements were fascinating and I loved discovering more about the special items given to each child by their mother. I could easily picture the settings throughout the fantasy land and while there are places that sound beautiful, there are others I wouldn't want to visit! I liked trying to figure out who could be trusted and how they would get out of certain situations. I would recommend this book to anyone in 4th grade or up who enjoys fantasy, magic, and adventure. This was a page turner! I look forward to reading more books by this author. 

Has anyone else read Lucky Diamond? Or have you read another book by Valinora Troy? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Happy Reading!
~L

For other MMGM posts, please visit Greg Pattridge's blog.