4 out of 4 stars
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Missing: Lessons from Fiori by Peggy M McAloon is a coming of age fantasy published by PMac Press on April 11, 2016. It is the second installment in Lessons from Fiori Series and a standalone book that can be easily understood without having read the prequel (Elle Burton and the Reflective Portals).
The protagonist is a young exceptional girl by the name of Elle Burton. She is a guide, one of the few human beings granted the special powers of wish traveling and using the reflective portal.
Another young but newer guide, Jimmy, is charged with the responsibility given to all guides, to aid and protect the children of Earth. The story takes place in Minneapolis and Fiori, a dimension in time and space which operates parallel to Earth. Elle's brother, JJ, has just been kidnapped by the evil Zorins. Elle finds herself in an even deeper dilemma when a Zorin inhabits her and steals her voice. She learns that even the winged Fiorin warriors cannot help her this time.
Why are the Zorins afraid of the old prophecy and the ten-year-old girl? Will the slightly older Elsie have the courage to see firsthand the plight and pain of the abused and voiceless children? Will she have enough faith in her kind heart and the spirit of hope to become the person the prophecy proclaims?
The characters are well developed and likable. I found myself wanting to emulate them and become a better person. The dialogue in the story is natural and flows well with the rest of the story. There was no lag in the story. All the scenes were flawlessly engaging.
The fairly complex plot is told in a simple and charming manner that makes its 291 standard pages (250 words per page) easy to read. The book deals with the themes of alienation, coming of age, courage, death, good versus evil, love, spirituality and God, heroism, and reunion.
There are a number of editing issues on the Kindle e-book I used but they did not detract from the value of the story. Even though this was not confusing to me, I wish the thoughts and telepathic communication amongst the characters involved would have been italicized or written in a different font to distinguish them from other parts of this creative writing.
I give this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars and recommend it to lovers of fantasy fiction and adventure. I feel the content of this book relates to all age groups and would, therefore, be relevant to all readers regardless of age.
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Missing
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