Review: The Shard by Victoria Simcox

 The Shard by Victoria Simcox

Kristina's stay at summer horse camp is horrible to say the least, and it's all because Hester and Davina are there as well, making her life miserable. When Hester's cruel prank goes terribly wrong, it's actually what sends the three girls back to the magical land of Bernovem. In Bernovem, Kristina is very excited to see her former friend, Prince Werrien. When he invites her to sail with him on his ship to his homeland Tezerel, putting it simply, Kristina can't refuse. Reunited with her gnome, dwarf, animal, fairy friends ... and best of all, Werrien, things seem like they couldn't get any better for Kristina. But when Werrien becomes fascinated with an unusual seeing stone, the "Black Shard," Kristina is haunted by a ghostlike old hag. Struggling against suspicion, guilt, illness, and ultimately the one who wants to possess her soul, Kristina will see it's in her weakest moment that she will encounter more strength than she has ever known.

My Take:

In this second installment of the Bernovem Chronicles, Kristina has moved on with her life, and her experiences at Bernovem are beginning to seem a fading dream. Only the music box and the dormant Warble remind her that any of that happened. But when her family forces her to go to a horse camp over the summer with the school bully, she knows her life is about to turn a miserable corner. Her old arch-enemies Hester and Davina are there and try to hurt her in a dangerous prank. But the prank sends the three of them back to Bernovem, where her old friend Prince Werrien is about to sail to his homeland, Tezerel. On the voyage, things seem idyllic, almost perfect. But visions of an evil hag in her reflections, and undercurrents of a deadly plot centered around a dangerous Shard threaten to prevent Kristina from ever returning home. And staying would mean disaster for everyone, including her.

 

Content:

Drug Content:

G - There's a small bit of drinking in this. Not even on the level of Disney.

Violence:

G - There is little violence in this. A near drowning. A poisoning. Evil races are created through magic transformations. 

Language:

G - The language in this book is squeaky clean. 

Adult Content:

G - This is, again, on a level with a Disney movie. There is a little childhood romance, and a first kiss. 

Christian content:

There is an undercurrent of direction by a divine and benevolent but unrevealed character.  There is prayer and answered prayer, faith and guidance. Self sacrifice and a clear depiction of evil vs good here. As the stakes rise and the plot thickens, things are revealed concerning the spiritual forces at play here.

Final analysis:

The Shard is a fantastic read, a satisfying continuation to the Bernovem Chronicles, filled with adventure and fantasy. Dwarves, monsters, fairies, magic,  evil queens, and talking animals make for a page turner of a fantasy with a solid amount of world-building. Engaging character arcs and immersive scenery contribute to a satisfying return to the land of magic. Five Stars!

About the Author

I was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. I now lives in Western Washington with my husband, Russ and our three children, Toby, Kristina, and William. Beside being a writer, I am a home-schooling mother of thirteen years and an elementary school art teacher of twelve years.

Website: victoriasimcox.blogspot.com