The Water Kingdom

The Water Novels Book 1

Young Adult - Paranormal
387 Pages
Reviewed on 09/04/2016
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Author Biography

Deborah Gray holds a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning degree and writes for enjoyment. "The Water Kingdom" is her first full length novel for young adults in the fantasy genre.
She is a member of the Christchurch Writers' Guild and currently lives in New Zealand with her husband, family and a mischievous black Labrador.
Find out more at http://www.thewaternovels.com

    Book Review

Reviewed by Michelle Randall for Readers' Favorite

For Sebastian, the only choice he feels he can make is to take action and look for the missing queen, even if it means he can never go home again. This way, at least someone is actually doing something, not just sitting around. Nell has lived a structured and rigid life, never breaking a rule, but never feeling she fitted in either. Stowing away on a field trip that she never got permission to go on is the biggest rule break she has ever done, and she is sure something bad is going to happen to her for it. The Water Kingdom (The Water Novels Book 1) tells the story of Sebastian and his quest, and what happens when he accidentally runs into Nell. Author Deborah Gray takes a fantasy/fiction story of two different worlds and mixes it with coming of age, romance, and finding your voice to give young adult readers a meaningful and rich story.

The Water Kingdom is titled to be the first in a series so let me warn you now, the end is a cliffhanger! It's a natural ending point, but at the same time there are many unanswered questions, so a second book feels like a must. Author Deborah Gray writes in an easy, confident manner that engages the reader, and has you identifying with the characters, remembering people just like them from your own high school experience. Although it is set in a fantasy/fiction setting, the plot line and issues of not fitting in, feeling alone, and not having a choice in life are issues that teens today all feel that they are faced with. This is a great book for all readers; it is clean, there is no sex or graphic violence so I recommend it for any age group.