The Silk Road

by Kirsten Marion

Overview

"Oh, cheer up," said Lucy. "It's simple really, we find the Emperor, help him stay alive until he's ready to take the throne, get the key for changing lead into gold, and then it's off to find your parents. What could go wrong?"


Lucy wants an adventure. Dee needs money to help him find his missing parents. When a flaming bird leads them to a hidden road, and the lord of stone offers them a quest, the opportunity for both arises. In a land full of magic, dragons, and demons, all they have to do is befriend a young emperor—which would be a lot easier if he wasn't a royal pain and an angry queen didn't want to destroy him.


With the entitled ruler in tow, Lucy and Dee must find a way home with a mysterious feather and a dragon-whisperer (who looks suspiciously like a hedgehog) their only defence against capture. .. or worse.

Early reviewers are raving about Lucy & Dee – The Silk Road

”An enthralling, fast-paced adventure, hinting of more to come.” – Kirkus Reviews

“ A rip-roaring fantasy… Not to be missed….In this tale of adventure, science, and magic, readers are sure to find mirrors to their own experiences and windows onto others, all wrapped in a fantastical bow. Lovers of middle grade fantasy will be enthralled.” – The Prairies Book Review

"Lucy and Dee is an appealing fantasy novel in which two friends go on a wondrous adventure in a magical land." – Foreword Clarion Reviews 5/5

"...(A) fun and engrossing read, perfect for middle-grade readers who love a new adventure". - The Children's Book Review

“I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! Reminiscent of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, two friends, Lucy and Dee find themselves in a strange alternate dimension where rocks are animate, and magic exists.” – Andrea Torrey Balsara, author of The Nightingale's Song

Fans of His Dark Materials, The Percy Jackson and the Olympians and other magical tales will love Lucy and Dee!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781988761640
Publisher:	Common Deer Press
Publication date:	04/01/2022
Series:	Lucy & Dee , #1
Pages:	214
Product dimensions:	6.02(w) x 9.01(h) x 0.55(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Kirsten Marion completed undergraduate studies in English and Classics and a postgraduate degree in psychology, which helps inform the voices and motivations of her characters. After decades spent travelling the world and has lived on three continents, she has a unique mix of experiences to color her imaginary worlds.Lucy & Dee has been percolating for many years now and draws inspiration from stories and her beloved children and grandchildren. Her fans describe her writing as “detailed and vivid,” “creative, innovative” and “bursting with magic and humor” that leave them in “awe of the author's imagination.”The Prairies Book Review raves,“Marion's prose is crisp, and her swift narrative deftly reveals a tapestry of magic and intrigue. The plotting is tight, with plenty of tiny details meticulously rendered, big twists that take readers by surprise, and emotional power drawn from character growth.”She currently lives in Victoria, Canada. Visit Kirsten at kirstenmarion.com, on Instagram @kirstenlmarion, or on twitter @kirsten_marion.

Editorial Reviews

Lucy and Dee are best friends, even if they do like completely opposite things. As they discover hidden depths within themselves and learn to see the world in a new light, readers will also pick up important lessons about determination, curiosity, and open-mindedness. Best of all, this is a story bursting with magic and humor. Lucy & Dee, The Silk Road is a fun and engrossing read, perfect for middle-grade readers who love a new adventure.

The Children's Book Review, February 8, 2022 - Bianca Shultz

Imaginative and entertaining, the novel asks readers to discover hidden depths within themselves while learning to see the world in a new light. Un-put-downable.

BookView Review

In Kirsten Marion’s absorbing fantasy novel Lucy and Dee, two friends help a young royal to fulfil his calling, despite obstacles put in place by his cruel stepmother.… an appealing fantasy novel in which two friends go on a wondrous adventure in a magical land.

Foreword Clarion Reviews, February 4, 2022 - Karen Rigby

A rip-roaring fantasy… Not to be missed.

The Prairies Book Review

Marion launches a striking fantasy series with her debut, introducing resourceful tweens Lucy Banks and Dee Ringrose in an adventure that offers middle grade readers rich emotional reality as the heroes enter a magical world. The Silk Road will engage young readers eager for an exciting quest on the uncertain path to maturity, where hard-won knowledge is a given, and a happily-ever-after is not.

Booklife

Lucy and Dee are best friends, even if they do like completely opposite things. Dee is cautious and careful, but what he wants more than anything else in the world is to earn enough gold to find his missing parents. Lucy is bold and daring, and what she wants more than anything is to escape her unambitious parents and travel the world. That’s why, when the Lord of Rocks offers them a magical mission on the Summer Solstice, both agree readily. All they have to do is be friends with the young emperor, and in return, he’ll tell them the secret of transmutation – the magic of turning lead into gold. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out, quite a lot… In the age-old tradition of children’s home-and-away stories, Lucy & Dee, The Silk Road blends magic and reality to transport readers to far-off lands and intriguing situations. Lucy and Dee are relatable characters, whose troubles – from Lucy’s embarrassment about her parents to Dee’s anxiety about trying new things – will be intimately familiar to many readers. As they discover hidden depths within themselves and learn to see the world in a new light, readers will also pick up important lessons about determination, curiosity, and open-mindedness. Best of all, this is a story bursting with magic and humor. Lucy & Dee, The Silk Road is a fun and engrossing read, perfect for middle-grade readers who love a new adventure.

The Children's Book Review

2022-01-11
Unexpectedly trapped in a fantasy kingdom, best friends Lucy and Dee embark on a quest.

Adventurous Lucy dreams of being a world traveler, while cautious Dee wants to be a scientist. Since the disappearance of his archaeologist parents, Dee conducts alchemical experiments, hoping to produce gold to fund a search. Lured by a flaming red bird into a tunnel with a road of silk, the default White duo encounter a stone man who pronounces them “the children we have been waiting for.” He bargains with them to go on a mission to befriend the kingdom of Sericea’s young emperor, a lonely boy facing danger and in need of companions his age. In return, the stone man promises information that could help Dee locate his parents. Traveling on fantastical horselike creatures to the Celestial City, Lucy and Dee meet 13-year-old Emperor Yidi, a petulant, self-absorbed boy controlled by Xixi, his sorceress stepmother. Blond Xixi is a foreigner in this fantasy land that evokes China, and she is intent on retaining her power by eliminating Yidi. Fearing for their lives, the young people flee with Xixi’s forces in pursuit. The trio, including a reformed Yidi who grows in compassion and understands that he is the one who must save Sericea, emerge as credible young heroes making difficult moral choices as they seek a safe place to hide out and regroup. The story ultimately leaves readers in suspense about what happens next.

An enthralling, fast-paced adventure, hinting of more to come. (Fantasy. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews