I feel very lucky that I get to write book reviews if  only for the simply fact that I get introduced to great characters and stories.  “The Hole in the Sky”, written by Barbara A. Mahler does a great job of allowing readers to escape into a world of fantasy and adventure.

I was already impressed when I received the book by its great presentation, from the beautiful cover to the quality of the pages.  You can even find a map to the magical land of Muratenland.  My son loved following the adventure and referring back to the map as I read him the story.  The attention to detail is fantastic and it even includes two bookmark ribbons so you always know where you left off.

The story starts off with Queen Rhiana who seeks out Zella, a seer from the ancient tribe of Zaren.  Desperate to conceive a child, Queen Rhiana strikes a deal with Zella.  Zella warns her that if she doesn’t follow through with the deal, a curse will befall the King’s family until the promise if fulfilled.  Readers are given a foreshadow of what is to come.   At this point, I already knew I was going to enjoy the book.

The story then continues with the introduction of the main character, Kaela.  Kaela is a thirteen year old girl who is still struggling with the loss of her mother two years prior.  We get an insight into Kaela’s character as she is introduced into the story encouraging her cousin Shawn during a gym class.  Kaela doesn’t want Shawn to give up despite his classmates constantly calling him loser.  Both are just two young teenagers struggling to fit in.

Kaela soon finds a mysterious butterfly pendant and her mother’s old diary with the words, “When you go through the hole in the sky, stay only as long as absolutely necessary”.  Kaela believes that the magical life she longs to experience may actually be possible.

Her wishes comes true as a magical visitor soon appears and whisks Shawn and Kaela through the hole in the sky to Muratenland, a land inhabited by magical and wonderful beings. But a curse binds the people to a vengeful warlord who has kidnapped the king’s baby and is bent on conquering the land.

Kaela and Shawn are brought before the King and Queen and learn of an ancient prophecy about a red-haired girl from far away who can break the curse. The people of Muratenland are certain that Kaela is the red-haired girl.  What is yet unknown to Kaela are her magical powers and just how she is to save the land from this curse.

The key that unlocks the curse lies hidden in the mystical butterfly breath, but to uncover it, Kaela has to overcome her grief and face her deepest fears before time runs out.  The adventure continues.

I really enjoyed the messages and lessons learned throughout this book.  Kaela learns about loss and the healing power of love.  More importantly, she learns to believe in herself.

Although the book targets children 8-12, I definitely see a strong appeal to adults as well.  The story is filled with great characters and does a great job whisking the readers into this magical world.  This book would also make a great holiday gift.

About Barbara Mahler

Mahler is the mother of one grown step-child and has a passion for healing and storytelling.  In addition to writing Barbara practices Traditional Oriental Medicine.  She divides her time between her homes in Boulder, Colorado and Malibu, California.

Mahler’s novel, “The Hole in the Sky” is the first in the upcoming trilogy published by Sea Turtle Publishing about the fantastical journey of cousins Kaela and Shawn.