The Ruby Kingdom
by Patricia Bow
THE RUBY KINGDOM by Patricia Bow
Category: Fantasy
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 2/10/07
Publisher: Boardwalk Books
Reviewed by: Marta Morrison
Rating: 5 Stars
Amelia is very upset. Her parents have taken jobs in Peru and she has to live in the small town of Dunstone, Canada.
She has to live with her grandmother, Celeste, and her cousin, Simon. Amelia believes her cousin is dull and boring, and
to be stuck in a small town is the worse thing that has ever happened to her.
The first day in Dunstone she meets Simon's best bud, Ike. They go exploring and see something strange, a blue light, in
the gorge by the town. That night, Amelia dreams about flying through the sky and ends up waking up in the attic of her
grandmother's house. She goes out on the roof and meets Mara, a tall beautiful girl. Mara is strange but quickly
becomes Amelia's best friend -- to the chagrin of Simon. But Mara is not who she seems and is being stalked by an
assassin.
A lot of adventures happen over the span of about three days, bringing Amelia closer to her cousin and a lot happier in
her own skin.
This story was a quick read and very interesting. I really liked the small town of Dunstone. It felt like a place I would like
to live. It had town festivals, which seemed fun, and a lot of caring people. I loved the theme to this story about
accepting one's self in life and that being strong is not just in physical attributes but in your character. Many teens try to
be other people and put on disguises. It was refreshing to have the main character accept who she is. I'll be looking
forward to book two by Patricia Bow, THE PRISM BLADE.