Alison Baird

An interesting story that follows a modern day girl in Newfoundland to a mirror-world of Avalon. The Celtic myth is well weaved as the girl makes her journey. The fading from one world to the next is fascinating.

This reviewer had a bit of trouble with the last two chapters where Christian myth begins to intrude upon the wonderful Celtic (and older) myths. The Epilogue was disappointing because:

***SPOILER***

The estranged father comes to Newfoundland and takes the girl back to the "big city" show more when she so obviously found living in Newfoundland much better. To me, after getting to know this character, she seems too easily led back to the place where she had only bad memories. show less

Fantasy for grade-school readers. Fifth-grader Ai Lien, who lives in Toronto, receives a stone from China on her birthday. It hatches out a real dragon, which complicates her life in some ways and enriches it in others. The author introduces a huge amount of Chinese folklore into the story and as far as I can tell, it's all accurate.

I thought it was an incredible book. Wonderfuly written, but it bothered me the way the Gods were portrayed.

Witches, shamans, and wiccans, all encountered and explained in great detail. A suspenseful story of a high-school student trying to steer her way through it all.