This cover and synopsis caught my attention. Unfortunately I had to dnf it at the 25% mark. While I can sometimes enjoy being dropped into a story and left to figure things out on my own, it didn't work for this book. Why am I suppose to care about these characters, why are stones so coveted, how did this happen, etc? Our main girl Nora was just words on a page and never came to life for me. Her character was too dry and what I thought would be a young character, because that's how she came across ended up being 16....what!! Maybe she lies about her age and is really younger than that but I don't know it was an odd choice.

Nora and the Sacred Stones is a middle grade fantasy with a lot of heart!

I really liked the love and support between Nora and her family! The magic system was really unique and interesting. The story did seem slow in the middle though.

Overall an enjoyable middle grade novel!

The world building was brilliant! Nora's devotion to her family and her strength of character are so deserving of praise. She has a great sense of responsibility and morality for someone who's sixteen. The intro was confusing but everything makes sense after a couple of chapters. Nora's interactions with Limar and Beck are adorable and funny. Prince Kyn and Sir Ivan are lovable characters as well. However, I didn't like King Arnald's response at the end. In the beginning, he felt like a super strict and tough person which doesn't match his reaction at the end. It's a bit unrealistic. I would have liked to meet Queen Maris considering she's been mentioned several times but no regrets. Thank you so much Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of unbiased review.

This was an enjoyable read with an interesting magic system (pulling from stones) and lovely sibling/friend relationships. Nora was a feisty yet sincere and kind character and it was great to see her meeting other characters who were equally as sincere. The story felt a bit short and the ending felt too rushed. I get that this is middle grade and so the word count can often be pushed to the shorter side, but this felt like it was at the cost of the story being able to be told fully and with the richness it deserved. I would definitely expect a sequel of this and hope that the next book will allow the author room to truly draw out all the layers that are there but may have been limited due to more logistical factors.

When Nora broke into the palace kitchen, she never expected this act of courage to be the start of her journey to discover her great and unique power to control the sacred stones. Powers kingdoms will fight to obtain.
This short fantasy is a page-turning adventure that teens will love. The worldbuilding is complex and engaging, but at it's heart is family love and devotion.
Recommended.

What worked:
Nora is a sixteen-year-old peasant girl with a rare talent for pulling energy from stones to concoct potions called revars. There are seven different kinds of stones holding unique powers, and the various kingdoms take extreme measures to ensure no one has all of them at the same time. It’s not clear what might happen if someone succeeds since it’s never happened before. Nora’s teacher tells her that her ability to concoct will draw the interest of all the rulers, so she needs to be careful about who knows. That may be a problem since in the opening chapters a prince catches her in the royal kitchen while she’s concocting a revar.
Nora’s devotion to her family and her empathy for others make her a character to be admired. Her sole reason for sneaking into the royal kitchen is to create an elixir to save her little sister. Even while being chased by soldiers, Nora is willing to sacrifice her own freedom to save her. She convinces soldiers to let her brother go, so he’ll be able to take the revar to their sister. Nora feels regret for losing her mentor’s ancient book, and she fears for an old woman’s safety after she provides Nora with a map. Later, Nora risks imprisonment in order to save the life of a pursuer.
The author includes clues along the way to give the plot a mysterious air. The first and biggest is Nora’s ability to draw power from stones. The ability itself isn’t uncommon, but the depth of her ability decimates a Ballutite stone by pulling all of its energy which shouldn’t be possible. She’s unaware of what she’s done and doesn’t understand the voice she starts hearing in her head. Ancient legends and myths talk of rocks having souls, but most people remember them simply as old stories and reasons for holding traditional celebrations. All of these details create a sense that there’s more going on than what’s on the surface of the plot.
What didn’t work as well:
The conflict and story are interesting, but there isn’t a sense of urgency and intensity. In the beginning, it seems like Nora’s sister needs a cure immediately, but as the chapters go along, that thinking eases. Her sister has a serious problem but it’s not like she’s near death. Perhaps Nora’s concern epitomizes her empathy for her family.
The Final Verdict:
Listen to the voice of the earth. Nora’s kindness and determination allow readers to easily connect to her character, and the supernatural air makes the story intriguing. Her confrontations with the prince make their relationship a question of whether they are friends or foes. Overall, this book is very entertaining and I highly recommend you give it a shot.

This book was a lovely surprise! I was drawn in by the cover and the synopsis but didn’t really know what to expect when I started reading. The book reminds me of Minor Mage or a Wizards Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher who is one of my favourite authors, so that’s a big compliment. It’s the style of the storytelling with rich worldbuilding and a high stakes (and at times a bit dark) plot that gives it a similar vibe even though the story is completely unique. I’m especially impressed with how much the world building was fleshed out considering that it’s not a very long book.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot because the book is quite short and it would be a shame to spoil anything. But the story is about peasant girl Nora who breaks into the palace in a desperate attempt to get hold of medicine to heal her sister. She’s caught by the prince but escapes, and he’s tasked with tracking her down. The book is told in dual POV, so the chapters alternate between following Nora and Kyn. Nora and Kyn’s dynamic is wonderful to read and there is a definite attraction between them that complicates the situation further. Magic, villains, treachery and romantic tension - this book has it all!

I loved the cover for this book but I was also happy to see that each chapter begins with an illustration. These were beautiful and really helped bring the story to life, it was a great touch! Although the book wraps up all immediate concerns there is so much more of this story to be told so I’m definitely hoping for a sequel. I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy book or fairytale.

Charming and beautiful story for middle graders. Loved characters and magic of the book. First chapter was a little bit confusing but then you just fall in love with characters.

4.5 stars! This is a fabulous adventure story that will keep middle readers engaged through the end. I loved the friendship and character growth woven throughout the story. My tweens are going to enjoy this well written tale. I’m looking forward to the sequel.