Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal by Dash Hoffman
Title: Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal
Author: Dash Hoffman
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Available: Amazon
About the Book
“People your age belong at home.” 73 year old Mrs. Perivale is told when she tries to volunteer. With her son grown and gone, and her community turning their backs on her, the gravity of no longer being needed sinks her spirits deeply. She wonders if she has outlived her usefulness until a mystical little creature sneaks into Alice Perivale’s home and begs her to come with him; there is a prophecy about her, and she must help save his world!
Finding herself in a magical place she had no idea existed, committed to a dangerous mission far more vital than helping out in her neighborhood, Alice dusts off her courage and bravery, rediscovering the feisty, sassy, powerhouse woman she is deep inside.
She is determined to find the stolen Blue Fire Crystal before the imbalance between elements destroys all of the magical land of Corevé. Together with her extraordinary family of six cats and her skeptical-yet-devoted butler Henderson, she takes on the tremendous challenge.
With time running out and the world falling to pieces, Alice’s precious companions are pulled away from her, and she is faced with impossible choices. Does she choose what she wants most of all, does she rescue her family, or does she save the world that will not survive without her?
Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal is the first book in the enchanting Mrs. Perivale YA fantasy series. If you’re looking to escape reality for a while with a laugh-out-loud, heart-touching adventure, discover the heroine you never knew you needed today!
Review
Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal is the first book of a new fantasy series. The story begins in modern-day London and follows Alice Perivale, a 73 year old widow who lives with her butler Henderson and six cats. Alice is having a rough day, her son is too busy for her and she gets ruefully rebuked as being too old while offering her services as a volunteer. She feels sad and useless until she encounters a strange creature named Chippa, who claims that she is the chosen one and the only one who can save his world. Taking his word, Alice, Henderson, and the cats are all whisked away to Coreve, a fantastic world powered by elemental magic. Learning that one of the items responsible for keeping the elements in balance has been stolen, she sets out to get it back and save the land from destruction.
Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal is an engaging tale filled with fun and heartwarming moments and fantastic peril. Although he can sometimes come off a bit snobby, Henderson is fiercely loyal to Alice and loves the cats. The six cats all have distinct personalities and their interactions with each other and Alice are very sweet. Alice herself starts off feeling quite down about herself, but she realizes that she is stronger and more courageous than she previously thought. She is very kind and caring throughout, even in moments of doubt.
Overall, Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal is very entertaining. It is a sweet and heartwarming story centered around a loving family. Fantasy fans will be sure to enjoy this book.
About the Author
Dash Hoffman is best known for taking a viral Tumblr meme and turning it into the beloved line of Mrs. Perivale books, much to the delight of many readers. Dash travels the world full time when there isn’t a pandemic, drawing inspiration from almost everything.
In Dash’s pages, you’ll find bits and pieces of or inspiration from New Zealand, Salvador Dali, M.C. Escher, Tim Burton, Neverland, San Francisco, specific models from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, Astronomy (which Dash used to teach), Aesop, Grimms Bros, Wonderland, Narnia, the wizard boy who lived, Bram Stoker, Mary Poppins, the Three Musketeers, Queen Elizabeth II, Tolkien, Neil Gaiman (who conferred with Dash during a visit on one of those books published under another name…), every ocean Dash has been to and some not yet visited, Owl City, Sleeping At Last, Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey, a random lady in Auckland airport, a sweater left on a rope at the beach in the Coromandel, the Pacific Northwest mountains and sea, no end of Internet pictures, some lucid dreams, old gothic cathedrals, no end of artwork, and a cat park where Dash has helped to raise a few litters of baby tigers amongst 55-60 other cats of every size. This list could go on, but the tea is getting cold, and you get the idea.
Dash Hoffman is an internationally best selling author who has written and published more than 170 novels in a six and a half year period under various pseudonyms. It typically takes Dash about 7-10 days to write a 60,000-80,000 word novel (when not rushed), which is how so many books came to be written in such a short time. Dash’s best known books are the Mrs. Perivale series; book one of which has been sitting at a #1 spot on Amazon for more than five weeks straight in the US, and hovering in the topmost echelons of Amazon best seller lists the world over during that same time.
Dash usually has a smile, always has several new ideas, and continues a considerable tea habit, punctuated by a truly deep love of dark chocolate. Save the elephants.
This sounds like an engaging story for YA readers.