The Blue Moon Narthex (Karmanic Sovereign Legion, #1)

by N J Donner

[Beth C.]

What would you do if your dad died suddenly, and you learned that most of what you thought you knew about him was wrong? That not only did he keep secrets from you, but they were secrets of a mystical and dangerous nature? When Cole's father is killed in a train "accident" right in front of him, he learns that his father possesses a rare blue stone - the Blue Moon Narthex. This stone allowed him to assist a group of people who help to keep good Karma flowing in the world. As Cole discovers this, and much more, he and his best friends find themselves neck deep in danger and intrigue.

The story was ok, though it reads as a middle-grade book instead of Teen/YA. Definitely affected my perspective on the events of the book. The idea of helping Karma is an intriguing one, and the overall idea was good, but the execution sometimes seemed a little...convenient. For example, Cole's best friends, who discover what's happening even though it's supposed to be a secret, conveniently are able to spend all of their time with Cole rather than with their own families. Little things like that tended to assist in moving the story along, but definitely tended to make me question what I was reading instead of allowing me to stay in the world.

For many middle-grade readers, however, they will probably enjoy the story. Teenagers - not so much. It's a little simplistic in the writing for them, though a few of the themes might seem more for them. It was sort of odd - the writing and the themes often clashed, as if the author was trying to cover *all* of the bases for every reader, rather than just picking an age group and going with it. Overall, it's a decent book, but not one I'll worry about reading the sequel to.