The Red Sun ( Legends of Orkney Series #1)

by Alane Adams

Overview

Sam Baron is about to get the shock of his life. First his substitute English teacher claims to have turned his old teacher into a lizard; then a strange dwarf named Rego arrives and claims Sam is from a magical realm called Orkney. When his friends are taken prisoner, it’s up to Sam to save them.

Sam embarks on a journey to Orkney through a stonefire to find his friends—but when he arrives, he discovers that an ancient curse has turned the sun a poisonous red and threatens to destroy the land. With only a young witch girl to guide him, Sam must choose: save his friends, or stop the red sun from consuming the land?

Drawing on Norse mythology, The Red Sun follows Sam’s journey to uncover the truth about his past—a journey during which he has to overcome the simmering anger inside of him, learn to channel his growing magical powers, and find a way to forgive the father who left him behind.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781940716268
Publisher:	SparkPress
Publication date:	08/04/2015
Series:	Legends of Orkney Series , #1
Pages:	346
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.40(d)
Lexile:	700L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Alane Adams is an author, professor, and literacy advocate. She is the author of the Legends of Orkney fantasy mythology series for tweens and The Coal Thief , a picture book for early-grade readers. She lives in Southern California.

Editorial Reviews

2016 International Book Awards : Fiction: Young Adult Finalist

2015 USA Best Book Awards : Best Cover Design: Fiction, Winner

2015 USA Best Book Awards : Children's Fiction, Winner

Beverly Hills Book Award : Best Juvenile Fiction, Winner

IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards : Best New Voice Children’s/Young Adult, Silver Medal

Readers Favorite Awards Children Preteen : Silver Medal Winner

"This fast-moving adventure—the beginning of a trilogy—is sure to appease mythology fans who are outgrowing Percy Jackson’s antics and looking for darker, weightier storytelling. VERDICT : A great choice for middle school collections."
— School Library Journal

"Percy Jackson meets Norse mythology in this captivating and unique adventure."
— Foreword Reviews (4 stars out of 5)

" The Red Sun: Legends of Orkney by Alane Adams is a book that will take children on a roller coaster ride of adventure and fantasy where whimsical and menacing creatures and witches will enthrall readers."
—Readers’ Favorite (5 stars out of 5)

“This novel may appeal to young readers who have enjoyed other 'chosen one' fantasy stories: It moves along at a speedy clip, and preteens will likely identify with Sam’s anger and frustration with the world . . . it’s a high fantasy tale that maintains a quick pace…”
— Kirkus Reviews

" The Red Sun is a roller coaster ride of adventure, Norse mythology, magic and mayhem. Between Sam facing awesome villains in the magical realm of Orkney to teachers turning into lizards, I had the best time doing the voiceover for the audiobook. Don’t miss out on this terrific story!"
—Karan Brar, actor on Disney’s Jessie and Bunk'd

“Alane Adams is the brilliant mind behind the Legends of Orkney series . . . Adams’ knowledge of the Norse myths lends itself to an intricate story full of legend and mysticism . . . For Percy Jackson fans.”
—Hypable

“8 Middle Grade Books to Fall For During School Season”
—BuzzFeed

"Alane Adams weaves a rollicking tale of adventure, filled with magic and mayhem, in The Red Sun , first in the Legends of Orkney series. Adams combines elements of Norse mythology and Umatilla tradition to send her young protagonist, Sam, on a unique quest to find himself and to save the entire realm of Orkney in the process.”
— Clarion

“Cool read for kids”
— Middle Shelf Magazine

"A fast-paced adventure quest full of Norse mythology and spellbinding fun. Fans of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter will love The Red Sun ."
—Kristen Hunt, author of Blonde Eskimo

From the Publisher

09/01/2015
Gr 7–10—When a dwarf appears in 12-year-old Sam's garage, Sam hardly knows what to make of his story. Witches are after him? His own mother is a witch, who left Orkney once to protect him? His father is a descendant of Odin? And now that this dwarf has found Sam, they have to travel back to a strange otherworld to break the curse of the Red Sun, which is choking out all life in Orkney villages? None of this makes much sense to the tween, but it's clear that he's in the middle of something big, and doubly so: a witch kidnaps his two best friends. He has no choice but to rescue his friends, and in doing so he might just save all of Orkney. Sam will need to choose his allies carefully and avoid the traitors in nearly every race in the Ninth Realm. What starts out looking like a retread of Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" series (Disney-Hyperion) quickly becomes its own story, with a darker tone and Norse flair. The protagonist struggles to understand himself and the sources—and purposes—of his anger and must learn to channel his rage and energy into breaking an ancient curse and stopping a looming war. This fast-moving adventure—the beginning of a trilogy—is sure to appease mythology fans who are outgrowing Percy Jackson's antics and looking for darker, weightier storytelling. VERDICT A great choice for middle school collections.—Brandy Danner, Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA

School Library Journal