Did you ever wonder what became of the dragons? How about the trolls or the elves? Where are all of the magical creatures that stories are filled with but the Earth, as we know it, is not? I, for one, would love to be sitting in a forest, resting from my labors, to find a small fairy flitting about or see a woodland elf passing by. Even the flight of the occasional dragon would be something to see – from a distance, of course. But who can answer the question of where the magic went? K. Osborn Sullivan in her young adult fantasy Stones of Abraxas, that's who.

Twelve-year-old David Stanhope and his fourteen-year-old sister Amanda are looking forward to the last day of school. Summer is within reach and, despite their father's desire for family togetherness, David intends to spend his time at the late Grandma Stanhope's dilapidated cabin in northern Minnesota collecting horror stories of life away from civilization for inclusion in his school paper next year. David loves writing, although the bullies of the school don't give him much respect over it.

While digging about in the attic for camping equipment, David discovers an old trunk that belonged to his grandfather. David opens the trunk to discover several old books, many diaries, a compass and a wooden box with a willow tree etched on the lid in what looks like gold. Inside the white-velvet lined box, he finds a ruby on a gold chain. His gasp of surprise brings his mother and sister to see what he has discovered. Since Dad is away at a conference and can't answer the questions building up in the minds of his family, Susan puts the ruby around her neck for safe keeping until her husband gets home.

When the chain gets tangled in her hair as she tries to remove the stone from around her neck, Susan inadvertently places the cold stone against her forehead. Once Amanda frees the chain from her hair, Susan is unable to pull the stone from her skin. David and Amanda each try to remove the stone with no luck. Grasping the stone together, the three Stanhopes find themselves falling through a sea of blackness.

After landing in a thorn bush in a field, and in the hope of finding civilization and an explanation of where they are, they begin walking toward Lake Michigan using the compass David had stuffed in his pocket as a guide. After several miles and one dragon attack, the Stanhopes meet Erlong Bax, of the Centaur Guard. Erlong informs them that they are in the plains outside of Castle Annwyn. After seeing the ruby, Erlong also tells them that as long as they possess one of the Stones of Abraxas, they are in mortal danger from Adrian the Deceiver, a Black Magician who needs the final stone to complete his overthrow of both Abraxas and Terra.

Abraxas is populated by magic-wielding humans, centaurs, giants, gargoyles, trolls, elves, and giant frogs that love to kiss human girls, as well as other mythical magical beings. The separation of the magical and non-magical worlds is an amazing story in itself. Now it is up to David, Amanda, and Susan to see that Abraxas, the magical realm, and Terra, the non-magical realm, remain safe from Adrian and his army. Will taking the stone back to Terra keep the two worlds safe or has the Deceiver found out where the stone has been hidden for the past two thousand years?

Stones of Abraxas is the product of the massively productive mind of Ms. Sullivan. The characters are so vivid they walk off the pages and across your imagination with the greatest of ease. The magic is believable right down to the castle that can only be seen either once you are very close or if you know what you are looking for. The action is ongoing and the dialog snaps.

I have enjoyed reading Stones of Abraxas and hope to find a sequel in the works. I would recommend this story to adults as well as teens. Why should the younger readers have all of the missing magic?

Reviewed by MargeAnna Conrad
© May 2006