The Golden Spark by John Royce won a 2012 Written Arts Award, placing 1st in Science Fiction/Fantasy!
The Written Arts Awards are an annual literary awards program hosted by Rebecca’s Reads. The awards were founded to pay tribute to authors who are independently published.
Rebecca’s Reads reviewers conducted the initial evaluation of title entries, followed by a final round held by jury of judges.
The Golden Spark Award Review:
So begins “The Golden Spark,” John Royce’s 2nd book in “The Legend of the Great Horse” trilogy. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the 1st book in the series, “Eclipsed by Shadow” as the author provides a special note to those who haven’t in the beginning of the book. He gives a brief summary and then reprints the last chapter of the first book so that those who are unfamiliar with the tale can get caught up. I found this to be a nice touch.
Another helpful addition is the seven page glossary at the end of the novel. Being that the story is set in time periods long ago there are many unfamiliar terms used throughout the book. The glossary is extremely helpful in deciphering the meaning of these words that are not used often today.
“The Golden Spark” is a tale that will appeal to young readers of fantasy and particularly readers interested in horsemanship. The story is magical and enchanting and the writing moves along at a nice pace as we follow Meagan on her journey through history. I think that it could easily be turned into a movie. I look forward to the continuation of Meagan’s story in Book 3. — Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads
Book II: The Golden Spark is the 2nd book of The Legend of the Great Horse trilogy, an intriguing and fun time-travel adventure through history — on horseback.
Book I: Eclipsed by Shadow won national awards including the Eric Hoffer Award for best Young Adult Fiction, and the 2010 Mom’s Choice Award for best family-friendly Young Adult Fantasy.