Joshua and the Magical Islands by Christopher D. Morgan

Hey everyone, back again. Doing a quick write up while I'm in class because I need a break from my crushing stress. The author was kind enough to send me a copy of this book a few weeks ago. I read the first book in the series which was Forestium, and now changed to Joshua and the Magical Forest. This is the second book to that series and there is a third book on the way.
It feels like it's been a million years since I first read the first book, but I still remember the details quite well. The author does a great job at creating a memorable world and characters. It was nice to see a second book that is written just as well as the first one.
Let me tell you about it:

Joshua and his friend Sarah are returning home after their long journey to destroy the evil Goat, who had tortured their lands. Joshua is looking forward to introducing Sarah to his mother and his other friends from his village. But when they arrive in the village they find it destroyed, with all of the people missing. An old friend of theirs finds them as he draws his final breath and tells them that the Goat has returned. His sacrifice opens another Portallas through the Orb of Sacrifice to where Joshua and Sarah can find the remaining orbs that will finally kill the beast.
The two are thrust into a new world entirely unlike their own. Gone are the vast trees of the forest, replaced by the softs sands and palm trees of the tropical islands. The people are very different, raised to fear creatures that Joshua has never heard of before.
Joined by a few old friends and some new ones, Joshua and Sarah attempt to figure out the mysteries of this new world and find the orbs before the Goat can catch them. Because when it comes to the Goat, there are very few people you can trust not to kill you.

A really interesting book. I read it pretty quickly when I was finally able to sit down and read it. There has been some obvious research put into the culture of the 'Magical Island' to make it seem very Hawaiian (or at least I think so). The descriptions of the locations and the practices of the islanders really make me feel like I have traveled there, which is the closest thing to a vacation I'm getting for a very long time. I'd take giant crabs over term papers and finals right about now if it meant spending some time on a tropical island.
Plot: A
Pace: A-
Characters: B+
Setting: A
Ending: B
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Have a great day everyone and happy reading!
To check out this book on Amazon, click here