My son and I eagerly dug into this book and we quickly became enamoured with Barra, the main character in the novel. My son thought Plicks was simply adorable. I loved Barra's relationship with her mom, too. As a parent I found the scenes with Barra and her mom resonated with me. Toward the end of the novel we also get to see Plicks and Tory with their family members. Kid-lit books that include family scenes and relationships always get an extra thumbs up from me. They are also perfect books to read with one's child, something I've been doing for years.

As you can see from the image above, all three characters are unique and the Cerulean world is mystical and beautifully imagined. Not only are the characters unique in physical appearance but they are also well-developed. Barra is courageous, stubborn and curious. Plicks is clumsy, funny and cute. Tory is patient, level-headed and loyal. The three friends embark on a journey as they try to uncover what is causing their world to go dark. Never did they think they would discover another world beneath the fall.

About one third into the book, my son began to point a few things that were making it difficult for him to follow the storyline. Because this is a fantasy novel, the reader's mind is introduced to strange new places, names and species. It becomes like a new language. This is the beauty of fantasy novels, but it can be a lot to take in for a child all at once. There are many characters in this book and they are introduced with new names and unique features and attributes that are at times laboriously described. This broke the pace of the story and sometimes bogged down the story. 

Because the world building is truly unique, we think it would have been a good idea to include a glossary and a character list with all the characters in the book with a short description of who they are, including all the new places introduced, perhaps even a diagram showing the levels in the Cerulean world.

The last one third of the book was the most exciting, full of action and danger. It is clear that this book is a labour of love. From the illustrations to the themes of friendship, sacrifice and team work, Sunborn Rising is a beautiful book. There are a few unresolved plot threads, which I'm assuming are going to be addressed in the sequel to this book, which I look forward to reading. Kudos to the author and his team at Neoglyphic Entertainment for creating a fun adventure book suitable for the whole family along with its interactive website!

To read more reviews, please visit Aaron Safronoff's page on iRead Book Tours.

My son and I had the privilege of interviewing the author. You can read our interview with Aaron Safronoff here.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I was not told how to rate or review this product.

Aaron Safronoff is author of the Discovery Award winning science fiction novel, Spire. Since his debut, he's published a sequel, Fallen Spire, and a novella of literary fiction, Evening Breezes.
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Safronoff's diverse background includes the formal study of computer science, bio-chemistry, and culinary arts. However, most of his career has been in the videogame industry in quality, production, and design.

Today, Safronoff is the co-founder and Chief Storyteller of Neoglyphic Entertainment, and is busy writing his fifth novel, the second installment of the Sunborn Rising series.

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