Recommend ~ This book appealed to the young artist in me. There was nothing groundbreaking about it, but it was a fun adventure that had some interesting ideas. I loved following the characters as they traveled through the different layers of the painting and at points it reminded me a bit of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia.  Supposedly there will be a second installment called The Crimson Shard and I will definitely check it out to see where these kids head next.


B&N says ~ "An ancient painting, a magical labyrinth, and skeletons found in a locked room. For centuries, Blackhope Tower has been shrouded in intrigue, centering on a labyrinth and painting in the Mariner's Chamber. When fourteen-year-old Sunni Forrest visits the tower and sees her stepbrother, Dean, disappear, seemingly into the painting itself, she must find him and risk being drawn into the heart of the Blackhope enigma. This action-packed debut follows Dean, Sunni, and her friend Blaise on a journey to the heart of an age-old mystery."


"No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.” ~ C.S.Lewis