Maradonia and the Seven Bridges

By Gloria Tesch

The Maradonia Saga starts as an everyday story. A girl called Maya and a boy called Joey found a mysterious place in a forbidden area which opened the way to a World between the Worlds Maradonia. The Land of Maradonia With their arrival in Maradonia a prophecy is fulfilled. Overnight their simple life in the small city of Oceanside has changed completely and they are thrust into a strange and perilous world. A world filled with magic and power. Mystery, murder, deceit, revenge, conspiracy, theft but also faith, knowledge, wisdom and passion percolate in this thriller... and it keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. Can Maya and Joey take up the mantle of the prophecy? Can they conquer the Seven Bridges of tests and temptations? Can they change the future of Maradonia? The fate of the legendary kingdom of Maradonia rest in the hands of the Encouragers... Is the final battle between the armies of Light and Darkness unavoidable when the teenagers secure The Key to the Underworld and the rulers of the Empire of Evil are unable to enter their own kingdom?

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0615214797
• ISBN13: 9780615214795
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Liberty's Book Press
• Length: 810 Pages
• Weight: 2.90 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Tesch's debut novel is not just kid stuff

Murder, revenge, intrigue, conspiracy. All these little nuggets that take a novel from being just a mere story to becoming an epic journey are packed into "Maradonia and the Seven Bridges." The mystical Maradonia is a world between worlds, a Technicolor place filled with more wizardry and magic than Harry Potter could shake his wand at. And the author is just 14 years old. From the never-ending imagination of young Gloria Tesch comes an adventure of legendary proportions. Two ordinary teens, Maya and her brother Joey, discover the way to the Land of Maradonia while on a Goonies-like expedition to the forbidden Pebble Beach. The world they uncover is full of turmoil, its people in peril from the evil King Apollyon. Up until this, Maya and Joey had led ordinary lives in an ordinary place, where their greatest challenge had been the everyday minutia of fitting in at a new school, a trial most children can readily identify with. Now, the fate of an entire kingdom and its faithful dwellers is up to them. In this, Tesch explores the very adult issues of responsibility and faith, and the age-old theme of enduring strength in the face of temptations and tough tests. Maya and Joey discover their true inner selves along the way, battling an underworld capable of deceit, revenge and murder. "Maradonia and the Seven Bridges" is a story of substance, richly written with lush description and imagination. Its visual nature begs for the cinema. Plan to invest time in this saga, though: your trip to Maradonia will run over 800 pages, ninety chapters full of twists and turns and surprises around every magical corner. And while Tesch provides a satisfying ending for readers, don't get comfortable just yet. Not all loose ends have been neatly tied; "Maradonia and the Seven Bridges" is the first leg in a trilogy. Filled with mystical illustrations and scenes of pure whimsy, this debut novel is aimed at an audience of young adult readers. However, the timeless theme of good versus evil will appeal to any age group. And through this, a lesson: ordinary people can do the extraordinary. Children can lead a nation of people. Hefty issues for such a young author to tackle, but Tesch smoothly accomplishes this and more in her freshman novel. No doubt, more fantastic tales are to come from this untapped talent!

Great fantasy read

I enjoyed Gloria's book immensely. It was easy to read in its entirety over the weekend. With so many thoughts and images bombarding us, it was refreshing to read something sanitized with virtue and honor and the of doing good for the many. I was impressed that such a young writer was able to capture the vision and emotion contained in the story and that as an adult, I could feel and see the meaning of the words on each page. The fantasy and magic in the story were alive and entertaining. I would not hesitate to read it to a child without censure and would think it entertaining for anyone young at heart, tired of negative themes thrust upon us daily. I think we will be hearing for years to come from Miss Gloria Tesch, who is a sweet, unasuming, innocent young lady whom I had the pleasure of meeting at the signing of her first book in Books a Million in Palm Harbor Florida.