Stones of Abraxas

By K. Osborn Sullivan

David Stanhope is an average twelve-year-old. His friends are geeks. School is an endless series of humiliations. And his summer vacation is about to be wasted at a broken-down cabin in the middle of nowhere.But there's a secret lurking in David's attic. It transports him and his sister Amanda to the magical world of Abraxas where dragons scour the prairie for prey and centaurs patrol in search of humans. They learn that the people of Abraxas live in fear of a centuries-old sorcerer who has spent his life trying to impose his evil rule on the entire land. If he discovers who David and Amanda really are, they will be forced to help him - or be destroyed.Before the Stanhopes can escape back to their own world, they need answers: How did a priceless treasure end up in their attic? Why is a dragon afraid of a compass? Can a centaur wear a tool belt? Why is a huge talking frog following Amanda? And what is Lucy the Moat Monster's favorite food?Maybe David isn't so average after all.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0615612660
• ISBN13: 9780615612669
• Release Date: April 2012
• Publisher: Kissing Frog Books
• Length: 276 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 12 to 16 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 11

Customer Reviews

An endearing debut fantasy novel for young people and adults alike!

A long, long time ago, our earth was actually called Abraxas. It was a very different and very special place. Magic was a powerful force in a world populated by gnomes, elves, gargoyles, dragons, druids, centaurs, harpies, minotaurs, sphinxes and creatures the likes of which are now only the stuff of imagination, fairy tales, fanciful dreams and frightening nightmares. When war broke out between those who had magic and those who didn't, the magical races banded together and crafted a spell to sunder the world into two parts. Humans not born with magic were banished to the world we now know as earth. Those gifted with magic who remained behind on Abraxas called it Terra. In the aftermath of the war, Adrian the Deceiver, a fallen druid drawn by the allure of power and wealth into the practice of the black arts, sought to control the five magical jewels used to create the sundering spell. To recombine those five jewels into a golden shield was to hold complete dominion over both Terra and Abraxas. With four of those jewels already in his hands, he would do anything to gain control of the last jewel which had been hidden for years on Terra - a place where Adrian dared not venture because he would lose all of his magical ability! David and Amanda Stanhope are a pair of very normal, fun-loving young adults living the life that one would expect of early teens in Chicago. When David accidentally discovers the last jewel hidden in a trunk in his attic, he mistakenly triggers the magic and transports Amanda, his mother and himself to Abraxas. When Adrian and his minions discover that the fifth jewel is, at long last, finally within his reach, David's and Amanda's lives hang in the balance. They are in mortal danger as Adrian will stop at nothing to regain control of the final jewel and exert his dark dominion over two worlds, one of which is not even aware of his evil intentions. K Osborn Sullivan has done herself and the fantasy genre proud with her debut novel! In an atmospheric world which any dungeons and dragons style fantasy author would be justifiably pleased with, Sullivan has created a story that cleverly weaves high speed derring-do adventure with the normal teenage lives of two very likable young people. David and Amanda obviously love their parents but they'd never admit to it. Just as we were at that age, they're utterly shocked and embarrassed by the nonsensical behaviours of their parents who, as adults, really ought to know better! Amanda, experiencing that first blush of adult femininity definitely likes the boys but David, like most ten year old boys, still exhibits that strong "eeyeeew" gag reaction at the thought of young girls and boys consorting with each other. Fully aware of what their parents would expect of them, they don't hesitate to push on the boundaries as they experiment with the edges of adult decision-making. In short, they are completely normal teens with completely normal lives that, in the context of a fantasy adventu

What did you do over your summer vacation?

The Stones of Abraxas is the kind of book you can pick up casually and then not put down until you turn the last page. The story focuses on two siblings, David and Amanda Stanhope, and follows them as they learn first that they are royal, and then that they are magical. The adventure includes David and Amanda as well as their parents, and before the tale is finished also introduces dragons, gargoyles, centaurs, magic spells, frogs, and even a Druid or two while the Stanhope family first learns about their true heritage, then fights to save the world, as well as magical kingdom Abraxas, in a classic battle of good vs. evil. Ms. Sullivan has woven a fun tale of magic and humor that is easy to read and satisfying to the end. If indeed, that is the end...

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Sixth-grader David Stanhope and his eighth-grade sister, Amanda, are reluctantly going to spend summer vacation in a broken down cabin in the woods. They live in a suburb of Chicago, and they would really rather not go to the cabin, but they are resigned to make the best of it. As they search the attic to gather their camping gear, they run across an old trunk that bears investigation. The trunk produces family heirlooms, and among them is a wonderful ruby pendant. The kids' mom, Susan, puts the necklace on, but then when she tries to take it off, it sticks to her forehead; David, Amanda, and Susan are instantly transported to a strange new world inhabited by creatures they have never before seen. They discover that they are in Abraxas, which is a different world that exists parallel to their own earth, or Terra, as the Abraxans call it. It seems that many years ago the two worlds were one, but were split apart. They meet the rulers of Abraxas, and discover that they share mutual ancestors. An evil magician named Adrian the Deceiver needs their ruby to complete the Stones of Abraxas...five gems having magical powers and held together by a golden shield that will give him the power he needs to rule both worlds. He is prepared to employ extreme measures in an attempt to recover the jewel. David and Amanda are the only hope of Abraxas and Terra keeping the ruby from Adrian and his horde of magicians with their evil agenda. K. Osborn Sullivan has invented a medieval-like world in this riveting fantasy that is populated with compelling, fully-developed characters. The centaurs are among my favorites, but all of the characters have personalities that shine through. STONES OF ABRAXAS is a very entertaining story, and you will want to come back to it again and again. It will leave you wanting to read more about this exciting fantasy world. Watch for HEROES OF ABRAXAS, book two in the Abraxas Pentagram, coming soon! Reviewed by: Grandma Bev

This Book is GREAT

I liked this book enough that I read it again, just because it was a FUN read. I hope she writes more books in this series or some other.

great young adult fantasy

When humans started hunting and killing the magic races and those humans who had magical powers, a spell of separation was performed using five magical gems held together by a golden shield. The spell split one world into two: Terra where non magicals lived and Abraxas where centaurs, gargoyles, elves, frogs (yes frogs) and humans born with magic reside. The Stanhope family is transported from Terra to Abraxas using the magic ruby found in the attic of their home. Adrian the Deceiver, a magician who practices the black arts, has in his possession four of the five gems and would kill anyone who gets in his way while he gains control of the last one from the Stanhopes. With all five jewels, he would be able to conquer Abraxas and Terra and it is up the Stanhope children Amanda and David to stop him if they can. Young adults as well as older readers who appreciate a good fantasy will thoroughly enjoy the spellbinding tale of the STONES OF ABRAXAS. Although young and playful with a tendency to get into mischief, Amanda and David have a purity about them that allows them to fight the forces of evil. These characters are so easy to like that readers will root for them to defeat the villain, no matter how hopeless it seems. K. Osborn Sullivan has the magical touch when it comes to writing great young adult fantasy. Harriet Klausner