Kindle Edition Amazon The Chronicles of Virago Category:  Young Adult/Teen ISBN-10:  0692060987 Type: Fiction Pages: 124 ISBN-13: 9780692060988 Price: $4.99 (eBook) A contemporary coming of age Fantasy for all ages Makenna Grace Gold is just your average 12-year-old girl. That is, until she is told that she must protect her newborn brother and sister to safeguard the future of the world. Armed with a mysterious weapon, three Fairy mentors, and a wisecracking earthworm named Fluffy, Makenna must battle the forces of evil and became a defender for hope. Can Makenna truly be ‘The Virago’?    Excerpt PROLOGUE The worst thing that Good could do to Evil was ignore it. The Dark One could not stand being ignored. The Evil One had tried to get his attention, goad him into battle, Fight him as he had done since the beginning of time. The Light would not engage The Dark. This only served to frustrate the Dark One, infuriate him. In fact Evil took his revenge upon the earth and still Good let Evil run rampant for many millennia. The Light would not confront The Dark Not until it was time…

Whirlwind Adventure!
Makenna Grace Gold is about to leave her boring old life behind for the craziness of big sisterhood.

This entails many, many new responsibilities - baby sitting, extra chores around the house, oh, and saving the world from death, destruction and annihilation.

Pretty typical stuff, right?

Her twin siblings are the key to the Dark One's power and it's up to her to protect them from any and all harm.

The problem?

Makenna is only twelve years old.

Au contraire mon ami, what the Big Bads don't realize is that this common skater-girl is not on her own - with the help of three fairies, her new best friend and her sword/skateboard she will become a force to reckon with. The only thing that kinda sucks is her sidekick. ("Harry Potter gets an owl, and I get a worm...")

Overall, this was a quick fun read. The storyline was engaging and honestly, the wise-cracking worm was my favorite character (he was named Fluffy. FLUFFY! ).

I think most middle-schoolers would enjoy this novel - it is fast-paced and action-packed. Makenna is a brave kid and I love Stephen - her completely human tag-a-long companion. AND, of course, this book has Fluffy and I adore him. He deserves his own series.

With thanks to the author for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

KIRKUS REVIEW
In this debut middle-grade fantasy, a girl must protect her newborn twin siblings from evil forces.

Twelve-year-old Makenna Grace Gold of the Los Angeles area can't wait for school tomorrow. She's trying to fall asleep, but is excited about the Science Fair, where she'll present homemade sugar crystals. Just as Makenna drifts off, a trio of fairies appears in her bedroom: cousins Bree and Dee Delphine and "Marigold Frith, Fairy Prelate." They've come to initiate Makenna as The Virago, Warrior of Warriors. From braids of light and hope, they summon the Ancient Weapon, which looks like a sword as it bonds with Makenna. The girl wakes, assuming that she's dreaming, and the fairies explain that her new brother and sister will be born tomorrow. They are hope incarnate, and Makenna must protect them against villainous forces, namely Sir Seaton, war profiteer and head of Natasi Industries. He sends his beautiful but deadly associates, Ms. Chevious and Ms. Creante, from their London headquarters to collect the twins. Luckily, Makenna can focus the power of the Ancient Weapon as she chooses, and she does so through her new lowrider skateboard. In his novel, Bialys introduces a spunky protagonist who's fun to root for as she deals with rival classmate (and skating champ) Heather Stern; the twins' creepy nanny, Ms. Revel; and later, reptilian demons. Aside from the fairies, Makenna gets help from Fluffy, a talking worm, and Stephen Levine, a dreamy Canadian transfer student. The author reveals that some characters aren't who they initially appear to be, which should keep middle-grade audiences alert. He also educates as he connects the Virago legacy to King Arthur, the monarch's sword Excalibur, and the story of David, who felled Goliath with a slingshot. The notion that children can change the world by channeling their passion through an object has broad appeal in reality, and further potential as a narrative device. The finale featuring an actual Highway to Hell should amuse anyone who's driven in Los Angeles. The overall likability of this series opener should secure readership for the sequel.
This zany adventure flaunts a heart of gold and a plucky heroine.

OnlineBookClub.orgForumsBooks
The Chronicles of the Virago by Michael K Bialys is a sweet and earnest story for children at heart. When twelve-year-old Makenna Gold finds out she's the Virago--the hero of heroes, protector of the light--she can't believe it. How is she, a kid who's not even good at sports, supposed to fight darkness and save the world? But when Makenna finds out her newborn siblings are the light in need of protecting, Makenna's Virago instincts kick in. Nothing will harm her younger brother and sister, and Makenna will risk everything to defeat the darkness.

Bialys perfectly captures the thoughts of a twelve-year-old girl. Makenna's greatest concern before learning she's the Virago is winning the science fair. She's so proud of her project and wants to wipe the smug smirk off popular-girl Heather's face. When Makenna is bonded to the Virago weapon, she has a burst of energy Bialys describes as Makenna being able to answer questions while beating all the boys at basketball. These are such preteen concerns, and they are felt so genuinely. Makenna is told she will choose the form of her weapon, and she winds up with a skateboard. Skateboarding is often portrayed as a "boy sport," and it was great to see a female character rockin' some moves.

Makenna's three fairy companions are also well-voiced. Bree, Dee, and Marigold are a team but have their own unique personalities. I found myself fondly reminded of the ladies from A Wrinkle in Time or the three fairies from Disney's Sleeping Beauty without feeling like Bree, Dee, and Marigold were copied. I especially like Dee's humor. When the hounds find Makenna too soon, Dee blames social media, and it's adorable.

The story itself feels a bit transparent. When the fairies tell Makenna she's the Virago, Makenna doesn't even blink. She accepts it as truth, no questions or doubts. Based on the description of the book, I expected more about Makenna dealing with being the Virago and protecting her little siblings. Instead, much of the action focuses on Makenna's trials with Heather. After Makenna defeats an initial evil hound, something called the Alghanii is mentioned as a terrible threat. A lot happens involving Makenna's every-day life before the Alghanii threat materializes, which left me feeling like the stakes just weren't high enough. There are interspersed chapters that take place in Hell (or something similar to it) that work to forward the Virago plotline, but without the same focus from the chapters with Makenna, I got a little lost.

My favorite part of this book is the important messages it delivers. Makenna is told over and over from many sources that fear is a tool she can use to aid her as the Virago. Toward the end, one of the fairies quotes Henry Ford's famous line about how we can or cannot do something if we believe. Well into adulthood, these are things I struggle with on a daily basis. Watching Makenna put these concepts into practice gave me a tangible example of how they can really work. This alone brings The Chronicles of the Virago into the league of books able to have a meaningful impact on young readers.

I rate The Chronicles of the Virago 3 out of 4 stars. The characters are great, and the lessons can't be beat. The places where the story feels thin aren't enough to lower my rating. This book is an excellent read for kids between 8 and 11 years. I would also recommend it for a slightly younger crowd to read with a parent, as this truly is a family story.