| Title | : | Penny Preston and the Raven's Talisman (Misaligned, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published August 14, 2012 |
When Shadow-monsters attack in the cafeteria, eighth-grader Penny Preston panics, starts a food fight and unknowingly creates a trans-dimensional rift. Summoned to the counselor’s office, she expects suspension, but instead discovers that she is misaligned: that means she exists in more than three dimensions at once. Unless she immediately begins training to learn to handle her powerful abilities, she risks losing her sanity. She agrees to secretly train with her counselor and his friend Master Poe, an exile from the seventh dimension trapped in a raven’s body, to keep her home town, Piper Falls, safe from higher-dimensional beings seeking to gain god-like powers in our dimension.
Together with Simon, her telepathic multi-dimensional cat, Penny struggles to save her relationship with her best friend, protect her universe, and uncover her connection to Arthurian myth.
Penny Preston and the Raven's Talisman (Misaligned, #1) Reviews
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Penny Preston is startled and terrified when bizarre creatures invade her 8th-grade cafeteria - and even more surprised when she realizes that she's the only one who saw them.
But someone else did sense their presence: her teacher Mr. Myrdin. Mr. Myrdin takes Penny under his wing and demonstrates to her that she is "misaligned," an unusual person who can access dimensions other than our own.
Penny's world is under siege by creatures (I use the term loosely, some of them are mere wisps with consciousness) from other dimensions. Penny, Myrdin and Penny's friend Duncan must try to discover who in their world is helping the creatures. They are aided by a cat and a raven who both have consciousness and can communicate with Penny.
I'm an adult who mostly reads historical fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is well-plotted, well-paced, and Penny and Duncan are a very appealing early-teenage couple who obviously want to be more than friends but are too young and awkward to make it happen. Their normal lives as teenagers (swim team, school projects, family life) ground the story and are adeptly interwoven with the main plot of the inter-dimensional war.
I loved how Penny was the protagonist, rather than in the sidekick role that girls in this genre are usually consigned to. I also liked that the adults in this story are mostly nurturing and even kind of interesting.
This book was not in the genres I usually read, but I highly recommended it for middle-school-age readers who enjoy this genre. -
Misaligned: The Celtic Connection is a great fantasy. It is a well-developed story that kept me completely engrossed throughout. Skillfully written, this book is entertaining and delightful. The characters were believable and interesting. I thought the storyline was quite different with all the suspenseful moments with tons of mystery and ongoing action.
This smart tale grabs your attention even before the story begins right at the Prologue. Even though this book is designed with young adults in mind, this is a very sophisticated fantasy. I loved the empowerment theme of the female main character, Penny and that her best friend was a boy. This is a story of friendship and bravery mixed in with the Celtic connection. I was impressed by how many creative details went into writing such a story. The author has a real talent and a knack for storytelling. I would highly recommend reading Misaligned right away so you can move onto book two in the series,”Misaligned: The Silver Scepter.
"The real problem for the misaligned is to have the proper training to understand what's happening to them. The training has to begin before the person becomes an adult..." -
Penny Preston is just trying to figure out what the mist-figures in the corridor outside the school cafeteria are and what they're doing, when she accidentally opens a transdimensional rift and starts a food fight. It's not any great surprise that, though it takes a bit longer than she expected, she's soon enough sitting in the office of Mr. Myrdin.
It is a surprise that she's not there to be disciplined for starting the food fight. Two other students have been blamed for that, and being as unaware as everyone else of Penny's involvement, they've accepted it. No, Penny is there because the only other person who noticed the strange creatures is Mr. Myrdin. He wants to talk to her about the fact that she's "misaligned," existing in more than just the usual three dimensions, and thus an important key to stop transdimensional beings from attacking and destroying our universe.
What follows is a wild adventure for Penny, and her best friend, Duncan, who need to learn the ins and outs of fighting higher-dimensional beings from Mr. Myrdin and his companion, the raven Master Poe. Along the way, Penny acquires a wonderful, large, black cat named Simon, who isn't exactly your average pussycat, and Duncan acquires an amulet that lets him share some of the "misaligned" powers Penny was born with, and assist her in the battle.
These are two normal kids, thirteen or fourteen, neither the most popular kids in school, nor social outcasts. They have friends and rivals, and classes they like and classes they hate. What I really love, though, is that The Hobbit is an important touchstone for them, and for Mr. Myrdin, and the teacher who is a major threat is also a really good teacher. Honestly, I would have loved to have a class with her at that age, as long as I could skip the "conspiring against me with transdimensional enemies" part. Truly, in years to come, I think Penny and Duncan would only regret the "conspiring against them" part, and still value having had that her class.
There are also excursions into Celtic myth and Arthurian legend, which also add to the story and the atmosphere.
A lot of fun, and well worth the time.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the narrator, and am reviewing it voluntarily. -
“Misaligned” is a brilliant combination of modern fantasy, Celtic myth and Arthurian legend. When the shadows from Penny's recurring nightmares creep up on her during school lunch, she hurls her tapioca at them. Although she isn't blamed for the ensuing tapioca fight, she is introduced into a whole new world of other dimensions, portals and creatures of legend. Add to this a talking raven and an ambitious archeologist and Penny, together with her friend Duncan, her cat Simon, and their science teacher Mr. Myrdin enter into a highly exciting and dangerous adventure.
Wow, did I enjoy this book! Apart from the general excitement, action and suspense of the story, the author keeps it utterly fascinating with vivid and frequent descriptions of Celtic customs and druidic rituals. He skillfully incorporates a legend concerning King Arthur, his knights and Merlin into this story. Throw into the tale some mythical creatures like Cait Sith, a Grimalkin and the Bodach and “Misaligned” is a book that you wouldn't want to put down.
The characters are absolutely realistic. Penny Preston, the main character, and her friend Duncan are about thirteen to fourteen years old and they behave like young people their age should. Neither highly popular nor completely unpopular, Penny is just a normal school girl with a talent for swimming and a desire to excel at her school work.
While Penny, Duncan and Mr. Myrdin are trying to prevent disaster, a highly ambitious archeologist is making a deal with a being from another dimension in order to achieve her goals. Too bad Scotland Yard and the FBI are looking for the link to a major ring of antiquities smugglers.
Suitable for readers of all ages, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat and begging for more. Five stars for a brilliant, unique and extremely interesting book. (Ellen Fritz) -
Trouble is in the air–or, rather, in the higher dimensions. Can you feel it?
You can if you’re one of the Misaligned.
No, it’s not a Picasso painting. A “Misaligned” is someone who, by nature of their birth, is sensitive to the movements and realities of higher planes and other universes. Not only can they sense these other levels, but they can manipulate them.
Like magicians.
And the ancient Druids.
And…Penny.
She is unaware of this talent until she is called in for a meeting with Mr. Myrdin, her science teacher, after one of the oddest food fights in her school’s history. Before this, it was just her nightmares that were giving her trouble.
Now, with her newfound talent, she has the responsibility to right a wrong engendered by someone with a connection to one of the more evil entities in the higher realities. This is a lot for a young girl to take on, but fortunately she has a lot of help–some of which comes from very unexpected places.
This was a great story, one of the better YA books I have read. The action is crisp, the dialogue wonderful, and I can’t praise the author’s imagination enough. It took a lot of research, both in the modern world and in the ancient Druidic land that is now Wales, to come up with such a fantastic read. The characters are very engaging, with a really nasty villain and some really heroic heroes.
And once you’ve read this book, you will find yourself talking to crows and ravens, hoping that, one day, one of them will talk back. -
Actual rating: 4.25🌟
This book caught my attention on Netgalley because of its synopsis. It mentions different dimensions and that was the hook for me. I quite enjoy books with this kind of premise. I have a bit of an expectation going into the book.
Our main character Penny is a Misaligned. This term is still vague for me, it's not some talent, more on you were born with it. Being Misaligned enable someone to see beings that aren't from your dimension. This is Penny's adventure as she explore this skill of hers together with friends and some unlikely mentors.
The start wasn't that promising for me, what with the info-dump-ish way of world building. I thought it would be a miss for me. But fortunately, the story and the characters were able to capture my interest and made me unable to put down the book. It was quite a ride and I enjoyed majority of the book. I think if you could push through 30% of the book, you will understand what I'm saying, lol.😅
This book has a very atmospheric tone to it. It felt like this one will be a good Halloween read. It has bits of mythology, archeology and crime solving on it but it did not overwhelm the main plot. The writing is easy to get into.
Recommended for fans of middle grade fantasy.❤👍
P.S. There's a cute and loyal cat named Simon.🐱
***Thanks to the publisher and author for making this book available for review via Netgalley.*** -
Misaligned: The Celtic Connection by Armen Pogharian is a wonderful book for both teens and preteens. The two main characters are thirteen years old, and their friendship is endearing and believable. The story also features a cantankerous raven, a mysterious cat with magical powers, and a marvelous grandmother (I’m partial to grandmothers) who doles out just the right information at the right time. I sincerely hope we see more of her in upcoming books.
Misaligned: The Celtic Connection has all the earmarks of the hero’s journey. Penny has no idea that she is special until she is thrust into a magical showdown that threatens the world. Overwhelmed and alone, she struggles to maintain her schoolwork while training in transdimensional portals—until her best friend discovers her secret and offers unflagging support.
The story takes side excursions into Celtic folklore and Arthurian legend, which I found quite interesting. In fact, I enjoyed the book so much, I read it twice in short order. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
This is a well-written book that is great for middle school readers and up. The story pulled me right in and kept me entertained until the end. The storyline is well-plotted, moves at a steady pace, and continues the right amount of fantasy and suspense. The characters have great chemistry are likable and relatable.
I listened to the audio version of this book. Narrator Michelle Babb is a gifted storyteller. She bring the characters off the page, giving them unique voices and personality without interfering with the story itself.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone. -
I presume the book is targeted at kids, but this adult enjoyed it also. Mythology merges with science, magic becomes mathematics, and the strange extracurricular activities of two very bright 8th grade students become plausible. Add in a sort of magical cat and a raven who's really a being from a higher dimension, plus a couple of teachers (one focused on protecting the world, one totally selfish) and you get some interesting results. I couldn't help being a little envious of their school, which is way more interesting and better funded than any I attended.
I was sufficiently hooked that I plan to read the rest of the series. Will the bad guys in the higher dimensions keep trying? -
This was a very different book to what I usually choose to read but I actually enjoyed it a lot. I know if is aimed at the teen or young adult listen but the story was so well crafted that I think anybody would enjoy it, no matter what there age. I don't claim to be a syfi fan but occasionally I will branch out and try something different, so if like me you can't tell the difference between trans-dimensional rift and time travel don't worry the author has you covered. The book isn't too geeky and with great characters it soon had me hooked. Hey you even get a talking cat, what's not to like? The story was interesting and even held a little mystery to keep you guessing, as to who was helping the baddie. I would try another book by this author.
When Penny witnesses bright lights shining in the cafeteria she is the only one to see it and unwittingly starts a good fight. Fearing her punishment when she is called into her teachers office she is shocked to find him talking to a raven and even more so when it talks back. Penny is one of the few who can exist in more than three dimensions and with someone or something trying to open a portal from there world to hers, she is the only one to stop it. She must train to use her powers but every time she uses them the enemy can sense her and will stop at nothing to find her. Penny needs someone she can trust and chooses her best friend and with the help of an amulet he along with her talking cat guardian must keep her safe. Just like Penny isn't what she seems, so is someone else at the school but just who is helping the higher-dimensional being who wants to become a god? If the Raven know as Master Moe, can figure out who it is they might just have a chance of stopping there plan and saving
Piper Falls.
The narrator was the reason I gave this book a chance because with her as the narrator I knew the story was going to be good. I am glad to say Michelle Babb didn't let me down.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. -
Inter-dimensional Fantasy Both Fun & Complex
My 14-year-old daughter read this one too and really liked the storyline. It had some great twists and wasn't what we expected. We loved the Welsh legend element to the story. It really was fun and the actual storyline wasn't overly complex but the inter-dimensional parts were pretty confusing. The story was a mix of fantasy adventure with magic and science theory. Basically, if the summary was intriguing to you, then go for it.
Parents- This is completely clean (PG) but I would say that due to the complexity I would place it as a middle school and up read.
As for the narrator 2.75⭐.... Veerr-y s-l-ooo-wwww, like painfully. I'm really not trying to be mean but when I turned it on I thought it was at 3/4 speed. Once sped up to 1.3x speed it was much better, although some of the inflections felt off. She otherwise did a pretty good job.
—I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. -
I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator did an excellent job.
This is a cute young adult novel that is about a young girl who is misaligned which means she exists in different dimensions. I interpreted this as being like she's Doctor Strange. And she could manipulate these different dimensions. So the story is her learning about her powers.. This education process and her friendship with the young man who helps her are the two best elements of the book.
The study of ancient Celtic customs was also of interest. Some of the bits explaining about other dimensions and the different creatures got a little dull. All the different names got confusing.
I liked the raven character best.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. -
What would you do if you discovered in 8th grade that you had magical powers that not only made you different than all of your friends, but would require you to fight evil entities to save your world as you know it? It might be made better by the fact that you have helpers to keep you safe in the form of a raven, a large black cat and even your best friend who has been drawn in to this new reality. That's exactly what Penny is dealing with. Oh, and she can talk to the raven and the cat--we can't forget that!
This is a YA story full of very strange and interesting aspects. I listened to the audio version narrated by Michelle Babb. She had some great voices for the different characters that made it very fun to listen to. -
Penny Preston and the Raven's Talisman: Misaligned, Book I
By: Armen Pogharian
The first book in a magical new series!!!
Penny Preston is a strong young teen female character. This fantasy takes
Penny and her special friends on adventures that a regular girl wouldn't
be able to handle. The listener is treated to good, bad and all in
between. Will she save all that matters or will evil prevail?
The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed. Michelle
Babb will engage the listener and keep them entertained throughout the
book!!!
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have
voluntarily left this review. -
I really enjoyed getting to know Penny Preston, she felt like a real 8th grader, I enjoyed that they made the characters feel like real people. The plot was great and it was a good start to a series.
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So this is definitely not my usual story or genre but thought I would give it a go because I usually get on well with the narrator.
It took me a few goes to get into the story - I could see that is well developed and the characters were intriguing. I am so sure that it will appeal to people who like this genre.
I was given a free copy by the narrator but the review is entirely my own. -
Penny Preston and the Raven's Talisman by Armen Pogharian is not my usual genre of book to read or listen to but I enjoyed this contemporary fantasy for teens. The book is entertaining and delightful with characters who are believable (those of human form anyway!) and interesting. I especially liked Simon the telepathic multidimensional cat, who is Penny's devoted protector. The storyline is quite different with Celtic references and higher-dimensional beings seeking to gain god-like powers in our dimension. The author keeps interest high with suspense, mystery, and some edge-of-the-seat action. The narrator, Michelle Babb, does a nice job of giving characters their unique voice, making for an enjoyable listening experience. I enjoyed the book and look forward to listening to any other books that may come in this series. I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
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Meet Penny, born with one eye a different colour from the other. She's slowly realising that she's a little different from her peers but before she can explore it fully, she's thrust into life as someone who is misaligned - that is someone who can see other dimensions and travel between them. The only problem is there's some power that's desperate to harness what she can do to open their own portal to another dimension. This book is down right AWESOME. I was a little unsure as to whether I'd enjoy it and I'm very pleased to say that I was completely wrong! I found myself at night saying "just one more chapter" and then when it ended I was desperate to read more of Penny's adventures and so have brought the other two in the series which I'll also be reviewing. Armen Pogharian is an excellent writer who knows how to pull you into the story, leave you hanging desperate for more and keep you reading page after page. I expect great things from the sequels and I am completely sure that I will not be disappointed, nor will you if you give this series a read! HIGHLY recommended!
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This is a brilliant story, full of magic and intrigue. super characters, especially the animals, loved Mr Poe, a great mix of Celtic legends and higher science woven into a entertaining storyline. When Penny throws pudding at a monster that only she can see several new worlds open up. lots of historical references and mythological creatures, are all entwined in a fabulous narrative. Although a YA novel and I am far from its target audience I loved every page. Narration is great entertaining with good voices, one very little niggle being Welsh myself, Michelle like many Americans cannot do a Welsh accent, she tries but does a good Irish one instead.. But this is a minor thing, everything else in wonderful. I look forward to book 2. I received a complimentary copy from the narrator and am leaving a honest voluntary review.
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Armen Pogharian asked me to read their novel "Misaligned". I previously reviewed his story "Poisoned Princess" but this is a different beast entirely. I will examine Plot, Character and Polish and then assign a grade.
PLOT
From a very high level view, this is an Alien Invasion plot, but the nuts and bolts are not that at all. The experience of the story is much closer to Slice of Life. I didn't place a premise in the introduction like I usually do because I can't decide upon this book's genre. Rather, I don't know if it can decide because it includes a lot.
On one hand, it is very much a Fantasy style book. The protagonist has special powers because her parents conceived her When The Stars Align (basically) and she is trained in how to use these powers by an old wise man and his raven familiar to fight supernatural monsters in defense of her town and world.
On the other hand, it is a Science Fiction book. The old wise man makes clear that these are not magical creatures but aliens from another dimension or misunderstandings between time-displaced humans. The magic powers are just application of physics that she happens to be able to personally manipulate. He even compares them to the research that the protagonist's parents do at the local science institution.
On a third hand, it is Slice of Life. Both the Fantasy/ Science Fiction/Scientifically-Understandable-Sorcery/etc. are concentrated into a small number of scenes. The bulk of the story is ordinary school life, such as Penny training for and then competing in a school swim race, or preparing for a class presentation about Babylonian law codes, or a holiday dinner. None of these are related to the plot. I think of them as filler.
There is a fourth genre here, cat-and-mouse style Crime fiction. See, the story takes a digression to focus on one of the story's two villains, who basically becomes a villain protagonist, complete with their own hero antagonist in a detective. This lasts several chapters and doesn't include any of the previous story elements.
There's even a little Urban Fantasy when Penny and Duncan go to a magician's performance and they realize that this magician has all the same powers and knowledge as Penny, and he uses them in his act.
The villain can only try to make their evil plan a success at certain times of the year, so the gaps between major action make sense. However, the heroes don't do much that is plot relevant between these times. Penny even takes a break from training after one of them. There is little sense of long-term urgency that can connect the scenes together. That is what leads to, in my personal opinion, a feeling of disjunction.
Aside from the plot, I like this setting's world building. There is much lore about the druids of this verse and their history with the powers and aliens that the main characters deal with in the present day. There's also a brief overview of how the extra-dimensional beings became the gods and monsters of folklore and pagan religions, and why they disappeared.
Personally, Mr. Myrdin's backstory sounds like a more exciting story than what he is doing now with Penny.
Its ending has a good rising action and climax, leading to a satisfying ending.
CHARACTERS
Penny is our story's protagonist. She is "misaligned", which means she is slightly out of synch with her home dimension and thus capable of accessing higher and lower dimensions. Basically, this means she has such stock super powers as Teleportation, Thinking Up Portals and (in a sense) Super Speed.
She is a nice girl who can adapt quickly. After the plot triggering event, she had just enough skepticism to sound mature and rational but then she was on board with the supernatural conflict stuff. It is with a grounded and moderate attitude that she accepts her role as protector of Piper Falls against dimensional monsters. It is a remarkable attitude, I think.
She is neither overly enthusiastic (Jumped at the Call) nor does she bury her head in the ground and let the problem get worse (Refused the Call). She doesn't even complain or angst about her new duty and the new constraints on her time (Resigned to the Call). Her pair of mentors discuss how the news neither made her feel special nor cursed, just lonely.
Mr. Myrdin is an interesting case. He is definitely the wise old mentor in how he looks, acts etc. but he also still a student under Master Poe (who is a raven, by the way; yes, the joke is intentional). The double dynamic is what I find interesting. When it is time for Mentor Occupational Hazard, he is more devastated than Penny. I also like his sense of humor.
Simon is adorable, clever, and brave. After all, he is Cat Sith.
Duncan is a smaller and more monolithic presence. I don't see much to him other than "Penny's friend and self-appointed protector". Although, he does have this Big Eater that comes up a couple times.
Of the book's two villains, the human side one is better developed. She gets this minor digression to herself where the reader can see her thoughts and motivations. Her Evil Plan is quite sympathetic, or rather, it would be if didn't lack empathy for its aftermath.
POLISH
There is a glossary that the start of the book that translates the Welsh used in the book, as well as information for some things like Cat Sith.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "Misaligned" a C+
This has been a free review request. The author asked for an honest one so I provided it. -
A truly original, madly intriguing page-turner of a YA fantasy! A fresh and imaginative, intricately woven plot with well-developed characters and enough finely-stitched detail to please anyone with a taste for high-contemporary fantasy; Misaligned should definitely please fans of Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl and Neil Gaiman's children's books.
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Review originally published at:
https://lomeraniel.com/book-review-pe...
Penny Preston has the power to prevent an invasion by higher-dimensional beings. Recruited by her teacher Mr. Myrdin and Mr. Poe the Raven, Penny will join forces with them, while also counting with the help of her friend Duncan, and together they will try to prevent the evil forces of higher dimensions to enter their world.
This was a cute story featuring Celtic lore and an adaptation of druidic stories about Merlin and Arthur. I enjoyed this aspect of the book, and I found it quite original. My favorite character in the book was Mr. Poe, but I was curious about Myrdin. I think I would have liked to know more about this character and his backstory.
I had issues with the pacing of the book. I found the writing a bit disjointed. The sense of urgency was lost on me most of the time. I think Pogharian could have done a better job at reminding the reader what was at stake in the story, as the events were entertaining enough but I didn’t feel much of the gravity of it all.
In the book, the Monroe Institute is mentioned several times as it’s where Penny’s parents work. This rang my alarm bells as I’ve read a book about the subject and I think it’s a controverted matter. I wondered several times if the dimensional beings and Pogharian’s inspiration had something to do with it. I hope it doesn’t, but I guess we’ll see in future books.
Michelle Babb delivered a wonderful narration, bringing the characters to life with exquisite interpretations. I liked that all characters had their unique voices and style, all done very subtly, without interfering with the story.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. -
This is a great middle grade fantasy and a solid option if you’re looking to find an alternative to the Harry Potter series if you’re done with JKR.
Our main protagonist, Penny, is likeable without being a Mary-Sue. She has relatable problems for a 13/14 year old, like balancing school, sports, friendships, and uh...secret magical extracurriculars. But life is better when you have a friend to help share your burdens, and Duncan plays the part well. Throw in a couple of magical mentors and a sinister villain trying to create a portal from another dimension to rule as a god and you’ve got a pretty good cast of characters that don’t feel “dumbed down” in any way, regardless of age.
I really enjoy the worldbuilding in this series! There’s a great balance between the “magic as science” element and the Arthurian and Celtic myth element that really works here. I love both of them and it’s interesting to see how they can be fitted together. There is a lot going on that establishes the “rules” for magic/science/time travel in this universe, but it never feels overwhelming for the reader.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Michelle Babb, who did an excellent job! Great distinction between different character voices and standard narration. I can’t wait to jump into the sequel next to be caught up before Book #3 is released here soon!
Star Rating : 8/10
Would I recommend? Yes.
Similar Titles? The Crowns of Croswold, Harry Potter, The Paper Magician, All Souls Series (but for a younger crowd) -
Well written but easily forgettable. The pacing of the book was pretty consistent but the beginning was very slow and had a huge info-dump quality to it. Once I got past the first 30% or so of the book the pacing increased and it was easier/more enjoyable to listen to.
The narrator was great, I disagreed with some of her voices (such as the cat having a deep somewhat monotone voice) but overall she was easy to listen to and had distinct voices for the majority of the characters.
Disclaimer - I received this book for free in exchange for an unbiased review.
