Penny Preston and the King's Blade (Misaligned #3) by Armen Pogharian

Penny Preston and the King's Blade (Misaligned #3) Reviews

• 
  Angie

  Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in the Misaligned series, I really looked forward to reading The Darkest Day. As expected, I was not at all disappointed. A shape shifter from Celtic mythology unintentionally draws a truly nasty beasty, the Twrch Trwyth into this dimension when it crosses over. Connected with a prophecy of apocalyptic proportions, said beasty proceeds to tear the structure of the multiverse apart. Once again it is up to Penny, Duncan, Mr. Myrdin, Master Poe, and my favorite character, the cait sith, Simon, to save the town and, perhaps, the world.
  
  Deeply rooted in Arthurian legend, this book captivated me to the point that I simply couldn't put it down. As Piper Falls and surrounding areas are rife with supernatural energy, it becomes a hotspot for reenergized bodach, as well as a bodach commander who has waited approximately 1600 years to get her revenge.
  
  I absolutely love that, despite the responsibility of monumental paranormal events, Penny and Duncan still act their age. Like normal kids they still stress about school work, enjoy favorite food, and indulge in play. Best of all, Penny has a sense of humor that pops up at unexpected moments, thus keeping the story from getting too dark. A major bonus for me is the total absence of romance in this book.
  
  Although The Darkest Day is mainly a suspense laden paranormal adventure, the descriptions of technology as well as the interesting historical facts makes it a decidedly stimulating read. I highly recommend this book to all young people—really anybody who is young at heart, as a lively, thrilling, yet heartwarming, MUST-READ. (Ellen Fritz)
  
• 
  Julie Howard

  I enjoyed this book but think you have to have read or listened to the previous books in the series for it to make sense but that is not hardship as I enjoyed them too. What I like about this series is the fact that it is so different to every else I have listened too and you have no idea where the author is going to take you next on the adventure. It is backed up by some great and interesting characters, that you can't help but like, even when you aren't sure whether to trust them or not. I liked how the Camelot legend player a big part in the story but it does jump around from the past to the present and the story is good by multiple characters as the story unfolds but somehow this works and makes for a captivating story, that had me hook. I can't wait to see what is going to happen next.
  With power surges happening all over town, as the Bodach tries to regain there power and strength. Penny and here friends are the only ones to stand in the way. More crazy creatures are finding the way through the dimensional portal and Penny will have to look to the past in order to have a future. But can she trust her new allie? Can she afford not to? With her parents caught up in the centre?
  I liked the narrator. She brings the story to life and drags you along on the adventure too.
  I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
• 
  fred jones

  I loved it. Great story, great characters and a great ending. I love the way it moves through the different time periods from Arthurian times to the present day. Lots of Arthurian references, shapeshifters, strange energies and a multiverse ending creature. Michelle Bab does a great job with the narration but still cannot get a welsh accent but apart from that a super performance brings the story to even more life. I received a complimentary copy from the narrator and am leaving a honest voluntary review
  
• 
  Brenda Perlin

  Misaligned: The Darkest Day by Armen Pogharian is another gripping addition to this series. I was excited to be reuniting with Penny, Duncan and the other cast of characters. All of them are realistic with their own set of quirks. The author tells a fantasy but there is so much life force behind it. It’s full of adventure, ups and downs, and twists I didn’t see coming. The paranormal was done in a believable way. There is just something so endearing about these books. I have a soft spot for them and the way they are written.
  
  “Penny cringed ever so slightly at Duncan’s reference to Lisa, Stacy, and Janet as the girls. What was she? Wasn’t she a girl, too? Did they have some exclusivity on femininity? Not for the last time, she thought it wasn’t always easy having a boy as your best friend.”
  
  There are some childish moments , humor that tickles my funny bone and then it becomes completely proper and intelligent. I love that it isn’t always so serious but at the same time there is depth.
  
  You don’t have to be a young person to get swept into this series. I just wish they were around when I was younger. It might have got me reading more. Still, this is a very “mature” young persons book, though you don’t have to be young to appreciate it. It’s clearly well thought-out, richly woven and the scenes are extremely clever. I like that is moves around in time. Kept me glued to the pages hoping the clues would give me the answers I was so impatiently waiting for. It ruffles some feathers and has you guessing.
  
  Books like this is something that stays with you. These will be ingrained in my memory. Not quite like anything else I have read. The Darkest Day is built on many things and that is what makes it so irresistible.
  
  Quote ~
  
  “She needed to find that source, but that wasn’t her most urgent need. Others of her kin had also been drawn to this place and its promise of renewed life. Judging from her recent ordeal, at least a few of them had already enhanced their power. She was too weak to chance an encounter with them. She must recharge her energy reserves. She’d underestimated her opponents once. She wasn’t the type to repeat a mistake. It was time for her to become the hunter.”
• 
  Anne Rightler

  Having read the first two books in Armen Prgharian's series, I knew I would enjoy book III, Penny Preston and the King's Blade. Even though this is not my usual genre of book to read or listen to 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. Penny, her friend Duncan and Mr. Myrdin have to make sure the universe is not torn apart. With shapeshifters, nasty beasts, prophecies of destruction, multiple universes the story moves quickly. The author keeps the reader's 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.
• 
  Joey Paul

  I found myself looking for extra time to read so that I could finish this book, it is the next in the Misaligned series and I feel saddened that now I have to wait for the next one (if there is one) to be written as I have found myself falling in love with this series. It is so excellently written and twists in the past with the present whilst also not tipping the scales too much into the unbelievable. Once again Armen Pogharian has written a nail-biting book where you find yourself going back and forth in time to discover the answers of the present day problem. The characters are lovingly crafted with just the right amount of reality intertwined in the fictional world of Piper Falls. I am happy to call myself a fan of this series and can recommend it to those young and old alike. If you have an interest in early Welsh and Celtic history, then this is the series for you! Highly recommended and I will be counting down the days to the next book!
• 
  Rick Iekel

  Once again, the author brings his readers a fascinating science fiction dilemma to untangle. The mixture of youthful energy, Arthurian legend and inter-world connections keeps his readers glued to the pages. Mixed with it is a healthy dose of wit as the path to the trilogy's conclusion unravels. A word of warning though . . . unless you've read the first and second books, the full effect of this adventure will be lost on the reader, and that would be a shame.
• 
  Lis Carey

  Penny Preston, her friend Duncan, teacher Mr. Myrdin (who is the actual Merlin), Myrdin's companion Master Poe--an exile from the 7th dimension who has assumed raven form in our world, and not least, Penny's companion, Simon, who looks like a very large housecat but is actually a cait sith, one of a race of transdimensional cat-like beings native to our dimension, might have thought they were entitled to a break after their last two adventures. That's not to be, however. A new threat has arrived, a beast from the 5th dimension, is attacking the barriers between the dimensions, threatening the very survival of the multiverse.
  
  At first, all they know is that the weakening of the dimensional barriers is happening. Before they can save the multiverse, they have to figure out what the source of the threat really is.
  
  Penny is attacked by a merman during swimming practice. A shapeshifter with Peter Pan-like skills snares a woman visiting the local clothing store, and is rescued by Simon. A project at the Monroe Institute, where Penny's parents both work as theoretical physicists, is attempting to create sustained nuclear fusion, and is instead getting bizarre surges of energy that don't match any known forms of energy. They've been referring to it as "transdimensional energy," a phrase Penny and her friends find rather disturbing.
  
  And there's a robin flitting around, a European robin, which shouldn't be in New York; it should be on the other side of the Atlantic. Simon keeps calling it "the bird that is not a bird."
  
  There's also a strangely powerful new bodach, who after 1600 years is determined to get revenge on the lesser bodach that helped King Arthur defeat her, as well as on pretty much the entire universe for getting ousted from her role as Prime Principal in the 5th dimension, and exiled to our far more limited dimension. Even she is a lesser threat, though, compared to the ghostly, seven foot tall wild boar who has been near the Monroe Institute's fusion reactor.
  
  Penny and Duncan are real kids, despite their magical and universe-defending responsibilities. They worry about school work, indulge in favorite foods, have normal misunderstandings, and just play. They do great things, but they're kids, responsible kids, but normal kids, not superheroes. It's part of what makes these books a lot of fun.
  
  Recommended.
  
  I received a free copy of this audiobook from the narrator, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
• 
  Sherry

  This is the third volume in a great middle grade fantasy series that works as a solid option if you’re looking to find more alternatives to the Harry Potter series if you’re done with JKR.
  
  Our favorite little band of heroes is back this time with even higher stakes! While our heroes do their thing, they still have to be mindful of Kolchak and Sheriff Deputy Barnes on their trail once more. However, they’re joined by Menw---unsure at first if friend or foe. Our real formidable foes come in the form of a banished “Prime Principal” and the Twrch Trwyth!
  
  This time around, we spend a little more time in the other dimensions and battle multiple interdimensional beings to prevent the collapse of the entire multiverse! All of the mythologies we’ve encountered thus far are tied together quite neatly, including a nod to Roman mythology this time-- so I’m curious to see if there’ll be another installment in this series and what else it will bring to the table!
  
  I listened to the audiobook again---still narrated by Michelle Babb, who did an excellent job once more bringing even more great characters to life! I can’t wait to see what Pogharian writes next!
  
  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)
• 
  Elena Alvarez Dosil

  Review originally published at:
  https://lomeraniel.com/book-review-pe...
  
  Penny and her friends will have to fight being from other dimensions again. Like in the second book, the story begins shortly after the previous installment, and is triggered by the events that happened at the end of it. This means that this book, like the second book, is not meant to be read as a standalone.
  
  The story was again interesting, engaging, and complex. It visited the Arthurian legends but with a twist to include magical elements and beings from other dimensions. There are two storylines in this book: one happening in the present day with Penny and her friends as main characters, and another one in the past, in the time of Arthur and his knights. There is plenty of action, and many events happen in a short amount of time. This is a book to focus on, as there are many important details that we don’t want to miss to be able to follow the story. It’s an incredibly fresh and original take on Celtic legends, and it’s one that I’d recommend to anyone into fantasy and historical fiction regarding Arthurian Legends. The characters are unique, charismatic, and quirky, and we see an evolution from the first book to this one. There are also funny and lighthearted moments, which makes for an upbeat reading.
  
  Michelle Babb did a fantastic job narrating this book, delighting the listener with expressive character interpretations. Her compelling tone kept me engaged from beginning to end, despite the complexity of the story. Babb has a special talent to provide each character with a unique voice and style, making the audiobooks she narrates a terrific experience for the listener.
  
  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.
• 
  Deedra

  Good story.Good characters and ending. It goes through the different time periods up to the present day. We haveri shapeshifters, ghosts and a multiverse ending creature. Michelle Bab does a fine job with the narration.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
• 
  Kim

  Penny and her friends are tasked with saving the multiverse when they discover that someone or something is wreaking havoc on their small town. They need to find who is behind this destruction and keep trying to keep the ghost hunter and police from getting too close to them.
  
  I am enjoying reading this series. This is my favorite in the series so far. The characters both, main and secondary, are entertaining and likable. The setting of a small town where everyone knows everyone makes keeping the secrets of the multiverse hard. This aspect helps to create some humorous situations. The mystery aspect of each story is right up my alley as a mystery fan.
  
  I listened to the audio version of this book. The narrator is fantastic at bringing the characters and story to life. She brings out each character's personality allowing the listeners to lose themselves in the story.
  
  All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.