Victor and the Sun Orb [Paperback]

Amy Nielsen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 14, 2008

Victor, a fairy prince of Solandia, should enjoy a carefree life. But from an early age, he finds himself very busy.He learns complex magic and martial arts. He's even taught how to live in a human world. That's because his parents, King Godfred and Queen Magenta, know about a mortality spell that was cast on their son on the very day of his baptism.A dark, hooded figure with eyes that burn like coal is to blame. Victor's parents know that on his thirteenth birthday, their beloved son will be forced to leave Solandia and live with humans, perhaps never to return.To find an antidote to the spell cast upon him as an infant, Victor must retrieve the mysterious sun orb, a source of magical power now in the hands of the dark, hooded figure.As he sets upon his quest, a war between the forces of light and darkness erupts. Good fairies wage battles with bad fairies, even as the power in their wands fades.Enter a world of magic, and join the fairy prince as he fights for family, love, and friendship in Victor and the Sun Orb.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I thought about Peter Pan and his beloved Tinker Bell while reading this exceptional offering by Nielsen. Throughout the 158 page book, Nielsen builds a creative tapestry that weaves an incredible story. The upside is that a reader's passion for reading and perhaps writing woud be stirred." - Judith Mays, Muncie Times

About the Author

Amy Nielsen was raised in the Philippines and earned a bachelor's degree from Saint Louis University, Baguio City. She worked with a youth ministry before working at an importer/distributor company. She lives in Denmark with her husband and is writing a sequel to Victor and the Sun Orb.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (October 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595512127
• ISBN-13: 978-0595512126
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,788,853 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Amy Nielsen was born and raised in the Philippines and earned a bachelor's degree in English from Saint Louis University, Baguio City. She worked as Regional Youth Coordinator at Divine Word Youth Center giving seminars, retreats, recollections, organizing regional and national youth assemblies. She's part of the organizing committee of World Youth Day '95 in Manila.

Her work put her on road tours all the time including travels to different countries in Europe such as Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, Italy, and Holland. She changed pace after five years and worked as Executive Staff at an importer/distributor company in Manila.

She migrated to Denmark in 2001 and settled with her Danish husband. She went to school to learn the Danish language and now a full-time employee. She loves to travel and visit museums, historical places, climb castles, stroll in the beach and forest, go to bookstores, shop, bond with family, and hang with friends. She's an avid reader of fantasy novels and fairytales. Above all, she enjoys sitting in front of her computer and write her book.

She's currently writing a sequel to Victor and the Sun Orb titled Victor and the Seven Circles of Darkness. She also collaborates with friend Leny Grace Acosta about writing her short memoir, an inspirational book for parents with children with cerebral palsy.

Her first fantasy novel Victor and the Sun Orb receives rave reviews from readers and professional reviewers. For more details, visit her website: www.amynielsenbook.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exciting, Entertaining, Y/A Fantasy!, May 16, 2010

By 

RCBR - See all my reviews

This review is from: Victor and the Sun Orb (Paperback)

Sun fairies both good and evil, monstrous creatures, adventure, magic, a talking strawberry bush, ant royalty, and an epic battle for the freedom of an entire world are in store in the wonderful young adult fantasy Victor and the Sun Orb by Amy Nielsen.

The book captivates from the Prologue. On Solandia, another dimension of Earth, a mythical sphere called the Sun Orb gives the fairies their magical powers. Without the Orb the entire world will become dark and magic-less. The book opens at the trial of Thorkel, the brother of King Godfred, a short time after Thorkel's capture for stealing the Sun Orb. Under Solandian law, Thorkel is sentenced by Queen Magenta to life imprisonment for his crime.

Some 500 years later, Queen Magenta has given birth to a son, Prince Victor. Not long after his birth it is learned that he has been cursed to become human on his 13th birthday. Humans cannot survive in the fairy world of Solandia and so upon turning the fateful age, Victor must leave his family to live with humans. The King and Queen search the entire Kingdom for the person responsible for Victor's mortality curse.

Victor's parents take the curse very seriously and decide to prepare Victor for life with the humans. Victor begins training with a fairy Master Tyrus. For three hours a day, Victor is trained in magic, history, geography, self-defense, and human lifestyles. Victor doesn't take to his studies right away, but in time he becomes a proficient student.

Despite an intense, decade-long search, the curse is not broken. Victor leaves home to live on Earth as a human after his thirteenth birthday. Meanwhile, the Sun Orb is stolen and the fairies' magic instantly begins to weaken. It is believed that Narcissa, a once banished terrorist fairy, or even Thorkel, may be responsible for the theft. Magenta and Godfred assemble an army and travel to a place called Fallen Island to find the Sun Orb. On Earth, Victor's human friend, Annika, has been kidnapped and evidence is found of evil fairy magic. Victor must use all he has learned from Master Tyrus to travel to Fallen Island to save her.

Amy Nielsen has created a universe with loveable creatures, horrible monsters, and mythical magic, effectively keeping readers of all ages entertained from cover to cover. Nielsen steadily builds the momentum over the first 100 pages. Then she throws us onto a thrill ride of twists and turns in the closing chapters, as the armies of Magenta/Godfred and Narcissa/Thorkel's evil Croogs meet in a heroic battle to save or enslave all Solandia.

Highly recommended for readers 8-13, with a caution of some mild course language.

Reviewed by William Potter for Reader's Choice Book Reviews.

3.0 out of 5 stars Victor and the Sun Orb, July 27, 2011

By 

Diana Reed (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Victor and the Sun Orb (Paperback)

Victor and the Sun Orb, by Amy Nielson, introduces the story of Prince Victor of Solandia, born to the king and queen of the sun fairies; however, long before the prince is born, a terrible thing happens in Solandia--the sun orb is stolen. The culprit is caught and imprisoned, and the matter is thought to be resolved. Prince Victor is born years later; but on the day of his baptism a spell is put on him that will transform him into a mortal on his thirteenth birthday. At that time, he'll be forced to leave Solandia and join the human world.

Not long after Victor becomes human, the sun orb is stolen again. War begins in the fairy world. Mysterious events take place. Victor must embark on a quest to get back the sun orb, his mortality, and his human friend, Annika. On this quest, he finds himself up against enemies and mythical creatures, but with the help of friends and others he meets along the way, he defeats them all.

Written specifically for older children, they should enjoy this story quite a bit. There's some lessons in it, as Victor goes through his education and his quest, that Nielson's young audience may benefit from, along with briefly touching on some bigger questions that older children will just be starting to discover. On the other hand, the story seemed a little detached from its characters, even Victor. It was a little difficult to try and care for the cast and whether or not they completed their goals and saved their people. The story does have elements of slightly more traditional fairytales and has some of that style and tone, and is overall a good story of courage and strength.

Victor and the Sun Orb is intended for children ages 8-12 but those somewhat older than this might enjoy it as well, and any child that enjoys fantasy should enjoy this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Entertaining and Magical Story for Children, January 25, 2011

By 

Bettie Corbin Tucker (PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Victor and the Sun Orb (Paperback)

In reading "Victor and the Sun Orb" by Amy Nielsen, I was immediately hooked by the intriguing prologue and knew that young readers would keep turning the pages until they reached the climatic ending. Also, they will be watching for the sequel to this book which entertains with an imaginative and magical storyline.

Although "Victor and the Sun Orb" is appropriate for children who are 8 to 13 years of age, I believe older children will also be captivated by Prince Victor, the son of Queen Magenta and King Godfred. These royal parents are the highly admired leaders of Solandia, a place inhabited by sun fairies with supernatural powers that enable them to fly, use magic wands, and become invisible to those living outside of their dominion.

The author, obviously very gifted, has crafted a dramatic adventure with a magical storyline that brings the characters to life with vivid description and appropriate dialogue. I enjoyed the personality of Prince Victor who definitely has no problem in expressing his likes and dislikes as a prince growing up in a castle where everything seems to be perfect. Of course, he has no knowledge or concern about the Sun Orb which powers all of Solandia. Without it, there would be no supernatural powers, and he, his parents, and the other sun fairies would not survive.

When Victor reaches the age of 10, he learns that a curse had been placed on his life shortly after his birth. Unless the curse is broken, the prince will become a human at the age of 13, facing mortality. He must live outside of Solandia in order to survive. Though his parents use all their resources to discover who placed this curse upon him, they are unsuccessful. And so, as caring parents, they begin to prepare Prince Victor for life as a human, trusting his training--seven lessons--to Master Tyrus, the retired Minister of Defense of Solandia. One of Victor's lessons concerned the knowledge of the Sun Orb and its magical powers.

On Victor's thirteenth birthday, he leaves home to begin his life as a human where he enjoys the company of a special friend named Annika. When the Sun Orb is stolen, Queen Magenta and King Godfred, with a large presence of warriors, travel to Fallen Island in search of the Sun Orb. However, their magic is growing weaker and weaker without their source of power, and the odds of success are not in their favor. Prince Victor also travels to Fallen Island to rescue Annika who has been kidnapped. What follows is an incredible battle of good versus evil. Although the good fairies receive some surprising help, there is tense fighting and much to overcome if Solandia is to be saved. Surely, readers will want to know the outcome of this battle as well as what happens to Victor. Will he become a fairy again and who is the dark hooded figure who placed the evil curse upon him in the first place? Expect the unexpected!

Readers will be fascinated by the many mythical creatures and will want to read this book over and over again. My eleven-year-old granddaughter was instantly hooked by the storyline and then enjoyed telling the story to her younger brother. "Victor and the Sun Orb" is wonderfully entertaining with important lessons to be learned. I highly recommend it.