Sophia Freeman and the Mysterious Fountain

What begins as a special trip for eleven-year-old SOPHIA FREEMAN and her billionaire father, leaves her trapped on a mysterious island with a tree boy and other fantastical creatures.

The moment Sophia thinks her situation can’t get any crazier, she is shocked to learn the island is under a deadly eternal curse. All living things are rapidly decaying and soon nothing and no one—including herself—will be left alive.

From competing in a three-round yearly held competition to reviving a long-lost magical spell, Sophia and her new companions must gather every ounce of courage, wit and skill as they are stepping closer to breaking the 150-year-old curse. But will they make it in time while surrounded by enemies and traitors aiming to stop them at any cost?

my review...

If you’ve never read a Sophia Freeman book you might think this starts out very odd. Most dads don’t buy islands and leave their daughters stranded on them. But this is a fantasy, and it’s really the story of Sophia and her adventures while learning to survive in the wild. It’s a story of meeting all the wild creatures stranded on an island. It’s even a story about learning values, strength in oneself, caring, respect, etc. Don’t think this is a spiritual book. It is definitely a sort of magical fantasy. The author just crafts a good story and happens to fit in an understanding of all these things using a little girl and some magical creatures.

To me, this book is suited for what I’ll call tweenage readers. I think a middle-grade reader can read it depending on the maturity of their reading abilities. 

 read an excerpt...

“So, Wondnair, what happened back there?” Tim asked, picking at his food. “Why did the arbiters put our victory on hold?”

Sophia hung her head in silent shame.

“Sophia’s body was taken over by, uh … someone,” said Wondnair.

“You mean … T-Tombermon? Why would he help us win?” Tim shook his head. “No, it can’t be true—”

“Look, no monster of that size would simply drop and let you two pass,” Wondnair continued. “Sophia was like its master back there.”

Holding her bowl tightly, Sophia watched her teardrop fall into her earthy soup.

So, she broke the rules?” Tim couldn’t eat any more. “It’s over—we’re disqualified.”

Wondnair said, “We don’t know that ye—”

“I am so sorry, Tim,” cried Sophia. “We lost because of m-me.” She wiped her eyes. “You shouldn’t have come with me to fight that fountain guardian. Then this n-never would have h-happened.”

“Sophia.” He slid closer to her on the bench.

“I’m n-not the Ch-Chosen One!” She slammed her fist on the table.

Tim gently placed her head against his shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. “Sophia, listen to me. The fight isn’t over.”

 about Thuan Doan...

Thuan Doan is an award-winning author of the Sophia Freeman series. He conceived his first middle-grade fantasy novel, Sophia Freeman and the Mysterious Fountain, during a trip to Gabriola Island, British Columbia in the summer of 2013. Then he took his work and settled in a small town of Enderby, where it’s peaceful and quiet.

Thuan is writing under a pen name of T.X. Troan. “X” stands for Xu, his grandmother’s name who passed away. And “Troan” is a combination of his parents' names.

“No matter how this turns out, I want my family to be a part of this wonderful journey.”

T.X. Troan married Sarah, his original fan and longtime love, in 2016. They live in Enderby with their pack dogs!

Book Links:

Author Website: www.txtroan.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5M559C1

 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/t.x.%20troan

 

Walmart: https://bit.ly/3UPvtHV

 

BookShop: https://bit.ly/3V2ATzz

 

Social Media:

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TXTroan

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/txtroan/

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18815756.T_X_Troan

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