Steph Reviews Leah & Rhea: Spell: Book 1 By Melissa Hines Helms Illustrated by Stephanie Parcus

Publisher: Helmshines Publications
Series: Leah & Rhea #1
Format Read: E-Book
Source: From the author in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: April 17, 2018
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Leah and Rhea, twin fairies living in the quiet hollows of a beautiful forest, never had a mentor to help them realize their magic. Left on their own after the tragic death of their parents, they’ve made a life among friends in the wilderness. Until one day Leah and Rhea discover a terrible sleeping spell has been placed upon their friends, and they soon embark on a quest to counter the evil magic cast by the witch Matilda—a quest that could split them apart forever. The sisters must find the courage to face foes and gather allies as they leave behind everything they know, battling creatures they never could have imagined. Will Leah and Rhea be able to find the inner strength and resourcefulness to secure the freedom of their most cherished friends? Join them on a journey that could determine their future or spell doom for them all.

Steph's Thoughts:

I was asked to review this book by the author who knows I review children's books. The story behind the book is almost as good as the book itself. Melissa used to nanny for a little girl named Grace and to keep her entertained she made up stories about two fairies. The little girl is now a grown woman and still remembers the stories. At the very beginning of the book there are two illustrations drawn by Grace of Leah & Rhea.

This is not the typical children's book that I review. I usually do books with Liam and this one is for readers a little bit older than him. I agreed to do it because I liked the backstory of the book. Stories that someone remembers years later as an adult really got my attention.

The two main characters are twin fairy girls named Leah and Rhea. The only way to tell them apart is by the color of their clothes. Leah wears purple and Rhea wears blue. I could never remember which one wears which color when looking at the illustrations but each one has her own personality. Leah tends to get into more trouble. I think she is my favorite of the two (plus she likes purple).

The two fairies wake up and find all their friends under a sleeping spell. They go on an adventure to find a way to reverse the spell. Along the way they make some brave new friends named Felda, Troy, Bunny and Khuno. For a children's book, I found the story complex and delightful. The two sisters have to split up at one point so you have their stories and another one with Felda. I am not used to this in the chapter books Liam reads. I loved the complexity. I think some authors forget that kids can follow more than one story line.

I loved the secondary characters who step up to help new friends on a scary adventure. They overcome their fears to help the fairies. The author does a great job giving each of the secondary characters development. Khuno is pretty funny and Bunny is brave.

I really liked this book. It's fun, exciting and a great read for children's book. I love that the two characters are little girls who are brave and strong. They need help from friends but they don't need a prince to save the day. Girls need more role models like Leah & Rhea.

This is the first book in a series and I hope that the next book happens soon. I am picking up a physical copy of this book for our shelves. I am hoping Liam will want to read it with me in a year or so. I am trying to raise him to view girls as equals and I believe that reading books with strong female characters will help him realize it even more.