Well-crafted and engaging characters make The Third Coin a great book. It had enough twists and turns to keep me motivated until the very end. Well done!

Looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.

This was certainly not written for someone of my age.

Overall the story was fairly predictable but was an easy fun read for all ages.

One thing for certain it had some things spot on. E.g. School and the different groups.

Don't Give Up

Thanks to Kindle I can tell you that it's after the first 18% of the text that this suddenly becomes a very entertaining book. Up to that point you will have to soldier through a patronizing and angsty heroine #1, a mopey and prickly heroine #2, a goofy hero, and way more preteen junior high school drama than seems necessary, or even relevant, to the story. I was in potential DNF territory the whole way.

But it's like walking through a magic curtain. Suddenly, Bea, (heroine #1), stops being a superior and condescending snot. Nisha, (heroine #2), stops being an exposed nerve. Indy, (action boy), finds the hero within. We move away from the school drama and mean girl angst. The macguffin starts to make sense. The plot comes into focus. The whole King Arthur/Lady of the Lake angle starts to work its magic. And things start to happen. A lot. And quickly. All of a sudden we have a ripping adventure.

Does everyone have convenient powers? Sure. Do secondary and minor characters come out of the woodwork to explain and rescue? Of course. Do necessary things happen just in the nick of time? Absolutely. Does coincidence keep the wheels turning? Don't ask. But I didn't care, because it was fun and clever and energetic. There were lots of interesting scenes and clever twists and bits. (You'll love the lie flies, that bite you when you lie or say something wrong.) Better still, our three heroes became interesting, dropped their pretensions and masks and issues, and just got into the adventure and went with the flow.

This has an engaging subtext about girrrrl power and agency and empowerment and self confidence, but it isn't preachy and mostly appears through the actual decisions and resourcefulness of the heroes, which seems to me to have been the right way to go.

So, this was clever and fun after its slow start, and the author put some interesting new spins on some old, but good, basic material. I enjoyed it.

(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

This was a fun and easy read! I liked thw characters and the plot. It was well-written. I enjoyed it so I recommend it to my younger siblings.

The third coin by J A Howard.
Bea Brightman is smart; smart enough to know that being popular matters. And after attending eight schools in as many years, she’s got making friends down to a science. That is until her famed archaeologist father moves them to New York City in search of an ever-elusive coin. There she meets Nisha Lakewood who may hold the key to finding it. The only problem is, Nisha wants nothing to do with her.
A good read with likeable characters. I did find it slow but carried on reading it. 4*.

3.5 stars for this fantasy adventure that my middle schooler stayed glued to and quietly read. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing this e-read.

I'm a big fan of fan of books like this, with the Main Characters figuring out how to save the world. I mean Igrew up with Potter and Jackson. I would've loved to grow up with those three too!

A fun and easy read, that I couldn't let go until the very end!

The Third Coin
By J.A. Howard
Bea Brightman, Nisha Lakewood and Indy all take a vow to find the missing third coin before the passage day, but how do you find something that has been lost for thirteenth years.
with good and bad magic popping up all around them, they have to follow what little leads they can find with the help of gifts from the island of Avalon and their Aunt Faye they travel into the unknowing.
I liked this book even if some parts are not my cup of tea, it was still good and I'm sure a lot will love it. :)

This was such a fun read! I was hooked from the first couple of pages. The characters were lovable and the story was engaging (even for an adult!). I recommend this to anyone who loves adventure with a little bit of magic thrown in.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

This was an excellent story. I had a hard time putting it down.

While Rick Riordan seems to have the market down on the gods and the demi-gods, J.A. Howard has opened up a new door to the Mists of Avalon/King Arthur world for young adults. What makes this series unique is that J.A. Howard focuses on young girls taking the lead in this story.

We see the caste system inside a girl's school between the popular girls (Top Pops), almost popular girls (Almost Pops), the girls that focus on their expertise (i.e. science, musical talents, etc.), and then the outcasts. Bea, being new to the school, has got the Top Pops down and quickly works her way into the popular group. In her science class, she is teamed up with Nisha, the gypsy girl.

Nisha lives across the street from Bea. Her Aunt Faye runs a Fortune Teller shop. She tries to stay hidden and out of sight from the Horribles (i.e. the Top Pops) because they like to bully her. So when Bea discovers that she can communicate with Nisha without saying words, a door opens for them to become friends.

Which leads us to The Third Coin. Along with the weird skateboarder boy that tends to stalk the front of Bea's haunted mansion, they set off on a doomsday adventure. They have until their 13th birthday (Bea and Nisha share the same birthday) to find the Third of Five Coins (the Coin that balances the other 4 coins) and return it to Avalon.

No story is complete without a bad guy following them around, trying to thwart them, and important secrets that are meant to be revealed as the story progresses.

This adventure was so much fun to read. What I enjoyed the most were the strong female characters. I loved seeing a popular girl that is intelligent, loves science and books. I also loved the emotional side of Nisha. She is fearful, because she knows she is different. But a good friend will fight to be the light in that darkness. And then there's Indy. I loved that the author chose that name, because it says a lot about the character. He's like a younger version of Indiana Jones, so you know the story is going to be good (especially if you are a huge Indiana Jones fan). He is the person that binds the two girls together.

I highly recommend this book if you love Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series or J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter. I can't wait for the next books in the series.

“Three Finders will come if Coin is lost, The Brave and true to stand the test, Seeking the treasure at all cost, As all depends upon their quest.”
The Third Coin by A. J. Howard

This is not a retelling of King Arthur but it deals with 3 teenagers who are apparent descendants of Characters from the tale of King Arthur who are sent on a quest to recover something lost.

The story takes place in New York in what seems like present times, during winter. It follows 3 teenagers. Bea short for Bianca, who has a father that hunts rare items and is in search of a mysterious coin. Nisha who lives with her great aunt the local fortune teller 🔮 and is an outcast with a secret past. Indy is a skateboarding boy that seems drawn to both Bea and Nisha without explanation.
The Third Coin brings an element of magic to an ordinary world. The 3 main characters must go in search for a coin that if not found can bring about the destruction of the world. (Because it wouldn’t be interesting otherwise, right)along the way friendships are made, trusts are tested, and family bonds are found.

The story is extremely detailed. It’s starts off a little slow to my liking. The quest that is bestowed upon them doesn’t become clear until about half way through the book. Character are building their stories as the stories start and there is a lot of exposition. The story was entertaining, and as Bianca and Nisha start discovering what seems to be a magical connection magic starts becoming more and more real. The books was definitely very entertaining, once the reality of the quest and the consequences that would follow should this not be completed were “spelled” out. (Pun intended)

I believe this would be highly enjoyable for kids and teens between 8-13 years old. I know I certainly would have enjoyed reading at that age.

This book uses the old formula of three teenager friends that need to save the world because of their heritage. And, imagine that, they didn't know until they need to save the world. Despite of that the book bring new ideas, have great characters and it would be a great read for me in my teen years, I would love everything about the magic and the friendship that the author brings into the book. That saying, towards the end the book looses steam for older readers and it didn't keep my interest. I would recommend for every teen, especially from 11 to 14 years.

I really enjoyed this book. Easy read children’s book which was hard to put down even for a 45 year old.... :)

I loved this! It gave me Percy Jackson vibes, which I always welcome into my life. The plot was gripping as well as fun, and the characters really lept off the page.

This was a breath of fresh air. I've read so many duds lately, and this just swept me away. It's aimed at a ''sligthly'' less younger demographic than myself, but even so I found it well balanced. Not too simple, not too complicated.

The characters are well written, and the story itself is exiting and exhilarating. To be recommended.

The Third Coin is a well written YA novel & very enjoyable to read. Since I am an adult with children, a husband & job, it took me about two days to read. If I were still a teenager I would have read it in a few hours. While reading this novel I would try to pick it up every chance I could & it kept my attention the whole time.

You have these three unlikely characters come together to form a covenant in order to find the lost third coin, the coin of Balance. Magic, King Arthur & The Lady of the Lake are real!

Bea (Bianca) is "light;" so excited about their quest, full of hope & in wonder at finding out that the King Arthur "tales" are true. Nisha is "dark;" she grew up with her aunt who is a fortune teller, has been bullied ever since she was a young child & has a difficult time knowing if Bea is sincere in the search or playing the pretty, popular, mean girl. Finally, we have Indy; who first befriends Bea & apparently has feelings for Nisha, he's the "protector" on this journey & he looks out for his friends as they search for the missing coin.

There are so many twists & turns in this well written book that YA's & fans of YA novels will enjoy reading.

J.A Howard, weaves an interesting tale that surprises at every turn. Harnessing a deliberate creativity, Howard constructs an encapsulating piece, which is reminiscent of series long-past. Bea Brightman, as the MC, is a convincing character, who draws you in with an overall insightful understanding of the workings of the world. As younger MC characters go, Bea manages to harness the mundane and deliver it with a comforting manner. Overall, Bea is a good character to aspire towards. Managing to traipse the traditional lines between reliability as a teenage character and the moralistic outlines of being an adult, Howard quickly sends the novel towards themes of fantastic origin. I personally, was capture immediately, intrigued to how the author would spin their web.>J.A Howard, through an amazing understanding of societal implications, has delivered a well-thought out novel which provokes inflection, and, an enjoyable dialogue. Utilising the conventional idea of quest, and adventure, Howard appeals to the perfect demographic, weaving in historical concepts for the finishing touch
As a whole, I'd readily recommend this novel for anyone wanting a intricately weaved fantasy novel, set in a realistic surrounding. I'm not 'waiting' for a sequel, but I am eager to read more.

My younger self would have enjoyed this book far more than my adult self has. After tormenting myself for some hours about whether I should give it a 3 or 4 star review, I finally decided to go with the one that was more in line with the books' targeted demographic.

The story was well written and reasonably engaging, and I sped through reading it in a couple of free afternoons. I enjoyed the addition of Arthurian legend (with a twist, of course), although some may be put off by the tarot cards, scrying, and spells in the story. There is the typical middle-school theme of feeling like an outsider and wanting to be part of the popular crowd, bullying, and adventure to save the world.

I felt that the inclusion of the character of Indy (token male and potential love interest in future books I am certain) could have been bolstered more or left out. His character seemed really shallow and without any depth, yet he was written in as an important character in his own right. The story is obviously centered around the two girls and their eventual bonding and friendship.

Overall, I would recommend it for the young adult reader (especially female) who likes Percy Jackson, Harry Potter and their ilk. It is not terribly sophisticated in words and story, and will provide a fun engaging read.

As an adult reader, I found it to be more worthy of three stars. The character of Bea annoyed the heck out of me for the first half of the book with her desire to emulate and make friends with the "Top Pops" or most popular kids in the school. She documented every little nuance of character in a little book, and tried her hardest to not be seen as different despite being a new student and therefore intrinsically different and an outsider. I felt that her obsession with becoming popular was very heavy handed and it was one of the most off-putting elements of the story.

As a story it was well crafted, but I enjoy my novels to have more complexity to the story as well as the characters. Since the novel is geared towards a younger audience than myself, I felt that I could not count that in my initial review. While I also appreciate stories of "girl power" and female empowerment I believe that it shouldn't come at the expense of a well crafted story. This and my annoyance with the character of Bea is what ultimately leads me to give it a three star review for an adult audience. Overall it was engaging and a quick read, and I would likely read the next book in the series as well as let my children read it.