This book touches on a lot of important topics for young readers. The main character, Esme is dealing with her fathers wishes to re-marry. Throughout the story various details are unveiled, some of which I wasn't expecting. The characters are well thought out, and relatable. Overall, it was a really pleasant reading experience. I would definitely recommend this book to students for free-time reading the future; a great addition to my classroom library.

This is a lovely story about a teen girl who goes to mystical world to find her missing mother. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this books. While there are some more familiar magical elements like dragons and sirens, there are a lot of new magical traits that make Aeolia feel really unique. I like the different types of powers people can have. Esme and her friends are a really fun group. I'd definitely recommend this book to kids who are looking for fantasy books.

*I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review*

A shining island city floated on the surface of the lagoon. Domes and towers rose above timeworn dwellings in pale pinks, creams and ambers. Glistening waterways snaked between them. Spires pierced the skies, and high above them, golden streaks flashed across the firmament.

Esme’s mother has been missing for seven years. When her father marries the spiteful Penelope, Esme feels like she’s the only person left who thinks her mother is still out there. Esme can tell there are secrets surrounding her, and when her father leaves for his honeymoon, Esme embarks on a journey to uncover what happened to her mother—and how she vanished without a trace.

In the course of her adventures, Esme finds herself in the magical world of Aeolia, inspired by Greek myth. It’s a place bursting with adventure—dragons and spells and mysterious, inexplicable earthquakes that seem to be sending things haywire.

I loved Aeolia from the very first page. Foster’s descriptions are bursting with life, and you can tell how thoroughly she has developed the world. The magic system was interesting too—almost everyone in Aeolia has a magical gift that develops when they’re in their teens, as Esme is. Her friends Daniel and Lillian, who she meets in Aeolia, have their own arcs where they figure out what their gifts are.

The main trio—Esme, Daniel, and Lillian, had a good rapport and their own individual skills that all tied into the story well. Daniel and Lillian were supportive of Esme’s quest to find her mother. My only critique, character-wise, is that none of the trio really came off as fifteen to me. They were all a little closer to twelve, and considering this book is aimed at 10-14 year olds, I’m surprised Esme was supposed to be fifteen in the first place. I thought the book would have worked perfectly well if she were within that age range.

This is a well-paced fantasy book that brings the reader on a journey to distant lands. It’s fun, it’s fast-paced, and there’s a real sense of adventure woven through every page. I’m excited to get my hands on the sequel and catch up before book three is released in 2021.

Captivating middle grade story with wonderful characters. Loved the descriptions of Esperence and all the magic within. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Esme's mother has been missing for 7 years. Everyone believes that her mother was drowned or lost at sea. Esme does not believe this. Everything comes to a head when her father decides to remarry. It forces her to take a closer look at everything she knows about her mother. In young Esme's mind, things do not add up. Then she begins to have headaches and dizziness whenever she is dealing with water. She stumbles upon a portal in the water that takes her to an alternate world where she meets people who knew her mother. From this point, Esme's adventure truly begins. This book has all the ingredients of an excellent fantasy, it has dragons, magic, wizards, enchanters and like every good story, it has a bad guy that needs to be dealt with. This book is an excellent read for ages 10 to 14 and older.

I really did enjoy reading this book. I just really enjoyed how the focus of this was familial love. From the start, you can tell that Esme loves her mother and in this journey, you can see how she’s not just saying it, but showing us how far she’d go to find her mother. Compared to other stories, the characters were very simple. In a way, it makes sense since this book (I felt) was written and geared towards younger audiences; however, this most definitely did not detract from my enjoying the story. In fact, the character I wish we had more of was Ariane (mother). There was just so much about her even though she wasn’t there and it made me curious. I want to know how much she told her husband about Aeolia, her intentions (not inferred, I want to read them), and just read from her perspective since everyone called her eccentric and ok, eccentric characters are some of my favorites!

I ended up rating this book a 3.5 and would recommend it to younger readers who like fantasy. I also would like to see this as a movie or an anime short, I think it would be awesome

What a fantastic fantasy book!

Esme Silver is not convinced that her mother is gone for good. There may have been many investigations into her disappearance, but she never saw the evidence, and ‘lost at sea’ is not a satisfactory answer. When her father sets off on his honeymoon with his new wife, Esme seizes the opportunity to travel to Spindrift to find out what happened for herself. Of course she soon finds a whole another world to search...

I loved pretty much everything about this book. Although I was a little sceptical about the somewhat cliche start, my concerns were quickly swept away. The characters, the world, the plot were all amazing. Esme and her friends are such fun characters, and Esme especially learns what it means to have friends to trust and rely on. The world of Esperance was fascinating, well developed and the place everyone wants to live in. Magic, dragons, and portals to other worlds. The mysteries of Esperance kept me turning those pages fast, so many puzzle pieces that all came together just in time for the finale, with a few pieces left over for another jigsaw. I can’t wait for the next one...

Have you ever wished for something lost to be found?

Esme is a young girl, full of unwavering hope, who has continued to wish for the same thing: that her mother, Ariane, lost at sea many years ago, is still alive and will return home. Long after everyone else has given up, Esme still believes that her mother’s return is possible.

But the search for her mother takes an unexpected turn as headaches and visions from the past begin to plague Esme, all of them leading her to a land that she thought only existed in Ariane’s stories.

Aeolia.

Could the stories be more than just that?

Soon enough, Esme discovers how very real Aeolia is when she unexpectedly discovers it as she walks along the beach. Suddenly, she is plunged into a land full of magic, sirens, and mysterious Gifts that allow Aeolia’s residents to give shape to water and sing impossible things into existence.

But all is not well. Full of wonder as this world might be, people’s Gifts are failing and the land is wracked by earthquakes that threaten to reduce Aeolia to rubble. Still, there is hope. Clues abound in Ariane’s paintings, and Esme and her friends bravely follow them, determined to uncover the mystery of her mother’s disappearance and Aeolia’s failing magic.

Elizabeth Foster has handcrafted a fantastic world that will long remain in the memories of all who are willing to explore it. Every description seems like paint swept across canvas, creating vivid images of Aeolia that leave readers wondering if it just might be real. But perhaps the most stunning thing of all is that Esme’s Wish reminds us that having hope isn’t childish at all; it is bravery at its finest and we should all take hold of it as fiercely as Esme, the young woman courageous enough to go in search of lost things.

[ DNF @ 53% ]
After thinking this through, I just made the decision to DNF this book.

At first, I was extremely excited to read it because after looking at the synopsis I just knew this was going to be a new favorite book. Unfortunately, I happen to be on the side that couldn’t connect with the characters enough for me to keep reading.

The world building is a bit slow, and even though it had these amazing fantastic elements I tend to love, I just couldn’t like them one bit. Like I mentioned before, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters, not even when Esme is grieving about her mother being gone for years now (and you know grief is always a theme I gravitate a lot).

I’m guessing that the problem is me, not the book. Because I’ve seen people love it! And I’m so happy for them, really. I think this author has amazing ideas and hopefully she’ll write other books I might be interested in. But with this one in particular, I just couldn’t find the charm.

This even got me into a reading slump and I hate it when I have to force myself to finish a book. I’m really sorry but just don’t have the time to do that just now.

Actual rating: 4.25🌟

This is the story of Esme as she look for answers regarding her mother's disappearance years ago. Everyone has moved on, except her.

On a twist of fate, Esme ended up on the place her mother used to describe and even paint. But it is a magical place. A water city ripe with history and where magic is normal and dragons abound.

It was an exciting adventure as Esme and her new found friends look for clues about her mother.

I love the writing on this book. It vividly describes Esperance, the magical city. I love the fact that the place has history and I also love the magical abilities of people in this world. The world building is solid.👍

There are parts that somehow dragged but I guess that's because of a lot of histories of the place. There is a mystery on the book but I was more focused on the world the author is trying to build.

I also love the characters especially Lillian and Daniel. For fans of middle grade fantasy, this one is good. ❤

***Thanks for netgalley, the publisher and author for making this available for review.***

I got really curious about this book after seeing a post on Instagram about the sequel and then I saw it here—YES, thank you!!

Reading it took me longer than I expected because the excitement of the mysteries and this whole new world faded away as the book progressed, and I ended up taking breaks. I think it did a great job of describing and making you imagine how magical the world in the book was, but I also think it kind of took too much part of the book.

I really loved the last half of the book though!! It was so exciting, and I kept on going to the next page to find out what’s going to happen next! I especially loved the part where all of the mysteries and hints that were given all throughout the book finally made sense!!

I NEED MOREEEEEE
I will definitely read the next book!

Esme is a fifteen-year-old girl whose mother disappeared seven years ago. We open on the scene of Esme’s father getting remarried to a woman with whom Esme does not get along. Esme has not given up on finding her mother, and her search is finally fruitful when she dives into a tide pool and ends up in another world.

This is a whimsical story full of adventure, magic, and family. While the main character is venturing into YA age, it definitely read more like middle grade book in terms of themes and maturity. I love stories about people from our world entering fantasy worlds because you get to experience everything with them for the first time.

The writing is very descriptive, so the fantasy world of Aeolia really comes to life. I would have liked more explanation of the magic system, but I think the next book should cover more of that because it is called Esme’s Gift.

I enjoyed many of the fantasy elements, such as the links with Greek mythology, and the dragons. It did seem to be trying to fit a lot of disparate ideas into one world, so I’m interested to see if maybe in the next book those pieces will fit together better.

The found friendships were really sweet, and while there were a few clichés, such as the wicked stepmother, it didn’t really hamper my enjoyment. The mystery storyline was intriguing, but my favorite part was still the setting I think. I recommend this for lovers of middle grade fantasy with down the rabbit hole adventure!

Thank you to NetGalley and Odyssey Books for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this book.

It has been seven years since Esme's mother disappeared. Everyone, says her mother was "lost at sea", but Esme decides that it's her turn to find out the truth. After accidentally getting sucked into a portal to another world, While there, Esme meets Lillian and Daniel, and together they are on a mission to find out the truth about her mother.

I really enjoyed this story. It was a fun, fast paced adventure. It had me interested from the very beginning. I felt very invested in the lives of Esme and her friends and the world that they were in. I needed to know why certain things were happening to the city, what the motives of some of the people were, and if Esme was going to find out what happened to her mother.

My absolute favorite thing about this book was the friendship between Esme, Lillian and Daniel. Even though they just met, it felt like they had known each other their whole lives. They were so supportive and protective of each other, no matter what. I can't wait to read the next installment and get immersed back into their lives and this amazing magical world.

This was a really great middle grade fantasy! I think this would be a perfect book for any young reader looking to take a step into the world of fantasy.
This novel follows Esme as she tries to uncover the truth about her mother's alleged drowning. Esme is convinced that her mother, Ariane, has disappeared for other reasons because she knows that she is a strong swimmer. Esme's journey leads her the magical land of Aeolia where she meets a new group of friends and starts to discover more about her mother than she ever thought possible.
All of the characters were endearing and I felt an instant connection and desire to protect them from the beginning. The plot was well-paced and interesting. The writing style was captivating while being smooth and clear. The elements of magic were so fun and I loved how they were interspersed throughout the book; from the flowers to the songspells!
I really enjoyed all of the different storylines and I truly believe that both middle grade and older readers will have a fun time reading this book!
Thank you to Netgalley, Odyssey books and the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Four star middle great epic!

Esme's Wish is a coming of age adventure that reads like a Narnia story. We meet young Esme on the day of her father's second marriage, seven years after her mother was declared lost at sea. It seems only Esme still has hope that her mother is still alive somewhere. When strange occurrences start happening while Esme's father and new step mother are away on their honeymoon, Esme takes an overnight trip to her great grandmother's island cottage, but her overnight trip turns into an entire summer spent in other world, one that her mother had been very familiar with.

Even though this is a middle grade novel and I'm a 30-something woman who's used to reading much more mature books, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I can't wait to read the sequel!

My only complaints, if you can call them that, are a few minor tropes and potentially confusing names. Despite the fact that the narrative voice and point of view remains mostly Esme's, we get a few "little did they know" moments, which doesn't fit in nicely with the limited point of view. There's also a group of people that come up whenever characters discuss the world's history known as the Tyrians. I assume this is a play on the words tyrany and tyrannical, but as someone who has read older fantasies, I was constantly being reminded of Tyrion Lanister.

Overall an excellent novel that I recommend to all lovers of high fantasy.

Note that I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. My copy came from the publisher via NetGalley. I will attempt to cross post this review to Amazon (Canada) and will be including this review in an upcoming YA Fantasy review round-up on my YouTube channel, The Westveil Archives, with a companion post at that time on my blog at rideoutdesignsnl.com.

Magic, mystery and dragons. Need I say more?! 🤩

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. Elizabeth Foster practically transported me to the world of Esperance with her beautifully descriptive writing and the suspense around Esme's mother KILLED me. I was so desperate to find out where her mother had gone (after disappearing for 7 years)!

Esme was such a strong and endearing character, and I can't wait to see what she'll do next in the sequel (Esme's gift). Not to mention, the cliff-hanger itself..

I'd highly recommend this for high fantasy fans (and those who are fond of dragons~ 💖), along with anyone interested in middle grade fantasy!


Rating: 4/5 ⭐

[ I was provided an eARC via Netgalley in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own. ]

Esme’s mother disappeared seven years ago. Everyone else seems to have moved on, including Esme’s father who is getting remarried when the story starts.

Shortly after the wedding, Esme finds herself transported to a strange world that her mother used to tell her about under the guise of bedtime stories. It’s a world full of dragons, magic, and secrets. Can Esme discover what happened to her mother? What might she learn about herself in the process?

With her words, Foster paints a beautiful world. She deftly includes so many elements fantasy readers look for: portals, magical gifts, dragons. I really liked that at its heart this story is about Esme’s love for her mother and her newfound friendships with Lillian and David.

Because the author is Australian, some of her word choices and spelling might give my students pause, but I don’t think it would distract from the story.

Thank you to Elizabeth Foster for sharing her book with #BookAllies in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! Esme is a relatable and compelling character, and the mysteries that surrounded her mother kept me guessing at every turn! The story was somewhat familiar: girl gets sucked through a magic portal to a world that she is somehow connected to, but the way it was told was original and made me feel like I had never read it before. I would highly recomend this book for anyone who loves fantasy, intriguing friendships, and most especially, dragons!

Esme shows great strength and determination, qualities which I look out for in any main characters in middle grade novels.
We follow Esme through her journey of searching for her mother and following her quest at the same time.Recommended read .
I'll give it a solid score of 4.2/5 stars!

This was a refreshing read that really helped me get away from my reading slump.
Real good work by Elizabeth Foster.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending me an e-ARC of this book!🙂

It's been long time since I read a book where I could get lost to the extent that I didn't want to come back to my real world with its real problems. Esme's Wish is set in 1988, but it could have easily been today. The story feels timeless and enchanting.
The book begins with a wedding. Esme's father Aaron finally got tired of looking for his missing wife Ariane and decided to re-marry. Everybody seems happy with his choice of a bride. Penelope is feminine and practical, she fits in the social fabric of the village. She is very unlike Ariane whose head was always up in the clouds thinking of the next painting she is going to make. Ariane's body was never recovered, but Esme still hopes her mother is alive and so she objects to the wedding. Unfortunately, nobody takes her seriously and her life is about to change after her father and stepmother going to come back fromtheir honeymoon. Ariane decides to take a trip to her grandmother's house where she finds her mother's notebook which gets snatched by a sea eagle. Desperate to retrieve it Esme runs to the rock pools at the water's edge. One of them has the same shape she saw in one of her great-grandmother's drawings. Ariane follows the eagle and dives in. And...discovers a portal to a magic world where you can breathe under water because it is enchanted. There she travels to a magnificent city of Esperance and makes new friends Daniel and Lillian and has lots of amazing adventures at the heart of which is her search for her mother Ariane. You guessed it right, Ariane visited this magic world many times. In fact, she probably spent in Esperance as much time as in her own world.
The story is a sheer delight. Who hasn't dreamt of a secret place where magic is alive? Most citizens of Esperance get a magic gift which develops in their adolescence - charming water, seeing future, healing, singing spellbinding songs and many others. Didn't you dream as a child of having a special magic ability- something that would make you stand out from others? Unfortunately, the world of Esperance isn't stable. Terrible earthquakes have been devastating it for the past seven years. The same time as Esme's mother has been missing. Perhaps there is a connection to discover and perhaps it is up to Esme to save this beautiful city with its friendly people.
Esme's is a fabulous character. She is determined and fiercely loyal. Esme might come across as a bit younger than her age, a younger teenager who is coming into her own. She shows courage and intelligence in going through her numerous adventures in Aeolia and it is easy to root for her.
Wonderful world-building, good pace, likeable characters, Esme's wish has a lot going for it. Any big questions? family, trust, friendship, feeling of belonging or not belonging somewhere.
Highly recommended.

Thank you to the author and the publisher for the review copy provided in exchange for an honest opinion.