Crystal Tear: Outstanding new coming of age novel resonates with soon-tobe adults

In Marina R.B.’s novel, Crystal Tear, London-based student, Fada, is befriended by Angel. One day, he decides it’s time to share with her the truth about her otherworldly heritage. Travelling through a portal to the snowy kingdom of Hagalaz, on the planet Sonelaz, Fada discovers her new destiny.

Whilst set on an imaginary planet, Crystal Tear is so much more than another fantasy story. At its core, it is a coming-of-age novel that has been written to truly resonate with today’s young adults.

Having always felt disconnected to coming of age novels with teenage protagonists, Marina R.B.’s offering, which is published on 26th April 2022, skilfully captures the nuances, expectations and anxieties associated with transitioning from teenager to adulthood.

Whilst the fantasy element of Crystal Tear is an important component of the plot, where this book triumphs is in enabling its YA readers to subtly identify themselves within its characters and their journey through life. And who doesn’t love a story with an Angel.

Synopsis:

As a history student in London, Fada is befriended by Angel, when one day, he decides that it is time to tell her the truth about herself and brings her through a portal to the snowy kingdom of Hagalaz, starting the beginning of an unexpected destiny.

She discovers a new life in this strange kingdom; learning about love, friendship, duties, and war, in the mayhem and confusion of trying to find her place and role in a world that is alien to her. The stoical King Netis enters her life, and she soon realises that love can take the shape of many forms and does not always lead to the right path.

The author says:

“I believe that having a coming of age character that is in her twenties makes my book unique because I have always felt disconnected to these characters that would be in their teens, even when I was a teen myself. It almost felt like it was a race against the clock to go through these stages in life and as I reached my twenties and had not yet experienced the coming of age staged of my own life, I realised that a character of Fada’s age was something that was truly missing in the young adult fiction market.”

Published by Cranthorpe Millner Publishers, Crystal Tear is published on 26th April 2022 and is available in paperback (£8.99) and Kindle format on Amazon. Waterstones | Foyles | Amazon |Cranthorpe Millner