Reviewed by Astrid M. Arzu for Readers' Favorite

In Barbara Cerny's Book of the Arionon, Book 3 in The Palidine Series, Abraham (Brahm) and Maiah (Mia) Mazandarani are two American teenagers who are launched into a fantastic adventure in two worlds parallel to Earth; Amorgos and Olympus. Olympus is the legendary Greek world of gods, witches, and supernatural creatures like centaurs and fairies, and Amorgos is the realm of exiled elves and creatures from Olympus. The teenagers could enter those worlds through inter-dimensional portals, using magical stones that they found inside a mysterious, ancient chest that had the same marking as their own birthmarks. The chest contained magical and powerful instruments that the teens could use in their new adventures. But these involve a lot of danger and uncertainty, as the twins try to help the exiled communities and the people of Olympus, enslaved by cruel and despotic witches. War will be inevitable. Will the twins be able to accomplish their mission and thus fulfill their destiny?

Well written, Book of the Arionon by Barbara Cerny delivers an enjoyable story of two teenagers who despite their insecurities and lack of experience in magic slowly start understanding the destiny that they need to fulfill in other legendary and fantastic worlds. This is especially true of Brahm, who painstakingly learns to use the powerful magical instruments that only he can wield. He is also faced with the moral dilemmas that any deadly conflict brings. Brahm and Mia are on the path to use their powers for good, but the choices are not always easy as they try to solve the conflicts at hand. The pace of this story is good, sometimes slower and sometimes faster, and the characters that appear in it have enough depth and credibility. This is a story of personal growth and change amidst the typical challenging issues of teenhood, but with magical elements and settings that make it fun and engaging to read.