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C.J. Carter-Stephenson is an English writer of fiction, poetry and drama. He writes primarily in the genres of horror, science fiction and fantasy. He was born in the county of Essex on 31 January 1977 and attended King Edward VI Grammar School from the ages of 11 to 18. In 1998, he graduated from De Montfort University in Leicester with a BA (Hons) in English and Performing Arts, and in 1999, obtained a postgraduate diploma in Acting from the Academy of Live & Recorded Arts in London. He currently lives on the Isle of Wight with his common-law wife.
Reviewed by Lori M for Readers' Favorite
When I was a kid, all fairy tales happened in a magical kingdom set in a forest, but “The Crystal Ship” by C. J. Carter-Stephenson brings us a modern day fairy tale with a sci-fi twist. King Axor first encounters the Storyteller during his birthday party, who weaves a tale of a princess who has been frozen in time for 1,000 years, just waiting to be rescued. After holding a contest to find a champion worthy of sending out to rescue her, a local boy named Tik takes off for the challenge of bringing home Princess Sky. I don’t want to spoil it for you, so I won’t tell you whether or not Tik is successful, but let’s just say that like all fairy tales, the people in this one, in their own way, live happily ever after.
Like most fairy tales, this one involves the triumph of someone who is not elite or powerful. Not only does this story contain the ever-so-popular dragon, but this one is a robot dragon, so there is a twist to the epic battle. Kids love dragons, robots, and outer space, so this book offers a win-win-win on all three fronts. The story is just 114 pages, so it will encourage young readers to want to stick with it and develop in them a passion for reading. There are some cartoon images included in the book that depict what is happening in the story, and young readers will enjoy them as they are quite comical.
