Esme's Wish

Esme Trilogy Book 1

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Pub Date 13 Nov 2017 | Archive Date 15 Sep 2020

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Description

Escape to the world of Esperance. Perfect for Percy Jackson fans!

"A fresh new fantasy, of an enchanting world." - Wendy Orr, New York Times best selling author of Nim's Island. 

When fifteen-year-old Esme Silver objects at her father's wedding, her protest is dismissed as the action of a stubborn, selfish teenager. Everyone else has accepted the loss of Esme's mother, Ariane - so why can't she? 

 But Esme is suspicious. She is sure that others are covering up the real reason for her mother's disappearance - that 'lost at sea' is code for something more terrible, something she has a right to know. 

 After Esme is accidentally swept into the enchanted world of Aeolia, the truth begins to unfold. With her newfound friends, Daniel and Lillian, Esme retraces her mother's steps in the glittering canal city of Esperance, untangling the threads of Ariane's double life. But the more Esme discovers about Ariane, the more she questions whether she really knew her at all.  

This inventive tale, the first in an MG-to-YA series, is an ideal read for 10-14 year olds.  

Winner of best fantasy read in the 2018 Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, which recognises excellence in children's literature. 

Escape to the world of Esperance. Perfect for Percy Jackson fans!

"A fresh new fantasy, of an enchanting world." - Wendy Orr, New York Times best selling author of Nim's Island. 

When...


A Note From the Publisher

Esme’s Gift, the sequel to Esme’s Wish, is also available on Net Galley.

Esme’s Gift, the sequel to Esme’s Wish, is also available on Net Galley.


Advance Praise

"I love this novel, and honestly I am going to read it whenever I find myself sad and anxious about my place in the world - this novel took me to an amazing place and filled me with so much joy.' Kirsten Bokor.

Esme's Wish is the book I wish I had as a teen. Not only is it enchanting, it harnesses the essence of magic, love and friendship. As an excellent high Middle Grade novel, It'll spark joy in your heart.' The Literary Casanova. 

'This is a story about family, self-acceptance, and the immense measures one would take for the people they love...' Underground Book Reviews.

'A fresh new fantasy of an enchanting world.' Wendy Orr, author of New York Times bestseller, Nim's Island. 

"

"I love this novel, and honestly I am going to read it whenever I find myself sad and anxious about my place in the world - this novel took me to an amazing place and filled me with so much joy.' ...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781925652246
PRICE US$0.99 (USD)

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Average rating from 60 members


Featured Reviews

This is a fantastic middle grade book to start the journey into fantasy.
Esme’s mother is presumed dead after it’s been rumoured that she drowned at sea. When Esme’s father marries Penelope, she is totally against the wedding. However, when Mavis (Penelope’s sister) comes to care for Esme - if you can call it that - whilst her father and his new wife are on their honeymoon, Esme starts receiving headaches, dizziness and visions of her mother. Knowing her mother was a strong swimmer, her drowning makes no sense and she sets off to find what really happens.
Well, that’s where this story grew wings and then really sets off itself as we are transported into the magical city of Aeolia where magic, dragons and self-growth are all part of the mesmerising world.
Esme is a likeable character from the off set and looking back from page one to now, Esme has gone from a child to the start of her adulthood. We see her creating friendships, learning to stand up for herself, gaining confidence in herself and simply just maturing.
The authors style of writing is fantastic and draws you in from page one from either a pre-teen all the way to an adult.

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To begin with I didn’t realize this was a middle-grade reader before I finished the first few chapters. That normally isn’t a problem for me besides getting in the right mindset.
The writing in this book was lovely and descriptive. There was a wonderful world-building. Maybe a little too much if I’m being honest. While the story was charming it’s definitely not a fast-paced book. If you love the slow descriptions in Tolkien then this is a book for you! It’s a very clean read for younger readers. No language or romance or violence.
My only gripe was the last chapter. I REALLY wanted to see what happened when she got back home. But I guess that’s leaves you ready for book #2.

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Esme's Wish follows a young girl named Esme on her quest to find out what happened to her mum when she disappeared 7 years ago.

This is the first time I've really read a middle grade story as an adult and it did not disappoint - it is just so charming. It's like every part of the fantasy stories you loved as a kid come to life, it made me want to live in Esme's world! Esme is just the most likable character ever and I loved the friendships that were formed.
This was one of those books which kept me intreguied and invested on finding out what happened to Esme's mother. There is twists and turns everywhere and everything flowed effortlessly.
Well done to Elizabeth Foster for creating a brilliant story. I will definitely be picking up the sequel to this one.

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Esme’s mother drowned some years ago and Esme still misses her. When her father remarries and goes on honeymoon, Esme is determined to use the time to discover more about her mother. This searching for answers takes her to a neighbouring island where her mother used to paint. It is from this island that Esme’s life will change forever.
Swimming into a parallel world, Esme discovers another world where she may yet discover more about her mother. Her mother used to come to this world and Esme meets some of her friends and begins to piece together some of the mysteries.

This is an enjoyable story following Esme as she finds small clues leading to her mother. Throughout the book, I was unsure as to what Esme’s motives were- to find answers or to find her mother. She lives in hope that she didn’t drown but is stuck in this other world.

This first in the series provides plenty of clues and answers to mysteries...it also ends just as Esme finds something hugely important and must then return to her own world. I believe book two will be interesting as Esme has been gone for weeks but it is unclear whether the time frames are the same in each world. Has her father been worried, or has Esme been missed at all?

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This is a delightful fantasy story for readers in middle school (and beyond, like me!)

Esme longs to learn what happened to her mother. She just disappeared one day and Esme feels tethered to the past while her father has just remarried.

But while on his honeymoon, Esme spies something that leads her to find the portal between worlds. To learn that her mother's stories were not mere tales. And to determine that something bigger was amiss that kept her mom from returning home.

She also finds new friends, something she was sorely lacking back home. Plus the discovery of a shared ability that her mother most likely possessed.

I am eagerly awaiting the next book now!

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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic book for kids who want to get into fantasy. Basically Esme is trying to find out what happened to her mother who drowned under mysterious circumstances. Esme is very likable and I really want to check out the rest of the books in this series!

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This book was SO GOOD. I've been reading a lot of heavy nonfiction lately, so I picked this book up for a little escape and it did not disappoint at all. While I didn't love the beginning (who loves the mean stepmom and her family anyway?), I fell right into the story when Esme quite literally fell into Esperance. Elizabeth Foster's imagination is WILD; every little detail of this story made it come alive. This book will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions, but it's well worth a read. I will be looking to get my hands on the next book in the series ASAP because I must know what happens next!

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Name: Esme's Wish
Author: Elizabeth Foster
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Adventure, Teen
Age:+8
Review:
The story is set in an archipelago, the protagonist, Esme is a 15 year old girl who disapproves her father's second marriage. Even after seven years, Esme is unable to let go of her mother, who disappeared in the sea. Living in Picton Island, Esme has always been an odd one, the inhabitants of the island has always treated her and her mother as a weird one. Unable to cope up with the changes that has been taking place in her life after her father's second marriage, Esme swears to find out the mystery behind her mother's disappearance.
It is a good read overall with amazing writing style and typical magical story. I really like the cover of this book, which attracted my attention to this book in the first place.

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Before I start, I just wanted to say that Esme's Wish is labeled as an MG book, but the writing is more YA, complexity-speaking. However, it deserves its 3,5 rounded up because it is technically a Middle-Grade novel and I considered the dynamics/adventures/characters according to that.

* Story/Plot

Esme's Wish does have a slow start (my interest perked up at around 33%). The beginning is uneventful and lasts too long without any exciting action. However, if you stick around for long enough, things do get more interesting when you're introduced to the new world. It was a fun adventure, most of the times.

The ending is a cliffhanger, but most subplot conflicts were resolved (even if some answers were a tad rushed). The right amount of question marks was left floating in the air to assure the readers' interest in the sequel (Esme's Gift).

There is no denying it, the pace is rather slow during the introduction and rising action, but falls definitively too fast when it comes to the climax, which is resolved in about four pages. I was a bit bummed that the antagonists were dismissed so quickly.

* Characters

Esme is a sweet main character, even if she feels a little papery at some moments of the story. Apart from her and Daniel and Lillian, we don't really get to know the characters, so they all feel a little flat and mainly filling holes in the background.

Some of the conflicts Esme has to fight are internal ones: she has to discover truths about herself and her mother, as well as about friendship. These are very important topics for early teens, so kudos for that.

As someone who has suffered bullying and has trust issues, I really appreciate the message of healthy friendship: Esme's friends stick by, no matter her struggles or the truths they uncover, because they care about her and want to help her.

* Worldbuilding

Perhaps, two full stars of my rating are entirely awarded to the setting of the novel. Even if some of the descriptive paragraphs dragged a little, the scenery was beautiful (I dreamt of it). I would have enjoyed more worldbuilding (this is not entirely a complaint, just a remark to stress how much I loved the magic of it).

Aeolia is a world parallel to ours, accessed through portals that are almost impossible to find, where magic is an everyday thing and people can breathe underwater. There are dragons, sirens, people with the Gift of walking on water, flying lights of the sea, and more dream-like details, including a magic postal service. If you're looking for Atlantis- or Lemuria-like worlds, then you should consider visiting Aeolia.

* Problematic issues

There was this talk of Daniel burning Lilian when they were kids. It was disturbing, most of all because it was laughed at and Lilian somehow ended up being at fault for being upset??

Even if Esme dislikes her step-aunt (and I take her side), it was incredibly wrong to have disappeared from home for over a month without any concern for her. The step-aunt most probably had to call the police and got into huge trouble. Plus, what if Esme's father had been contacted a few days after her disappearance? Even if he was on honeymoon, he must have been reachable in some way.

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This is a tale that is utterly enchanting and totally consuming. I found myself even dreaming about the wonderous world of Aeolia created by the extremely talented Elizabeth Foster. This is something that rarely happens to me. In fact, I can count the number of times it has happened to me on a single hand.

To put that into perspective, only books such as R.R. Tolkien’s THE HOBBIT, THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and the HARRY POTTER series have had this effect on me. Am I saying that ESME’S WISH is on par with these genre-defining tales? Well, I won’t go quite that far yet, but only because this is only BOOK ONE. Ask me again once I have had the pleasure of reading the entire series.

Although this book is targeted at the Young Adult audience, as was the Harry Potter series, this book also holds incredible appeal for adult readers as well.

Esme is swept from a world in which her father remarries a woman she despises, giving up all hope after seven years that his wife will ever return. He, and everyone else, including Esme, believe that her mother is dead. She thinks that the reason she has been told that her mother was lost at sea is because they are hiding something much more sinister. Being a typical fifteen year old, she sets off to visit the last place her mother was seen alive – hoping for clues as to what really happened to her.

Instead of discovering a secret clue, she is swept into the sea and pulled through some sort of portal into the wonderous world of Aeolia. This reminds me of Harry Potter leaving London by going to platform nine and three quarters.

Who among us has not thought of somehow going to a different world? This book delivers on that fantasy and Elizabeth Foster’s world building is spot on. The people of this fantasy world all have some sort of magical gift which manifests in young adulthood. I don’t want to give anymore away, but the plot is terrific and readers will be drawn in and continually surprised by the mystery of what happened to Esme’s mother.

I rate this book as 5 out of 5 Stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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This book was amazing! With the right amount of magic and fantasy. It left me breathless and I couldn't stop reading.

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Final rating 4.5/5 stars

I really enjoyed this! It reminded me a little of Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe. (Just a bit).
This author has a really fluid writing style, and her characters were extremely engaging.
I would definitely recommend for younger readers who want to get into fantasy.

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To begin with, i did receive a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book falls more into the younger readers group, tottering the line between an older child’s book and young adult. For what it was, it was excellent.

It was imaginative, creative, and really drew you in. The young characters kind of fumble their way around, hoping to find the main characters mother. The main character is likable, hopeful, and full of wonder. She worries her mother has been influenced, only to find that her mother needed help.

The world building is excellent. It’s descriptive, but not so much that it doesn’t put your imagination to work. The book was well written, and a great read for it’s classification.


Review is also posted on good reads, waiting approval from amazon.

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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!🙂

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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!

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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. ]

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.***

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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.

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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...

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*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.

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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.

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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.

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Esme’s Wish is a fantastic middle-grade fantasy. Since the day her mother was presumed lost at sea, Esme has never given up hope that her mother is alive. On a visit to the island where her mother was last seen, Esme accidentally swims through a portal. A magical world called Esperance awaits her. As Esme explores, she makes friends and retraces her mother’s steps. When an ominous danger threatens, Esme realizes that her search for her mother may be linked to saving Esperance.

The story begins with Esme objecting to a wedding and I knew that it was going to be a fun time. I was genuinely delighted with the world-building, which feels similar to a Miyazaki film: imaginative creatures, creepy monsters, and beautiful art. Esme’s Wish is a lovely read filled with the spirit of adventure, portal travel, and true friendship. Written in a gentle and pleasant style, the story flew by. I quickly finished Esme’s Wish and was eager to start the sequel! Esme’s Wish is available now! Thank you to Elizabeth Foster, BooksGoSocial, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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This was a wonderful MG/YA fantasy read. Fifteen year old Esme's searching for her missing mother, who vanished at sea seven years ago.

Of course Esme goes looking for her mother and stumbles onto magic and portals to other worlds. And dragons.

I liked the world-building and magic system. Aeolia is a very interesting underwater realm.

Esme is a very lovable main character. She's smart and very persistent, never forgetting her goal of finding her mother. She makes fast friends with Daniel and Lillian. Together the three kids must discover the truth behind an ancient myth, must find treasure and outsmart monsters.

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Esme's Wish (Esme Series #1)
by Elizabeth Foster
Esme series is the great beginning young adult book. The idea of a magical world connected to historical Greek gods and goddesses is just the beginning. Esme is a wonderful character that can teach children that they can do anything if they keep trying. The book looks into ideas of learning to rely on yourself but be open to friendship. The friendships she finds in this magical world helps her to understand her own gifts and the story of how her mother disappeared. The cliff hanger in the end will bring more readers to the series. Great job.

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Esme's father is getting married again. Her mother is missing, assumed dead because she was on the sea, and he's found a new wife. Esme speaks against the marriage but no one cares. Then her dad and the new wife go on their honeymoon. That's when Esme finds the sister of the new bride is coming to stay with her. The first day she takes down all her mother's artwork and puts up other pictures...

BooksGoSocial and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Esme doesn't have friends (her mother was her friend) but it doesn't take long to find some. The boy takes her to the island where her mother was going all those months ago. They search the whole island and find nothing. But then she sees some caves and wants to search them.

This is where fantasy drops in on the story. She finds a water passage and she falls in. She expects to drown but she finds she breath in this water. When she finds land again, it's the land in her mother's pictures. She's mesmerized by the thought of retrieving the pretty pearl her mother painted. The only problem is that there are monsters guarding it. When she gets there, there's no pearl just her mother's necklace. She grabs that and almost makes it out when one of the monsters scratches her leg.

She immediately starts reacting to the scratch so they have to get her to a doctor. It's serious but the doctor saves her. Then she continues to search for her mother. She finds her but she's just barely alive. Now Esme is going home to tell her father. She doesn't know if he will come back with her or not...

The next book will answer that question.

This was a good read with plenty of excitement.

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this was a great start to a series, this book was a strong start to esme's story and I really enjoyed this. The characters were great and I enjoyed reading this.

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Esme's Wish by Elizabeth Foster is a beautiful novel, a beautiful gift to YA literature. The story follows Esme, whose mother was lost at sea, who found it unbelievable that her mother, who loved the sea could be taken by it. She finds clues in her mother's paintings and realizes that there is another world that she visited and is convinced her mother must be alive in that world...so she follows her there and is amazed by it. But the search is not as easy as she hoped.

I absolutely loved this story, it was beautifully written and I was able to see everything in my mind's eye as the author's language drew vivid pictures of the worlds she created. I couldn't wait to continue on to read Esme's Gift.

Thank you to the author, Books Go Social and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

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This is a really good book. It's full of twists and turns and will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next. I will read the next book in this series. Thank you BooksGoSocial via Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

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With her debut novel, Foster creates a story blended of eastern mythology and western fantasy. Ariane Silver never came home seven years ago, and everyone in Picton has moved on. Except for Esme. She just can't create her own closure; she needs to know what happened to her mother.

Picton is a picturesque coastal town clearly inspired by the Mediterranean coasts. When Esme goes in search of her mother at their cottage home, she literally dives into a parallel world under the sea. It gets even more Greek from there when she encounters statues of Poseidon, sirens, and stygians.

Esme discovers Ariane was working on a compendium when she disappeared from the parallel world as well. As she searches for clues in Ariane's work, Esme's understanding of the world is shaken as she travels by dragons and boats that propel themselves. Esperance is a world reminiscent of any good western fantasy.

This is a quest story blended with the best of Odysseus and Arthur. There is a holy grail, there are dramatic challenges. East meets west quite seamlessly and may have become a new favorite subgenre for me. Easy four stars to this debut, and now my TBR pile is teetering precariously with yet another series I'm eager to read.

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I did not have time to get to this one due to taking a degree. Also lockdown confused matters. I would look out for this as it seems like I would enjoy the story.

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Esme was so and so, as a character. But i really liked the magic and dragons in the story.
But it was somewhat entertaining even though.

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Esme's Wish by Elizabeth Foster was such an interesting read! The world of Aeolia was very intriguing and it was fun to learn about the secrets surrounding Esme's mother. Esme herself was a curious, vibrant, and relatable character and I loved that about her. I'm hoping to read book two soon, and hopefully it will be just as enchanting as this one.

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