Nalia and the Potion Maker by Queenbe Monyei

Published: April 2011

Pages: 196

ebook: received for review

Summary: Goodreads

In the once beautiful Aetheria, a spreading evil stems in the great Land of The North. It is a world that has been ravaged by vengeance and fury. But Nalia knows nothing of this world. She doesn't even know that she bears one of its most coveted and sacred gifts, a gift that has killed many and forced others into hiding.

When an unusual visitor escapes from the other world to find her, he claims that her gift is vital in order to save his world. Her task won't be easy: find the great potion maker whose memory has been stolen, if he's even still alive.

There, Nalia meets the strong yet gentle Lyris who can heal anything with his touch. Soon she discovers that his powers run deep as he slowly begins to mend the pieces of her heart, shattered by her own tragic family and a haunting secret; a secret stemming before she was even born.


A heart wrenching tale of death, betrayal, and the dark side of unrequited love.

A short, quick read, Nalia and the Potion Maker is never-the-less a fun-filled ride into another world.

Nalia is whisked away into the fantastic world of Aetheria, where she finds herself on a quest to discover the whereabouts of the potion maker Poto Pikipsi.  With the help of the orik - a magical orb that allows Nalia to relive other peoples memories,  her own natural abilities as an amemora (a person who can bring things into being from memory), and a handsome young Aetherian named Lyris, who has the gift of healing, Nalia j journey's throughout Aetheria solving problems and avoiding danger.

 I enjoyed Nalia , but I would have liked to have a little more fleshing out of her character, sometimes she did things that had me puzzled and I thought she was perhaps a little trusting, but none of this spoilt my enjoyment of the story overall. Poto was wonderful with his potions for every occasion and Lyris seemed to be such a gentle and genuinely caring person.

Excitement, danger, magic and magical beasties, enchanted forests and unrequited love all make for a fun and entertaining read that would be perfect for younger teens.  I look forward to reading volume 2.