Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light (Book Review)

Clifton Chase and the Arrow of Light is a book by the author Jaimie M Engle. I was delighted when I was contacted by Jaimie and sent a copy of her book to review.

The book follows the story of a boy and his discovery of a magical arrow that sends him back through time to embark on an epic adventure. The story is filled with history and fantasy along with snippets of life as a average teenage boy. 

The thing that really got me about this book though was the fact that it is English history with an exciting twist.
It is based on the story of King Richard III and his two nephews.

I think the book would be great for older children both boys and girls aged around 8-11. The chapters are not too long and always filled with adventure. And if you are anything like me then you will definitely enjoy it too, there is no age limit for this book. I can't wait to read it to Calleigh when she is older.

Jaimie was kind enough to answer a few questions I sent her way.

Where did you get your inspiration for the book from? 

The first spark came with a scene of a boy getting ready for archery club in his bedroom. He found a strange arrow, while searching for his sneakers, and took it with him before leaving the room. Then, I saw a pointy nose press through the darkness of a closet, followed by the face of a dwarf. And all he said was, “But the boy had found it first.” This intrigued me to do some research, which led me to the discovery of two princes forgotten by time. I wanted to tell their story under the question: what if they had been rescued?

The history in your book is very accurate, did it take a lot of research?

Yes. I actually used a lot of books from the juvenile section on daily life and clothing, mainly because they use lots of pictures and cut to the chase. The majority of the battle scene was collected from The Battle of Bosworth, an in-depth study by Christopher Gravett, who has his master's in Medieval Studies from the University of London. I don't think you could find a better source than that. And of course, good old Wikipedia filled in a lot of holes.

I remember as a child visiting the Battle of Bosworth where the War of the Roses took place. Did you ever visit there whilst researching/writing the book? 

Only virtually. I would love to take a visit there one day.

I think the book is great and there is definitely room for another one.. Is this something you have planned? What's next for you? 

Thank you very much. I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I do have some ideas for book two and three, but I wanted to see how book one was received before I got started. I am actually shopping a manuscript with agents right now, which is completely different: a YA fantasy, taking place in Viking Era Canada, with some pretty scary creatures I call the 'ferine' that are basically female werewolves. I like to post pictures and descriptions of all the projects I'm working on at pinterest.com/jaimiengle.

Author Bio:

Jaimie Engle has run a body shop, managed a hip-hop band, modelled bikinis, and danced at the Aloha Bowl halftime show. This wife and mother of two currently tutors in creative and essay writing, and offers a manuscript critique service for aspiring authors. She has published many short stories online and in print, including Writer’s Digest and a children's piece appearing in Clubhouse Jr. in 2014. She was awarded honourable mentions for her sci-fi novella in L. Ron Hubbard’s Writer’s of the Future contest and second place in the 2012 Space Coast Writer's Guild's short story competition. Her debut middle grade novel CLIFTON CHASE AND THE ARROW OF LIGHT is available through Amazon and on her website. Drop in on her at www.jaimiengle.com to read some of her short tales.





You can connect with Jaimie on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest or visit her Website for more information or free printables. 


You can purchase the book for yourself on Amazon or via her website.