Review of The Serpent's Ring (Relics of Mysticus) by H.B. Bolton

Every Saturday in Evan's house is considered “Family Fun Day,” but he'd rather be at home playing video games, then sitting in the backseat of the minivan next to his older sister Claire. While on their “boring” tour at the local museum, Evan notices something moving around the roof of an abandoned exhibit. Curious, he returns later only to find a secret room and a mysterious ring of a serpent biting his tail. Claire decides to follow him and the two find a magical relic with hidden powers that they unintentionally release. Evan and his sister Claire soon find that by touching the ring, they have opened a portal to Sagaas and have activated certain powers within themselves. When the ring is snatched from Evans hand, they learn that they must be the ones to retrieve it and prevent the Norse god of the sea from flooding the Earth.  

Being on the lookout for Norse mythology, this cover really caught my eye. Well, actually all three covers are very engaging.  The Serpent's Ring contains some of the well known characters from Norse mythology, but H.B. Bolton also introduced me to some that I didn't know much about and creates a creative story based on them.  I especially enjoyed how Evan and Claire's relationship changed over the course of the story.  From having the typical sibling spats, to a shared need to work together and a more caring relationship.  The added touch of "Magical Food Recipes" for the foods found throughout the story and Reference page for the various Norse gods and creatures was very helpful.  Overall, a nicely paced story filled with lore, action and a pleasing resolution to the story.  My eBook copy was from a free download promotion via Amazon.