Artisan Book Review

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    The Tales of the Magic Piano by Damien M Casey is a sweeping saga that has something extraordinary for every reader. You’ll find yourself immersed in the struggles of a close-knit family who have found themselves in an extraordinary life and death situation and risking life and limb as they journey to find their way home.

 

      Nicolas has a comfortable life living with his Uncle Olaf, Aunt Sigrid and cousins, Elise and Henry, after his mother died. One day, while cleaning out a shed, Nicolas and Henry discover an old piano and an unusual book of music. While playing music from the book for his Uncle and cousins, Nicolas plays the notes that catapult him and his family into another time and place. There, they reunite with a long-lost family member, Marius, who has managed to steal the Golden Chalice, which holds vials of “pure essence”, the secret ingredient needed to make leaps between dimensions. Marius travels with them through strange countries and numerous dimensions, as they attempt to unlock the secrets of the piano and find their way back home. To make the journey even more perilous, the little group will need to avoid being captured by the Grand Wizard and his evil minions who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the chalice and its contents. Fortunately, there are forces of good who are looking after the travellers, and they encounter many allies who help them along the way.

 

     The Tales of the Magic Piano by Damien M Casey is a magnificently ambitious fantasy novel. Not only is it a homage to world mythology, fairy tales and the classic fantasy genre, the story also allows the reader to experience a multitude of eras, landscapes, actual civilizations and some of their famous citizens, such as Julius Caesar and Henry the Eighth. It is interesting that these historical figures live side by side with mythical beings, highlighting the fantastical aspects of the story while grounding the reader in the familiar. The author has created an array of richly described settings and wondrous creatures that add even more imaginative flair.

 

    For those readers who enjoy the classic works of Stephen Donaldson, Louise Cooper and Madeline L’Engle, this is a work that you would surely enjoy. Full of adventure, heroism and the age-old struggle between light and dark, this quintessential fantasy will give you plenty to savor! The Tales of the Magic Piano by Damien M Casey comes highly recommended by Artisan Book Reviews.