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WORK TITLE: Royal Pain
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CITY: Minneapolis
STATE: MN
COUNTRY: United States
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PERSONAL
Married.
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Writer.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Raelyn Drake is a Minnesota-based writer. She has penned several novels, including Lockdown—about the aftermath of an alien attack on Earth—and The House—about the legend of a haunted house. Drake has also written novels in the “Superhuman” series, including Stretched Too Thin—about sixteen-year-old Evan and his ability to stretch his body to unusual extremes—and Picking up Speed—about sixteen-year-old Natalie, who gains unnatural speed to the amazement of her track teammates.
Realm of Mystics
Drake published the novel Realm of Mystics in 2018. A girl wakes up to find herself trapped inside a fantasy video game. Although she is not even a gamer herself, she learns that she must quickly adapt to her surroundings. As Em3ra1d_with_3nvy, one of four players in this game, she is tasked with rescuing a princess and slaying a dragon. In order to win, she must learn how to do magic. If she cannot, then she and her team may be stuck in the game forever.
Writing in Voice of Youth Advocates, Judith A. Hayn commented that “In-the-know readers will be easily immersed in the games.” Hayn noted that “conspiracy and betrayals lurk in unexpected and hazardous situations.”
Royal Pain
In the novel Royal Pain, a family’s mysterious secret comes to the fore after Noah’s grandfather dies. Noah learns that he is a member of Evonia’s royal family. Noah is presented with a choice of claiming his royal identity and taking on a new lifestyle and set of responsibilities in Evonia if he does so. However, he also understands that there would be much that he would be giving up as well, notably a normal life. His grandmother cautions him about priorities, though, noting that true love is more important than anything.
A contributor to Kirkus Reviews suggested that “readers who dream of one day being whisked away from their ordinary lives to a world of opulence will gobble these stories up.” The same reviewer, however, criticized the “formulaic plots and flat characters.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2018, review of Royal Pain.
Voice of Youth Advocates, December 1, 2017, Judith A. Hayn, review of Realm of Mystics, p. 69.
Raelyn Drake enjoys chai tea, tai chi, and coming up with more than two items for lists. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband and rescue corgi mix, Sheriff.
Drake, Raelyn: ROYAL PAIN
Kirkus Reviews. (June 1, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Drake, Raelyn ROYAL PAIN Darby Creek (Young Adult Fiction) $26.65 8, 1 ISBN: 978-1-5415-2567-2
Seventeen-year-old Noah's life is turned upside down when his grandfather dies, forcing his family to move to his mother's home country, where she must assume her duties as part of the royal family.
In Evonia, Noah must endure elaborate table manners, a never-ending itinerary of royal duties, and his grandmother's matchmaking efforts. He is miserable in his new role until he meets Tori, a dynamic and beautiful girl who shares his passion for archaeology. When he learns that he is in line to assume the throne, he is faced with the most difficult decision of his life. The other titles in this reluctant reader series feature other teens forced to Evonia to assume their royal duties. In Becoming Prince Charming, by Loren Bailey, 17-year-old Mason discovers that being a slacker holds little charm for his new hardworking royal friends. In Royal Treatment by K.R. Coleman (Truth or Dare, 2017, etc.), 16-year-old Grace must trade in her blue hair and nose ring for updos and royal jewels, but she maintains her individuality when it comes to romance. In Next in Line by Vanessa Acton (Vortex, 2017, etc.), Carly, a high school junior, discovers she is a princess and only two places from the throne. In these stories linked only by location and familial ties, the focus is on individuality, personal responsibility, and moral character. Diversity is lacking, but the focus on family dynamics as more than angst-y teenager versus clueless parents is refreshing. Romance is present but limited to chaste kisses and some hand-holding. Formulaic plots and flat characters detract from the otherwise entertaining series, but readers who dream of one day being whisked away from their ordinary lives to a world of opulence will gobble these stories up.
High-concept, easy-to-read romances with feel-good messages. (Fiction. 12-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Drake, Raelyn: ROYAL PAIN." Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A540723447/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=62eeb879. Accessed 17 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A540723447
Drake, Raelyn. Realm of Mystics
Judith A. Hayn
Voice of Youth Advocates. 40.5 (Dec. 2017): p69.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC
http://www.voya.com
Full Text:
Drake, Raelyn. Realm of Mystics. 120p. 978-1-5124-3989-2.
Keats, Israel. Labyrinth. 128p. 978-1-5124-3987-8.
--. The Zephyr Conspiracy. 120p. 978-1-5124-3985-4.
3Q * 3P * M * J * S
Level Up is an easy-reading, fast-paced series of six gamer adventures. All are rooted in the premise that by 2089, virtual reality is part of the norm; L33T CORP creates the most engaging games. Their latest is Level Up with over a thousand different realities, and the company seeks testers to operationalize each reality. Teens are thrust into the middle of a game with the warning that they must win or be trapped in Level Up forever. Each volume opens with a scene featuring the Game Runner, the avatar who explains the rules and challenges. In Realm of Mystics, Em3rald_with_3nvy, an inexperienced gamer, must complete four levels--Water, Earth, Fire, and Air--using her unique strengths. The final level requires winning the Boss Battle, releasing a princess and killing the dragon. Em3rald is designated as the Mage, a magic user complete with spell book. Labyrinth features SuprSolvr, who must use her wits to solve puzzles and her physical skills to reach the center of the labyrinth to vanquish the boss. The Zephyr Conspiracy's hero, Gadget, an experienced and fearless gamer, becomes a lowly sailor on the pirate ship, Zephyr. In making her way through the ranks, Gadget can play the game in a myriad of ways--as long as she wins.
In-the-know readers will be easily immersed in the games; conspiracy and betrayals lurk in unexpected and hazardous situations. Of particular interest to teen gamers, this series will appeal to a specific audience of virtual reality fans.--Judith A. Hayn.
Level Up. Darby Creek/Lerner, August 2017. PLB $26.65.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Hayn, Judith A. "Drake, Raelyn. Realm of Mystics." Voice of Youth Advocates, Dec. 2017, p. 69. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A522759474/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=f12e1a4d. Accessed 17 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A522759474