BookLife (by Publishers Weekly)

“Sanamon debuts with a captivating and imaginative fantasy novel that seamlessly blends the realms of dream and reality. Mining the vein of fanciful classics like the work of L. Frank Baum and Lewis Carroll, the story follows Theodora Brondsted on her 14th birthday, as she learns about her mother, Galatéa, and the generations of women in her family who have all fulfilled their destinies to discover and share secrets with a magical lion on the island of Tzia, hidden from the modern world by either a spell or a curse. Sanamon skillfully intertwines Theo's story with that of Galatéa, her mother, and the adventurous tale of her own fourteenth birthday—which involves wonders like PumPum, a bespectacled talking cat, and the teasing possibility that the world shifts and surprises us just when we look away.

Galatéa, a witch and one of four quadruplets, embarks on a journey to find the legendary lion, pitting her against her jealous sister, Agatha, and an ensemble of malevolent witches (known as “The Vicious”) determined to stop her. While Theo's narrative occasionally feels sidelined in favor of Galatéa's, the dual perspectives converge spectacularly, keeping readers invested in the plot. The story falters slightly during Galatéa's extensive quest, which moves rather slowly. However, the rich world-building, immersive storytelling, and imaginative illustrations more than make up for this minor flaw, and readers will likely forgive the occasional drag in the plot because of the captivating nature of the story.

At its heart, Tzia: The Book of Galatéa is a story of family, destiny, and magic. Its unique storytelling format and host of engaging and surprising characters will appeal to readers who enjoy fantasy novels with a lot of spirited invention, a love of language and mischief, and a touch of family drama. The intricate, dream-like plot offers a captivating reading experience that will leave readers eager for Theo's next adventure.

Takeaway: This riveting fantasy is perfect for fans of fairy tales and mystical adventures.

Comparable Titles: Catherynne M. Valente’s The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Sylvia Mercedes’s Of Wolves and Wardens.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A-

— EDITOR’S PICK

Midwest Book Review

“Middle grade fantasy readers ages 9-12 will appreciate Tzia: The Book of Galatéa for its compelling and original story of a girl called upon to step into her destiny as a witch—especially since illustrator Zsófia Ötvös has added an extra touch of visual draw with black and white drawings that bring Sanamon's characters to life.

 Fourteen-year-old Galatéa lives on the Greek island of Tzia, home not just to herself and her three sisters, but a legacy of family involvement spanning nearly four hundred years. One sister in each generation of this family is tasked with a quest that leads her to absorb her family's well-kept secrets and real identity.

 The story is actually told from the perspective of Galatéa’s future daughter Theo, on her own fourteenth birthday, and so embraces the adventures of not just a single person, but a family of powerful women.

 Sanamon's unusual device in moving from observer to participant creates compelling scenes as the story unfolds:

 "... she heard an unexpected but welcome sound—a laugh so loud and carefree that it made her smile. She turned to the wagon and saw four baby girls, two by two, side by side. She could smell their familiar scents. All four looked up at her as if they could see her. Galatéa saw her sisters. She saw herself! She was looking straight into her own eyes and felt goose bumps up and down her spine." 

As the story progresses, young readers come to realize that the threats not only come from the evil ancestors, the Vicious, but others whose identities are more hidden (and thus their powers more dangerous) than anything Galatéa could have imagined from her future.

 The island she thought she knew well embraces wonders and delights, but holds a dangerous undercurrent she discovers during the course of her journey, which brings a powerful lion into her world much like Aslan in the classic The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

The result is a study in wonder, adventure, and growth that will delight middle grade fantasy readers looking for something akin to C.S. Lewis's classic, but far more layered in a form of magical realism that juxtaposes elements of fantasy with reality.

 Libraries and readers seeking a compelling adventure will find this first introduction to the Land of the Lion to be magically compelling.”

— D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

Readers' Favorite

“Tzia: The Book of Galatéa is like a magical blend of Alice in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and something different. I was amazed by Mister Sanamon’s imagination’s ability to create the world featured. I loved its suspense-laced plot and exotic characters and how the plot and characters unraveled slowly; I didn’t learn everything until the end. 

I also liked the drawings that illustrated this story; they helped my imagination. It ends on a mouthwatering cliffhanger, and I’m eager to read The Book of Theodora. I’m curious about Mister Sanamon’s unusual name, which is the same as that of a mysteriously compelling character in this tale. Where does the line between fiction and nonfiction end? 

Tzia was a creative adventure, and I eagerly recommend it to fantasy and adventure lovers.”

— Ann Linus for Readers’ Favorite

Online Book Club

“Older siblings are known for getting privileges before their younger siblings while the less mature children watch with envy, and Galatéa and Agatha are no different in the exciting book, Tzia: The Book of Galatéa, by author Mister Sanamon.

In this tale, Galatéa is told that there's a whole exciting and hidden world that she, as the eldest, is to visit on her fourteenth birthday. The youngest, Agatha, is prone to bad moods and misbehavior, so hearing about Galatéa's adventure sends her spiraling. What follows is an interesting but scary trip to another land for Galatéa while Agatha tries to find her and stop her on her quest. Does Agatha catch her? Do the siblings make up? Or do matters only get worse? You'll have to read this fun yarn to find out.

Tzia is very reminiscent of classics like Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, yet it is definitely its own story. I was fully engaged while reading and couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see what would happen next. Even though I'm much older than the middle-grade crowd this is meant for, I also occasionally had to peek through my fingers to read! As an older adult, I appreciated the tale's underlying themes, like family, confidence, generational blessings and curses, and good versus evil as well.

My favorite thing about the land of Tzia was its magic and ability to protect itself from would-be trespassers as well as its alternate idea of time. The puzzles that Galatéa had to solve were also intriguing and set my cerebral gears turning. The characters were all interesting, and I didn't feel that any did not earn their keep. North, in particular, made me smile a lot, but I also had soft spots for PumPum, a talking and rhyming cat, and Myrto, an old lady who Theodora (who'll be the main character in Book Two) meets aboard a plane. The enemies were also well drawn, and the witches, as well as The Vicious, all had me cackling in laughter. I look forward to spending more time with Theo and the lion in the next book too.

Tzia had a smattering of beautiful illustrations by Zsófia Ötvös that I spent a good deal of time poring over as well. I would have liked pictures of other scenes and characters, but it's not a picture book, so I understood that not everything could be drawn.

Unfortunately, Tzia was tarnished by its lack of professional editing. The author had a terrible habit of hyphenating everyday words that don't call for it, like "be-sides," "de-meanor," "harsh-ly," and a host of other words, and it got to be very distracting. There were also a few issues with capitalization and incorrect word usage that may have been typos. I highly suggest Mister Sanamon hire professional editors for the rest of the series so it can really shine like the gem it is. For this reason, I am rating the book 4 out of 5 stars, but I also want to give it a grade A for content.

Since this book is meant for younger readers, there are no sexual situations or profanity, but there is some mild violence though it's not graphic. I therefore wholeheartedly recommend Tzia: The Book of Galatéa for middle-grade readers, fans of classic children's tales, adults who love stories featuring outlandish lands, and bibliophiles who cannot get enough of witches and other fanciful creatures.”