Jonathan Fore’s Lexicon Chase and the Scrolls of the Harlequin is an engaging young adult, fantasy and adventure novel. As the story unravels, we get to know sixteen-year-old Lexicon Chase, an awkward young girl who is regularly bullied. From school, she regularly passes by her grandmother’s dilapidated small house on the way to a trailer that she and her mother call home. One day, her grandmother shows her a rose and tells her that at its heart can be found the kingdom of Everhope. Indeed, as Lexi blinks at the rose, she is transported to the kingdom where her grandmother is known as Queen Abigail and she is treated as a princess. Thus begins a charmed life where she gets to wear beautiful gowns, eat the best food, ride the best horses and command the kingdom’s soldiers herself. All is not well in Everhope, however, as Lexi discovers that a druid has put a curse on it. Determined to lift the curse on her doomed kingdom, Lexi will go on a dangerous quest. Will she find what she is looking for?

Lexicon Chase and the Scrolls of the Harlequin is Book One in a series and centers on the life and amazing adventures of Lexi Chase. Obviously, author Jonathan Fore’s imagination knows no bounds and his story is certainly entertaining. Imagine a poor awkward girl of fifteen being transformed into a princess in a wink - then it is just normal that she will get into a lot of trouble in her elegant new role. What makes Lexi’s character endearing is her transformation from a poor bullied kid to a benevolent princess. And while some of her subjects plot her downfall, Princess Lexi goes on a mission to save her kingdom. The characters in this story are well rounded and there is an effort to show something good in all of them, including the villains. And Everhope, Princess Lexi’s new home, is a kingdom populated by knights, druids, unicorns, ogres, fairies, talking butterflies, and ghostly men among others. After reading this book, it will not be surprising if Jonathan Fore’s readers will eagerly look forward to his next edition. I highly recommend this book!

Lexicon Chase: Scrolls of the Harlequin is a great book. It’s about a 15-year-old girl named Lexicon Chase. She is often bullied at school. Lexi always rides the school bus with her friend, Thug. After school, she always goes to her grandmother’s house until her mom comes home. One day, her grandmother showed Lexi a magic rose that could take her to a magical world called Everhope. She explained about a magical kingdom. She also told Lexi that she used to be queen of Everhope! Lexi’s grandmother told Lexi that SHE is the new ruler of Everhope for she can no longer be queen. Of course, Lexi didn’t believe a word her grandmother was saying, that is, until she held the rose. Soon enough, she found herself in Everhope.

The first person — or rather — creature that she met, was a Fae. Faes have the body of a butterfly and the face of a human child (which is very creepy, in my opinion). The Fae alerted everyone of Lexi’s arrival in Everhope. Soon enough, she was crowned princess of Everhope. Lexi met lots of people, like Maybell, Chef Cornelius, and Chief Byron. Maybell gave Lexi the grand tour of the castle. Lexi learned that there are lots of words and phrases that Everhopians don’t know like tacos and pizza. There are also lots of things that Everhopians use that Lexi doesn’t know.

Lexi found out the hard way that if she fell asleep in Everhope, she would be transported back home. Since she found that out, she went back and forth all the time. Lexi did lots of crazy things. She even became a soldier!

When Lexi went back home one time, her grandmother was not feeling well. Lexi begged and pleaded for her grandmother to tell her what was wrong. Her grandmother explained about a curse from Everhope that was killing her. Lexi wanted to learn more about the curse, so she decided to find the lost library to find out more. She, and a few others, faced a lot of danger. Meanwhile, Lexi developed a strong friendship with a girl named Milk. Lexi eventually found the library in an unexpected place and went back to the castle. At the end, Lexi decides to do something special for Milk.

Lexicon Chase: Scrolls of the Harlequin is a great book for kids who like fantasy, magical places and adventures. It is very weird and funny . Some parts of this book are just unexplainable! I really like this book because it is magical. My favorite part of the book is when Maybell says “By the god’s blighted butts (which I put as a quote)!” If you are reading this right now, buy this book! You will never regret it! I give this book 5 stars.

Lexi Chase’s life drastically changes on the 25th of September when her grandmother’s magical rose transports Lexi to a medieval castle in the Kingdom of Everhope. Used to being the butt of ridicule at her high school, the fifteen-year-old enjoys her new princess role until she learns the horrible truth of a curse that not only affects Everhope, but also the life of her beloved grandmother. Although she is determined to find the hidden tome that will break the curse, Lexi is unaware there is an even greater diabolical plot in the works.

Jonathan Fore’s 6th novel, and the first book of the Lexicon Chase and the Kingdom of Everhope series, takes readers on a fantastical C.S. Lewis-like journey. Laced with a good-versus-evil theme, Fore’s third person narrative features an under-dog whose self worth is directly proportional to her impoverished and dismal life. Indeed, the last thing Lexi expects is a sudden shift to royalty (a definite Narnia feel). Aided by a colorful benevolent and miscreant cast, the coming-of-age development of Fore’s principal character is also surrounded by a host of mythological and mystical beings. Fore includes an interesting mix of faes (fairy-like creatures), elves, ghosts, gibberings, gnolls, as well as a friendly ogre and a unicorn amid an all-things-apothecary-and-magical setting.

While Fore doesn’t incorporate talking beasts, and there is no religious allegory attached to his plot, the mere fact he mixes a present-day youth with her ties to an otherworldly past, and then combines that with all the above-mentioned elements, is enough to give his novel a reminiscent warm-and-fuzzy feel of Narnia. Yet Fore’s writing style is quite unlike Lewis’s old-British vernacular, consistent throughout the Narnia novels. Lexi (who is learning how to be a proper princess), for example, takes her 21st century lingo and actions with her to Everhope, which makes for an interesting, and sometimes hilarious, contrast to language and practices of an archaic society.

Alternating between various unexpected character scenes of both the present and the past, Lexicon Chase and the Scrolls of Harlequin undoubtedly closes with a light cli hanger in preparation for part two of this exciting new series—Lexicon Chase and the Riddle Song—coming in 2016!

Lexicon Chase: Scrolls of the Harlequin by Jonathan Fore is the story of Lexicon Chase, also called Lexi. Or Princess. In the beginning, she is nothing but an unpopular girl who gets bullied every day - so much so that one day she can hardly bear it any longer. That is the day when her grandmother shows her how to travel to a different world - a world in which the women of her line are queens and princesses. Lexi feels wonderful in this world; she can finally be who she wants to be without being bullied. However, there are also those who do not want outsiders to be the rulers of the land. There also is a curse and Lexi wants to break it. But for that, she has to find a missing library and she cannot trust everybody.

I enjoyed Lexicon Chase: Scrolls of the Harlequin by Jonathan Fore so much that I finished the book in two sittings. I would recommend the book to people who like stories along the lines of unpopular, unhappy, almost suicidal girl finds a way to a magical world and discovers that there is more to her than she ever expected. Yes, there are many stories like that, but Lexicon Chase stands out because the characters are very well developed, and the world is described wonderfully. The author clearly knows how to use adjectives to his advantage, but without using too many of them, or using boring old cliches to describe people and objects. It is just perfect for a reader's imagination. I like the idea that Lexicon went out to look for a lost library. Kind of fits her name, too. She is a rather likeable character, and I am sure that many readers will fall in love with her.

Oh my goodness! I just finished reading a book that I simply will not be able to stop raving about! Lexicon Chase: Scrolls of the Harlequin by debut novelist Jonathan Fore is simply a masterful read in the genre of fantasy for young adults, introducing readers to our protagonist, Lexicon Chase, a young woman trying to figure out life. And what she's figured out so far is that she's not too crazy about her particular life. She doesn't have the best clothes, she doesn't wear make up, she has no cellphone and no boyfriend. But when her grandmother gives her a special gift, a family heirloom, her life definitely starts to change. When the gift magically transports Lexicon to Everhope, a fantastical kingdom, she realizes that there's much more to her life, and her family, than she ever thought. Lexicon is destined to be a queen, and living the life of a princess has her quite enamored. But when she realizes that the only way she will reign is to summon a courage she isn't sure that she has to defeat those who seek to get rid of her, it's uncertain if her time in Everhope will truly last.

I loved this book. Loved. It. First of all, let's talk about the author's choice of the main character's name. Lexicon Chase. I mean, really, is there a more perfect name than that for such a character? I think not. Lexicon Chase: Scrolls of the Harlequin is a book that grabbed me from the very first page and I simply could not put it down until the end. It was that great! Any reader who loves a great fantasy, young adult or not, should absolutely pick up this book and read it as soon as possible. I was thrilled to see that this book is the first in a planned series. I, for one, will be anxiously waiting for the next book in this series by author Jonathan Fore. If this promising new author continues to write with this level of passion and intensity, I think it likely that we'll be seeing his name on the bestseller's lists soon!