In 2023, it was reported that 1 in 5, children and young people have a probable mental health disorder of some kind (source: NHS). That is a shocking figure. That means supporting children’s mental health has never been more important. There are many ways to support good mental health, from having a good diet, plenty of exercise and less screen time to GP’s, the NHS and mental health charities, but one powerful tool to help children understand and express their feelings is through books with stories that are relatable to their own experiences. Faythe and the Fearstone: Best Frenemies, written by Roland Moore and created in collaboration with Lucy Cole and Martyn Niman, is a vibrant, character-driven adventure that does just that, offering young readers aged 7–11 a thrilling sci-fi tale infused with emotional insight and mental health awareness.
Faythe and the Fearstone: Best Frenemies is suitable for children aged 7-13 years of age, as this is where children start to feel real emotions and make decisions that will stay with them through their teenage years and adulthood. It has been created by Lucy Cole, a qualified Master NLP & Hypnosis Practitioner, Time Line Therapist, and Personal Evolutionary & Health Coach, and she brings her professional expertise and personal experience as a mother to this project. Her vision, combined with Roland Moore’s storytelling and Martyn Niman’s animation background (Kingbee Animation), has resulted in a multi-platform experience that includes a fully animated cartoon series and a dedicated website (www.faytheandthefearstone.com). The book is part of a wider initiative designed to help children explore their emotions through engaging stories and relatable characters.
The story follows a quartet of four ordinary teenage friends: Faythe, Dreme, Harmony, and Kourage. Like most kids their age, they are juggling school, friendships and life’s everyday challenges. But they also face extraordinary adventures, including battling evil forces from another dimension in the hope to save the world. Faythe, is the kind-hearted and sharp-witted leader of the group, she is joined by her enthusiastic (sometimes too enthusiastic) younger sister Dreme, the brave and brawny Kourage and the acrobatic, action-loving Harmony. Together, they form a tight-knit team that supports one another through both mundane and magical trials.
When a mysterious new student, Gemma, arrives at their school, despite the group’s concerted efforts to try and welcome her, she turns out to be an intelligent and cunning shape-shifter who has plans to steal Faythe’s powerful Fearstone – a purple gemstone that warns of danger, enables interdimensional travel and helps combat evil. As Gemma, along with the villainous Undermind (who is imprisoned in Doomland), begin to influence Faythe’s friends, tensions rise and loyalties are put to the test so they become best frenemies. Faythe soon finds herself isolated, facing betrayal from those she trusts the most and she must summon her inner strength to fight back and restore harmony.
Overall, Faythe and the Fearstone: Best Frenemies is a good sci-fi adventure story. While outwardly it is a sci-fi adventure that battles beings from other dimensions, it is so more than that, at its core it integrates subtle, yet effective, mental health themes. Through the experiences of the very different characters, young page turners are gently introduced to concepts such as regulating emotions, self-worth, betrayal and resilience. With these subtle themes that permeating through the story, it encourages children to look after their mental health by not bottling up their feelings, embracing who they are and to value genuine friendships. These lessons, including depression, anger and other mental health issues, are woven seamlessly into the text, making them relatable to young readers, without crossing the line and coming across as preachy and the story does include small suggestions to help manage these issues.
The book is structured with short chapters and travels along at a reasonably fast pace, making it an easy, enjoyable and fast read for young readers. Each new chapter introduces a new challenge; confidence, self-esteem, behaviour and emotions, helping readers reflect on their own feelings and experiences.
While I found the story engaging, meaningful and, in my opinion, a book that could be very helpful for young minds, for me there were a few minor issues that I felt detracted ever so slightly from the overall reading experience. Personally, I thought that the line spacing was a bit awkward, I found the text harder to follow at times and there were some inconsistencies in spelling with Doomland occasionally appearing as Doom land and grave yard switching back and forth with graveyard. These small editorial hiccups aside, the books core message and imaginative storytelling shine through.
Faythe and the Fearstone: Best Frenemies is a compelling story, with some excellent underlying messages of doing your best, the importance of friendships and being OK with who YOU are, that young readers will enjoy and hopefully take something away from – it’s a good blend of sci-fi adventure, teenage struggles and mental health coping strategies. As a story, not only does it entertain but it also empowers readers to navigate their own inner worlds with courage and compassion, helping to build confidence and getting them to talk about their fears.
Rating: 4/5
RRP: £12.99 (Hardback) / £8.99 (Paperback) / £4.99 (Kindle)
Available to buy from Amazon here.
PUBLISHER:
PUBLICATION DATE:
ISBN:
PRINT LENGTH:
COVER ART:
DISCLOSURE: All thoughts and opinions are my own. This review uses an affiliate link which I may receive a small commission from if you decide to purchase through the Amazon link (it helps with the running costs of the website).
For help around children’s mental health, you can visit websites such as: