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Not that it should turn you away from the book — it was a fun, fast-paced book, if somewhat tending toward some darker themes. Not quite dystopian dark, but this is definitely not a light-hearted story. Recommended for fans of YA fantasy. It's got an interesting plot and the writing style is pretty neat witty one-liners throughout the book made me chuckle out loud in several places , but these two alone do not a great novel make.

Where the books fell short for me was in - a The character development: As in, there was none of it. We start off by meeting Derkein who, we are given the impression, is not on good terms w 3. We start off by meeting Derkein who, we are given the impression, is not on good terms with his dad. Something about him neglecting Derkein because he wants to bring Derkein's mom back from the dead. Also, Derkein's sullen and whiny behaviour in this scene made me think he was in his early teens, but it turns out later that he is, in fact, Charlie has strange dreams, hears things, can talk to animals, can see the future, can understand and speak several languages without having learnt any and is all-round awesome at everything Is there anything he can't do!

Just accept it, don't ask questions! Again, not much info is provided about her or her family apart from the fact that she is Spanish half? So, here's how it goes in the book - we meet Rich in, say, page 10 where we learn he's hiding in a shack in the woods because he's run away from foster care Because you can't have kids with parents who are ALIVE for a change in YA books - it cramps their style, yo! And for the rest of the book, he says and does pretty much nothing except to help Charlie show off his superhuman powers to everybody present.

What happened to him? How did he end up in the woods? What is his role in the book? Same goes for the Arcadian characters as well. They are introduced, physically described and abandoned as minor background entities. All the characters come across as one-dimensional - there's no growth across the book whatsoever. This was also a bit lacking and inconsistent as pretty much most of what happened in the book wasn't explained properly as well as the scenes kept jumping from Point A to Point Z, and back, unexpectedly, and it annoyed me to no end that we were just expected to go along with it.

It's like the author just wanted to tell a story and wasn't too fussed about what story she wanted to tell. That saddened me as the book could have had so much potential. I just hope the author figures out who her characters are, and what she wants her book to be about, by then. I really enjoyed this book.

It was super cute especially the ending. Through the whole book I kept getting this Alex Cross vibe which was great because I loved that book. It was a little slow to get through, but that isn't really saying much since it took me about three days to read while dealing with that graduation business. I thought that the mythology part of the book was really fascinating but also confusing. It didn't make sense to me that they were an advanced magical people but at the sam I really enjoyed this book.

It didn't make sense to me that they were an advanced magical people but at the same time they had street lights and out types of power. There were a lot of confusing names that I wasn't sure about but that wasn't that big a deal. I liked to watch the romance bud between Alex and Charlie. I kinda miss that young teen budding romance that they had together.

It wasn't that predictable when trying to figure out what would happen next, but at the same time there were moments that seemed to catch me unawares. I thought that this book fit in well for the middle grades, because it seemed to have all of the staples of that age group I felt the sort of moral about fitting in and being an individual and standing up to bullies were strong lessons.

I felt that Derekin was the most out of place character in the book. For him to be characterized in his own words as a spoiled rich kid with a passion for photography, he felt more like a children's psychologist in training. He was constantly on Charlie about how he was feeling and how he shouldn't feel pressure or take any of this to heart and it just didn't seem to fit with his characterization. For that to be my biggest problem, this book was pretty great.

It hit stores on Sunday, May 20th, which means that you can go get your copy now. And I suggest that you pick it up for any young teen in your life that loves fantasy. I don't want to say to much about this book cause I think it would be best for readers to experience this first hand. So I'm gonna keep this short. Talisman of El is part fantasy, part mythology and pure adventure. Alecia Stone weaves a strong and passionate journey that follows Derkein, Charlie, Alex and Richmond on a whirlwind journey to the depths of earths-core, to a new dimension called, Arcadia, where Charlie will find out his true fate in this world.

Filled with gripping 4. Filled with gripping imagination, animated characters and cunning creativity, this story will take you on a heart pounding and fascinating adventure. I had so much fun reading this book. I felt truly invested with these characters right from minute one. I loved how easy it was to get lost with them and discover hidden truths along the way. I loved the spark these characters had with one another and that there was even a touch of romance to bring hope to future books.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It's a promising start to a bright new series that I can't wait to continue! Fit for all ages. This is a story worth reading! Arc provided by Netgalley and Centrinian Publishing View all 5 comments. So different, action packed, and damn right awesome in terms of romance and the story background. He's afraid to tell any one. He would give any thing to have an ordinary life. Immediately, I was determined to read this, it had a unique sypnosis and already put me into this kind of thought that this was going to be full of suspense, mystery and a whole different world that had not been painted before.

And I, was not disappointed. I got such a beautifully written book that kept be up straining my eyes to read faster as this book had such a quickening pace in the second half. The first half seemed a bit 'in-the-dark' where Charlie, Alex and Richmond a. Soon enough, action eroded filling this book, and filling me with satifacation. Stone's world is so mesmerising and well depicted that it made this book come to life.

When the trio fall into the center of the earth, I could not feel much sense in this story, to be honest boring and misleading but soon, after the mystical creature that on Charlie can see appears I was full with alert. This is where the characters come to life and become more realistic. They seem more lovable and also opt in subtle humour which really lightens this book with dazzling lights.

My, my this romance is so little compared to other books yet Like they say, less is more. This saying really is to the fact in this Stone's novel, the tension between Charlie, Alex and Oren? I loved it, this sort of mini love triangle was well depicted unlike others. And everyone hates bad love triangles. Overall, the journey that Charlie takes is unlike many others that I'm sure will become a great hit soon. I recommend this book to YA lovers and fantasy lovers as it will definately not be a let down. Charlie Blake has had a rough life. After losing both parents, moving from foster home to foster home, 10 year old Charlie comes to stay with Jacob.

Living with Jacob, brings nightmares. Charlie's first day at school is not much better, until he meets Alex, an outspoken girl he befriends. The prologue was what made me want to read this book it sounded so awesome and it was! This fast-paced novel had fantasy, mythology, action and adventure. It was a unique story. The characters were enjoyable an Charlie Blake has had a rough life.

The characters were enjoyable and relatable. I liked Alex a lot, she stands up to the kid that bullied Charlie. Alecia Stone did an fantastic job! I got into the story. It was a quick fun read. I'm excited to see what happens in the next book. This is a must read! Thank you to Centrinian Publishing and NetGalley for providing me the copy! Brilliant, greatly written, can't wait for it to come out! Originally on my blog: The Good I was sucked into this story from the get-go. I may not have stayed that way, but I can't deny how absorbed I was for the first pages of this novel.

I knew big things were going to happen and the build-up was maddening. I love when a book heightens the suspense like that. Charlie has been having horrible dreams. Dreams he has chalked up to the loss of both his parents. But when he meets Derkein, the man from hi Originally on my blog: But when he meets Derkein, the man from his dreams, in real life, he realizes his dreams are actually visions of the past. While trying to save Derkein from an inevitable death, Charlie falls into a land of fantasy.

A place that has unimaginable creatures and monsters. But what's even scarier is that some of these creatures believe Charlie is vital to saving not only his friends, but the whole world. I really enjoyed reading about Charlie and his life in the beginning of this book. Him being an orphan, trying to fit in with his new family, friends, and schoolmates. I was genuinely shocked with the direction the plot took and couldn't wait to see how it would all end Charlie is such a good kid that I couldn't help but hope he would somehow survive his adventures and all his wishes would come true.

His life hasn't been easy, but he tries to take everything in stride. His connection with his few friends, Alex and Richmond, seemed very authentic. As Charlie grew into what he was meant to become, I was excited to see what would come next for him and his friends. I also really liked the vividness of the world Stone created.

The fantasy elements were extremely intriguing. I think that's the best part of fantasy; there are few limits, so the author has free rein to create anything. And Stone took full advantage of that. I could actually picture the creatures, forests, buildings, pretty much everything in great detail. The Bad I really wanted to like this book. It seemed so promising at the start, but it lost me in the middle and never really caught my attention again. I actually had to force myself to read this book to the end. I was tempted not to finish it. Skip to My Lou It frustrated me when the characters kept doing things with little explanation or reason.

The description, though well done, was too long and I went on skim mode for half the book. Same with the backstory and inner thoughts, I just wanted to get back to the story so I jumped sentences and sometimes paragraphs to get to the good parts. Keeping Track of Arcadia It was very difficult to keep track of the hierarchy and history of Arcadia the fantasy land. I gave up trying to remember everything and found myself confused when I actually needed that information to make sense of references farther in the book.

Not Up to Snuff I found the action the most boring. I think Stone is good at story telling, but action is not her forte. Also, it mostly seemed unnecessary. Not that I wanted less action, it's just that it felt forced. Like she added action scenes here and there to fill a quota. A lot of the book felt forced; it didn't flow or make much sense when it came to plot. I didn't understand the reasoning behind some of the character's actions either. I wanted to mention that this book takes place in England and has many British type words that can be confusing. The Snuggly There is not much romance in this book.

It was very clean. The only controversial parts were the scenes with child abuse, which are not overly disturbing or anything. Overall I do think that some people will enjoy this book. It just wasn't for me. I wanted to put it down and keep it down, but I forced myself to finish it because I hate giving up on a book. I think this book should be marketed toward middle schoolers who like fantasy. There is nothing special enough about Talisman of El to make me like it. But I did give if two stars because it's not a badly written book at all, it just couldn't hold my attention. I will not be continuing this trilogy.

Excerpt An ear-piercing scream ripped through the building. Derkein froze, his eyes the only things that moved. His gaze fixed on his father, who was rummaging through his bag. He took out a black pistol and turned to Derkein, a tortured expression on his face as he placed the weapon in his son's trembling hand. He placed the talisman around Derkein's neck, tucking it inside his shirt. I didn't like I like Talisman of El.

Suddenly this novel really came together for me in unexpected ways. I liked the originality of the fantasy world built by Stone, I liked how everything and everyone in the story becomes interconnected with the overall plot, I like the subtle humour, and I liked the characters. The story started off a bit slow for me and for a while, I wondered where it was going. But then, it really picked up the pace and the plot began to really move forward. An in I didn't like I like Talisman of El. An interesting thing I noticed about this novel was that the plot was largely driven by dialogue.

Once Charlie gets to Arcadia and meets the Arcadians, we start getting answers to a lot of questions about what is going on, what the talisman is, and why Charlie is so different from everyone else. It's not easy to drive forward a plot using largely dialogue, and it gave this novel a very different sort of feel. I felt like I was figuring it all out along with Charlie, thinking through all the information with him, and sometimes I was just as confused as Charlie because there always seemed to be more questions. Now, some readers might find that frustrating, but I found that it allowed me to get to know to Charlie better.

So suddenly, this was one of the ways I found myself liking the book. It made me think a heck a lot of more than I thought it would. Now, anyone who reads my reviews regularly knows that I'm all about character development. If I can get into characters, chances are I'm going to fall in love with the book.

And at first, the development of these characters was so not working for me. Because Charlie and the rest of these characters are very subtly developed, and I found we largely know them by what they say, but it did take me some time to really get under their skin. Richmond, for instance, is a sweet boy, but his attention rather lacks focus. He thinks without speaking at times.

But we get to know that because he does speak so much, and over time, what he says establishes his character more firmly than what he does. It's interesting to note that with Alex however, it's what she doesn't say, and her actions that establish her character. With her, it's all about what's left unsaid.

With Charlie on the other hand, we get a fuller package of thoughts, feelings, emotions and so we know what motivates his actions. I was impressed that all of these characters, while subtly defined, are well defined. Besides all the fantasy, exciting action, world building and character development, this novel also struck me as interesting because it was also a story about family, the family that we chose for ourselves.

For Charlie, that is especially important, and I was very happy that in the end, he reconnects with everyone he has learned to care about and who shared the Arcadian adventure with him. Young readers will relate to the friendships in this novel, and I found that these relationships kept me invested in this read as much as my curiosity which was constantly whispering, "and now what's going to happen? In some parts, the pacing was gripping, but at other times I found it a bit choppy, especially at breaking points. I would like to see a greater degree of control in terms of pacing for the next novel.

I also wouldn't mind seeing the relationships deepen a bit more, now that the characters are all well developed.

The First Stone

A Talisman of El proved to be a great fantasy read and is a wonderful debut novel. Young readers will be gripped by the imagination and action, but ultimately will love it for the enduring friendships and themes. I'd like to thank Netgalley. Talisman of El by Alecia Stone was a fun, engaging story that was part fantasy, part supernatural, part mythology, all blended into one fantastical adventure with a wonderful cast of characters.

I have to be honest here. Before I read it, I was never really interested in it. Then I saw it on Netgalley and thought, why not? The cover does Talisman of El by Alecia Stone was a fun, engaging story that was part fantasy, part supernatural, part mythology, all blended into one fantastical adventure with a wonderful cast of characters. The cover does not do the story justice. Seriously, if there was a really cool cover with more color and creatures from the book on it, or something like that, I think a lot more people would be drawn to the book.

I probably would have. I really enjoyed the story. It was pretty well thought out, and had some great action, and well-rounded characters. I think Charlie was a great hero, and Stone wrote his perspective with tact and realism. He felt like a normal teenage boy who is beginning to learn about the world, and feeling trust or mistrust for adults, and feeling the budding, strange feelings for the opposite sex. Here is a promising relationship that I hope Stone will explore more in depth in the sequel. I was a little reminded of Harry Potter as I read. The relationship that Charlie formed with Derkein reminded me of Harry and Sirius.

I could just see her imaginative wheels turning as she planned the story. Talisman of El falls into that fantastical category where we see kids getting swept away from their real world into a whole new world. And I think Talisman of El fits quite nicely into this group. One thing that I would like to see improvement on is having tighter writing, and having more connection between scenes. Not a big deal, but certainly something that could be worked on.

I also felt like some parts of the novel were a little slow. Like After Charlie gets to Arcadia and is learning about it, and the Arcadians are telling him who he is. Necessary information, but it was just a little slow, and maybe a little to telling and not enough showing. After finishing Talisman of El, I found that I really did like it, despite some minor flaws, and was excited to read the sequel. Stone wrote an intriguing, fun, adventurous story that managed to capture my interest when the cover failed to do that , and showed me what she can do, and what her future novels can be.

Thank you to Centrinian Publishing and Netgalley for the arc. This is a good, solid beginning to a series with an interesting series arc, unique characters both human and otherwise and is quite well-done for a first-time author. I will be looking for future books in this series because it does what a series is supposed to do: The pacing of the story overall is good because it moves right along without rushing or dragging.

The main characters are very consistent in their behavior and are described well, with the reader learning more about each character as the story continues. It is also nice to see a book without incorrect homophones bear, bare, etc. The author obviously put a great deal of work into this book and it shows. There are some first-time author issues that should be addressed such as getting to a character's back story a little sooner in more detail because it would answer questions the reader has that really are not major parts of the story arc but are waiting to be answered a bit too long.

It is obvious very early in the story that the protagonist is an orphan who has been placed with a foster father in a small village away from London, where Charlie grew up with his dad until the father died. However, the manner in which it was decided that Charlie be placed with this widower so far from his home and why with this particular man stays a mystery for almost the entire book. There seems to be no reason to wait until almost the end of the book to find out why Charlie ended up with Jacob.

Not only would it help for the reader to know why Charlie ended up where and with whom he did, but some of the foster father's behavior is completely at odds with someone who would volunteer to be a foster father to orphans from as far away as London. We would not need to know absolutely everything about Jacob, but it would help to understand why Charlie is sent to him instead of being placed closer to where he grew up.

The story is a bit choppy in places and could use fuller descriptions of some of the characters like Richmond , their motivations and the reasons for some of the activities, but overall it is well-plotted and a fun read. There is a problem with the Kindle formatting that makes it a bit difficult to follow the story, but those can be dealt with and the file re-uploaded. Where a scene change occurs or when the action jumps forward in time, there is no indication of any change in the text -- the paragraph that starts the new scene or time frame is directly after the last paragraph of the prior action, so it is a bit confusing and causes the reader to have to stop and check back to figure out what has just happened.

A division or extra spacing would help very much so the story moves more smoothly in those situations. Having formatted a fair number of Kindle books, I completely understand there being problems with the initial formatting. I give Talisman of El four stars and will be watching for more from this author. First off, thank you to Alecia Stone for the opportunity to read and review her book, Talisman of El. I knew as soon as I read the synopsis I would enjoy this one. And enjoy it I did.

Talisman of El is quite the adventure! I loved this new take on Heaven and Angels. We have all grown up with this idea of Heaven being But what if Heaven was actually in another dimension at the center of the Earth? What if Angels were actually warriors? Warriors who hold the powers of th First off, thank you to Alecia Stone for the opportunity to read and review her book, Talisman of El.

Warriors who hold the powers of the 4 elements Earth, Air, Water and Fire. This was a very cool combination of Supernatural, Fantasy and Mythology. My only negative comment would be that there was so much going on, at times I felt a bit confused and over whelmed. This is one of those books that I could have used a map and perhaps a character listing to keep track of the hierarchy within Arcadia. But really, it was not too much of a distraction that it took away from the story. One of the biggest deal breakers for me is believable characters and a real connection to at least the main character of a story.

This book was filled with some great and memorable characters for me. Author, Alicia Stone, did a fantastic job. Right from the beginning I felt connected to Charlie What I love so much is the relationship that develops between these 3 and also the growth that we see within each of them. Of course the true story really takes place in Arcadia and we are introduced to more great characters. One of my favorites has to be Ash.

As I have said before, I love strong sarcastic characters and Ash was all of that and more. Ash is front and centre for many of the humorous moments in this book. As I was reading this book, I kept picturing this one on the big screen. This is only book one in a new trilogy, but I can see this being easily adapted to film and doing quite well. Again, this is just such a fun, fun adventure and filled with so many wonderful and colorful characters. In the end, I definitely recommend this one.

You will definitely enjoy this book. I for one, am looking forward to the next instalment. Oh and a note to Alicia? Nope, no huge cliffhanger, but it was brilliant. It put a huge smile on my face and left me filled with great anticipation for book 2! When first reading this title, I was sceptical, as I am not an avid reader of young adult books.

The title, Talisman Of El, created several initial ideas in my mind. I imagined a very stuffy, old-fashioned story with a complicated plot. Instead, I got Action! The story is portrayed through the eyes of Charlie Blake, who, with a trio of friends, embark on an intense and vividly beautiful adventure to Arcadia, changing their lives and in turn changing the lives of all. I found my imagination working in overdrive as I went from one dimension to the next.

After the vivid descriptions of the first few chapters, I made it a point to read this book at night before going to bed, and all I can say is my imagination has well and truly been unlocked. With brilliant and realistic characters, the world of Arcadia remained quite comfortably in my subconscious, luring me back into its pages even when making a conscious effort to put the book down.

This book is nothing less than powerful. The prologue to this book was excellent. I say this because it usually takes several chapters for me to be enticed by either the characters or plot. With the addition of Stone's refreshing writing style which I must add is overly suitable for its intended audience as well as relatable characters and believable plot, this book is a definite Must Have - Must Read.

I found no omissions within this book to put any doubt in my mind behind the logics of the story itself. Never have I read a book that has left me thinking long after finishing the book. This being said, Talisman of El is the first of a trilogy, leaving space for two more books which I have no doubt in my mind Stone will cram full of Original wonder. Finally, I rest my attention to the book cover. What do I see? An eye formed out of a snake consuming itself, a blazing world surrounded by orbs of light Failure is not an option?

The cover in itself creates a story, hinting at what is and perhaps what is to come. I find myself re-reading this book repeatedly through new metaphorical eyes. Nothing less than perfect, it is an original in its own right. View all 3 comments. The Talisman of El is a mix of fantasy, paranormal lore, and adventure. It's a story that brings angel and demon mythology to a whole different level, takes readers to a unique world at the core of the earth, and introduces readers to some fascinating characters.

The story focuses on it's main character, fourteen year old Charlie. Charlie's a kid who's been through some not so great things in his young life. As soon as you find find out what he is, where he came from, what he can do and who he r The Talisman of El is a mix of fantasy, paranormal lore, and adventure. As soon as you find find out what he is, where he came from, what he can do and who he really is you won't feel so bad for him. This kid can definitely hold his own. I really liked Charlie. He's a fun character to read about, despite some of the stuff he has to put up with during the first part of the book.

It was easy for me to cheer him on through out the course of his story. He definitely grows a lot through out the story as he learns to embrace what his task is and accept the destiny that awaits him. I enjoyed getting to know the others characters I was introduced to, and the role they play in Charlie's story. They're all well written characters. Each one is strong in their own rights, which given all that happens and all they uncover in this story, they need to be.

I liked that they all had a specific role in Charlie's story. There's plenty of adventure in this story. Charlie and his friends discover a whole another world at the heart of the earth's core called Arcadia, also known as Heaven. I kind of like the fact that Alecia went against the norm and created a world that normal is talked as a place above earth, or else where and placed inside the heart of the earth. She also created an interesting paranormal lore with her angels and demons in this book. Though the adventure and fantasy elements are the biggest factors in this book, I liked the role the paranormal aspect in the story as well.

Without giveaway spoilers, I found her world building and lore intriguing. I think Alecia has done a great job at setting up her series with this debut. She gives readers just enough of her world to hook them and will leave them wanting more when they're done. The simple dialogue, good character development and well paced plot is one that will keep readers engaged. I'd definitely recommend this book to fans who enjoy fantasy and adventure!

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What if your whole life was a lie? His mother died after his birth, his father died when Charlie was just 10 years old. Being orphaned, Charlie is sent to live with a foster father who wants to lead him down the path of thievery that he follows himself.

Charlie, however, isn't an ordinary boy by any stretch. He dreams of events that he could not know about, he dreams abou What if your whole life was a lie? He dreams of events that he could not know about, he dreams about places that don't exist, he dreams of events that are yet to come. When we meet Charlie, he's starting school after having moved in with Jacob Willoughby.

He gets bullied almost immediately and a girl named Alex comes to his aid. She quickly becomes his best friend and they are practically inseparable. When Jacob forces Charlie to participate in a robbery, he meets a homeless boy named Richmond, then decides to follow him the following day where the three of them meet up with Derkein. This is where things start to get interesting, especially when Charlie realizes that Derkein was someone that he dreamt about just days earlier.

The four of them begin their adventure into Arcadia where Charlie learns his destiny. This is one story that will make you really think about the things that you know about the world. Stone gives a great perspective that will make a reader take a second look at all the mythology that they've learned.

The characters are intriguing, compelling and really well developed and the way the story came together at the end was just right to keep a reader wanting more. This is the first book in the planned trilogy and I'm already looking forward to the next installment to continue to learn about Charlie and his life.

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Normally, this would not have been my cup of tea, but I'd heard so many great things from the book industry on Twitter that I wanted to be one of the lucky reviewers. That says a lot, really, since I don't often go out looking for something to review. This book was provided by Netgalley and Centrinian Publishing in exchange for my honest review All opinions are mine and have not been swayed by the author or publisher.

Plot-wise, I was hoping for a fun read with some adventure thrown in. It started promisingly with Charlie, an orphan, living with his new foster-father. Then confusing dreams and mysterious strangers lead Charlie and his friends on a quest to find a mysterious world hidden inside the Earth a la Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne but with more magic. Your very sparing use of profanity please keep it up , and your action-filled plot that is seasoned with enough historical research and imaginative twists that make this story a lot of fun to read.

I highly recommend it for those looking for something light and clean to read. I'm looking forward to book 2 in the Trilogy.

Doctor Strange - 2016 - The Eye of Agamotto

Nov 20, Henriette rated it liked it. This book reminded me a lot of the national treasure movies with Nicholas Cage. Basically, the author connects ancient artifacts and sights to find a mystical solution to an ancient mystery. So unlike with many authors of this genre these days, you can see from the start that this guy did this homework. The basis for his story is once again the legend of El Dorado. I've heard a lot of theories about th This book reminded me a lot of the national treasure movies with Nicholas Cage.

I've heard a lot of theories about the golden city, two of my favorites being that the gold is actually metaphorical and refers to corn, because why would anybody build a city of gold, and another that it refers to a person. Dempsey spins this tale about Native Americans that were actually descended from Egyptians building for golden chambers. These golden chambers are the basis of a trilogy of books. While the tale of this book was concluded, a threat for a continuation of the storyline was opened in the end.

The plot also features a nice twist. And now the two of them have to solve that mystery at the same time, each having a slightly different approach, one to stay alive and the other in order to save his friend. This adds an element of tension. These are the aspects of the book I truly enjoyed. There were some hairs in the soup, and even though I enjoyed the rest of the book, they were so annoying that I decided to subtract two stars. First, there is idiotic the police including Treat is acting.

Yes, Sean didn't come in to give a statement - which wasn't particularly logical either. However, Treat was smart enough to realize that the three crimes, the murder of the professor, Tommy's kidnapping, and the attack on Sean in broad daylight, must be connected. Therefore he drives to the college and asks around. A big blond guy with a foreign accent who calls himself Jurgensen. Treat thinks to himself that he doesn't a Jurgensen and finds this story deeply suspicious but he never follows up on it. He didn't even ask the wife of the victim whether she had met the same officer. This gets worse and worse throughout the story.

I probably would have axed the entire ark as it seemed incredibly unbelievable. Another thing is the increasingly trigger-happy villains. While Ulrich is a gun-toting moron, there is a second set working for the mysterious prophet that should know better. I refer to the incident with the librarian. Why didn't they just make the call themselves and pretended to be the librarian? For a society that tries to remain secret, they sure act irrationally. Last but not least, the showdown. It seems to be a rule for this genre that the good guys get caught towards the end so that the villains will be present at the final uncovering.

It was this for National Treasure and also for Indiana Jones. So my issue is not with them being caught but how they were caught. As I don't want to spoil the story, I'm going to use a likeness. Our heroes managed to overpower the villains and are standing in front of the next clue, a gigantic chest with the word treasure on it. Reinforcements are on the way, but instead of staying put one of them starts fiddling with the treasure chest, while the other three look on in slackjawed anticipation.

Amazingly enough, the fully conscious and unrestrained villains manage to overpower them. In summary, I liked the mystery part, the action part was borderline moronic. As this is part of Kindle Unlimited I'm definitely going to check out the next book as I enjoyed this way more than some other recent offerings in this genre, as this author actually made the effort to research something. May 17, Kat Lebo rated it it was ok Shelves: Nothing relating to the author's writing style.

I've just been busy, but I was enjoying the book, its premise and the characters he created. What made me put it aside and say, 'Nope, I'm done" was simple. Part of the story includes a supposed agreement between the Mormon settlers moving west toward Utah and the Native American tribes in that area, specifically the Utes. I was fine with that premise. There are literally hundreds of stories of Indian attacks on the wagon trains.

Everyone knows about them. But there is not a single recorded incident of any tribe ever attacking a Mormon settler or a group of Mormons. Why do you think that is? First of all, although there certainly were raids on the wagon trains by Native tribes, there were not that common Perhaps the stories the author was thinking of may be the result of too much watching of western movies? Second, there certainly were conflicts between Native American tribes and the Mormon Setters.

Dempsey -- ever heard of the Black Hawk War? I was able to find multiple articles and videos which negate the statement Mr. Dempsey had his character make within 5 minutes by typing in an internet search. I would advise all you authors and hope-to-become authors to take note: So, that was it for me. Sorry, I can't recommend this book other than as a cautionary tale of how NOT to write a successful novel that relies on historical events.

Tries too hard to be more than that. I can tell that Dempsey wanted to get into the story but also understood that we needed to understand who Sean Wyatt was a little before following him along the journey. The Secret of the Stones is most easily summed up as an adventure book with a little bit of attitude. I think that Dempsey was trying to gain the attention of too many audiences in Secrets. One was definitely the Indiana Jones adventure crew. This is obvious by all of the wording of the synopsis and most of the story. I would definitely say if adventure books are for you — Secrets will be enjoyable.

There was more action in this book than I was used to for an Adventure book. The third group is conspiracy theorists. The last and final group he was going at was religious-based. Dempsey wrote an easy to read story that flew by. Jun 06, Diana rated it it was amazing. Dempsey's meticulous research and attention to details shows in this mystery concerning Early Native Americans origin the United States, the Advance culture of the Cherokee Nation and the archaeological search for a mythical lost Native treasure.

Dempsey's hero Sean Wyatt, is an ex- agency agent who with his childhood friend, Thomas Shultz start the IIA , hunting for unique and very rare archaeology finds that often reshape the course of history. The Lost Chambers of gold Shultz suspects may be in Georgia is such a find. Shultz is kidnapped by villains looking for Native gold and Sean and a female journalist with a secret of her own, begin a rescue attempt. The story explores many state landmarks in Georgia and many a Native American myth is discussed along the way.

As with Indiana Jones or Ben Franklin Nicholas Cage in National Treasures there are plenty of nail-biting encounters with bad men, while you are continuely wondering who you can trust in this adventure. He manages to keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time! For any amatuer historian or would be archeologist, this book is well worth losing sleep over, as I assure you, might not put this book down until the mystery is solved.


  1. Paperback Editions.
  2. The First Stone (Strange Trilogy).
  3. The First Stone by Elliott Hall.
  4. Carundas: A Novella (The Legion Rises Book 2);
  5. The Secret of the Stones by Ernest Dempsey;
  6. Hardback Editions.

And if you are like me as soon as you finish you will be looking to start Book 2 of the trilogy! Jun 04, Claire rated it really liked it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As the first in a series, it introduces the main characters, and sets up the plotline which links them together. Sean and Tommy are old besties from way back and are quite likable and smart. They also seem to know anybody and everybody who might be able to help them out in their adventure.

Besides the action, adventure and close calls, we have the setting of the lower Appalachian mountains of eastern Tennessee, Northern Georgia and far southwest Virginia. I enjoye I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed visualizing that wonderful area very much. The novel is full of old Cherokee tales, including a legend of a lost treasure. It also theorizes the possibility that North America really might have been settled from the Atlantic side Of course much of this is conjecture and convenient plotting but it was still fun!

The best part of the book for me was contained in the Cherokee Indian backstory: I love when a book is set in a place I have visited or lived, but this one followed right along with the family stories of the Cherokee ancestor from north Georgia.

The First Stone (Strange Trilogy, book 1) by Elliott Hall

This was a really pleasant surprise, and I had great fun reading this part of the book to my husband and his siblings at a family gathering. Feb 19, Darsie rated it really liked it Shelves: Fascinating and complex story. Part thriller and part historical and I love that so many of the cruicial elements are real. This is a fast paced story, so pay attention or you'll miss something vital! Sean is the main protagonist here and he provides most of the entertainment with his amusing remarks but Tommy's role is crucial in the developing story as it's his expertise pulling us all along in this urgent race to find an ancient secret, amid a slew of murders by his captors.

But of course, the Fascinating and complex story. But of course, there wouldn't be a story without Ulrich. An impressive bad guy; threatening, deadly, taciturn and imposing character throughout. I did wish for more background on all of the characters though. I felt like I had raced through this adventure with them but still barely knew them. I kept expecting Allyson to play a more important part in the narrative. However, by the end of the story she had said very little, and although she had been a slight distraction to Sean in a moment or two, there really wasn't a great deal made of her appearance so she couldnt even be described as either eye candy or a "love interest".

Honestly, I'm not sure why she was even there! Otherwise the storytelling was tight, the dialogue was good and the action was truly compelling. May 25, Mary Enck rated it it was amazing. There is a lot of adventure going on here and it moves quick and in some surprising ways. I read a lot and I have noticed that the really good stories that are told, with that special something that keeps the energy going, seem to have a pacing that is difficult to put your finger on just how it is done.

The Secret of The Stones is such a novel. I have not read the others in this series yet but based on the action in this one, I plan to do so. In my opinion, the writer unquestionably possesses a talent for crafting a tale that entertains. The characters and settings are so well placed that I wanted to be there with them.

I would recommend this novel with enthusiasm. Not worth your reading time, at least it wasn't worth mine. At least it was short. Path strewn with corpses; riddles solved too easily by two separate teams of seekers; stray people joining the chase for no apparent reason. Writing adequate but filled with word selections not quite right, scattered with emoti Not worth your reading time, at least it wasn't worth mine. Writing adequate but filled with word selections not quite right, scattered with emotional reactions inappropriate to the circumstances, implausible scientific details, and odd character motivations.

And to top it off, ends with hanging threads presumably to entice you into reading a subsequent book. Apr 08, Rhea rated it did not like it. For a treasure hunt book filled with clues if any average reader takes 17 days to finish, tells us a lot about the quality of the read! Definitely not comparable to a fast paced Dan Brown. Though the book has an interesting concept, it has too many flaws and dull moments. Character development is poor, many questions are left answered, too many loose ends.. I couldn't believe the end was such a dud!

Only finished it just to see whether it materialised into something For a treasure hunt book filled with clues if any average reader takes 17 days to finish, tells us a lot about the quality of the read! Only finished it just to see whether it materialised into something definitive, probably then I wouldn't mind the drudgery of it all Sadly, it was not worth it. Jul 01, William C Lathan Jr rated it did not like it.

Not a bad story but errors like saying a semi automatic pistol is loaded with a clip as opposed to a magazine let me know he is writing about stuff that to some degree he knows nothing about and that troubles me because Learning such things is easy. I bought the entire series and frankly his lack of attention to detail makes me feel cheated.

I suspect that if he doesn't turn his attention to correctly describing a common pistol he probably has other serious errors in the book. Sorry, can't re Not a bad story but errors like saying a semi automatic pistol is loaded with a clip as opposed to a magazine let me know he is writing about stuff that to some degree he knows nothing about and that troubles me because Sorry, can't recommend his work. Dec 18, Gail rated it liked it. Reserving Judgment I'm waiting to see how the next two books develop before passing judgement.

I did learn about some interessting historical places to visit, which is one of my purposes for reading this type of book. There were some problems with the book though. Trucks do not come with doughnut tires as spares, and how could such world wise or highle trained characters be easily distracted? Little foibles like those weakend the novel for me. On to the next book to see if things improve. Jul 22, Randall Krzak rated it it was amazing. A superb blend of historical facts, modern-day characters and a plot with excellent twists.

This is the first novel by Ernest that I've read, but it won't be the last. A captivating story from beginning to end as someone tries to uncover the mystery Sean is searching for before he figures out the numerous riddles.