3 out of 4 stars
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The Gemstones Chronicle Book 1: The Carnelian by William L. Stuart is a book in the fantasy genre, catering to tween and teenage readers.
Aidan and Maggie, nearly fourteen and ten, were enjoying a splendid vacation with their grandparents, Nana and Beebop, when a routine rock hunting trip brings an unexpected surprise. The kids pick up an unusual-looking fairy cross, and out of idle curiosity, Beebop, their grandfather, pockets it for research later. However, once they reach home, an elf trapped inside the stone changes the situation, and the elders decide to get rid of it. The children, though, moved with sympathy break the stone and set the elf free.
Findecano, the Light elf the children set free, tells them about his imprisonment in the stone for two hundred years. The world has changed since he was last in Celahir, the parallel magical realm. Now the balance has shifted in favor of Dark Elves, who stole the powerful gemstones from the Elven Bow of the Light Elves. Findecano is eager to start his quest to retrieve the gemstones and bids his rescuers goodbye, but fate has something else in store. The elf’s escape brings on an attack by the Dark Elves, and forces Beebop and his family to flee to Celahir with Findecano. Will they aid Findecano’s mission and restore balance to the magical world?
Elves, trolls, orcs, and other magical creatures are nothing new in the fantasy genre; therefore to come up with a new permutation and combination is quite a challenge for an author. This book has the familiar elements: a magical world entered through a hidden gateway, wrestling for control over powerful magical objects, or how the realm of magic was gradually relegated to myths, in this book, mostly Irish folklore. However, the author blends in these plot points imaginatively to weave an engrossing tale for its young readers.
The characterization is slightly convenient, for instance Beebop is an amateur rock hound and ex-Navy, while Aidan has expertise in Kung Fu, both of which prove extremely useful in their search for the gemstones and fighting against their enemies. Apart from a sense of responsibility as the eldest of the family, Beebop also possesses am innovative streak, which gets them out of tense situations. Nana’s practicality, Aidan’s fondness for adventure and Maggie’s childish curiosity, are a few other noticeable character traits. However, character development is still a work-under-progress, which is fine since this book is the first installment in the series.
The good part is that the narrative is fast paced, and packed with action scenes and plot twists. On the downside, there is an overall sense of predictability where the readers can sense where the story is going. Still, the novel managed to hold my interest till the end, and hopefully, there is lot’s left to uncover in coming sequels, to keep the readers hooked. I rate this one 3 out of 4 stars, as the series’ target audience, i.e. children, will definitely enjoy this one.
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The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian
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