4 out of 4 stars
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Interesting characters, powerful ancient runes, and a fascinating new world. You'll find all that and more in the latest book in the Magi Charter series by Jordan David. The Elf Legacy is book number five in this fantasy series and comes in at just about 570 pages.
In books one through four, we have been introduced to the world of the North Pole. About every one hundred years, a new Santa is chosen from the real world to take over from the previous Santa. Elves are recruited from amoung the general population as well to take over from retiring elves. There are many different departments in the North Pole from the Husbandry department (that works with the reindeer), to the Factory (to make the toys), to the Administration. All of these ensure that Santa completes his mission every year, getting toys to all the good boys and girls of the world.
The Elf Legacy is a continuation of the previous book where Santa Leopold had finally made the journey to the North Pole to take up permanent residence, so that there would be room to expand in the future. The different departments are just getting established, and everyone is trying to find the right elf for the right job. Meanwhile, the world outside is changing. The elves are coming to them uneducated, but the work is too hard if they cannot read and write. Anna, one of the very first elves, is tasked with starting classes to get the new and old elves up to speed.
Meanwhile, Merlin (yes THAT Merlin) is anxious to leave the North Pole complex behind. Having built most of the complex himself, he must ensure that the runes that are used to power everything continue to work properly. He has trained two apprentices and is eager for them to graduate to Rune Master and take over in the maintenance duties. Unfortunately, the two apprentices, Tetsu and Emiko, don't really get along. Only one will walk in Merlin's footsteps, and they will be forced to do battle with the other. Who will turn out good? And who will choose power over right?
When you hear about a series about the North Pole, you might be tempted to think that it's for kids or teens. I assure you that is not the case. While teenagers would probably enjoy this series, there is something in here for everyone. Magical powers, sword fights and conflict and even just a hint of romance. Mr. David is skilled at drawing the reader in (no matter what age) and holding their attention until the end.
Another thing that I love about this series is the characters. At this point, the characters have become familiar. It's interesting to see how they all fit together from the first book right up until this one. I love seeing them grow and change or seeing where some of them started out at. It's interesting to watch the characters develop; it's even enlightening to see how the bad elves start out. Honestly, I think I'm going to have to go back and re-read the whole series again just to fully put all the pieces of the puzzle together. The books are so interconnected that I'm amazed that the author can keep everything straight the way he does.
I honestly cannot say enough positive about this series. I love the fact that it's family friendly. There's almost no swearing; in fact, I don't recall reading one swear word in the whole series. There's no worry as to sexual content, and even the violence is never overly graphic. The series is very character driven, but there is enough mystery, intrigue and conflict to keep the pickiest reader happy. I could easily see a family sitting down together for a reading time and all enjoying this book from the youngest to the oldest.
It is for all these reasons that I rate The Elf Legacy 4 out of 4 stars. As in previous books of the series, there are a number of instances where homonyms are interchanged. However, I believe the positives vast outweigh this one negative as it's easy to keep reading in spite of this (especially since the words sound the same.) I am completely in love with this series. I recommend it to everyone, and I'm thinking of giving these books as a Christmas gift to family and friends. This is a must read!
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The Elf Legacy - Book Five of the Magi Charter
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