3 out of 4 stars
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Elf Brief by Jordan David, the first book in the Magi Charter series, is a fascinating read about Christmas and is by far the best story there is that talks about the things that are happening at the North Pole. This work of fiction emanates magic in every page and will surely tickle the child inside each reader.
The story starts in the work factory of North Pole, where Noel Night, an elfin lad who works in the reference department, suddenly receives a summon and a vague job from Santa Christo himself! Noel, who enjoys his usual routine in the factory, was given a task to oversee the recruitment and the training of the new Santa. Noel had no idea what to do in his job since it was the first time he ever heard of such a thing. To make matters worse, his first task was to go outside of the North Pole! Even though he is unsure of what was waiting for him, he complied with the job as best as he could. However, along with his unusual task, Noel, with his knack for curiosity, had discovered some hushed secrets lying around the North Pole. Every time he stumbled upon a question, strings of even more complicated questions followed. Why were books not allowed in the North Pole? How are elves being recruited? Why can't he remember things before he started working in the factory? The answers to these are only known to one department only: the First Contact Department. They do not like Noel peering into their secrets and would do anything to stop him. As Noel struggled to find the answers, he found himself entering into restricted territory.
The plot of the story goes up every time you turn a page. Mystery after mystery just piles up and you won't even bring yourself to put down the book. The vivid description of the place was so fascinating that it almost felt surreal. We all know that Santa and elves are fictitious but by reading this book, it almost made me wish they were true. It was like reading the answers to all the questions we had about Santa Claus and Christmas and the sleigh. I like the fact that it's not just all magic. Yes, magic does exist in it but the author made sure to correlate it with this world. For example, Santa has mentioned the war and how it also affected the North Pole in some way. It even explained how the sleigh was being detected by radars and satellites as an unidentified aircraft. It's a mixture of magic, fun and reality. A mixture some books failed to deliver perfectly. This has to be the best interpretation of Christmas legend there ever is. The brilliance of the explanation of how every aspect of Christmas comes to life was what made it more enjoyable and almost believable.
The characters are also flawless. Each of them has their own role to play and how they affect the story or the main character is also amazingly put. The way the author described their personalities made it easier to put a face into what seems to be just a name in the book. Some authors would describe their characters' faces literally, like "with wrinkles" or "has a crooked smile" just to set a clearer picture for the readers, which is good; but in David's case, he described them in the way they talk, the way they think and the way they respond to certain situations which is better because it gives room for imagination. It would make the readers draw their own version and not limit themselves in the author's own view.
Moreover, the plot had steadied towards the end and it would make you want to skip certain parts and jump to the part where Christmas had finally arrived. It's a little frustrating at times since it looked like it was written just to prolong the book. The last chapter, however, was like a sudden bolt upward because of the surprises it had brought with it and it had presented even more mysteries to be unraveled in the second book. When I finished it, I was already dying to read the next book.
However, I am deeply saddened that this great piece of work has so many editing errors present in almost every page. They are mostly grammatical and spelling errors that are clearly noticeable. It made the book less elegant than it is.
Elf Brief is a brilliant work of art and is worth the read even when you're not as excited with Christmas as you were before. This book could lift up your Christmas spirit even if you read it in the middle of a summer day. It is very interesting and fascinating from the start and until the very end. I'd give it a 3 out of 4 stars rating. It would have been a perfect rating if it weren't for the grammatical and spelling errors. If you're into laid-back fantasy and adventure and is just finding a worthy read to pass the time, then I'd recommend this book. However, if you prefer a more action-packed kind of adventure, then this is not the book for you.
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The Elf Brief
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