4 out of 4 stars
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I have read a lot in my lifetime. I have always enjoyed reading. When I was young, it started with The Berenstain Bears and went on to Encyclopedia Brown. After that, it was pretty much anything and everything I could get my hands on from Stephen King to Madeleine L'Engle. Never before, though, have I read a series such as this one. This book almost left me speechless.
The Elf Accord is book four in the Magi Charter series by Jordan David. This series of books all focus on the North Pole, Santa and the Elves. Having read the three previous books, I thought I was ready for this one... I was wrong.
In this book, we are introduced to Santa Leopold. The year is 1180. Santa Leopold resides in Austria and with his workers makes toys to give the children nearby for Christmas. This is his mission which he has taken over from the previous Santa, Johann. One of his advisors – a Lady Serapha – has told him that it is time for him to leave this place. She won't tell him exactly where they must go, only that it is far north. Santa Leopold is not happy. His mission will be disrupted if they all travel for months on end. How will he get the toys to the children? Where exactly is it that Lady Serapha is leading them? Will this be the year that the mission (which has been around since the very first Christmas) fails?
The first and second books are really an introduction to the world of the North Pole. There is magic, mystery, and reindeer fun. The third book takes a turn towards the mystery/thriller genre. Mr. David does a great job in moving from a cutesy series to a tale filled with suspense and mystery. With the fourth book, Mr. David takes yet another turn – this time to the historical fiction genre.
The characters are realistic. Some you will fall in love with. Some you will wish would stop complaining. Not only that, but since this takes place in the 12th century, you will even get a glimpse of some historical characters. For example, Santa Leopold happens to come across Queen Eleanor (luckily her husband, King Henry, is off fighting another battle at the time.) I was amazed with how seamlessly the author wove in figures from history with the characters from the book.
The pace of the book is somewhat slower but in no way boring. There are moments of action sprinkled here and there throughout the book. However, the plot is more focused on the treacherous journey to get wherever it is they are going. Think of this book like the tales of the wagon trails out west when the settlers were moving there from the East Coast of the United States. It is still a fascinating story made even better by the unique characters encountered along the way.
As in the previous books, there were errors here and there as far as the usage of words. We see one word substituted for another one quite often (since instead of sense.) These really are minimal, though, and did not distract from the story.
I just continue to be amazed by Mr. David. I am in awe of his writing. This series has it all; I've never seen an author that is so versatile. To start with a cutesy story, then go to a thrilling suspense and then round it off with a historical fiction? I really don't know how he does it. Despite the minor spelling errors, I must give The Elf Accord 4 out of 4 stars. The characters are realistic, the plot keeps you interested, and the book comes to a climax at just the right time. Seriously, if you haven't started this series, now is the time. I urge you to pick up the first book The Elf Brief. Don't stop there, though. You absolutely MUST read the whole series. Job well done, Mr. David.
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The Elf Accord - Book Four of the Magi Charter
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