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Red Leaves and the Living Token

by Benjamin David Burrell (Goodreads Author)

3.67 of 5 stars 3.67 · rating details · 39 ratings · 32 reviews

Doctors tell Raj that his son Emret won't survive his illness. As Raj struggles to prepare himself and Emret for the inevitable, he's confronted by Moslin, his son's nurse, who’s been filling Emret’s head with fairytales about heroic quests and powerful disease curing miracles. Emret now thinks that all he has to do is find the mythical Red Tree from the nurse's stories, a...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published April 5th 2012 by Red Earth Press (first published April 2nd 2012)

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Jun 06, 2012 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Seriously? This book is a literal cliffhanger. The book just stops. Obviously leaving the possibility for more, which is a FAB idea, since the characters and story are definitely worth pursuing. But to get to the last sentence and realize there is no more is an insanely adept way to hook readers for the next book. Bravo, Mr. Burrell, bravo. Now when will the next one be out?

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May 09, 2013 Clive Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Raj Handers is an everyday Zo, one of three non-human species who inhabit Benjamin Burrell’s fantasy continent of Rieth, divided into the three nations of Zo, Bota and Petra. He has a terminally ill thirteen year old son, Emret, attended in hospital by a nurse with the name of Moslin, a young female Botan. Moslin, very much against Raj’s requests, fills Emret’s mind with fairy-stories that lead him to put hope in a supposedly mythical cure.

When his protective father, worried that his son will be...more Raj Handers is an everyday Zo, one of three non-human species who inhabit Benjamin Burrell’s fantasy continent of Rieth, divided into the three nations of Zo, Bota and Petra. He has a terminally ill thirteen year old son, Emret, attended in hospital by a nurse with the name of Moslin, a young female Botan. Moslin, very much against Raj’s requests, fills Emret’s mind with fairy-stories that lead him to put hope in a supposedly mythical cure.

When his protective father, worried that his son will be hurt by such false hopes, denies the nurse any further access, Emret and Moslin run away. They go on a quest to find the Red Leaves, and Emret’s chance to save his own life. So starts a chase across the continent, revealing much about the outlooks, assumptions and beliefs of father, son and nurse, and about the political machinations against which the story is set.

In many ways this is a standard fantasy quest, in search of a miraculous cure in this case, but where ‘Red Leaves and the Living Token’ stands out is in its apparent lack of human characters. A very novel and innovative approach. There are perhaps closing hints of our own kind in this well-paced and generally well-structured plot, but otherwise this is a world entirely inhabited by non-human folk. It’s a shame, therefore, that more isn’t made of this promising premise.

Despite some cursory descriptions of the various attributes of the species, in introducing each character at the outset - none of which evoked particularly rounded images in this reader’s mind - most of the first two thirds of the book hardly makes reference to it. Little in the telling of the story reinforced the differences, leaving the reader content to see everyone as simply human. The author’s failure to weave the differences and peculiarities into each character’s role in the tale I felt lost a great opportunity. It does play a more significant part nearer the close of the book, but really only as a cosmetic variation on the usual fare of fantasy genre military conflicts.

Here, though, we must address a major flaw in the book, and this is the realisation, or otherwise, of a creditable alternative world. It’s a notoriously difficult task creating a believable world, for unlike a real setting everything has to be sufficiently explained, and with enough anticipation that the reader’s not constantly being tripped up. Unfortunately, there was very little attempt made at all in this respect, the reader left unable to envisage the scenes against which the action takes place.

Features of the world tended to be introduced only when salient, and only at the point where they took part in the action, as though the author hadn’t realised they existed until the story needed them. The reader is therefore constantly being taken by surprise. Mountains, windows, even characters can appear out of nowhere, just when needed.

Where Benjamin Burrell does score is in his handling of pace, which mostly carries the reader along quite admirably. There are the occasional stalling moments - unfortunately, often when drawing near to a climax in the story - where stilted, overly long or repetitious plot, description or dialogue tends to slow the pace down. It is the pace, however, that keeps the reader engaged, despite the unpractised quality of the prose, which is largely passive - lacking much nuance or enlivening analogy. The reader certainly isn’t given a feel for the story but the telling is engaging enough.

There’s clearly something about the story itself, though, even if the plot does at times appear implausible, and the characters themselves don’t carry it forward. The actors in this drama are shallow in both dialogue and thought, but gain some personality as the narrative progresses, but ones I suspect the reader creates for themself, out of necessity, to populate an otherwise interesting tale.

In many ways this is a frustrating read saved by the decent story, one in which the reader finds themselves willing to invest enough of their own invention to lift what would otherwise be the flat telling of a tale. With more attention to detail, better settings and more three dimensional characters, I would be happy to recommend this book quite highly, but as it stands it’s only of moderate interest, if only for its unusually inventive ideas and decent pace.
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Nov 03, 2012 Melanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a while to get into this story and start turning the pages with my usual fervor. I felt hooked towards the ending of book and am mildly interested in following Raj and Emret into the next piece of their story. Truth be told, if this were the first and final book for this story, I would feel satisfied. Overall, I felt that there were aspects to this story that are familiar but it is an original world with original "races"....more I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a while to get into this story and start turning the pages with my usual fervor. I felt hooked towards the ending of book and am mildly interested in following Raj and Emret into the next piece of their story. Truth be told, if this were the first and final book for this story, I would feel satisfied. Overall, I felt that there were aspects to this story that are familiar but it is an original world with original "races".

There are three different races that are represented in this story: Botan, Zo, and Petra. Main characters Raj and his son Emret are Zo (the two matching characters on the cover). Their butler, Rinacht is Petra (a being made of stone). Moslin, the nurse that cares for Emret in the hospital is Botan (pushing wheel chair on the cover).

The background of the story is introduced right away with the appearance of a Holy Relic of sorts and the reason why it needed to be "lost" as soon as possible. The cause of the problem is a threesome of Zo men who accidentally stumbled upon the priceless treasures that this Token could provide to them.

Flash forward 60 years to the present time. Emret, a teenaged Zo boy is in the hospital with a mysterious disease. Raj is at a loss and has no idea if his son will survive. Needless to say, he is a stressed and worried father. Moslin, Emret's nurse, is sharing religious based fairy tales with Emret about the Red Leaves and a heroic boy. Raj is frustrated that these stories are putting false hope in the mind of his young son. One night while walking, Raj finds the lost Token and is shown visions involving himself and his son. Soon, things take a turn for the worse and Moslin and Emret disappear. Raj assumes that Moslin has kidnapped Emret and he goes out on a life changing journey with Rinacht to try to find his son and Moslin.

In reality, Emret and Moslin have a shared thought that there is a way Emret can be healed and it is by visiting Red Leaves. The location of Red Leaves is the heart of the Botan Tales that Moslin has been sharing with him and should lie in the Botan Capital. While in the capital, Moslin finds out the horrible truth that the place and thing she seeks, no longer exists. Her life as she knows it changes irrevocably. It's Emret's conviction and renewed strength that drive them forward on their journey to find Red Leaves.

Raj is swiftly traveling towards Moslin and Emret when he runs into a falsely helpful group of Lords. The Token leads him to a lost temple where Raj is betrayed by Rinacht and also by his own mind. The Token allows him access to a dangerous artifact that starts a irreversible and magical storm. In his haste, the Token breaks apart and is discovered and/or stolen by a multitude of characters. This long lost relic causes a lot of turmoil between the races and starts a war that may lead to the end of everyone.

There is a lot more to this story but I don't think it would be fair for me to share because you really should discover it on your own! (less)

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Aug 07, 2012 Darian Wilk rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

The blurb for this book describes the essence of the story perfectly, so there's no need to elaborate on that aspect. But what the blurb doesn't cover, is the amazing fantasy world Burrell has created. He's crafted fantastic imagery, as I read I envisioned a cross between modern world and...think Lord of the Rings perhaps. The amount of detail, sheer imagination, and talent to bring such a world to life through words is truly impressive. Normally this genre of book is one I might skim over, but...more

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May 29, 2012 Richard Bunning rated it 4 of 5 stars

There is a lot of originality in this dark tale. Burrell writes very well, and with a great deal of invention. I can only find any significant fault any in the concentration demanded of the reader. A little more description of each character on first appearance, or an index of characters profiles and key locations, would have helped me. My poor memory, alongside my tendency to skim read, are certainly much of my problem and so I really don't wish to labour the point.
This nice mix of quirky new a...more There is a lot of originality in this dark tale. Burrell writes very well, and with a great deal of invention. I can only find any significant fault any in the concentration demanded of the reader. A little more description of each character on first appearance, or an index of characters profiles and key locations, would have helped me. My poor memory, alongside my tendency to skim read, are certainly much of my problem and so I really don't wish to labour the point.
This nice mix of quirky new and well-worn fantasy elements gives plenty of scope to build for ourselves onto the scenery of Burrell’s adventure. In my mind, the story emerged as a sort of future-time "scripture" story written in contemporary style. Indeed we have distant absent “gods” or, even if not, certainly their disciples. The "Reds", or rather their legends, are clear reflections of higher power. There are big evil spirits, we never quite know, casting "devil" shadows over the remaining influences of the arborescent Reds. Might the evil be human?
Much of the story suggests that we are reading an epic from a dystopian age, a time of decay from former more civilised times. Some of this strange world’s locations seem almost medieval in design, evocative of a new dark age. The token, the sought object of the quest, is in my mind a mystical artefact left over from a more advanced past. I guess a sequel will answer more questions. I will be disappointed if it isn’t soon forthcoming.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the almost complete absence of humans. We are replaced by three completely different and equally as intelligent species, none of which has any lasting dominion. At first I had the School Master and Lord Valance as human, but once I had read the book I concluded that they were Zo. There are other shadowy entities that just might be human, but we are left guessing. The only definitely familiar creatures seemed to be bears and horses. The horse sometimes with carriage or cart, is the familiar form of transport. We are in civilisations existing without electrical power generation, well at least within the confines of the story as we are so far guided.
As I’ve said, I’m eager for the sequel. Having taken the time to learn the ropes in this strange imagined place I am reluctant to let my new knowledge go. I am particularly fond of one in particular of Burrell’s species of intelligent beings, the Petra. These creatures look like solid blocks of stone. I imagine them as hearty creatures with silicate exoskeletons.
There are several principle characters, and many important secondary figures. This is a multi-layered, multi-dimensional story. Arguably the pivotal personality, the one that is painted in the greatest detail, is a crippled boy who is on a quest in his wheelchair to find the magical “elixir” of health. It is around him that the various threads of the adventure knot together.
I can recommend this book to those that like reading epic fantasy, and are looking for something with a real touch of creativity. This is inventive, even speculative material that those with wider interests in science fiction, fairy-tales or existential thought will also all enjoy.
I can recommend this book to those that like reading epic fantasy, and are looking for something with a real touch of originality. The quest, the journey certainly has plenty of familiar elements, built into a unique, restless landscape.
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May 19, 2012 Chris Larsen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was raised by an elementary school librarian, and have spent most of my life having all kinds of young adult fiction foisted upon me by a mother looking to see if such and such book would or would not make a nice addition to her shelves. There's so much predictable garbage out there ripping off marketable ideas, that it's easy to forget how awesome it is to encounter something new. And based on that, I've wholeheartedly recommend Mr. Burrell's book to my dear mother, and now I'm recommending i...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adventure-favorites, fantasy-favorites, children-s-lit-favorites, contemporary-favorites

This is a delightfully honest and refreshing tale of a determined and bright boy, "Emret", who wants nothing more than to live and experience life as he ought. I was charmed, entranced by his exploits to find a cure for himself. And I really enjoyed the adventures of his desperate father, Raj, the lessons he was inevitably taught on his journey to find his son. This story has excellent humor, brilliant suspense and wonderful characters that grip the reader and beg that each page be read.

I read t...more

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Aug 05, 2012 R.M. Fraser rated it 3 of 5 stars

The story is a about a man named Raj, and his son, Emret, who is in a hospital for a disease that is threatening his life. It's much like you would see with young cancer patients in our world. In this world, there are three main races of people, the Petra, Zo, and the Botan. It seems to be like our modern world in many ways. Then again it seems old fashioned at times as well. Emret is desperate to find a cure, and will do anything to find it. Raj, on the other hand, is a very protective parent...more The story is a about a man named Raj, and his son, Emret, who is in a hospital for a disease that is threatening his life. It's much like you would see with young cancer patients in our world. In this world, there are three main races of people, the Petra, Zo, and the Botan. It seems to be like our modern world in many ways. Then again it seems old fashioned at times as well. Emret is desperate to find a cure, and will do anything to find it. Raj, on the other hand, is a very protective parent in hopes of a medical breakthrough. When Emret disappears from the hospital with his favorite nurse in search of a legendary cure, Raj is out of his mind in order to get his dying son back safely. In the interest of not spoiling the story, I will stop there.

As I said before, this story has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to it. From a fantasy aspect, it's nothing I would call typical, which is a good thing. The bad thing was how underdeveloped the setting was and the background aspect of things. I'm not sure if that is coming across correctly. What I mean is how the three main races were never really described at all, and I felt as if I was imagining the characters incorrectly. Correction, I was. I found myself picturing them as regular humans. A little more background information and/or description of them would have helped considerably.

Another detriment to the book was the obvious lack of editing. I often found spelling and grammar mistakes. Some were so obvious that I wasn't sure if it was edited at all. I find this to be a common theme among indie authors, and I assume it's mostly caused by financial restraint or just knowing someone who is qualified to lend a hand in proofreading. However, there is no need for it to be as bad as it was in this story. I can understand some things being overlooked, but contend that standards still need to be met by indie authors.

What the author did do very well was getting into the emotions of the main characters, especially Raj, Emret, and Rinacht. There were some points in the story where I expected him to delve a little deeper and he didn't, yet then he would go further in unexpected spots which rounded it out nicely. To me this is one of the author's stronger aspects in his writing, and that kept me going through the book.

Overall, I am giving Red Leaves and the Living Token 3 stars. I found the story to be 'ok', everything considered. I am still undecided on whether or not to continue reading this series. However, if I do, it will be because of my curiosity about the fantasy aspect of the story, and whether or not the author improves on it. (less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-reviews

One quick note before I get into the meat of my review, I received an early edition of this book before it had been seen by a professional editor (I have since received an edited copy but don't have time to reread the book in it's entirety). As such I will be reviewing on characters, story, etc, ignoring any of the editing issues I saw within.

Red Leaves was originally written as a screenplay with the goal of a CG production in mind. The cover shows off the skill that the characters can be rende...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Burrell creates a wonderful fantasy world in Red Leaves and The Living Token. There are three distinct races and interesting characters within each race. I love the parent/child family dynamic which infuses the narrative. The relationship between Raj and his son Emret makes this novel worthwhile. As does the relationship between the Master Cleric Bedic, his daughter Moslin (who is Emret’s nurse) and her daughter Sinesh. There is true sweetness radiating between them which I found very appealing....more

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Jul 10, 2012 Lorretta rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this through the GoodReads Giveaway.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a gorgeous tale and gave me the same stirrings that I felt when I first read Tolkien. I can't wait to read the future books!

Emret is very ill and is compelled to make an arduous journey with his nurse, Moslin. He is only a boy, but his determination and fervor help him every turn of the journey. Moslin has her own troubles to contend with and hopefully the journey wll answer some questions for her.

Raj, Emret's fa...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Darlene rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Ralph, Xural

Recommended to Darlene by: BookRooster.com

Shelves: bookrooster-for-review, fantasy, adventure, action, aliens, complimentary-copy, free-for-review, kindle, kindle-books-i-own, not-loanable, text-to-speech-enabled, young-adult, children

Now, this was different! I almost put it down several times. I just couldn't get into it. That is where text-to-speech helps the most. I let it continue to read to me while I did other things and suddenly I was into it. I thought I would never be able to keep track of the cast of characters. I didn't like that it seemed about power, men and wars. But suddenly there is the father by his son's bedside in a hospital. The son is dying. That's when the story became interesting.

I thought at first that...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Kari rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: author-requested-review, debut-2012-authors

**4 Stars**

MY OVERVIEW: This is one of those books that you don’t want to judge by the cover. Honestly, the cover freaks me out and I almost didn’t read the book because of it. But I am glad that the author provided a copy for me to review – otherwise I would have never read this great book!

PROS: Emret! I love him. He is such a stubborn and determined young boy. The author did a fantastic job creating three different races of “people” and a wonderful new world. I could picture everything perfect...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Brooke Banks rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, fantasy, young-adult, written-reviews

I won this in a First Reads Giveaway.

I liked this book. I enjoyed it. The story is intriguing, the characters are dynamic, and the world is creative. I'm interested to see where this series is going. The characters are indeed very well done and finding out more information as the story went on really helped with understanding and caring about the characters. Switching perspectives kept the suspense and tension up. The story might follow general over-arching guidelines in the fantasy genre but it...more

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Dec 08, 2012 Linda Parkinson-Hardman rated it 3 of 5 stars

I used to be an avid reader of Fantasy and Science Fiction but have moved away from the genre in more recent decades. When Ben’s book was given to me to review, the thing I noticed first was that it didn’t follow any standard formulas for the genre, it was refreshingly different. The characters are well drawn and believable, facing similar issues that many people face in the ‘real’ world today; however, it creates a number of what could be conflicting parallels – for instance, there are state-of...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Stefani rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-review, ebook

The description of this book says everything that you need to know as a reader. I couldn’t possibly add to it, so I won’t try. Emret is a sick little boy and most likely going to die. In a desperate attempt to get a miracle, he goes on the run with his nurse and without his father’s knowledge. Raj is frantic to find his son missing and follows them but finds himself on a much more complicated journey than he first expected. I really enjoyed this book, it intrigued me and kept me entertained at e...more The description of this book says everything that you need to know as a reader. I couldn’t possibly add to it, so I won’t try. Emret is a sick little boy and most likely going to die. In a desperate attempt to get a miracle, he goes on the run with his nurse and without his father’s knowledge. Raj is frantic to find his son missing and follows them but finds himself on a much more complicated journey than he first expected. I really enjoyed this book, it intrigued me and kept me entertained at every page. With that said, I must point out a few things that prevented this from being a five-star review.

There is some editing issues with this book. As far as I am aware, I received a final copy of this book, but it could use another read through from an editing perspective. There is nothing too egregious but the minor problems were so frequent that I have to comment on it. For example, on nearly every page I could find things such as: “I’m am” or sentences that seemed to be missing words or had a plural form of the word when the sentence called for singular. Ultimately, the editing issues weren’t bad enough to affect my enjoyment of the story but it was impossible not to notice.

My only other complaint would be that I felt as if not very much was explained to me. It wasn’t explained very well what the Token is, or why it’s important. You get a vague sense of why it matters, but the full story is a mystery. It’s also not clear exactly why everyone wants the Token, other than to find the Red…but we don’t really know why they are all that vital either. What does Emret’s illness mean? What is “losing his binding”? What’s a binding, why does it get lost? I don’t know any of those things either, and I wanted to. I still enjoyed the story immensely, but I would have preferred getting a more complete history and explanation of a few things.

But enough with the minor issues this book had, because the rest was simply fabulous. I loved the story! Emret was such a great character and was very relatable and likeable. He believes in miracles and is determined to find his miracle. No matter how many times he ended up being disappointed and Moslin lost faith, he never did. I liked that about him and I found myself rooting for him to find his cure because he worked more than hard enough to get it. Raj was also a really likeable characters. He’s not a perfect man but he’s trying to be the best father he can be for his son and protect him from some of the more unpleasant realities of his situation. But when it all comes down to it, he will cross nations to find and protect his son, and he does just that. His journey isn’t perfect. He makes a lot of wrong decisions that ultimately make it harder for him, but he never gives up. I get so used to reading characters that are perfect in every way that I found Raj to be very refreshing. He’s not a perfect guy, but he tries his damnedest to make it right anyway. Great, great cast of characters.

The imagery in the plot is also fantastic. Some authors have a hard time conveying action scenes, because these scenes rely so heavily on what is happening and not what is being said. But Ben Burrell does this in a very vivid and engrossing manner. Every aspect of the scenes was something I could see playing out in my head because it was described that well. I couldn’t have been happier with this since I love reading a book that I can see in my head. To me, that is the mark of a good storyteller. I find it interesting that this author got his start in script writing, since I have found that script writers often have a hard time making the transition to full length fiction. Nothing could be further from the case for this book. This holds true for the different races that are present in the book. Each is different and you can tell has their own motivation, but all of them seem to center around finding this Token.

I highly recommend this book. It’s a quick, fun, interesting read that will have you fervently turning the pages until the very end. And even after it’s over, you’ll find yourself thinking about the story a few days later and wondering what happens next. Hopefully you won’t have to wait very long…I hear there are at least a few other books planned as follow-ups to this one. I know that I will be reading it, because I want to know what happens next. And I want to know if the beings mentioned at the temple are humans, I really just have to know.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for a honest, fair review. No payment or promise of a positive review was given.

See this and other great reviews at Stefani's World of Words (less)

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Aug 02, 2012 Sally rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, read-2012

Red Leaves and the Living Token is based in a fantasy world where the main character Emret sets out to have an adventure whilst searching for a cure for his illness. Along the way the adventure becomes character building giving each strength and determination to reach their goal.

The world that has been created by Burrell consists of different types of species that either don’t get on with one another or they tolerate each other. Following Emret on his journey, we are introduced to many likeable...more

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Aug 06, 2012 edifanob rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-books, 2012-reads

This book deserves something between four and five stars.

For me it is a kind of a refreshing dark fantasy tale which is well executed.
This is the first of six planned books.

The end of the novel is like a rest on a long journey and I must say I lookforward to continue the journey.

MY REVIEW

My Expectations
Based on the blurb I expected a coming of age story mixed with myths and magic including twists and turns. The cover promise a lot of non human characters.

The Delivery
The 200 pages of the story ar...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Sam Ang rated it 4 of 5 stars

This same review is also available in the following link:---------->>
http://bookunderthesun.blogspot.sg/20...
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Note: This is a book review based on a free copy from the author. Many thanks go to the author for this generosity.

Although the beginning was quite uneventful, the story's introduction of all new races made this an original work by itself.

One-liner intro: An epic in the making, with all new races and a heart racing momentu...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Flora Bateman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, middle-grade-age, sci-fi, young-adult

I received a free copy of this book for my honest review.

This was a wonderfully original story created in a different world inhabited by three types of beings that represent three types of nature. The Zoen are furry creatures that are very animalistic looking. The petra have a very rocklike look about them. The Botann are green and very plantlike in appearance. The greatest difficulty for me was keeping straight which characters were which. It would have been helpful if at the front or the back...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Sophie Dusting rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Review:
Plot & Pace - A story of folklore and mythology surrounding the mysterious Red Tree; the bringer of life to the creatures of Petra, Bota and Zo. Emret has an illness which is feared to be terminal and his nurse, Moslin, has told him of the story of the Red Tree. If the Red Tree is found this would ensure he would survive the disease which plagues his body; and so they embark on a quest that leads them to cross their continent to find the mythical tree.

Close behind them is Raj, Emr...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Ruty B rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, for-review, from-the-author, e-book, fantasy

Red Leaves and The Living Token it may be just another fantasy book but it has some things on its favor. A story about a father and his dying son on the quest for find a miracle cure.

After a hard start where I didn’t feel very related to the story and I didn’t understand where everything was going, things changed for the better. Once the magic and the fantasy were involved the true action began.

A book faithful to the fantasy genre, Red Leaves creates a world where this three kinds of beings li...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Sandie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Emret, thirteen, is terminally ill. Confined to a wheelchair and in the hospital for what will be his final care, he is hardly the archetype of a superhero. His father, Raj, is desperate for a cure and willing for the doctors to try their best. Emret's nurse, Moslin, has been sent away. Raj believes she is not good for Emret as she fills his head with visions of the old stories, of magic and visions and things far beyond the ken of men.

Then the impossible happens. Raj arrives at the hospital roo...more

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Sep 13, 2012 Grampy rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Red Leaves and the Living Token" by Benjamin David Burrell is a riveting Fantasy featuring multiple interwoven sub-plots, with a captivating over-arching theme. Three distinct "species" of characters are the primary personalities in this story: Bota, Zo, and Petra. The Bota are a BOTAnical species, the Zo are a ZOoligical species, and the Petra are a rock species. It took me more than half the book to recognize the relationship between their names and their composition, but thereafter it was qu...more "Red Leaves and the Living Token" by Benjamin David Burrell is a riveting Fantasy featuring multiple interwoven sub-plots, with a captivating over-arching theme. Three distinct "species" of characters are the primary personalities in this story: Bota, Zo, and Petra. The Bota are a BOTAnical species, the Zo are a ZOoligical species, and the Petra are a rock species. It took me more than half the book to recognize the relationship between their names and their composition, but thereafter it was quite helpful in keeping track of who was what.

The three kingdoms maintained an uncomfortable détente, and generally kept to themselves. Long before the story began, the magical "Reds" were destroyed, and the "Token" was lost. A long-believed prophecy held that someone would come to restore the Reds, with the help of the Token. The Reds, no doubt reflecting a time of greater inter-kingdom cooperation, consisted of a bird (zoological), a bush (botanical) and a stone (rock), each of which was red in color, and each of which possessed magical healing powers. The Token was a memento containing each of these three symbols.

This story was very absorbing. Several parties were seeking the token, in the belief that some remnant of the Reds still remained, but could only be found with the help of the token. Much distrustful cooperation between and within the kingdoms factored into the search for the ancient artifact, largely fueled by the disappearance of a sick 13-year old boy believed to possess some knowledge the others wanted.

The story contained a great deal of action, and would really make an intriguing movie, in my opinion. I not only recommend this book; I URGE you to read it. Without spoiling it for you, I think I can disclose that one of the three Reds was found, leaving open the way for the two sequels which follow!

One additional comment - even before I read the previous review, I, too, had thought that a table up front, listing the names of the characters along with the roles they played in the story, would have been a nice helpful component. However, I, too, have a gradually declining memory, so it's certainly not a detrimental remark against the author! He did a superb job developing this story, and I can't wait to see the movie. (Is anybody in Hollywood paying attention?) (less)

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Jul 25, 2012 Christine Rice rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Red Leaves and the Living Token by Benjamin David Burrell is a well-written, fast-paced adventure that takes place in a fantasy realm. The book is descriptive and easy to read, which is fitting for readers of various backgrounds. The characters are optimistic, compassionate, and strong-willed.

The story is about a world where the beings are unique species. There is the botann - who are made of trees, the petra - who are made of rocks, and the zo - who are hunched-over furry animals. The botann, p...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Hate2beLate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, own-this-one

I agree with Richard...I would have liked a bit more description of the characters. I kind of felt like you do when you have something on the tip of your tongue, you almost know it, but not quite. This being said, I really enjoyed it. I did not know it was a Part 1, but now I will be trying to read part 2. I am really rooting for the little guy! It was written in a way that made me feel as if this was a real place that I just didn't know much about. Just under 200 pages on my Nook.

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Oct 17, 2012 Lolita rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: free-copy-to-review, ebooks, ya, fantasy

it was amazing. i loved the story of finding the red leaves to save his son, if only it can be in real life.

the theme of fatherhood was great painted in my opinion, and it is one of the most important themes in books in general.

the characters are well painted too. i loved the hero "Raj" with his actions that spray comic on the novel.i loved the weird names of the characters although it was hard for me to memorize.

the plot is coherent. AND it is very exciting. i loved the conflict.

i gave 5 stars...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Aileen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was a good read. Granted not one of my usual reads, but I'm glad I did. It was well written, interesting story. The story flowed nicely, warm characters. Nothing really gripping, but the story didn't need anything like that.

I would recommend this book to people who wants a light read

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Jul 01, 2012 Amy marked it as to-read

This is my brother's book. I am hoping he will give me a hard copy (hint hint) so that I can read it.

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Apr 06, 2013 Mike added it

Shelves: kbr, kindle, decided-against, needs-editing

Jumped around a lot in time, place and character and had a number of editing issues, so I didn't get far into it.

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About Benjamin David Burrell

Benjamin Burrell graduated from film school a little over a decade ago and has been writing scripts ever since. He produced and directed of few of his stories into short films and won a handful of awards in film festivals across the country.

"Red Leaves and the Living Token" is his debut Novel.

He currently lives in South Jordan, Utah, with his beautiful wife and three perfectly behaved children.

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