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28th out of 1,040 books
—
1,678 voters
The Emerald Talisman (Talisman #1)
by
Brenda Pandos (Goodreads Author)
To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there i...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
March 24th 2010
by Obsidian Mountain Publishing
(first published March 23rd 2010)
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“Likeable Heroine Battles Vampires”
I’ve chatted with friendly author Brenda Pandos online and I’ve wanted to read her Talisman series for quite some time. When I won The Sapphire Talisman on a Goodreads giveaway, it was my cue to bump up the series on my to-be-read list!
The Emerald Talisman is the first book, featuring Julia, a sixteen year-old blonde living in northern California. Her life is rather normal except for the unexplained death of her mother when Julia was young. Julia reportedly wi...more
I’ve chatted with friendly author Brenda Pandos online and I’ve wanted to read her Talisman series for quite some time. When I won The Sapphire Talisman on a Goodreads giveaway, it was my cue to bump up the series on my to-be-read list!
The Emerald Talisman is the first book, featuring Julia, a sixteen year-old blonde living in northern California. Her life is rather normal except for the unexplained death of her mother when Julia was young. Julia reportedly wi...more
5 likes · like · see review
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Rating somewhere between 3 & 4 depending on my mood.
Quickie review!
Ummm what to say… I seem to be struggling with my reviews this week!
Emerald Talisman was a good start to a promising new series. It has an interesting plot and premise. I thought the action scenes were the most engaging part of the book. The had a great pace and description.
I did have some struggles with this book it took me a while to get use to the writing style and connect with it. I think for me it missed witty character...more
Quickie review!
Ummm what to say… I seem to be struggling with my reviews this week!
Emerald Talisman was a good start to a promising new series. It has an interesting plot and premise. I thought the action scenes were the most engaging part of the book. The had a great pace and description.
I did have some struggles with this book it took me a while to get use to the writing style and connect with it. I think for me it missed witty character...more
5 likes · like · see review
My General Rating: 3.5
____________________________________
If sometime you literally asked yourself how would be the life of a possible vampire hunter who has no idea this beings exist and the help of "one of them" to train her, The Emerald Talisman main character could be a good example. The Emerald Talisman narrates the story of Julia, a simple girl with a singular talent. Julia's life goes out normally until one night when she is attacked by X creature and handsome Nicholas saves her life. Th...more
____________________________________
If sometime you literally asked yourself how would be the life of a possible vampire hunter who has no idea this beings exist and the help of "one of them" to train her, The Emerald Talisman main character could be a good example. The Emerald Talisman narrates the story of Julia, a simple girl with a singular talent. Julia's life goes out normally until one night when she is attacked by X creature and handsome Nicholas saves her life. Th...more
4 likes · like · see review
The Emerald Talisman is a wonderful take on Vampires, and anyone who knows me, knows I can't get enough of this paranorm.
This was a fast paced book that will grip you, a captivating world filled with suspenseful mystery and a sweet romance.
Julia's irrational feeling towards Nicholas was something she couldn't help, from the minute he saved her life she felt an overwhelming connection that made her feel safe and alive.
I remember what it was like to be sixteen and have those crazy feeling about...more
This was a fast paced book that will grip you, a captivating world filled with suspenseful mystery and a sweet romance.
Julia's irrational feeling towards Nicholas was something she couldn't help, from the minute he saved her life she felt an overwhelming connection that made her feel safe and alive.
I remember what it was like to be sixteen and have those crazy feeling about...more
3 likes · like · see review
January 2012: Did a quick re-read to refresh my memory before starting the last book. Enjoyed it, but was a little turned off by Julia's quick obsession with Nicholas. Otherwise a fun read.
September 2011: I guess I enjoyed this one. I’m still wavering between my rating. I really wanted to like it, and for the most part I did. I guess the one thing that bothered me most was the relationship between Julia and Nicholas. It just wasn’t that believable for me. I just can’t believe Julie would be so...more
September 2011: I guess I enjoyed this one. I’m still wavering between my rating. I really wanted to like it, and for the most part I did. I guess the one thing that bothered me most was the relationship between Julia and Nicholas. It just wasn’t that believable for me. I just can’t believe Julie would be so...more
Rating: 4.5
The Emerald Talisman was an enchanting, stimulating, and eloquently written book. Brenda introduced a promising vampire series that would interest fans of Twilight and The Vampire Diaries. Julia, the female protagonist was quirky yet endearing. Her ability to feel emotions from others curiously drew my attention. The story opened up with Julia's car breaking down. Now, instead of taking the safe walk to her home, she decides to naively take a short cut through the woods. The suspense...more
The Emerald Talisman was an enchanting, stimulating, and eloquently written book. Brenda introduced a promising vampire series that would interest fans of Twilight and The Vampire Diaries. Julia, the female protagonist was quirky yet endearing. Her ability to feel emotions from others curiously drew my attention. The story opened up with Julia's car breaking down. Now, instead of taking the safe walk to her home, she decides to naively take a short cut through the woods. The suspense...more
Jul 02, 2010
Rhonda Helton
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone
Recommended to Rhonda by:
I found it on Amazon while looking for another vampire love story
This is a book I totally found myself living in. It`s full of excitement, family and romance! It is a book that is for all ages, no cussing and that was important to me. I was happy to see that Brenda Pandos gave me enough from reading this book to feed my appetite but yet left me hungry for the second book! I was happy to find while reading The Emerald Talisman that the story was just detailed enough about the characters but not overly detailed about their feelings, I found that reading some ot...more
May 12, 2010
Jennifer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
lovers of YA vampire fiction!
Shelves:
favorite-ya-books-i-have-read
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading this book! Brenda Pandos did a wonderful job creating a fresh and exciting new vampire world. I loved the characters in this story (good and evil) and the suspense had me turning pages way too late for a few nights! I found Julia (the main character) very interesting. She was an empath, meaning that she could sense and feel the emotions of those around her. Her gift definitely came in handy on more than one occasion in the book, but remained a secret to every...more
I really enjoyed reading this book! Brenda Pandos did a wonderful job creating a fresh and exciting new vampire world. I loved the characters in this story (good and evil) and the suspense had me turning pages way too late for a few nights! I found Julia (the main character) very interesting. She was an empath, meaning that she could sense and feel the emotions of those around her. Her gift definitely came in handy on more than one occasion in the book, but remained a secret to every...more
1 like · like · see review
Julia is sensitive, loyal and caring. Unlike most teenagers, she actually knows when someone is lying to her. Her gift helps her see through the façade and perceive someone as he truly is. But never did she expect that she would encounter someone so animalistic.
Young and charismatic, Julia finds herself falling for her life saver – Nicholas. More than anyone else, he confuses her. What seemed like rudeness to her was something else entirely to him. It was all part of his life and his mission. W...more
Young and charismatic, Julia finds herself falling for her life saver – Nicholas. More than anyone else, he confuses her. What seemed like rudeness to her was something else entirely to him. It was all part of his life and his mission. W...more
Twilight meets Blade: that’s how one might describe this book. But of course it is much, much more. Teenage girl with a special gift, mysterious boy, and scary vampires: all are themes that may sound familiar, yet the author still manages to create a unique and absorbing book, complete with an intriguing and original story for the explanation of vampires.
A snap decision to walk home through the woods, and suddenly Julia’s life is changed forever. This includes her introduction to Nicholas, who...more
A snap decision to walk home through the woods, and suddenly Julia’s life is changed forever. This includes her introduction to Nicholas, who...more
1 like · like · see review
4.5 stars
The Quick and the Dirty...a refreshing new take on vampires and vampire slayers.
Why I was tempted to read this...Well the blurb reeled me in, always looking for a new vampire book!
Cover thoughts...it's pretty cool, not exactly how I imagined the necklace in my mind tho.
Romance Meter...Well of course! Julia and Nicholas hit is off right from the beginning and the romance started bubbling.
Character and Plot...Julia has a talent, she is an empath meaning she can feel others emotions. When...more
The Quick and the Dirty...a refreshing new take on vampires and vampire slayers.
Why I was tempted to read this...Well the blurb reeled me in, always looking for a new vampire book!
Cover thoughts...it's pretty cool, not exactly how I imagined the necklace in my mind tho.
Romance Meter...Well of course! Julia and Nicholas hit is off right from the beginning and the romance started bubbling.
Character and Plot...Julia has a talent, she is an empath meaning she can feel others emotions. When...more
2 likes · like · see review
A well-imagined vampire romance in a darkly appealing world. The chemistry between the two leads is really intense, but not sappy. Love is anything but logical, right? I found that there were plenty of twists to this book- my favorite being the use of empathy as a "special power." I haven't seen empathy portrayed well all that often, and thought Ms. Pandos did a great job with it. There's a lot of room for this universe to expand and I am sure the next book will deepen the mythology and relation...more
Jul 30, 2011
Tammie
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
urban-fantasy-paranormal,
ya
I really couldn’t decide what to rate this 2 ½ I guess. I kept waffling between it’s ok and I kind of like it.
It reminded me a bit of Twilight (think gorgeous guy saves helpless girl multiple times despite her stupidity, stalks her and drives really fast), the TV series Moonlight (think immortal guy saves child from vampire and secretly watches her grow up and then falls in love with her), with a bit of Blade (think half vampire day-walker who hunts evil vampires) thrown in there as well. There...more
It reminded me a bit of Twilight (think gorgeous guy saves helpless girl multiple times despite her stupidity, stalks her and drives really fast), the TV series Moonlight (think immortal guy saves child from vampire and secretly watches her grow up and then falls in love with her), with a bit of Blade (think half vampire day-walker who hunts evil vampires) thrown in there as well. There...more
Read my full review.
Bottom Line – Enjoyable read, with a unique take on Vampire lore, dynamic and tricky characters and a love story that will steal your heart, The Emerald Talisman is a wonderful start to what I can only hope is a unique and interesting series. I just hope that we get to see more of Julia and Nicholas soon, and that some of there secrets are reviled, as I think Julia is becoming fast aware secrets can harm much more than they seem to help! I give The Emerald Talisman 4 mushroom...more
Bottom Line – Enjoyable read, with a unique take on Vampire lore, dynamic and tricky characters and a love story that will steal your heart, The Emerald Talisman is a wonderful start to what I can only hope is a unique and interesting series. I just hope that we get to see more of Julia and Nicholas soon, and that some of there secrets are reviled, as I think Julia is becoming fast aware secrets can harm much more than they seem to help! I give The Emerald Talisman 4 mushroom...more
1 like · like · see review
I gave this 4 stars but would rather have done 3.5. Another reviewer said it was very similar to Twilight. I try to avoid comparisons as many things could relate to others. But I found myself checking the cover to see if I got some kind of mix up. It was very much similar. The difference being that I very much disliked the lead character. She was obsessed. She kept talking about a relationship with someone that only helped her once. Then how betrayed she was, and on and on it went of constantly...more
http://www.onceuponatwilight.com/sear...
I have to say that when I started listening to this book I was a little skeptical with it being another vampire story. I am so glad Brenda Pandos gave me the link to listen to this audio book to review for the tour. I love Julia and Nicholas and can’t wait to hear more about them and see what other clues we will be given about their past and future.
Poor Julia has a rare gift that allows her to feel others emotions which make it easy for her to tell when so...more
I have to say that when I started listening to this book I was a little skeptical with it being another vampire story. I am so glad Brenda Pandos gave me the link to listen to this audio book to review for the tour. I love Julia and Nicholas and can’t wait to hear more about them and see what other clues we will be given about their past and future.
Poor Julia has a rare gift that allows her to feel others emotions which make it easy for her to tell when so...more
*2.5 stars*
The Emerald Talisman started out with so much promise. In fact, I flew through the first third of the book. The writing was good, the plot enticing, and the characters quirky and fun. Then for some reason it changed for me. It didn't hold my attention or feel like anything that was extra special. It turned into one of those novels that you feel like you've already read.
Julia has led a hard life and it just got more crazy. She did seem caring and used the gift of empathy to help her f...more
The Emerald Talisman started out with so much promise. In fact, I flew through the first third of the book. The writing was good, the plot enticing, and the characters quirky and fun. Then for some reason it changed for me. It didn't hold my attention or feel like anything that was extra special. It turned into one of those novels that you feel like you've already read.
Julia has led a hard life and it just got more crazy. She did seem caring and used the gift of empathy to help her f...more
Ok, I'm going to keep this simple because I don't think this book real deserves any sort of review whether it's good or bad......... yup it was that bad! But i feel as a consumer who was hoping for a new different kick ass fantasy book, with awesome suspense and action, i was thoroughly taken for a ride!
The girl only just met the guy for 30 SECONDS and she spent frickin weeks moping over him!!!! How is that a good role model for teen girls of today? 'hey girls, go into the woods at night and wai...more
The girl only just met the guy for 30 SECONDS and she spent frickin weeks moping over him!!!! How is that a good role model for teen girls of today? 'hey girls, go into the woods at night and wai...more
Julia's mother mysteriously disappears and Julia's father opens the door to see a 5-yr-old Julia on their porch alone and unaware of her mother's whereabouts! Her father decides to move her and her bother Luke to a new town closer to his relatives so he can grieve and be surrounded by their remaining family. Leaving work one night she discovers her car is out of gas and decided to cut through the forest to take a shortcut on her walk home. There she meets mysterious stranger Nicholas when he sav...more
Judged by the Cover: Just My Style
The cover of The Emerald Talisman (Talisman Series, Book 1) features a black background with the almost watermark background of trees/woods. Since the woods is the reason the entire novel went the way it did from the very beginning, I thought it was fit to put it on the cover. Also the cover features "the emerald talisman" as in the necklace being worn in the novel, now that also being the title do I really need to tell you the importance in that? The cover does...more
The cover of The Emerald Talisman (Talisman Series, Book 1) features a black background with the almost watermark background of trees/woods. Since the woods is the reason the entire novel went the way it did from the very beginning, I thought it was fit to put it on the cover. Also the cover features "the emerald talisman" as in the necklace being worn in the novel, now that also being the title do I really need to tell you the importance in that? The cover does...more
This book, although was short, it was cute, mysterious and at times funny. The main character, Julia, is an empath. She can feel what other people are feeling. One night on her way home from work her car runs out of gas and her cell phone died. Julia decides it would be ok to take the short cut through the woods instead of following the road around. Although she has traveled these woods many times before, in the daylight, she finds her self getting scared at every little noise and movement. And...more
First of all, while I may catch some harsh feedback from this first comment, I have to say that The Emerald Talisman is nothing like Twilight. If you like vampire stories, then yes, you will like this book. Julia Parker is not an average teenager. She has the ability to read people’s emotions. After losing her mother and being raised by a father who is almost never there, she happens to be a well-rounded, responsible girl. She works, she has friends, she has a social life and when the going gets...more
Sep 23, 2011
Lacey
added it
First thoughts:
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but I was immediately sucked in. I couldn't put the book down, it was like I wanted to know what happened next. And even though there was some slow moments I was glad to meet the characters and be with them on the start of their journey. The author was creative in creating a unique and magical world and she did a great job on painting the scenes of the characters.
Summary:
Julia Parker has a unique gift; she can sense peoples em...more
I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but I was immediately sucked in. I couldn't put the book down, it was like I wanted to know what happened next. And even though there was some slow moments I was glad to meet the characters and be with them on the start of their journey. The author was creative in creating a unique and magical world and she did a great job on painting the scenes of the characters.
Summary:
Julia Parker has a unique gift; she can sense peoples em...more
I had been seeing this book all over the internet, but it took me forever to finally get it and read it. I don't know why I was so hesitant on reading it, but I think it might have been because of the mixed reviews. So I finally caved and picked up my copy of The Emerald Talisman and dove into the world the author created.
While I liked the basic story plot, I felt the story lacked things to make it great. At times the writing was choppy and stalled. I kept waiting for it to pick up pace only to...more
While I liked the basic story plot, I felt the story lacked things to make it great. At times the writing was choppy and stalled. I kept waiting for it to pick up pace only to...more
Reviewed @ Girls Without a Bookshelf.
Saying this book tested my patience does not even begin to cover it; it truly exhausted every ounce of whatever patience there was in me. While I admit I was intrigued about its premise at first, and was thoroughly excited at having the book in my hands, eventually I had to get rid of it or risk insanity.
For the record, I actually did not finish the book. So whether or not you'd take my review as accurate, I'll leave it for you to decide. However, note that I...more
Saying this book tested my patience does not even begin to cover it; it truly exhausted every ounce of whatever patience there was in me. While I admit I was intrigued about its premise at first, and was thoroughly excited at having the book in my hands, eventually I had to get rid of it or risk insanity.
For the record, I actually did not finish the book. So whether or not you'd take my review as accurate, I'll leave it for you to decide. However, note that I...more
2 likes · like · see review
Sixteen-year-old Julia Parker simply wants to fit in with the crowd. However, that cannot be done because of her incredible gift and her not-so-average life. The courageous, strong, leading-lady, Julia does not expect anything unnatural to happen to her despite her inhuman gift. When Nicholas, a half-vampire slayer, saves Julia from falling off a cliff, her life spirals out of control and she is sucked into the paranormal world. Nicholas reveals that there is more craziness in the world than sh...more
Terrible. It's trailing on the end of the vampire trend and introduces nothing new. The story is stale and uninteresting, superficial and slow. Basically, the author took the characters from Twilight (plain chick + vampirey stalker guy who saves her life) and stuck them in a generic vampire hunter romance. All of this is not helped by the mediocre writing, where the author uses childish dialogue such as "'You're mine now and I'm gonna do whatever I want with you, and he can't do anything about i...more
Twitter is a powerful marketing tool for that is how I came to buy this novel by Brenda Pandos. It must have been retweeted by someone on February fourth that this book for Kindle was now only $.99 on Amazon (and still is). Well, what do I have to lose, I thought, I like vampires, I like jewelry, where could I go wrong?
I will admit it languished in my Kindle lineup for a while as my TBR pile built to frightening proportions. But today I was looking for something light, something easy. I don't kn...more
I will admit it languished in my Kindle lineup for a while as my TBR pile built to frightening proportions. But today I was looking for something light, something easy. I don't kn...more
Yo no sé si decir que me gustó o no me gustó, el libro me dejó una sensación rara y debo decirlo me siento insatisfecha. La portada me gusta, pero cuando supe que era otro libro de vampiros no sabía que pensar, estoy medio harta de los vampiros, aparecen en todos lados...... Pero me animé porque le tenia muchas ganas, la historia nos habla de Julia, una chica de 16 años, que asiste a la preparatoria, tiene su bolita de amigos, un trabajo de medio turno, en fin una chica normal de su edad excepto...more
The interesting premise and backstory is one of the biggest features of The Emerald Talisman. The first chapter is intriguing and grabbing although the pace drops off for awhile after the initial spark before coming together strongly for a bold climax and ending. Definable and developed characters help bring the book more to life and the new take on vampires make it stand out more.
Julia starts out as a strong character, her personality and views coming off from the start, though it seemed to lap...more
Julia starts out as a strong character, her personality and views coming off from the start, though it seemed to lap...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Free Book Cha...: The Emerald Talisman, by Brenda Pandos | 4 | 13 | Dec 02, 2012 06:55pm |
Wife, Mother, Author, Computer Whisperer, Web/graphic designer,Chocolate connoisseur,Sister, Daughter, Aunt,Friend, Fun & Games Coordinator, Saved by Grace, Geek, Housekeeper, Laundress, Cook (occasionally), Chauffeur, Gardener, Nurse, and much more... not in that order.
More about Brenda Pandos...
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“Then like a bird, he gingerly landed on a protruding rock inside the monstrous cavern. I looked up at the wet walls teaming with sea life and reeled back feeling like I was going to lose my balance when I felt him reach around and carefully lift me off. He placed me so I could stand on the rock in front of him. His strong arms wrapped tightly around me so I wouldn’t fall. We stood in astonishment deafened by the noise of the waves hitting the reef all around us. The warmth of his chest radiated against me. I molded my body up against his, my heart erupting in a flutter that caused my legs to weaken.
“What do you think?” he whispered into my ear. I felt his hot breath against the side of my neck, which caused me to be light-headed as my heart raced even harder.
“Awesome,” I whispered, which was all I could get out as I slinked into his chest a little bit more.”
—
14 people liked it
“What do you think?” he whispered into my ear. I felt his hot breath against the side of my neck, which caused me to be light-headed as my heart raced even harder.
“Awesome,” I whispered, which was all I could get out as I slinked into his chest a little bit more.”
“A crack of a tree limb and falling foliage forced me to open my eyes. A tree fell right above my head, frightened birds flew out of the leaves and a cackle of laughter echoed across the ravine – extreme happiness mingled with the loathing hate. Selfishly, I prayed the fight would end in my favor and quickly.
But then suddenly I heard something that sounded like a sizzling firework and felt someone’s surprise turned into fear… then nothing. The evil vanished. I breathed a sigh of relief too soon as the branch shifted in the earth next to me.
“Hurry!” I cried, but it was too late.
I screamed as I fell, knowing I was about to die.”
—
9 people liked it
More quotes…
But then suddenly I heard something that sounded like a sizzling firework and felt someone’s surprise turned into fear… then nothing. The evil vanished. I breathed a sigh of relief too soon as the branch shifted in the earth next to me.
“Hurry!” I cried, but it was too late.
I screamed as I fell, knowing I was about to die.”
