What do you think?
The Elven Tales
The Elven Tales: The Company of the Rose
Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings in the first book of this new epic fantasy series full of adventures and magic.
Prudence Clark lives a seemingly normal life in Cambridge with her best friend’s family. But a series of strange events compounded by a wave of kidnappings is about to turn everything she believed about her existence upside down. A brutal attack catapults her into a new reality – one that makes her the most important refugee of the Council of the Five Kingdoms. Now, she’s charged with the task of finding the King’s runes to stop Alanel, the most malicious and ruthless being, following his escape from prison. Alanel has declared war on the king of Arkana. Now, even more shocking truths come forth, exposing long-held secrets about Prudence’s past and her destiny. Her newfound knowledge will prompt her to embark on a treacherous journey to face dangerous beasts in the most inhospitable of places. But her journey will not be alone, she’ll be joined by the Company of the Rose, brave warriors that will fight by her side, and hopefully, lead to the retrieval of the runes before it’s too late.
Prudence Clark lives a seemingly normal life in Cambridge with her best friend’s family. But a series of strange events compounded by a wave of kidnappings is about to turn everything she believed about her existence upside down. A brutal attack catapults her into a new reality – one that makes her the most important refugee of the Council of the Five Kingdoms. Now, she’s charged with the task of finding the King’s runes to stop Alanel, the most malicious and ruthless being, following his escape from prison. Alanel has declared war on the king of Arkana. Now, even more shocking truths come forth, exposing long-held secrets about Prudence’s past and her destiny. Her newfound knowledge will prompt her to embark on a treacherous journey to face dangerous beasts in the most inhospitable of places. But her journey will not be alone, she’ll be joined by the Company of the Rose, brave warriors that will fight by her side, and hopefully, lead to the retrieval of the runes before it’s too late.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 2, 2017
About the author
Fabi Ghittoni
2 books20 followersFabi Ghittoni is an Argentina-based attorney and writer. Since childhood she experienced love for literature and fiction (Greek mythology being her first catch). She is also an avid reader and bookstagrammer. She graduated from law school at the very young age of twenty two. After obtaining her degree she decided to pursue a writing career. The Elven Tales is her debut novel, and the first of a five book series for kids, young adults and fantasy readers.
Twitter:www.twitter.com/fabighittoni
Instagram: instagram.com/fghittoni
Twitter:www.twitter.com/fabighittoni
Instagram: instagram.com/fghittoni
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 26, 2017
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
2/5 stars
Summary:
This novel follows Prudence and her life gets flipped upside down. In a world that seems so basic to Prudence has been hiding secrets from her. Her existence and who she really is, now is in question.
Dislikes:
The world building was lacking unfortunately. I felt like I was reading an outline at some points, just needed more of the meaty bits. I never got connected to any of the characters due to the outline style of writing. It felt like I was reading almost directly from a younger version of another book a lot of us have read, I won't name the book because I don't want to deter people from reading this if interested.
Likes:
The cover and inside art is absolutely to die for. Just stunning. The premise of it was interesting with lots of different species of characters/creatures.
Overall:
This book is going to be a 2.0-2.5 star read for me. I wanted to like this a lot more, as I said the book and premise are beautiful. The story just felt a bit unfinished to me. I just wanted more world building and a bit more connection with the characters. The vast array of characters and creatures was really interesting. I would consider this to be definitely more middle grade than young adult though. To me it just does not have the development to be considered YA. I really think younger readers would really enjoy reading this because it is a quick fast paced book, and beautiful.
2/5 stars
Summary:
This novel follows Prudence and her life gets flipped upside down. In a world that seems so basic to Prudence has been hiding secrets from her. Her existence and who she really is, now is in question.
Dislikes:
The world building was lacking unfortunately. I felt like I was reading an outline at some points, just needed more of the meaty bits. I never got connected to any of the characters due to the outline style of writing. It felt like I was reading almost directly from a younger version of another book a lot of us have read, I won't name the book because I don't want to deter people from reading this if interested.
Likes:
The cover and inside art is absolutely to die for. Just stunning. The premise of it was interesting with lots of different species of characters/creatures.
Overall:
This book is going to be a 2.0-2.5 star read for me. I wanted to like this a lot more, as I said the book and premise are beautiful. The story just felt a bit unfinished to me. I just wanted more world building and a bit more connection with the characters. The vast array of characters and creatures was really interesting. I would consider this to be definitely more middle grade than young adult though. To me it just does not have the development to be considered YA. I really think younger readers would really enjoy reading this because it is a quick fast paced book, and beautiful.
February 2, 2017
"A copy of this book has been provided by the author in exchange for an honest review"
Acctual rating : 3.5 stars
Happy release day of The Elven Tales!
This book tells the story of a girl who thought everything in her life was normal. Yes, her mother has disapeared when she was little, she never got the chance to meet her father, and she grow up with her grandparents.
At the beginning of the novel we find out that Prudence Clark is currently staying at her best friend's house, in Cambridge.
If it weren't for those attacks/kidnapping everything would be normal. And they only take 17yo girls.
And Maddie's (Prudence's best friend) 17th birthday is tomorrow. Prudence is a 17yo also.
That can really kill a mood aye?
The next day, while she was coming back from work at Jerwood Library, Prudence remembered that she's yet to buy Maddie a gift for her bday. She stopped by a shop that she never noticed before because she saw a beautiful jewel. It was already getting dark and she knew she shouldn't walk alone in the night so she rushed in the store and asked for the jewel. But when she took it gem started to shine in a very strange way. She didn't had time to think of it as she hurried to come back to the Percival's house. It was then she felt that someone was trailing her. She saw two very tall, pale-skinned figures but she couldn't get away. She was paralyzed by fear when they start grabbing her. Three people appeared out of nowhere in that moment and started fighting her attackers. In the same time her necklace started glowing and something inside her awaken. Three waves of a strong white light beat everyone around it. When the light has disappeared Prudence fell unconscious to the ground.
The next thing she remembers is waking in a bed four days later. That's when her adventure started.
Suddenly she discoveres this whole new world, the Five Kingdoms - the Elves, the Wizards, the Dwarves, the Faeries and the Giants. She was in Borghild Meadows, inside the Borghild palace, home of The Council of the Five Kingdoms.
And those kidnappings in the human world? That was all Alanel's doing, the Lord of the Dark Legions who was imprisoned in Morgadot but somehow escaped. And he was looking for her.
Anyway I already discovered far too much, if you're interested, go read it!
The book itself is sooooo beautiful, seriously! Graphic's amazing, cover *heart eyes*. Every single page has a beautiful underlayer (is that the right word, I'm such an ignorant when comes to those sort of things). It's seriously the most gorgeous book that I've ever seen!
Then why 3.5 stars?
This is just ME, but I thought that there was too much of action and too little of a background story or any kind of story. I just felt like they jumped from one dangerous situation to another and that there was nothing in between. The story didn't flow. But it gets better by the end.
Again, that's just my opinion. This's only part 1 out of 5, so - looking forward to see what happens with the Prudence, Skuld, Dedric, Dunhill, Genuss
Acctual rating : 3.5 stars
Happy release day of The Elven Tales!
This book tells the story of a girl who thought everything in her life was normal. Yes, her mother has disapeared when she was little, she never got the chance to meet her father, and she grow up with her grandparents.
At the beginning of the novel we find out that Prudence Clark is currently staying at her best friend's house, in Cambridge.
If it weren't for those attacks/kidnapping everything would be normal. And they only take 17yo girls.
And Maddie's (Prudence's best friend) 17th birthday is tomorrow. Prudence is a 17yo also.
That can really kill a mood aye?
The next day, while she was coming back from work at Jerwood Library, Prudence remembered that she's yet to buy Maddie a gift for her bday. She stopped by a shop that she never noticed before because she saw a beautiful jewel. It was already getting dark and she knew she shouldn't walk alone in the night so she rushed in the store and asked for the jewel. But when she took it gem started to shine in a very strange way. She didn't had time to think of it as she hurried to come back to the Percival's house. It was then she felt that someone was trailing her. She saw two very tall, pale-skinned figures but she couldn't get away. She was paralyzed by fear when they start grabbing her. Three people appeared out of nowhere in that moment and started fighting her attackers. In the same time her necklace started glowing and something inside her awaken. Three waves of a strong white light beat everyone around it. When the light has disappeared Prudence fell unconscious to the ground.
The next thing she remembers is waking in a bed four days later. That's when her adventure started.
Suddenly she discoveres this whole new world, the Five Kingdoms - the Elves, the Wizards, the Dwarves, the Faeries and the Giants. She was in Borghild Meadows, inside the Borghild palace, home of The Council of the Five Kingdoms.
And those kidnappings in the human world? That was all Alanel's doing, the Lord of the Dark Legions who was imprisoned in Morgadot but somehow escaped. And he was looking for her.
Anyway I already discovered far too much, if you're interested, go read it!
The book itself is sooooo beautiful, seriously! Graphic's amazing, cover *heart eyes*. Every single page has a beautiful underlayer (is that the right word, I'm such an ignorant when comes to those sort of things). It's seriously the most gorgeous book that I've ever seen!
Then why 3.5 stars?
This is just ME, but I thought that there was too much of action and too little of a background story or any kind of story. I just felt like they jumped from one dangerous situation to another and that there was nothing in between. The story didn't flow. But it gets better by the end.
Again, that's just my opinion. This's only part 1 out of 5, so - looking forward to see what happens with the Prudence, Skuld, Dedric, Dunhill, Genuss
February 14, 2017
I will rate this story with 3.5 stars, and its design 5 stars.
Prudence is a girl who lives in Cambridge with her best friend's family.
After the escape of one of the most evil villains in the history of England, Alanel, several disappearances of teenagers occur and turn everything she believes about herself and her existence upside down.
After a brutal attack, she has to face the fact that she is the refugee of the Council of the Five Kingdoms and that a task is entrusted to her: find the King's Runes and stop Alanel.
Not only does she discover a new world totally different from the one that she is living in, but she put herself in extreme circumstances that help her to know who she truly is, what happened in the past and what her destiny will be.
However, she will not be alone in this treacherous journey: she will be accompanied by the Company of the Rose, brave warriors who will fight back to back to save their world.
Will they find the King's runes and stop Alanel? Will she be able to remember her past and to lead her fears?
Before I write my opinion of the story, I would like to point out the aesthetic of the book: it is super gorgeous!
The design is so fairy and beautiful! It is the kind of book that you would buy by the cover if you didn't hear anything about it before.
The pages are full of drawings and every chapter has its own design. FANTASTIC.
I enjoyed this book immensely although, in my opinion, the story is too short.
It has a lot of potential, but I missed more descriptions.
The story goes too fast, keeps you reading and addicted to it, yet the characters are strangers to me and some scenes could have been breathtaking if we had more details.
Ghattoni was only focused on the action and the dialogues were limited.
It reminds me of The Lord of the Rings, and that makes it even more exciting!
Honestly, I'm looking forward to reading the next book because I need to know what happens next.
We will hopefully have the chance to know more about this world and its characters.
Prudence is a girl who lives in Cambridge with her best friend's family.
After the escape of one of the most evil villains in the history of England, Alanel, several disappearances of teenagers occur and turn everything she believes about herself and her existence upside down.
After a brutal attack, she has to face the fact that she is the refugee of the Council of the Five Kingdoms and that a task is entrusted to her: find the King's Runes and stop Alanel.
Not only does she discover a new world totally different from the one that she is living in, but she put herself in extreme circumstances that help her to know who she truly is, what happened in the past and what her destiny will be.
However, she will not be alone in this treacherous journey: she will be accompanied by the Company of the Rose, brave warriors who will fight back to back to save their world.
Will they find the King's runes and stop Alanel? Will she be able to remember her past and to lead her fears?
Before I write my opinion of the story, I would like to point out the aesthetic of the book: it is super gorgeous!
The design is so fairy and beautiful! It is the kind of book that you would buy by the cover if you didn't hear anything about it before.
The pages are full of drawings and every chapter has its own design. FANTASTIC.
I enjoyed this book immensely although, in my opinion, the story is too short.
It has a lot of potential, but I missed more descriptions.
The story goes too fast, keeps you reading and addicted to it, yet the characters are strangers to me and some scenes could have been breathtaking if we had more details.
Ghattoni was only focused on the action and the dialogues were limited.
It reminds me of The Lord of the Rings, and that makes it even more exciting!
Honestly, I'm looking forward to reading the next book because I need to know what happens next.
We will hopefully have the chance to know more about this world and its characters.
February 17, 2017
DNF 50% I was given an e-book version in exchange for my honest review.
I tried really hard to like this book. I just felt like there was zero world building. I feel like the author TRIED to add some world building, but she was unable to give us her vision. There was a lot of action in the story, but it was just so bland to me. I felt like all of the action started and ended too abruptly and wasn't described well enough. To me this book felt like an extended outline that was never filled in.
The main character basically had her life completely turned upside down and showed zero emotion during it. Why doesn't she question it? Why does she go along with everything, no questions asked? She needs to fight it, show some emotion. She felt to monotone and bland to me. I felt nothing for her or any of the other characters.
At first I saw other people review and figured my impressions on the first half of the book were due to a book slump. Maybe I'm being too hard on it, I thought. I got out of my book slump and restarted the book. My feelings did not get better, in fact I disliked it even more.
I feel like this book has the bones to become a great book, it just needs a lot of work.
I tried really hard to like this book. I just felt like there was zero world building. I feel like the author TRIED to add some world building, but she was unable to give us her vision. There was a lot of action in the story, but it was just so bland to me. I felt like all of the action started and ended too abruptly and wasn't described well enough. To me this book felt like an extended outline that was never filled in.
The main character basically had her life completely turned upside down and showed zero emotion during it. Why doesn't she question it? Why does she go along with everything, no questions asked? She needs to fight it, show some emotion. She felt to monotone and bland to me. I felt nothing for her or any of the other characters.
At first I saw other people review and figured my impressions on the first half of the book were due to a book slump. Maybe I'm being too hard on it, I thought. I got out of my book slump and restarted the book. My feelings did not get better, in fact I disliked it even more.
I feel like this book has the bones to become a great book, it just needs a lot of work.
February 20, 2017
Actual rating 3.5 Stars.
A copy of the book was kindly sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Elven Tales: The Company Of The Rose is the first installment in the series and follows the adventures of Prudence Clarke, a typical 17-year-old girl who lives with her best friend's family in Cambridge, living a normal life and dreaming of college. After she is being chased one night, she is being thrust into a world full of magic, elves, dwarves, giants and many other mythical creature which until now she only thought of as fairy-tales. There, the most dangerous villain, Alanel, has escaped prison and is marching against the Elven King Tareus, to seize the throne and bring destruction to the Five Kingdoms.
Prudence will discover that she is not what she thought all these years, and is being trusted with the task to retrieve the King's Runes and destroy them. But she will not be alone. The Company of the Rose, which is comprised of Dedric, Dunhill, Genuss and Skuld, will guide and assist her.
I must say that I rather enjoyed the story as a whole, and there was potential for so many things, like the world building and the character development. Though, what made me rate this book with 3.5 stars was the lack of emotions I got from this book. The main character, Prudence, on one day is worrying about her admittance to Cambridge and the next she has to figure out how to prevent a war in a magical world, but she jumps into this adventure without any emotional breakdown, denial or even apprehension. She just does, whatever she's being told.
What is more, I really needed much more background information about the Company, in order to be able to get emotionally attached to them, which is something I really look for in a book. So, what I'm saying is that, I needed to care for these characters but I just couldn't.
What I really liked about this story was the actual action! You really couldn't get bored while reading this book, though sometimes I also felt that I, as well as the characters, needed a break to breathe. I would love to have more elaborate descriptions about the surroundings, which sounded very rich and I just wanted to know more about it.
Finally, I must say that I would totally recommend this book to whoever likes quick, fast-paced fantasy books, and I, for myself, am actually looking forward to discover more about the Five Kingdoms and particularly about the villain, Alanel, who sounded so interesting! Hopefully, the next installment will be more descriptive, which was what I was missing in this book.
A copy of the book was kindly sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Elven Tales: The Company Of The Rose is the first installment in the series and follows the adventures of Prudence Clarke, a typical 17-year-old girl who lives with her best friend's family in Cambridge, living a normal life and dreaming of college. After she is being chased one night, she is being thrust into a world full of magic, elves, dwarves, giants and many other mythical creature which until now she only thought of as fairy-tales. There, the most dangerous villain, Alanel, has escaped prison and is marching against the Elven King Tareus, to seize the throne and bring destruction to the Five Kingdoms.
Prudence will discover that she is not what she thought all these years, and is being trusted with the task to retrieve the King's Runes and destroy them. But she will not be alone. The Company of the Rose, which is comprised of Dedric, Dunhill, Genuss and Skuld, will guide and assist her.
I must say that I rather enjoyed the story as a whole, and there was potential for so many things, like the world building and the character development. Though, what made me rate this book with 3.5 stars was the lack of emotions I got from this book. The main character, Prudence, on one day is worrying about her admittance to Cambridge and the next she has to figure out how to prevent a war in a magical world, but she jumps into this adventure without any emotional breakdown, denial or even apprehension. She just does, whatever she's being told.
What is more, I really needed much more background information about the Company, in order to be able to get emotionally attached to them, which is something I really look for in a book. So, what I'm saying is that, I needed to care for these characters but I just couldn't.
What I really liked about this story was the actual action! You really couldn't get bored while reading this book, though sometimes I also felt that I, as well as the characters, needed a break to breathe. I would love to have more elaborate descriptions about the surroundings, which sounded very rich and I just wanted to know more about it.
Finally, I must say that I would totally recommend this book to whoever likes quick, fast-paced fantasy books, and I, for myself, am actually looking forward to discover more about the Five Kingdoms and particularly about the villain, Alanel, who sounded so interesting! Hopefully, the next installment will be more descriptive, which was what I was missing in this book.
February 28, 2017
A copy of this book has been provided by the author in Exchange for an honest review
For me The Elven Tales: The Company of the Rose is a 3/5 rating. Which is not a bad rating, just to be clear! I really enjoyed the story!
I start with the beginning: tbh it was the cover that made me being interested in this book. I’m normally not into elves, gaints, orcs etc. BUT this book remembered me that sometimes it’s good to read outside your comfort zone!
So the cover is amazing and I really liked the whole presentation of the book!
I also liked the characters (Dedric and Skuld are my favs!)- what I liked most about Prudence (our heroine) was that she said that she was new to all the stuff that was happening and she didn’t know what to do (very relatable!)
The writing style is very easy and fast to read!
All in all I really enjoyed this book! I would have loved it if there was a Little bit more depth to it, sometimes the conversation parts were flat and just too simple. This book is perfect if you are into High Fantasy and looking for a quick read!
For me The Elven Tales: The Company of the Rose is a 3/5 rating. Which is not a bad rating, just to be clear! I really enjoyed the story!
I start with the beginning: tbh it was the cover that made me being interested in this book. I’m normally not into elves, gaints, orcs etc. BUT this book remembered me that sometimes it’s good to read outside your comfort zone!
So the cover is amazing and I really liked the whole presentation of the book!
I also liked the characters (Dedric and Skuld are my favs!)- what I liked most about Prudence (our heroine) was that she said that she was new to all the stuff that was happening and she didn’t know what to do (very relatable!)
The writing style is very easy and fast to read!
All in all I really enjoyed this book! I would have loved it if there was a Little bit more depth to it, sometimes the conversation parts were flat and just too simple. This book is perfect if you are into High Fantasy and looking for a quick read!
July 19, 2017
My first impression of this book was really positive, because the art work is amazing, from the cover to the very last page. This added a nice vibe to the story as well. When it comes to the story itself, I was drawn in straight away, due to the mystery that was introduced right on the first page. So I was off to a good start. When the mystery started to unravel though, I found myself quickly losing interest. The reason for that, is that I kept a lot of unanswered questions. There were a lot of details left unexplained and that got me less invested in the story, because I had a hard time telling the characters apart and picturing the world the story took place in.
March 11, 2017
Did not measure up to my expectations...
As a few other reviews mentioned, the problem is that the narrative is way too choppy. I had a hard time to connect with the characters. The story telling feels like a few sentences to a few paragraphs are removed randomly every other page, and the whole thing feels like we're constantly fastforwarding without a clear understanding of how the narrative got there. Add to that the awkward sentences on many occasions, and the multiple errors throughout the book, it just feels that the editors did not take this work seriously. I read it in about 3 hours without particularly rushing. This is way too short for everything that happens throughout the story. I wish I could give a better rating, but I'll have to see if I want to continue with the series. I'll hope for a better style, more thorough proof reading, and better depth to the characters. For now I feel this novel is best suited for 12 to 14 year old maybe?
As a few other reviews mentioned, the problem is that the narrative is way too choppy. I had a hard time to connect with the characters. The story telling feels like a few sentences to a few paragraphs are removed randomly every other page, and the whole thing feels like we're constantly fastforwarding without a clear understanding of how the narrative got there. Add to that the awkward sentences on many occasions, and the multiple errors throughout the book, it just feels that the editors did not take this work seriously. I read it in about 3 hours without particularly rushing. This is way too short for everything that happens throughout the story. I wish I could give a better rating, but I'll have to see if I want to continue with the series. I'll hope for a better style, more thorough proof reading, and better depth to the characters. For now I feel this novel is best suited for 12 to 14 year old maybe?
February 13, 2017
Before I start with my review, I want to thank the author for giving me a copy of this book to review. I remember seeing this book on her Instagram account and wanting to read it, the cover is beautiful which added to my desire to read it.
This novel follows Prudence Clarke, a seventeen-year-old girl who's currently living with her best friend's family. A series of kidnappings have been overflowing England and when Prudence seems to be the next victim, a group of people who call themselves "the company of the rose" takes her away. Now Prudence is a refugee and is faced with life or death decisions.
Ok, I actually give this book a 2.5 rating. I really wanted to like this novel, but the more I read the less I liked it. The story was great, I liked where the author was going with the story, it's a great concept but the way she told the story was not the greatest. There really is no world building nor character development in this book. Most of the time, the main character (Prudence) was jumping into these situations without questioning it. It would be like "This is happening because of this and you're this" and Prudence would basically be like "what? oh ok" and that would kind of be it, we wouldn't see her internal conflicts about how she felt about these events. Everything would happen so fast, the author wouldn't really build up to it, everything would just randomly happen. Some of the dialogues wouldn't make sense or were kind of cringy. Now, I'm not saying that the whole thing was horrible, there were some chapters that I enjoyed very much, they were well written and I could invest myself into the story and characters, It would be mostly when something big was happening that the author did a great job to make it vivid and well detailed that I actually forgot I wasn't enjoying the book. I still don't know If I will continue the series if a sequel comes out, I just feel like this book could've been so much more and I sincerely hope the sequels will be better.
This novel follows Prudence Clarke, a seventeen-year-old girl who's currently living with her best friend's family. A series of kidnappings have been overflowing England and when Prudence seems to be the next victim, a group of people who call themselves "the company of the rose" takes her away. Now Prudence is a refugee and is faced with life or death decisions.
Ok, I actually give this book a 2.5 rating. I really wanted to like this novel, but the more I read the less I liked it. The story was great, I liked where the author was going with the story, it's a great concept but the way she told the story was not the greatest. There really is no world building nor character development in this book. Most of the time, the main character (Prudence) was jumping into these situations without questioning it. It would be like "This is happening because of this and you're this" and Prudence would basically be like "what? oh ok" and that would kind of be it, we wouldn't see her internal conflicts about how she felt about these events. Everything would happen so fast, the author wouldn't really build up to it, everything would just randomly happen. Some of the dialogues wouldn't make sense or were kind of cringy. Now, I'm not saying that the whole thing was horrible, there were some chapters that I enjoyed very much, they were well written and I could invest myself into the story and characters, It would be mostly when something big was happening that the author did a great job to make it vivid and well detailed that I actually forgot I wasn't enjoying the book. I still don't know If I will continue the series if a sequel comes out, I just feel like this book could've been so much more and I sincerely hope the sequels will be better.
February 2, 2017
Many thanks to Author Fabi Ghittoni for the eARC and apologies for the late review.
Synopsis
Prudence Clark lives a seemingly normal life in Cambridge with her best friend’s family. But a series of strange events compounded by a wave of kidnappings is about to turn everything she believed about her existence upside down.
A brutal attack catapults her into a new reality – one that makes her the most important refugee of the Council of the Five Kingdoms. Now, she’s charged with the task of finding the King’s runes to stop Alanel, the most malicious and ruthless being, following his escape from prison.
Alanel has declared war on the king of Arkana. Now, even more shocking truths come forth, exposing long-held secrets about Prudence’s past and her destiny. Her newfound knowledge will prompt her to embark on a treacherous journey to face dangerous beasts in the most inhospitable of places. But her journey will not be alone, she’ll be joined by the Company of the Rose, brave warriors that will fight by her side, and hopefully, lead to the retrieval of the runes before it’s too late.
Review
For a first book , it’s pretty good.
And also
COVER GOALS.
Have you seen the cover? Like, it’s so gorgeous! The graphics are really beautiful. I’m sooo in love with it.
Alright, now back to where I was talking about the story. Oh, yes, it’s pretty good. I’ve read a lot of first books written by many authors and this was one of those that impressed me. And the cover was just so good…
I got sidetracked again. Gods damn it. FOCUS KAVANAGH.
Now, back to the story…again.
The Elven Tales is a pretty great story. Not too shabby. The story wasn’t really good in the beginning but as it progressed it got better.I feel that Fabi could’ve “shown” more in her writing than “tell”, if you get what i mean, in some points of the book.
The book in my opinion, is sort of fast paced-ish. If it had slowed down and had the action scenes taken place further from each other and have not just the action scenes being emphasized on so much, it would be better. Like, there’s too much action scenes! There was not enough in between those scenes and that made me feel that it was not developed sufficiently and reaching its full potential.
This book has a huge potential to be as big as any famous books you’ve read out there. Throne of Glass, A Court of Mist and Fury, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Divergent and so much more. It was a pretty awesome read. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the series and pick up where we left off
Overview
I’d give a 3.8/5. If the plot was delved further into, not just the action scenes as i’ve mentioned before, yeah, i think it could’ve been better. I’d recommend it. Fantastic job done for a first book. You go, gurl
Synopsis
Prudence Clark lives a seemingly normal life in Cambridge with her best friend’s family. But a series of strange events compounded by a wave of kidnappings is about to turn everything she believed about her existence upside down.
A brutal attack catapults her into a new reality – one that makes her the most important refugee of the Council of the Five Kingdoms. Now, she’s charged with the task of finding the King’s runes to stop Alanel, the most malicious and ruthless being, following his escape from prison.
Alanel has declared war on the king of Arkana. Now, even more shocking truths come forth, exposing long-held secrets about Prudence’s past and her destiny. Her newfound knowledge will prompt her to embark on a treacherous journey to face dangerous beasts in the most inhospitable of places. But her journey will not be alone, she’ll be joined by the Company of the Rose, brave warriors that will fight by her side, and hopefully, lead to the retrieval of the runes before it’s too late.
Review
For a first book , it’s pretty good.
And also
COVER GOALS.
Have you seen the cover? Like, it’s so gorgeous! The graphics are really beautiful. I’m sooo in love with it.
Alright, now back to where I was talking about the story. Oh, yes, it’s pretty good. I’ve read a lot of first books written by many authors and this was one of those that impressed me. And the cover was just so good…
I got sidetracked again. Gods damn it. FOCUS KAVANAGH.
Now, back to the story…again.
The Elven Tales is a pretty great story. Not too shabby. The story wasn’t really good in the beginning but as it progressed it got better.I feel that Fabi could’ve “shown” more in her writing than “tell”, if you get what i mean, in some points of the book.
The book in my opinion, is sort of fast paced-ish. If it had slowed down and had the action scenes taken place further from each other and have not just the action scenes being emphasized on so much, it would be better. Like, there’s too much action scenes! There was not enough in between those scenes and that made me feel that it was not developed sufficiently and reaching its full potential.
This book has a huge potential to be as big as any famous books you’ve read out there. Throne of Glass, A Court of Mist and Fury, The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Divergent and so much more. It was a pretty awesome read. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the series and pick up where we left off
Overview
I’d give a 3.8/5. If the plot was delved further into, not just the action scenes as i’ve mentioned before, yeah, i think it could’ve been better. I’d recommend it. Fantastic job done for a first book. You go, gurl
February 6, 2017
*This book was sent to me as a free e-book. The fact that it was sent to me will not sway my opinion in any way.*
“Miss Clarke, what kind of exotic concoction is that you are drinking?” “Good morning, Goldine. It’s just coffee”
The story is about Prudence Clarke who finds herself in a completely different world than the one she grew up in. She is an important refugee of the Council of the Five Kingdoms and she is the only one who should know where the King’s runes are to stop Alanel who is a powerful being who escaped his prison. Prudence, however, knows nothing of the life she should have lived and with the help of others she must find out what her mother has left her and find the King’s runes.
The characters seem to be more 3D than 4D (which is already better than 2D). In my opinion, this is because the book has been written in he/she form (I have a love/hate relationship with this in case you weren’t aware of that yet). I did get that the book was somewhat written from Prudence her point of view put there were some many things that were just explained… Let me explain.
Usually, whenever a person would find itself on completely new grounds, it would have to learn everything (together with the reader) and to do so, other people will have to tell the person the information or the person has to figure it out his or herself. In this book, nothing seemed to be explained by another person. It was just explained in writing, making it understandable for me. But now I know this… But how is Prudence knowing this as well? No one is telling her. She just seems to know (or then again maybe she doesn’t because it is written in he/she form). I hope you understand what I’m trying to say.
The story in itself is a good story. I definitely like the idea and it was usually portrayed in a good (and easy to follow) way. What it sometimes seemed to miss was some kind of back story. There were some explanations on why things were the way they were, but those things only seemed to scratch the surface.
The book is also written in the past tense (nothing wrong with that to be honest but sometimes my mind just can’t handle reading and keeps thinking about history class because everything that I’m reading has already happened) and I found out that it has a lot of ‘then’ in it. I didn’t notice this until half way through but that was one of the moments where I just needed to put the book down to take a couple of deep breaths and get my thoughts in order again.
It wasn’t a book I could read in one sitting. Mostly because of the large amount of action and things that were explained that all seemed to happen without a real break (using a ‘break’ in a book doesn’t have to be good, unless it’s used in the right way of course). Everything just kept coming and I had to take a break from time to time.
In my opinion there was no real plot twist. I did come to a point what I assumed might have been a small plot twist or something but there are quite a lot of names in the book which made me mess up with who was who and I kind of got a little lost and had to put the book down for a small moment to figure out what was happening (and even had to look back in the book on who was who again.
I know I didn’t really go into any other kind of characters. This is mostly because there are a lot of them and most have kind of difficult names for me and I tend to read over difficult words whenever I can (oops…). But the story itself was still a good one even though I sometimes got a bit lost.
And just look at the cover! Also, the inside of the book definitely doesn’t disappoint
“Miss Clarke, what kind of exotic concoction is that you are drinking?” “Good morning, Goldine. It’s just coffee”
The story is about Prudence Clarke who finds herself in a completely different world than the one she grew up in. She is an important refugee of the Council of the Five Kingdoms and she is the only one who should know where the King’s runes are to stop Alanel who is a powerful being who escaped his prison. Prudence, however, knows nothing of the life she should have lived and with the help of others she must find out what her mother has left her and find the King’s runes.
The characters seem to be more 3D than 4D (which is already better than 2D). In my opinion, this is because the book has been written in he/she form (I have a love/hate relationship with this in case you weren’t aware of that yet). I did get that the book was somewhat written from Prudence her point of view put there were some many things that were just explained… Let me explain.
Usually, whenever a person would find itself on completely new grounds, it would have to learn everything (together with the reader) and to do so, other people will have to tell the person the information or the person has to figure it out his or herself. In this book, nothing seemed to be explained by another person. It was just explained in writing, making it understandable for me. But now I know this… But how is Prudence knowing this as well? No one is telling her. She just seems to know (or then again maybe she doesn’t because it is written in he/she form). I hope you understand what I’m trying to say.
The story in itself is a good story. I definitely like the idea and it was usually portrayed in a good (and easy to follow) way. What it sometimes seemed to miss was some kind of back story. There were some explanations on why things were the way they were, but those things only seemed to scratch the surface.
The book is also written in the past tense (nothing wrong with that to be honest but sometimes my mind just can’t handle reading and keeps thinking about history class because everything that I’m reading has already happened) and I found out that it has a lot of ‘then’ in it. I didn’t notice this until half way through but that was one of the moments where I just needed to put the book down to take a couple of deep breaths and get my thoughts in order again.
It wasn’t a book I could read in one sitting. Mostly because of the large amount of action and things that were explained that all seemed to happen without a real break (using a ‘break’ in a book doesn’t have to be good, unless it’s used in the right way of course). Everything just kept coming and I had to take a break from time to time.
In my opinion there was no real plot twist. I did come to a point what I assumed might have been a small plot twist or something but there are quite a lot of names in the book which made me mess up with who was who and I kind of got a little lost and had to put the book down for a small moment to figure out what was happening (and even had to look back in the book on who was who again.
I know I didn’t really go into any other kind of characters. This is mostly because there are a lot of them and most have kind of difficult names for me and I tend to read over difficult words whenever I can (oops…). But the story itself was still a good one even though I sometimes got a bit lost.
And just look at the cover! Also, the inside of the book definitely doesn’t disappoint
Read
January 3, 2020DNF! I don’t want to be mean so let’s just say that I only made it to page 33 and then couldn’t go on. Pretty book though.
March 15, 2025
I like the premise of it, I liked the characters. I just wish it was written better.
February 28, 2017
An ebook copy of the book was kindly sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Before moving into the review of the story let's just talk about that freaking cover. It's so so beautiful! It suit the book so well and I don't know how to describe the design besides TOTAL PERFECTION.
Now into the review.
Spoiler-free!
So I'm giving this book a 3.5* rating.
Why?
Well I did quite enjoy the plot itself and where the book was leading us readers. It made me so curious to keep reading so I couldn't just not finish it but I think the fact that Prudence, our main character, lacked some emotion killed a bit of the excitement of reading this book.
What do I mean by lack of emotion? In the beginning she's worrying about one thing of her life and then suddenly it all changes dramatically but she doesn't question anything. She just enters this whole new world like: ''oh, okay''. Also, she does everything she's told to do, no questions asked. I think that aspect itself was what killed the reading buzz. But otherwise I completely enjoyed the story line and I'm pretty sure this series has a lot of potencial of getting better and better.
The characters and also the description of the surroundings we encounter in the book need a bit more work on them. We need to have something that makes us even more attached to them so we get hooked on the book and a bit more description about the place(s) where the characters and/or the action is progressing.
But hey, if you're into books filled with action please pick this one. This is one badass action packed book which will totally make you breathless!
Before moving into the review of the story let's just talk about that freaking cover. It's so so beautiful! It suit the book so well and I don't know how to describe the design besides TOTAL PERFECTION.
Now into the review.
Spoiler-free!
So I'm giving this book a 3.5* rating.
Why?
Well I did quite enjoy the plot itself and where the book was leading us readers. It made me so curious to keep reading so I couldn't just not finish it but I think the fact that Prudence, our main character, lacked some emotion killed a bit of the excitement of reading this book.
What do I mean by lack of emotion? In the beginning she's worrying about one thing of her life and then suddenly it all changes dramatically but she doesn't question anything. She just enters this whole new world like: ''oh, okay''. Also, she does everything she's told to do, no questions asked. I think that aspect itself was what killed the reading buzz. But otherwise I completely enjoyed the story line and I'm pretty sure this series has a lot of potencial of getting better and better.
The characters and also the description of the surroundings we encounter in the book need a bit more work on them. We need to have something that makes us even more attached to them so we get hooked on the book and a bit more description about the place(s) where the characters and/or the action is progressing.
But hey, if you're into books filled with action please pick this one. This is one badass action packed book which will totally make you breathless!
March 9, 2017
I was sent a free ebook by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I'm sorry but I couldn't get through this. I found the writing so poor. I can't get over how redundant and dull the writing is. Perhaps a middle grade reader would enjoy this but I find that I hated this. I had no insight on the character thoughts and emotions and didn't care an ounce about the world. I feel this could have done so much better with a good structure and copy edit.
The cover design and internal design was beautiful. But a pretty exterior doesn't make up for a poor interior.
I'm sorry but I couldn't get through this. I found the writing so poor. I can't get over how redundant and dull the writing is. Perhaps a middle grade reader would enjoy this but I find that I hated this. I had no insight on the character thoughts and emotions and didn't care an ounce about the world. I feel this could have done so much better with a good structure and copy edit.
The cover design and internal design was beautiful. But a pretty exterior doesn't make up for a poor interior.
February 23, 2017
Before I even talk about how amazing this book is let me just talk about the artwork. The cover is gorgeous but I can't get over all of the amazing details on every single page. I'm not kidding every single page has a design on it that just made reading it better. Once I got over the artwork I got into the story really quickly. This is a very fast paced book that doesn't take a break. Once Prudence gets chased and thrown into her new world everything starts happening.
Prudence was thrown into this world with little to no say in the matter. It was refreshing to see a character accept what her life had become so quickly. There was no fighting from her which was nice, normally they fight to go back home but really who would want to go back home after that? I loved all of the different magical creatures in this magical world. Can I please just live in this world? I can pull my own weight, I'll even fight if I have to.
I liked all of the characters and thought they brought something special to the story. At first, I hated how scared Prudence was but then I realized everyone would be scared. If I woke up and suddenly had to fight monsters I would be scared too. She did make up for it in the end, though. I was so proud of her for running out on the battlefield to help her friends even though she was told not to.
The story moved so fast that I felt like the world building was a bit lacking at times. This is definitely a book that I wish was longer. I also plan to buy a physical copy just so I can look at it sit on my shelf. I highly recommend this book to people looking for a good fantasy. I am patiently waiting for the next book in the series so I can be in this magical world once again.
Prudence was thrown into this world with little to no say in the matter. It was refreshing to see a character accept what her life had become so quickly. There was no fighting from her which was nice, normally they fight to go back home but really who would want to go back home after that? I loved all of the different magical creatures in this magical world. Can I please just live in this world? I can pull my own weight, I'll even fight if I have to.
I liked all of the characters and thought they brought something special to the story. At first, I hated how scared Prudence was but then I realized everyone would be scared. If I woke up and suddenly had to fight monsters I would be scared too. She did make up for it in the end, though. I was so proud of her for running out on the battlefield to help her friends even though she was told not to.
The story moved so fast that I felt like the world building was a bit lacking at times. This is definitely a book that I wish was longer. I also plan to buy a physical copy just so I can look at it sit on my shelf. I highly recommend this book to people looking for a good fantasy. I am patiently waiting for the next book in the series so I can be in this magical world once again.
February 20, 2017
I would like to thank the author for sending me this in exchange for an honest review.
This story is about a girl named Prudence who is thrust into a new world where she is charged with the task of protecting it from being taken over by an evil being.
I really liked the idea of what this world could offer, it has a good foundation to what could be a great story. It was fast paced with action, adventure, and monsters around every corner. I was excited to start this and was really routing for it, but unfortunately I did have some problems.
I really wanted to see some more world building. There were many times when a place or event would be mentioned that I wanted to know more about, some sort of background about what was going on. Even things that were happening to Prudence just happened, nothing was ever elaborated on or questioned.
I also wished the events taking place had more to them. It would jump from situation to situation so quickly sometimes it took a minute to get what happened. I wanted more dialogue and description about what was going on and how the characters were feeling. I was left craving more from the story.
My biggest problem was the characters. None of them were flushed out in any way, they had the barest of backgrounds and often no discernible difference. I found at times I didn't know who was speaking until a name was finally mentioned. I felt really detached from them and couldn't seem to make a connection. I wanted to know about their pasts, why are they there? Who are they really fighting for? At times I also thought the dialogue was a little forced or just flat.
Overall I think this has a lot of potential to be a great fantasy series, it just needs to be flushed out and filled in a bit more. I hope to be able to pick up the next book and get some of what I missed.
This story is about a girl named Prudence who is thrust into a new world where she is charged with the task of protecting it from being taken over by an evil being.
I really liked the idea of what this world could offer, it has a good foundation to what could be a great story. It was fast paced with action, adventure, and monsters around every corner. I was excited to start this and was really routing for it, but unfortunately I did have some problems.
I really wanted to see some more world building. There were many times when a place or event would be mentioned that I wanted to know more about, some sort of background about what was going on. Even things that were happening to Prudence just happened, nothing was ever elaborated on or questioned.
I also wished the events taking place had more to them. It would jump from situation to situation so quickly sometimes it took a minute to get what happened. I wanted more dialogue and description about what was going on and how the characters were feeling. I was left craving more from the story.
My biggest problem was the characters. None of them were flushed out in any way, they had the barest of backgrounds and often no discernible difference. I found at times I didn't know who was speaking until a name was finally mentioned. I felt really detached from them and couldn't seem to make a connection. I wanted to know about their pasts, why are they there? Who are they really fighting for? At times I also thought the dialogue was a little forced or just flat.
Overall I think this has a lot of potential to be a great fantasy series, it just needs to be flushed out and filled in a bit more. I hope to be able to pick up the next book and get some of what I missed.
March 3, 2017
To me, this book was an enjoyable read, it was quite exciting. It also reminded me of Middle-Earth.
The Elven Tales describes how Prudence Clarke is taken away from Cambridge to a completely different world. She finds herself amid elves, giants, dwarves, faeries and wizards and has to fight along with the Company of the Rose to save the Five Kingdoms from an escaped prisoner who plans to rob the Elven king from his throne.
This book was very well written, the places, for example, were well described and therefore easy to visualize. Furthermore, the story was intriguing and very interesting. However I thought the people weren’t described all too much, so I wasn’t able to sympathize with anyone but Prudence. On the other side, all the people were, of course, totally new to Prudence, so she didn’t know much about them either. Therefore I could feel more empathy for her.
In conclusion, this is a thrilling read for anyone who loves stories in the fantasy genre. In specific I would recommend this to anyone who loves the Hobbit and/or Lord of The Rings.
Last but not least, I’d love to read more about the Five Kingdoms and Prudence’s adventure.
February 8, 2017
I received a free e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
Find the full review on my blog
First of all, this book has one of the most beautiful design ever. Not only the cover, but also the illustrations and the page designs on the inside. I was stunned when I started this book, because of how beautiful this book is. Like seriously, book design goals.
The story:
The premise of the strory is really good. Though I have to say that it started a bit slow and not that good, but as you go on and mysteries are starting to get revealed the story keeps getting better. Which is actually great, because it gives the room for more story development on the next book. That being said, there are many parts where I feel like the story is too rushed.
The Characters:
As much as I want to love the characters in this book, I feel emotionally detached from them. That’s because I feel like the building of their personality and characteristic in this book is being clipped and rushed. That being said, I do have two favorite characters in this book. The first one reminds me of Hermione from Harry Potter, in a sense that if she’s not in this book, all other characters will probably die. And the second one, for me, is what would you get if you mix Katniss Everdeen with Johanna Mason from The Hunger Games. I love both of them and I hope that the author will dig deeper into their story in the next installment. I also would love to see more diversity in this series.
World building:
The world building in this book is good, but a bit confusing. My main problem is there are lack of explanation of how the two worlds collided and connected. Which I wish the author would explained more.
In conclusion, The Elven Tales: The Company of the Rose is a pretty good first book. It has a big potential to be a great fantasy series. I just wish that the author will dig deeper into the story and not rushed it on the next book.
Find the full review on my blog
First of all, this book has one of the most beautiful design ever. Not only the cover, but also the illustrations and the page designs on the inside. I was stunned when I started this book, because of how beautiful this book is. Like seriously, book design goals.
The story:
The premise of the strory is really good. Though I have to say that it started a bit slow and not that good, but as you go on and mysteries are starting to get revealed the story keeps getting better. Which is actually great, because it gives the room for more story development on the next book. That being said, there are many parts where I feel like the story is too rushed.
The Characters:
As much as I want to love the characters in this book, I feel emotionally detached from them. That’s because I feel like the building of their personality and characteristic in this book is being clipped and rushed. That being said, I do have two favorite characters in this book. The first one reminds me of Hermione from Harry Potter, in a sense that if she’s not in this book, all other characters will probably die. And the second one, for me, is what would you get if you mix Katniss Everdeen with Johanna Mason from The Hunger Games. I love both of them and I hope that the author will dig deeper into their story in the next installment. I also would love to see more diversity in this series.
World building:
The world building in this book is good, but a bit confusing. My main problem is there are lack of explanation of how the two worlds collided and connected. Which I wish the author would explained more.
In conclusion, The Elven Tales: The Company of the Rose is a pretty good first book. It has a big potential to be a great fantasy series. I just wish that the author will dig deeper into the story and not rushed it on the next book.
February 20, 2017
Fabi Ghittoni's world in The Elven Tales is a magical tale of great adventure. Her heroine, Miss Prudence Clark, is abruptly thrust into the unknown and yet doesn't lose her sense of self or her slightly sarcastic edge.
While Prudence has a healthy sense of fear and trepidation you, the reader, get to watch her learn and grow into her strength as she finds her footing in a new land filled with all sorts of magical and mythical beings.
This is a wonderful middle grade book with no romance even hinted at, making it an instant recommendation to my grade school children!
While Prudence has a healthy sense of fear and trepidation you, the reader, get to watch her learn and grow into her strength as she finds her footing in a new land filled with all sorts of magical and mythical beings.
This is a wonderful middle grade book with no romance even hinted at, making it an instant recommendation to my grade school children!
January 26, 2017
"A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for a honest review."
I have been looking forward to this book since I found it on Pinterest!! And I will say I genuinely enjoyed it!
The book lays a great foundation and opens the gate for what I've deemed an epic game of hide and seek, (AKA on a journey to find something while an army is out to kill you and your new friends in order to take over your new home), and an epic adventure.
I genuinely enjoyed the fact that all love triangles/ interests were left out of this first book. I'm not saying a love interest in the future would be a definite deterrent but the fact we spent the first book focusing on Prudence's reaction to a new life in a new world and the inner struggles that accompanied those circumstances was satisfying. Secondly she was far from perfect during the journey. She was fighting a great deal of fear and self doubt. Was trying to pick out friend from enemy. She made mistakes. She fled and hid. And at times was completely helpless. All the while she was trying to figure out how to be the hero and leader everyone believed she was born to be. As she begins to discover her own abilities near the end (a discovery I am excited to see continue!) you appreciate the gradual procession she has gone through. I also loved the fact that while she had no tangible skill (at least that she could control) throughout most of this first journey, she was universally kind and straight in a way that made others open up. (Killian and King Gunard). Which I believe is a mark of a true leader.
In summary a girl fighting fear while trying to grasp her destiny is something I feel we can all relate to on a certain level.
My one complaint is that I want to know more! We were introduced to a dozen interesting characters and I look forward to learning more about them and their histories. I also am excited to see who else we will meet along the way!
I have been looking forward to this book since I found it on Pinterest!! And I will say I genuinely enjoyed it!
The book lays a great foundation and opens the gate for what I've deemed an epic game of hide and seek, (AKA on a journey to find something while an army is out to kill you and your new friends in order to take over your new home), and an epic adventure.
I genuinely enjoyed the fact that all love triangles/ interests were left out of this first book. I'm not saying a love interest in the future would be a definite deterrent but the fact we spent the first book focusing on Prudence's reaction to a new life in a new world and the inner struggles that accompanied those circumstances was satisfying. Secondly she was far from perfect during the journey. She was fighting a great deal of fear and self doubt. Was trying to pick out friend from enemy. She made mistakes. She fled and hid. And at times was completely helpless. All the while she was trying to figure out how to be the hero and leader everyone believed she was born to be. As she begins to discover her own abilities near the end (a discovery I am excited to see continue!) you appreciate the gradual procession she has gone through. I also loved the fact that while she had no tangible skill (at least that she could control) throughout most of this first journey, she was universally kind and straight in a way that made others open up. (Killian and King Gunard). Which I believe is a mark of a true leader.
In summary a girl fighting fear while trying to grasp her destiny is something I feel we can all relate to on a certain level.
My one complaint is that I want to know more! We were introduced to a dozen interesting characters and I look forward to learning more about them and their histories. I also am excited to see who else we will meet along the way!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2017
I was given an eARC of The Elven Tales by the author.
First off, the author has come up with this brilliant storyline that is epic, and I am just blown away by what she has endeavored to take on. She has on obvious grasp on the fantasy world, and I believe it will be well received in the YA fantasy world. And the artwork throughout the book, including the map, is stunning.
However I had a hard time connecting to the characters, as there wasn’t much internal dialogue, so I didn’t get the feels that I was hoping for. Also, the action seemed to predominate the story. Perhaps that is because there is just so much that is happening in this book, and so to get it all in it was just a jump from one situation to the next without a whole lot in between. But it did sort of interrupt the flow for me while reading. But I did find that it sort of picks up more toward the end, so I feel that the next book will be even more impressive.
First off, the author has come up with this brilliant storyline that is epic, and I am just blown away by what she has endeavored to take on. She has on obvious grasp on the fantasy world, and I believe it will be well received in the YA fantasy world. And the artwork throughout the book, including the map, is stunning.
However I had a hard time connecting to the characters, as there wasn’t much internal dialogue, so I didn’t get the feels that I was hoping for. Also, the action seemed to predominate the story. Perhaps that is because there is just so much that is happening in this book, and so to get it all in it was just a jump from one situation to the next without a whole lot in between. But it did sort of interrupt the flow for me while reading. But I did find that it sort of picks up more toward the end, so I feel that the next book will be even more impressive.
February 4, 2017
*The author sent me a copy in exchange for an honest review*
I think the true test if the first book in a series is good is whether or not one wants to continue on with the series after finishing it, and I definitely want to continue with this series. The Company of the Rose didn't have a ton of character building to me and I didn't really love any of the characters by the end. I actually found this a nice change of pace though since it seems most of the books I've read lately have focused on the characters. However, I do wish I could have cared about the characters a little more. I'm hoping we'll get a little more character building in the second book. I found the descriptions of scenes to be my favorite part of the book. There was a lot of vivid description to help paint scenes and events. There were a lot of different actions scenes that were enjoyable but felt like they almost went by too fast. Overall I really enjoyed the first book in The Elven Tales and give it 3.5 stars and can't wait for the next book.
I think the true test if the first book in a series is good is whether or not one wants to continue on with the series after finishing it, and I definitely want to continue with this series. The Company of the Rose didn't have a ton of character building to me and I didn't really love any of the characters by the end. I actually found this a nice change of pace though since it seems most of the books I've read lately have focused on the characters. However, I do wish I could have cared about the characters a little more. I'm hoping we'll get a little more character building in the second book. I found the descriptions of scenes to be my favorite part of the book. There was a lot of vivid description to help paint scenes and events. There were a lot of different actions scenes that were enjoyable but felt like they almost went by too fast. Overall I really enjoyed the first book in The Elven Tales and give it 3.5 stars and can't wait for the next book.
January 30, 2017
3.5/5 I was lucky enough to score an advanced copy of this book from the author to review. This book is easily the most gorgeous book I've ever read! From the cover to the map to the underlay and the chapter illustrations, it is all simply stunning. That alone makes it worth buying. To give a short summary, the book follows a girl named Prudence who discovers that she has to save the Elven kingdom from destruction at the hands of an evil adversary. As she is on her journey she makes many new allies and also many deadly beasts! It is very quick moving and action packed. Fabi did an amazing job at describing the surroundings and world building. Each character is also very unique. I also loved how creative she was with the new fantasy vocabulary. There is also a very good plot twist that I did not see coming! The only note that I had was that each scene seemed a little short, I felt as though the book could have easily been twice as long and given me more to sink into! I definitely look forward to seeing her second installment.
April 22, 2018
Not for me
I found this book frustrating to read and gave up . I will not recommend this book ,it could not grab my attention
I found this book frustrating to read and gave up . I will not recommend this book ,it could not grab my attention
December 9, 2018
Loved it
So glad I took a chance on this book! It was really good can’t wait to read the next one
So glad I took a chance on this book! It was really good can’t wait to read the next one
August 5, 2020
Mystery and of course fighting
I like the characters and it is a story to read. There’s a lot of creatures that also have Harry Potter world and I thought that was great.
I like the characters and it is a story to read. There’s a lot of creatures that also have Harry Potter world and I thought that was great.
April 10, 2017
Let me start off by telling you that I was given an e-book form of this book by the author to review.
I came across Fabi on Instagram and through following her I found out she was looking for reviewers for her new book called The Elven Tales: The Company of the Rose. Anything to do with Elves and other creatures like that I am all over it, so of course I asked if I could read and review it!
This book is about a girl named Prudence who is going about life as a normal girl living with her best friends family. After being attacked, she finds herself in a new place with new creatures who are telling her she needs to help them stop this evil being Alanel who has escaped from prison. She must help retrieve the King's runes and learn about who she really is in order to save Arkana. She is aided by the warriors who make up The Company of the Rose who are by her side through the harrowing journey. It's got action, adventure, a little intrigue, and a lot of fun.
First off, the book is gorgeous! It's really stunning! Even the pages are beautiful! It's just an amazing looking book. Every chapter had a different picture in shades of grey on its chapter page and it was just visually interesting to read.
Now, have you ever been so excited about a book that you had to immediately explain the whole entire story to a friend in order to get them to understand how great it was? Well, reading this book felt a little like that.
There were moments where everything was sped up so quickly that I found myself being a little left behind in some places. Like the story teller was saying, yes, those moments are important to the story, but so is this and this and this and this. Like a friend was hurrying to get to her favorite part and didn't have time to slow down and explain it all.
Some parts of the book totally slowed down though, and I felt like I was actually with the characters experiencing what they were experiencing (which is what I love). There were a couple places towards the end that totally grabbed me up and really engaged me which is why, if I had to give this book a rating, I would give it a 3/5.
The bones of this story were so good though. It was such an interesting idea and I was excited to see how it was going to turn out. I did feel though that I had many questions that weren't getting answered and that did take away a little of the fun for me. All in all, it was a good first book from a new author.
Recommendation: Check this book out on Goodreads and on Instagram. If you are interested in the synopsis, don't pass this by. You kind of have to work with this book for it to work for you, but the story is pretty cool!
I came across Fabi on Instagram and through following her I found out she was looking for reviewers for her new book called The Elven Tales: The Company of the Rose. Anything to do with Elves and other creatures like that I am all over it, so of course I asked if I could read and review it!
This book is about a girl named Prudence who is going about life as a normal girl living with her best friends family. After being attacked, she finds herself in a new place with new creatures who are telling her she needs to help them stop this evil being Alanel who has escaped from prison. She must help retrieve the King's runes and learn about who she really is in order to save Arkana. She is aided by the warriors who make up The Company of the Rose who are by her side through the harrowing journey. It's got action, adventure, a little intrigue, and a lot of fun.
First off, the book is gorgeous! It's really stunning! Even the pages are beautiful! It's just an amazing looking book. Every chapter had a different picture in shades of grey on its chapter page and it was just visually interesting to read.
Now, have you ever been so excited about a book that you had to immediately explain the whole entire story to a friend in order to get them to understand how great it was? Well, reading this book felt a little like that.
There were moments where everything was sped up so quickly that I found myself being a little left behind in some places. Like the story teller was saying, yes, those moments are important to the story, but so is this and this and this and this. Like a friend was hurrying to get to her favorite part and didn't have time to slow down and explain it all.
Some parts of the book totally slowed down though, and I felt like I was actually with the characters experiencing what they were experiencing (which is what I love). There were a couple places towards the end that totally grabbed me up and really engaged me which is why, if I had to give this book a rating, I would give it a 3/5.
The bones of this story were so good though. It was such an interesting idea and I was excited to see how it was going to turn out. I did feel though that I had many questions that weren't getting answered and that did take away a little of the fun for me. All in all, it was a good first book from a new author.
Recommendation: Check this book out on Goodreads and on Instagram. If you are interested in the synopsis, don't pass this by. You kind of have to work with this book for it to work for you, but the story is pretty cool!
March 9, 2018
Great story. Bad editing. Great book for your 10 year old to read!
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