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Under Elath's Spell (1)
Unaware of the consequences of stepping into the hidden world of Wanderers, four young friends arrive at the magnificent gates of a witch's castle. The witch easily enthralls them with her delicious food, bizarre stories, and enchanting powers. Before long, the characters are involved in a dangerous search for the witch's sister, whom a deranged wizard kidnapped years ago. Their quest takes them to concealed places where they meet both helpful characters and menacing ones who deeply unsettle them. They must also navigate the natural challenges of the tween years, such as confronting a bully and understanding new emerging emotions. What starts as a rocky relationship with a temperamental sorceress becomes an unbreakable bond that might last a lifetime. Their joint adventures have only just begun.
146 pages, Paperback
Published March 25, 2023
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April 21, 2023
i started reading this book before i left for the philippines. admittedly, i didn't touch it until after i got back, which was quite a big hiatus for an ostensibly "easy" book such as this. (timeline: i left february thirteenth and returned on the 24th of march.)
i will say that this book was a fun read. initially, i was going to write a scathing review of this book and complain about the characters not being fleshed out enough. i ruminated a bit last night and decided that the characters in an ensemble story aren't really too important. what's important in a story like this --such as the fellowship of the ring, though the main character is better written there-- is the mentor character, who is written pretty well in elath.
aside from the characters, another aspect of this book that needs a bit of work is the exposition. it could be more deftly executed, and it seems that the first two chapters are entirely superfluous. after the reader is (rather clumsily) introduced to the underwhelming plot, the book picks up in the third chapter, where the fantastical, tolkien-esque landscapes of the elath universe are on full display.
i give this book a four out of five because it is very easy to be drawn into, and hard to put down. the lackluster characters and plot are hard to overlook, but are made up for in the vibrant and picturesque depictions of nature and castles.
as i've mentioned already, this book is reminiscent of the fellowship, albeit with less interesting characters and a wanting plot line. so yeah, 4/5 for me. i definitely found myself under elath's spell.
i will say that this book was a fun read. initially, i was going to write a scathing review of this book and complain about the characters not being fleshed out enough. i ruminated a bit last night and decided that the characters in an ensemble story aren't really too important. what's important in a story like this --such as the fellowship of the ring, though the main character is better written there-- is the mentor character, who is written pretty well in elath.
aside from the characters, another aspect of this book that needs a bit of work is the exposition. it could be more deftly executed, and it seems that the first two chapters are entirely superfluous. after the reader is (rather clumsily) introduced to the underwhelming plot, the book picks up in the third chapter, where the fantastical, tolkien-esque landscapes of the elath universe are on full display.
i give this book a four out of five because it is very easy to be drawn into, and hard to put down. the lackluster characters and plot are hard to overlook, but are made up for in the vibrant and picturesque depictions of nature and castles.
as i've mentioned already, this book is reminiscent of the fellowship, albeit with less interesting characters and a wanting plot line. so yeah, 4/5 for me. i definitely found myself under elath's spell.
Displaying 1 of 1 review