What do you think?
Rate this book
Ben Alderman #1
The Thirteenth Unicorn
While spending the summer with their grandparents on a remote farm in South Carolina, Ben Alderman and his sister Casey uncover a hidden world of magic; a world their grandmother is secretly visiting. It is a world where elves and dwarves are locked in mortal combat against a witch who is trying to free the last surviving wizard from exile. The witch has been defeated once before but with the combined power of the wizard, no one will be able to stand against them. Much to Ben's dismay, he learns that he is the one foretold in the ancient elfin prophecies to bring about the downfall of the witch and save this exciting new world from destruction.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 8, 2011
1245 people are currently reading
3147 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews
March 9, 2011
The Thirteenth Unicorn is definitely written with a tween/ early teen age group in mind, which I already knew going in and so wasn't disappointed with the overall book. It does remind me a lot of the Narnia series; portal to another world, two boys and two girls, having to beat an evil witch etc, but it has enough differences (the inclusion of other fantasy elements) to keep it distinct.
I am an avid fantasy reader/ writer and look to read books that can keep the audience engaged. The author's style is easy to read and he keeps the story flowing at a fast clip; necessary for a good fantasy. I enjoyed reading it.
My only issues with the story is how fast the pivotal scenes seem to happen, without any fleshing out; battles are over in a paragraph, vital 'weapons' are retrieved without incident. It seems that these are events that could definitely benefit from a little more description. This is the only reason I felt let down.
Overall, the descriptions in the book are well thought out and give a pretty good image of the surroundings; if the author could add these kinds of decriptions to the main turning points (which are what makes a good story) in the book, it would be even better. I could see this book re-written for a more mature audience, where the author could delve into more detail about the history of Camelot, and the other worlds and races.
I am an avid fantasy reader/ writer and look to read books that can keep the audience engaged. The author's style is easy to read and he keeps the story flowing at a fast clip; necessary for a good fantasy. I enjoyed reading it.
My only issues with the story is how fast the pivotal scenes seem to happen, without any fleshing out; battles are over in a paragraph, vital 'weapons' are retrieved without incident. It seems that these are events that could definitely benefit from a little more description. This is the only reason I felt let down.
Overall, the descriptions in the book are well thought out and give a pretty good image of the surroundings; if the author could add these kinds of decriptions to the main turning points (which are what makes a good story) in the book, it would be even better. I could see this book re-written for a more mature audience, where the author could delve into more detail about the history of Camelot, and the other worlds and races.
January 30, 2014
Let's play a game. I'll give you a synopsis, and you tell me if you've heard of this before:
Scenario A: Two children visiting their grandparents discover a secret being hidden on the farm. The children end up discovering a magic world with fairies. You know, like in Fablehaven.
Scenario B: Four travelers venture from their home to a strange land. They meet up with dwarves and elves, and then walk together into the heart of the evil land. Like that little story called The Lord of the Rings.
Scenario C: Four children find a secret passageway to a magical land, where an evil witch seeks to rule all. Just like The Chronicles of Narnia.
Yes, all these apply. The author took the ideas from these other books, threw them into a blender with a pinch of Legend, and then blended them together. I know that a lot of fantasy stories use the go-to elements of elves, dwarves, fairies, and the like, but it didn't really gel for me because nothing felt particularly original.
The writing style really intrigued me at first, but once everyone was in Camelot, it became kind of boring. There were a lot of characters there and I didn't know why. I couldn't tell you a single personality trait of anyone other than Ben or maybe Grandma. What was the point of having the other children there? Did they do anything but scream?
Sometimes the writing was very descriptive; other times it glossed over things that I thought seemed like important or dramatic elements to the story. I feel like this author has potential in writing, but I didn't care for this idea.
Also, why Camelot? Other than using the wizard Merlin, I saw no rhyme or reason to use the name of Camelot. This was clearly a different universe, and not one based on King Arthur and his knights.
The book builds to a climax that passes in a few pages (and wasn't really exciting to begin with), and then there is still 15% of the book left, which drags out unnecessarily.
Scenario A: Two children visiting their grandparents discover a secret being hidden on the farm. The children end up discovering a magic world with fairies. You know, like in Fablehaven.
Scenario B: Four travelers venture from their home to a strange land. They meet up with dwarves and elves, and then walk together into the heart of the evil land. Like that little story called The Lord of the Rings.
Scenario C: Four children find a secret passageway to a magical land, where an evil witch seeks to rule all. Just like The Chronicles of Narnia.
Yes, all these apply. The author took the ideas from these other books, threw them into a blender with a pinch of Legend, and then blended them together. I know that a lot of fantasy stories use the go-to elements of elves, dwarves, fairies, and the like, but it didn't really gel for me because nothing felt particularly original.
The writing style really intrigued me at first, but once everyone was in Camelot, it became kind of boring. There were a lot of characters there and I didn't know why. I couldn't tell you a single personality trait of anyone other than Ben or maybe Grandma. What was the point of having the other children there? Did they do anything but scream?
Sometimes the writing was very descriptive; other times it glossed over things that I thought seemed like important or dramatic elements to the story. I feel like this author has potential in writing, but I didn't care for this idea.
Also, why Camelot? Other than using the wizard Merlin, I saw no rhyme or reason to use the name of Camelot. This was clearly a different universe, and not one based on King Arthur and his knights.
The book builds to a climax that passes in a few pages (and wasn't really exciting to begin with), and then there is still 15% of the book left, which drags out unnecessarily.
January 10, 2013
First off I would like to let you guys know this book is a fantasy and a good one at that. It has unicorns, fairies, dwarves, elves, and a lot of other nonfiction characters. The author did a good job with writing this book. It is probably one of my favorite books now. The plot is very good. It begins with two kids going to stay at their grandma's house for the summer and there is a bamboo patch in the back yard with a merlin tree in the middle of it. The merlin tree takes you to a magical world called Camelot, and they meet lots of new friends. They also have to find a unicorn that has been spotted before the witch finds it and kills it to get it's horn to bring back a very evil guy that was banished from Camelot by Merlin the wizard. In my opinion I thought this book was very good, exciting, and adventurous. I would recommend this book to people who likes fantasy books and adventure.
January 3, 2012
I found this book by accident and i loved it! If you like magic and fairy tales and happy endings then you will enjoy this book very much. It was a free download for the nook as well. I recommend reading this little gem.
April 26, 2012
can i give it less than one star? just awful. little plot, no character development, and awuful POV. everyone is white or "light skinned". women do nothing. in fact, one of the last lines is "george could not understand why she was crying, an dfinally decided it was because she was a woman." i mean WTF???????? save yourself the trouble... its not worth it.
May 18, 2012
Another ebook for bedtime reading, and it was free.
This is a book for eight-year-olds, or maybe ten. The plot is great, but the errors in grammar and spelling are myriad. Such a production is a disgrace at the best of times, but books directed at the young should be perfect in grammar and spelling. After a few chapters the 'lie' and 'lay' thing is occasional and the apostrophes appear in the right places most of the time. The vocabulary is simple but not excessively so, and that is to its credit.
I didn't realize it was a children's book when I downloaded it, but I am getting quite engrossed in the story.
This is a book for eight-year-olds, or maybe ten. The plot is great, but the errors in grammar and spelling are myriad. Such a production is a disgrace at the best of times, but books directed at the young should be perfect in grammar and spelling. After a few chapters the 'lie' and 'lay' thing is occasional and the apostrophes appear in the right places most of the time. The vocabulary is simple but not excessively so, and that is to its credit.
I didn't realize it was a children's book when I downloaded it, but I am getting quite engrossed in the story.
February 17, 2011
Great story. I really enjoyed the three dwarves Hob, Gob, and Nob. I can't wait for the next one.
December 20, 2012
great book. Love the suspense, fun, fast, hey ive even gotten attached to the dwarves myself. :)great book will suggest it to my son who is the same age as ben
March 18, 2014
“The next morning dawned bright and clear. Hundreds of birds greeted the rising sun with song, each one trying to out-sing the other. Circling the patch of ground where the party slept were tracks. A visitor in the night had watched over them while they slept. The tracks were hoof prints.”
I got this book free for my Kindle on Amazon, so I went into it being quite critical, expecting it to be not nearly as good as it was. The Thirteenth Unicorn is a really nice fantasy story, full of adventure and magical creatures. Although clearly a middle grade book, the writing was surprisingly decent. However, there are a number of grammar and spellings errors, including the author never putting a comma before the word ’too’ at the end of a sentence, which bugged me a lot.
“And yet the most striking features about these men was their eyes; keen and stern, chips of blue ice burning like lamps in the gray morning light. These were elves from the Twilight.”
The length and pace of the story is perfect, not too fast, nor did it drag at any point. Aside from a quick chapter near the end, I did not get bored with the plot or its pace. It remained consistent for the most part. The ending, although predictable, was spoiled by a very sudden reveal, which I think should have been incorporated into the story, which would have made it more satisfying.
“The sky was beginning to darken to a deep purple and a couple of stars had opened their eyes to catch a glimpse of the final minutes of this last day of May, as Ben and Casey, with their two new friends, made their way back up the trail to the Langston’s backyard. New friendships had been forged this day and as the sunlight faded, so too did all thoughts of Camelot and the mysterious Merlin Tree.”
The characters, both major and minor, were enjoyable to read about. Ben and Casey, who the story is first about, are well fleshed out, unlike some of the others. Ben is a cool and quirky kid, up for anything, but always level-headed. Casey is his caring, though sometimes annoying, older sister. Their grandparents are very stereotypical county folk; although their grandmother, Louise, also reveals an adventurous side when she embarks on this story’s awesome adventure with the kids. Ben and Casey’s companions, Joey and Jenny, unfortunately have little to no voice in this story. They are simply there in the adventure. They are barely described and show no signs of personality. Aside from saying that she wants to go home, Jenny has virtually no lines. The group was always regarded as a whole, which gave no room to showcase either of them. The dwarf characters, Hob, Nob and Gob, were entertaining and comical, making the book that much more enjoyable. The world itself was also exciting to read about. The Twilight, which is the magical, forbidden wood in which the elves live, is described as being able to make itself smaller and bigger, constantly changing itself, which is a unique magical attribute.
“Home,” Ben whispered. There was more magic in that one word than existed in all of Camelot; Home.”
Although the cover and the writing errors are a bit of a turn-off, getting this story for free was an absolute steal. It was very enjoyable, and I’m tempted to buy the next book in this series. It was a great adventure, with a sweet ending, and I am glad to have taken my time to check it out.
I got this book free for my Kindle on Amazon, so I went into it being quite critical, expecting it to be not nearly as good as it was. The Thirteenth Unicorn is a really nice fantasy story, full of adventure and magical creatures. Although clearly a middle grade book, the writing was surprisingly decent. However, there are a number of grammar and spellings errors, including the author never putting a comma before the word ’too’ at the end of a sentence, which bugged me a lot.
“And yet the most striking features about these men was their eyes; keen and stern, chips of blue ice burning like lamps in the gray morning light. These were elves from the Twilight.”
The length and pace of the story is perfect, not too fast, nor did it drag at any point. Aside from a quick chapter near the end, I did not get bored with the plot or its pace. It remained consistent for the most part. The ending, although predictable, was spoiled by a very sudden reveal, which I think should have been incorporated into the story, which would have made it more satisfying.
“The sky was beginning to darken to a deep purple and a couple of stars had opened their eyes to catch a glimpse of the final minutes of this last day of May, as Ben and Casey, with their two new friends, made their way back up the trail to the Langston’s backyard. New friendships had been forged this day and as the sunlight faded, so too did all thoughts of Camelot and the mysterious Merlin Tree.”
The characters, both major and minor, were enjoyable to read about. Ben and Casey, who the story is first about, are well fleshed out, unlike some of the others. Ben is a cool and quirky kid, up for anything, but always level-headed. Casey is his caring, though sometimes annoying, older sister. Their grandparents are very stereotypical county folk; although their grandmother, Louise, also reveals an adventurous side when she embarks on this story’s awesome adventure with the kids. Ben and Casey’s companions, Joey and Jenny, unfortunately have little to no voice in this story. They are simply there in the adventure. They are barely described and show no signs of personality. Aside from saying that she wants to go home, Jenny has virtually no lines. The group was always regarded as a whole, which gave no room to showcase either of them. The dwarf characters, Hob, Nob and Gob, were entertaining and comical, making the book that much more enjoyable. The world itself was also exciting to read about. The Twilight, which is the magical, forbidden wood in which the elves live, is described as being able to make itself smaller and bigger, constantly changing itself, which is a unique magical attribute.
“Home,” Ben whispered. There was more magic in that one word than existed in all of Camelot; Home.”
Although the cover and the writing errors are a bit of a turn-off, getting this story for free was an absolute steal. It was very enjoyable, and I’m tempted to buy the next book in this series. It was a great adventure, with a sweet ending, and I am glad to have taken my time to check it out.
January 14, 2013
Great fun read that can appeal to all ages of readers! I really enjoy books with this kind of vibe to them. They let you know that the world around you is still magical place to be in. This is a great start to a series of books. I look forward to reading the next installment. Here are my thoughts:
Ben Alderman and his sister Casey have been living without their mother Carol for the last two years because she's been in a coma. Ben and Casey along with their father Charles regularly visit Carol to tell her all about their lives. Charles has to leave the kids for the summer with his parents George and Louise because his job has him going out of state to oversee a project. The kids love visiting their grandparents. Ben and Casey learn that there are new neighbors with children about their age named Meg and Joey. Ben spies his Grandmother Louise entering and leaving the bamboo patch as if it was the most naturally thing in the world. When Ben confronts his Grandmother Louise with this information, she's floored by Ben's admission and upset to think that Ben was spying on her. Louise promises to answer all of Ben's questions the following day. Ben gets his answers yet still curious about the Merlin Tree. Ben follows Louise into the Merlin Tree with Joey, Meg, anc Casey nothing could have prepared them for what would happen next. They meet Amos, who is shapeshifter that turns into a bear, and disappointed Louise. Little did they all know that what would happen next would change all of their lifes. Rumors about a sighting of an unicorn, witch, and snakers lead the group on their next adventure. What happens next? Is the unicorn real? What about the witch? Your answers to these questions and more are answered in The Thirteenth Unicorn.
Ben Alderman and his sister Casey have been living without their mother Carol for the last two years because she's been in a coma. Ben and Casey along with their father Charles regularly visit Carol to tell her all about their lives. Charles has to leave the kids for the summer with his parents George and Louise because his job has him going out of state to oversee a project. The kids love visiting their grandparents. Ben and Casey learn that there are new neighbors with children about their age named Meg and Joey. Ben spies his Grandmother Louise entering and leaving the bamboo patch as if it was the most naturally thing in the world. When Ben confronts his Grandmother Louise with this information, she's floored by Ben's admission and upset to think that Ben was spying on her. Louise promises to answer all of Ben's questions the following day. Ben gets his answers yet still curious about the Merlin Tree. Ben follows Louise into the Merlin Tree with Joey, Meg, anc Casey nothing could have prepared them for what would happen next. They meet Amos, who is shapeshifter that turns into a bear, and disappointed Louise. Little did they all know that what would happen next would change all of their lifes. Rumors about a sighting of an unicorn, witch, and snakers lead the group on their next adventure. What happens next? Is the unicorn real? What about the witch? Your answers to these questions and more are answered in The Thirteenth Unicorn.
January 2, 2012
Exactly what I expected and wanted it to be. A fantasy story with alternate universes, fairies, trolls, elves, shape shifters, witches, and wizards. I enjoyed the well written descriptions of the locations and the creative use of an ordinary setting to bring the human children in. Don’t be fooled by the use of children in the story, it doesn’t cause the book to become an instant adolecent read. Author did a great job of weaving a great back story about the mother in and therefore gave a well rounded and walk away happy ending.
Only con would be the ease with which the good guys defeated the bad guys. I would have enjoyed a little more drama and tension before giving me the relief of their victory.
Only con would be the ease with which the good guys defeated the bad guys. I would have enjoyed a little more drama and tension before giving me the relief of their victory.
March 30, 2011
I normally don't like this type of book, BUT this one I LOVED! Very well written and a pleasure to read! Hope there will be more from this author!
Read
March 18, 2014For very young teens --- little character/plot development. Not recommended
February 23, 2012
Ben and his sister Casey are spending their summer with their grandparents. Their Grandma has gone into the bamboo and comes out in a matter of minutes. The two children are curious and in the middle of the bamboo, they find a dead, hollow tree. They go in, come back out and leave the bamboo. When they finally are out of the bamboo, they find out they're no longer on their grandparents farm. They are in Camelot.
Reasons why I like this book-
Reason 1- There is adventure.
Reason 2- I could not stop reading.
Reason 3- I could imagine what was happening.
Reason 4- It made me wonder, are emeralds really magical?
Reasons why I like this book-
Reason 1- There is adventure.
Reason 2- I could not stop reading.
Reason 3- I could imagine what was happening.
Reason 4- It made me wonder, are emeralds really magical?
August 9, 2012
Pretty good book. More for the juvenile circuit, but I was drawn to it by the title.
The story starts in Zorn, 27 BE (Before Evacuation)
"The small cottage seemed to crouch beneath the oak trees that stood about it like tired old sentries with their great shaggy limbs hanging protectively about the sides." Beautiful descriptive words that hooked me immediately.
The plot starts thickening as Ben Alderman sees his grandmother furtively go into a thicket of bamboo, and wonders what is in there. He goes in and finds a special tree, with a portal to somewhere else.
The story starts in Zorn, 27 BE (Before Evacuation)
"The small cottage seemed to crouch beneath the oak trees that stood about it like tired old sentries with their great shaggy limbs hanging protectively about the sides." Beautiful descriptive words that hooked me immediately.
The plot starts thickening as Ben Alderman sees his grandmother furtively go into a thicket of bamboo, and wonders what is in there. He goes in and finds a special tree, with a portal to somewhere else.
June 30, 2013
This is a great book. Yes its a kids book but I love it. Its all about a 12 year old coming into himself and saving the world! Plus that auther is very nice, he will actully respond to emails sent to him. When I sent him an email I told him the story reminded me of my boyfriends nephew and he offered to send us a free copy of the book for Zavier(the nephew) and a note written just for him for free. Great guy! Defently promoting his book! I personaly think he is getting robbed because this book is free and his other one is only 2 buck. The story is worth so much more!
March 3, 2014
I knew nothing of this book since I got it on a download frenzy from Amazon. Good book for YOUNG adult. The writing is not ground breaking but I really enjoyed the story line
February 17, 2015
Awesome
I loved it
It reminded me of Fablehaven
It was so much fun and never wanted to stop reading about their adventure.
I loved it
It reminded me of Fablehaven
It was so much fun and never wanted to stop reading about their adventure.
June 13, 2013
The book was really cute, though seemed a bit rushed at the end. Still a good read.
August 18, 2017
Not bad
Well if it tells you anything I am currently buying the second book. Most likely going to get the next as well.
Well if it tells you anything I am currently buying the second book. Most likely going to get the next as well.
February 22, 2020
Enjoyable
I love a fantasy world I can get lost in and I definitely could go live in this story. Loved it and can't wait to jump into the next adventure with Ben Alderman
I love a fantasy world I can get lost in and I definitely could go live in this story. Loved it and can't wait to jump into the next adventure with Ben Alderman
March 8, 2013
I stumbled on this book by accident, but I am glad I did. I started reading it knowing that it was for a younger, juvenile audience and therefore the content didn't seem so underdeveloped. The story is of a young brother and sister who go on an adventure with their grandmother and neighbor kids to another world, almost what seems to be another dimension. The plot and characters are reminiscent of a blend of CS Lewis and Tolkein and the tales of King Arthur on a less developed scale. The cross of different fairy lands and what sounds like other planets was a bit bizarre. However incorporating such a historically well known character such as Merlin was different and worked.
In many ways this book is a great read. The descriptions of places and people ensnare all of the senses. The dialogue between characters is lacking in many places though and the Southern vernacular wasn't carried through by the characters. In many places the dialogue between protagonists seemed very rigid and too polite and formal for the situations. And once in awhile there is almost a sense that the author seemed bored when writing dialogue and descriptions but in many parts of the tale the author excelled in creating a gripping narrative. Personally a bit more creativity would have really put this book in a higher bracket. Names of places and types of different people could have been more original even though dwarves and elves are well known races through literature. And the climax of the story could have been drawn out a bit more. It was a long read for such a short solution.
Overall, it was well written enough to want to finish the book. I'm not sure I would continue reading the series because its not meant for my audience and age bracket. It is a novel I would expect a younger generation to enjoy though. Kudos!
In many ways this book is a great read. The descriptions of places and people ensnare all of the senses. The dialogue between characters is lacking in many places though and the Southern vernacular wasn't carried through by the characters. In many places the dialogue between protagonists seemed very rigid and too polite and formal for the situations. And once in awhile there is almost a sense that the author seemed bored when writing dialogue and descriptions but in many parts of the tale the author excelled in creating a gripping narrative. Personally a bit more creativity would have really put this book in a higher bracket. Names of places and types of different people could have been more original even though dwarves and elves are well known races through literature. And the climax of the story could have been drawn out a bit more. It was a long read for such a short solution.
Overall, it was well written enough to want to finish the book. I'm not sure I would continue reading the series because its not meant for my audience and age bracket. It is a novel I would expect a younger generation to enjoy though. Kudos!
June 3, 2012
As much as I wanted to just love this book, so far I'm not impressed. The author has the children speaking and thinking as adults one minute then the next they are acting as the young children that they are - very inconsistent and off-putting...the story does not flow; it feels choppy in spots.
Also, unless there is a reason I cannot or have not seen, they spend too much time discussing how "time" works when they enter and exit the Merlin tree.
While the storyline appears to be a good one, all of those things just bring it down, in my opinion. Maybe it gets better...
33% read
I've just finished it and my opinion still stands. However, I think I would not mind giving this author another chance and reading his next story, The Black Dragon.
Also, unless there is a reason I cannot or have not seen, they spend too much time discussing how "time" works when they enter and exit the Merlin tree.
While the storyline appears to be a good one, all of those things just bring it down, in my opinion. Maybe it gets better...
33% read
I've just finished it and my opinion still stands. However, I think I would not mind giving this author another chance and reading his next story, The Black Dragon.
January 7, 2013
I enjoyed this book, but it really could use an edit.
The book had a strong Narnia-like premise (a good thing) but the author created his own world and plot, that was true to the mythologies of dwarves and elves, but unique to his series.
The series has alot of potential and invited exploring the world of Camelot and its parallel worlds.
Weaknesses: I felt like there were a few too many characters (I started to forget who was who), and the ending seemed way too long after the last major conflict. When a major villain was defeated, I was sure it wasn't over as I had only read 85% of the book. Once the kids started heading home I started to get impatient.
All in all highly recommended. Can't beat the price and its worth a check out.
The book had a strong Narnia-like premise (a good thing) but the author created his own world and plot, that was true to the mythologies of dwarves and elves, but unique to his series.
The series has alot of potential and invited exploring the world of Camelot and its parallel worlds.
Weaknesses: I felt like there were a few too many characters (I started to forget who was who), and the ending seemed way too long after the last major conflict. When a major villain was defeated, I was sure it wasn't over as I had only read 85% of the book. Once the kids started heading home I started to get impatient.
All in all highly recommended. Can't beat the price and its worth a check out.
February 6, 2013
Milá fantasy pohádka pro děti 10-15, ale okouzlila i mě. Knížka je velmi čtivá, obsahuje určité napětí, ale události jsou podané právě pro děti: vždy tušíte, že vše dobře dopadne, vše přímočaře směřuje ke šťastnému konci. Charaktery ale nejsou ploché a řekla bych, že film pro děti by z toho mohl být zajímavý. Třináctý jednorožec mi velmi připomíná knížky Gartha Nixe (Garth Nix).
Na Amazonu je knížka k dispozici zdarma jako e-book do Kindlu. Druhý díl The Black Dragon pak za 99 centů.
Na Amazonu je knížka k dispozici zdarma jako e-book do Kindlu. Druhý díl The Black Dragon pak za 99 centů.
July 15, 2013
I forgot to review this one, but I read it last year or the year before. I can't remember which. I was intrigued by the idea of protecting unicorns, and how something bad would happen if 13 horns were collected. This was one that I did not want to put down.
I particularly liked how the grandma turned out to be more than it seemed at first. No one every suspects grandma of gallivanting off to other worlds. I also liked how the elven stronghold was dealt with. I thought that was a bit of an original twist.
I particularly liked how the grandma turned out to be more than it seemed at first. No one every suspects grandma of gallivanting off to other worlds. I also liked how the elven stronghold was dealt with. I thought that was a bit of an original twist.
Read
April 24, 2014Just finished the YA adventure on Kindle, "The Thirteenth Unicorn". "Narnia" it is not, but it IS a delightfully captivating read with excellent characters and considerable consistency in the creation of another parallel world. Being the Young Adult that I am (barely 60!), I happily raced through the highly credible wars between elves and dwarves, witches, wicked magicians and other-worldly creatures which all focused on an ancient prophecy that a son of Man would bring to their world victory over evil and healing from the blight. Lots of fun and the first in a series of at least three books.
July 20, 2011
I did like this book. The concept of it was interesting and would be entertaining for young readers. There were places in it, however, that were a little wordy and took away from the story. I found myself having to reread sections because I'd gotten lost! For the most part though, the story was well written (a few spelling & grammatical errors) and I'm looking forward to reading the next book featuring Ben!
June 27, 2012
Ben and His sister Casey visit their grandparents in the country when their dad has to deploy on a business trip as their mother is in a hosital in a comma. Grandma crosses over to a parallel world and they follow. Here they run into elves, gnomes, shape changers, snakemen, and a witch. When they cross over following their grandmother, they wind up battling the forces of evil in an attempt to save a unicorn.
June 22, 2012
I have no idea whether this book has a good story or not. That's because the writing was so horrible within the first three pages that I couldn't bear to keep reading it. This work clearly never had a professional editor; there are too many errors in punctuation, spelling, and even concept (for example, repeatedly referring to a two-dimensional object as one-dimensional). I've seen much better writing done on the fly in message board RPGs.
Don't hurt your brain with this book.
Don't hurt your brain with this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 200 reviews