Ameca J and the Legacy of Menindus

Ameca J Chronicles #1

by Paul Xavier Jones

The Legacy of Menindus... Teenage life seems vastly unfair to fourteen year old Ameca or Ameca J, as she prefers to be called always being pressured by her Dad to watch out for her stupid and annoying ten year old sister, Fraya. But when the girls are mysteriously transported by The Spirit to a dangerously different world populated by mediaeval Men, noble Elves, magnificent Dragons, and savage creatures, Ameca s whole perspective has to change and change quickly if they are to escape the clutches of an evil entity known as the Scelestus, who wants them for the magical powers they did not even know they possessed. Their stressed out and overworked father, Paul is summoned by The Spirit to join his daughters in the mythical land of Mythrania, where he learns that they are the One, the Flame and the Flower . They are the heirs to the legendary High Magi, Menindus, who foretold of their coming to save this world and their own...But this is no fairytale; the dark entity known as the Scelestus has a plan to harness the power of the universe and to completely dominate all life...... Can Ameca and her family stop the Scelestus, and prevent a catastrophe that would see the enslavement of countless worlds, as well as the destruction of their own...?

Look out evil...here come the girls.

AMECA J AND THE LEGACY OF MENINDUS - Part I of the Ameca J Chronicles - releasing 10/09/12
AMECA J AND THE REVENGE OF REX-ULTAR - Part II of the Ameca J Chronicles - releasing 12/13/12
AMECA J AND THE DEMON GOD OF MYTHRANIA - Part III of the Ameca J Chronicles - releasing early 2013

Genres: Fantasy

384 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2011

About the author

Paul Xavier Jones is married to Amanda and has two daughters, Ameca and Fraya. He worked for a multi-national global corporation as an Engineer and Engineering Manager, and was lucky enough to see some of the world through that job, travelling to North and South America, Europe and the Far East.
He left the electronics industry in 2001 to become a consultant, providing advice, support and training to manufacturing businesses across the UK. In 2007 he left to set up his own business, and currently runs two of them, providing support to businesses, but in particular to Legal businesses where he has developed an expertise in regulatory issues.
Paul had his first book, "An Agent For Change" published in 2007 by Eloquent Books. This was a fictional novel about his experiences as a consultant. On its release, both his children complained that they would like to read a book by him about something they would like, so he began work on the Ameca J series, which are published by, or will be shortly, Storyteller Books. There are 4 books in the fantasy series, and he plans to write another 2 in 2013. He wrote a contemporary science fiction thriller "Boundary Limit" and self published it in 2010. His ambitions are to become so successful as an author so that he can give up his day job and write books that will entertain the world.

Reviews

[Elizabeth Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ameca J and the Legacy of Menindus was a totally transporting book for me. I found myself reading it in one weekend. I would recommend it to all fantasy fans.

I loved the Characters and found the sibling rivalry and the appreciation of family to be believable threads. I could relate to the characters with their work commitments and family life balance and I found Ameca J's teenage understanding of these themes to echo those I have experienced in reality.

The story, although set in fantasy, has a foundation that all of us with families can relate to and sympathise with. I also found the exploration of this other mystical world, Mythrania, exciting and was totally immersed in it.

The development of the characters Ameca, and Freya as they journey to find their way home is well thought out, and the links between mythology that we are all familiar with and the land of Mythrania is woven in well to give us an understanding of the two worlds similarities.

There are some battle scenes within the story, but I found none of these too graphic nor were they distasteful.I found that this gave the book a gender balance which has been tested by my husband and son reading the book too. Interestingly the two female leads was something I wondered whether would be off-putting to my son, however it is a testament to the way the book is written that it doesn't focus on just the girls, but the whole world and all of the characters there within made it have universal appeal in our house!

I don't want to give any plot away as that would spoil it for new readers, however the book carried me along at a good pace, and when I finished I wanted to start the next one immediately. To me this just goes to the fact that the story had been crafted well and made me as a reader want to continue on and find out more about the girls and their family and new friends.

[Goldie Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Look out evil...here come the girls.

Ameca J (the Flame), her sister Fraya (the Flower), and their father Paul (the One) discover they aren't simply a normal, modern family- they possess fabulous magical abilities as heirs to the legendary Magi, Menindus. When an evil entity decides to use their power to enslave the entire universe, they must go into action.

Paul Xavier Jones has built an intricate world in the land of Mythrania, populated by Kings, Princes, Elves, Dragons, Werethralls, and other assorted monsters. AMECA J AND THE LEGACY OF MENINDUS is the first book of the trilogy - THE AMECA J CHRONICLES. Coming soon.

[Harol Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a Harry Potter fan, you have a new series to enthrall you in "Amica J and the Legacy of the Menindus." Family dynamics interplay with themes of good and evil in this engrossing tale. By novel's end, you'll be asking yourself, 'Harry who?" Don't miss this good read!

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Info: Genre: Fantasy Reading Level: Middle Grade Book Available: Will be released by Storyteller Publishing on October 9, 2012

Disclosure: I received a free ARC ebook version of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: The Legacy of Menindus... Teenage life seems vastly unfair to fourteen-year-old Ameca – or Ameca J, as she prefers to be called – always being pressured by her dad to watch out for her stupid and annoying ten-year-old sister, Fraya. But when the girls are mysteriously transported by The Spirit to a dangerously different world populated by mediaeval Men, noble Elves, magnificent Dragons, and savage creatures, Ameca’s whole perspective has to change, and change quickly, if they are to escape the clutches of an evil entity known as the Scelestus, who wants them for the magical powers they did not even know they possessed. Their stressed out and overworked father Paul is summoned by The Spirit to join his daughters in the mythical land of Mythrania, where he learns that they are the One, the Flame and the Flower. They are the heirs to the legendary High Magi, Menindus, who foretold of their coming to save this world and their own... But this is no fairytale; the dark entity known as the Scelestus has a plan to harness the power of the universe and to completely dominate all life.... Can Ameca and her family stop the Scelestus, and prevent a catastrophe that would see the enslavement of countless worlds, as well as the destruction of their own...?

My Thoughts: This is book one of the Ameca J. Chronicles; the author is in my LinkedIn Network and asked me, in June, for a review of the book prior to the publication date. My apologies for the delay, but as you see, I am getting the review up well before publication.

In many ways, this is a highly derivative work, but it is self-consciously so, with constant references to the Lord of the Rings and Star Trek, among others. While there are some fairly creative differences, the similarities to the LotR especially are striking, especially with the werethralls being made from the Elfen, just like the orcs and Elves in LotR. However, I quite liked the direction taken with Irat, Dratch’s brother, and the differences between the powers of the Magi.

This is a fairly light-hearted piece – while there is lots of violence, it’s mostly at a bit of a distance. It’s the nameless and faces masses that are hacked to bits en masse for the most part. It’s not to say there aren’t direct affects upon the main characters, but they’re disproportionately small. While the book didn’t “wow” me to the extreme, I did enjoy it; it’s a fun and fast read, and should be well-accepted by fans of the genre, especially among younger readers.

At least three more books are expected in this series: Ameca J & the Revenge of Rex-Ultar, Ameca J & the Demon God of Mythrania and Ameca J and the Rise of the Serpii. I shall be interested to see where this series develops as it is published.

[LeighAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ameca J, her annoying little sister Fraya, and their father Paul, all get sucked into a completely other world. This world is very different than theirs, full of magic, dragons, elves, werethralls, and all kinds of creepy and evil beasts. They find things out about themselves that they would never think possible. They are heirs to a man they have never heard of, in a land they have never heard of, and they have magical powers! That seems like it would be a total shock, I would think I was going crazy or that I was in some sort of unbelievable dream! They want to go home but cannot until, and unless, they are able to stop the dark Scelestus from overpowering this world and theirs. But will they be able to accomplish this? And more importantly, will they make it out with their lives? You'll have to read it to find out!

This book is full of fantasy, adventure, and twists and turns. I think that children on the younger side of YA would really enjoy this book because they will be able to relate to the characters better due to their age. In the beginning I felt that Ameca was selfish and really mean to her your sister Fraya who I thought was actually a sweetheart. So I basically thought that Ameca was a little brat. She seemed to grow as a person throughout the story and I began to find myself liking her more and more as the story went on. There are scenes that are full of battles and fighting but I didn't find it to be disturbing or too graphic (unless you have a very sensitive reader on your hands). So if you think this sounds like a book you or your kids would like, I say give it a try!

[Heather lindsell]

All fantasy fans, You really HAVE to read this book! Any authors out there even editors, publishers, film makers GET hold of this book read it and be pleasently surprised and entertained. This book and his following books really DESERVE you attention!

I have read it and others in his Ameca J series, They are all absolutly fantastic to read. I loved every word and every page. They really fired my imagination, the story is brilliant, but I think the most truely remarkable thing about this book and the others, as well as the story telling, was the way the characters learnt to grow and work together. The meaning of 'family' really came out.

This author really gets to the heart of the matter, as well as getting your pulse racing, waiting for the next adventure!

These books arew to be enjoyed by people of all ages who like fantasy fiction. I love them.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

In full disclosure I won the first three books in this series in a Goodreads giveaway.

The characters are excellent, with very interesting and a wide variety of personalities. Although the focus is on the main three characters in the family (plus the dog), the secondary characters get a good showing as well. I did think an appendix would have been useful to help remind me of who the different characters were (it took me most of the book to remember the difference between Kian and Delar)

You can really feel the characters thoughts and feelings in this book, they are also very believable. They have flaws, for example Ameca is often annoyed at her sister and is mean to her for no good reason, Paul sometimes is more concerned about what is happening to his business than he is about people. The relationships between the characters, and in particularly the family members is very well written.

The character development is also done well, even though the characters overcome much of there flaws and become better people, it is done one step at a time, for example Ameca starts to care about her sister but is still sometimes annoyed with her, this makes the book more realistic.

Although they developed their powers quickly and to a high level, they are also given limitations which stops the main characters becoming too powerful.

A couple of times the characters act in a way that seems to be aimed at making the plot more exciting rather than in a realistic way. They also sometimes work out things too easily. None of this happens too often though so it doesn't matter too much.

The story is excellent, but is somewhat typical of a fantasy book, there are certain similarities with many traditional novels such as Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time and the Shanara series, although the plot is not a copy of any specific book. Occasionally the plot was predictable and there is a really obvious traitor that the characters are not able to figure out. The story does have some original parts to it.

The pacing is fast and it is easy to read this book quickly with all that is going on. There are some slower paced scenes that nicely balance out the pacing and give a more in-depth view of the characters and the world.

Another nice element was the fact the characters go though a realistic travel time between places, sometimes taking days to get from one destination to the next. The fast pacing of the book means that we are only given the necessary and interesting parts of the journey.

I did feel there was a bit of an overuse of the Spirit and prophecy to get the characters to do something. Typically if the characters were in disagreement about something, they would argue for a bit, then suddenly the Spirit would intervene or someone would quote a prophecy, then all the characters suddenly agree on the right course of action.

I thought the girls getting almost captured or captured for a short time before being rescued was a bit overdone and it became repetitive after a while, there was plenty of other things going on in the story, so it wasn't too bad.

The world building is interesting, usually we are given a brief description about the particular piece of the world. We are given enough detail to make it easy to follow without getting lost, but also we are not bogged down in too much world building. There were a couple of slow, world building scenes, for example about half way through the book there is a "Council of Elrond" style chapter, but it fits in well and provides a lot of information about the world, what is happening and what needs to be done, so it works out well in the end.

The author was very clever at putting in some small detail in a description that could almost be overlooked, but later turns out to be a big plot point.

There was references made by the characters to real world things, products, companies and movies (particularly Lord of the Rings) this added to the sense of realism in the book, it also made the similarities to things such as Lord of the Rings okay when the characters acknowledged the fact..

There was a "preview" chapter at the start of the book, it is a fast paced, action scene that occurs slightly later in the book. I didn't think it was necessary to have this preview, as it doesn't take long for the book to get exciting anyway, plus I personally don't think it's necessary to start a book with an action sequence to draw an audience in.

There were a couple of moments that were hard to believe or took me out of the story, a couple of the early battles were a little unrealistic, and I thought the characters powers developed a little too powerful too soon, also on page 102 Ameca and Paul are surprised that Freya swears because she only does so when really upset, considering they thought their dog had just apparently died, she probably has a good reason to be upset and they really shouldn't be shocked by it. The whole Large Hadron Collider element of the story has little to no basis on reality. Finally the fact the bad guys put two valuable prisoners in a cell together seemed unlikely, especially as they allowed them to escape for some "entertainment".

Overall I really enjoyed this book, the characters are excellent, realistic and go through a believable development. The story was wonderful, but is slightly spoiled by unbelievable moments.

**** 1/2

[Micki Peluso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ameca J and the Legacy of Menindus
By Paul Xavier Jones

Ameca J, a typical, disgruntled teenager, picks up her younger sister, ten-year- old Fraya, from school, taking their Bichon Frise, dog, Tilly with her for the walk. Arguing all the way through the woods toward their home, they come upon a clearing where a strange figure glows with an inhuman aura. Brave Fraya and little Tilly are not showing signs of fear, even as the oddity reaches out for them. Ameca screams and grabs Fraya's hand just as the apparition touches her. Instantly, the two plus Tilly are whisked away into another world.

Their father, at forty one has bits of silver in his hair, is unhappy in his work, grumbles over idiots and junk mail, but loves science and new discoveries. Paul gets a call from his wife, saying she has to work late and to feed the kids, which translates to fast food take out. He decides to meet his girls along their way from school; at first enjoying the beauty of the woods along the way, but he soon panics over not finding Ameca and Fraya. The forest becomes unusually quiet . . . until the music starts--or something like music. He hopes the source of the sounds might be someone who's seen his girls. Instead, he comes upon a glowing figure as tall as he is. He feels compelled to go toward it, drawn like a magnet, and reaches out his hand. Poof! Once again the clearing is empty.

The girls and dog find themselves at the top of a hill painted with colorful flowers, near a huge mountain that appears to reach the sky. Within minutes, Ameca is yelling at Fraya for getting them into this predicament, oblivious of the young girl’s tears, while wondering what they should do. A voice, not belonging to either girl, suggests heading towards the nearby woods. The voice speaks again, seeming to come from Tilly, even though the dog’s mouth is not moving. Tilly explains that she could always talk—they just weren’t able to hear her before. Fraya, of course, is thrilled; most eight-year-olds are in tune with believing the unbelievable. But Ameca feels Tilly is speaking through their minds–with more than a touch of attitude.

Their father ends up in a different place filled with menace. The door of an old house opens as huge killer wolf-like beasts rush past him unseen, also searching for his daughters. Paul, unaware of their intentions walks into the now empty evil house. Glancing through a window, he sees twin yellow moons shining down upon him and decides to pick up an antiquated weapon nearby. Certain that he’s no longer on earth, he leaves the grotesque house to check out the area. Oblivious to the fact that his daughters and him are “the One, the Flame and the Flower”, foretold by the High Magi, Merindus, as saviors of this world and their own, he continues his search.

Paul falls asleep in the bushes of the forest, awakening to the sight of a tall man with long white hair and pointed ears. Artrayor has been out searching for Werethralls, the beasts that had not seen Paul near the old house. The elf speaks of his lovely lands, living apart from men, until the arrival of the evil menace, Scelestus, who plans to destroy them. The Elfen make an alliance with the High Magi Menindus, who is trying to unite armies of men to destroy Scelestus and the Werethralls. What no one had realized at first, captured warriors are turned into Werethralls, increasing the vast horde of invasive evil bent on destroying the beauty of Mythrania. While armies of men and elfen battle across the plains, Menindus uses his magic to destroy Scelestus . . . or so they thought.

Paul Xavier Jones writes with passion and humor as he relates the battles, trickery and magic in an unknown world. His characters are charming (the good ones) and all are well developed. Pages turn fast in this exciting, albeit gory fantasy. Jones has that unique ability to draw his readers into the mythical land of elfen, dragons, and massive bats, amidst royalty and High Magic; enchanting and entertaining both young adults and people of all ages for years to come. The chilling ending will have readers reaching for the second book of this enticing series: Ameca J and the Revenge of Rex-ultan.


Micki Peluso, writer, journalist, reviewer and author of . . .AND THE WHIPPOORWILL SANG.

758 wds

[DelSheree · Rating 4 out of 5]

The day starts off ordinary enough for Ameca J. Her sister is driving her crazy. Her dad is too busy to pay attention to her. No big surprises there...until Ameca's little sister Fraya makes a startling discovery. The glowing being in the woods sends a "RUN" message through Ameca's mind, but of course, Fraya reaches out an touches the being. The next thing they know they've been dumped in a completely different forest, on a completely different world. Getting back home is a problem. Staying alive in this new world is an even bigger one.

Ameca and Fraya end up being transported to Mythrania, a world where the girls' blond and auburn locks set them apart as Magi - magic users. Which may sound like fun, but only until the girls realize their hair color has set an evil demon after them. The world of Mythrania that Jones created is very rich and interesting. The descriptions draw you in and the history helps readers become invested in the characters. I really enjoyed the backstories of the characters the girls meet. The fact that they all have their own problems in addition to stumbling upon the girls and their father rounded out the story. It isn't just the girls you worry about, it's all the characters you meet.

The idea for this book is very interesting as well. The choice of using hair color as the factor that set the girls apart was very unique, and something young readers can enjoy. They idea of a prophecy is nothing new in YA fiction, but Jones puts a twist on the idea by making the prophecy something sprung from a world the girls don't even live on. There are tried and true story elements in this book, but Jones does a good job of giving each one new life in this story.

For young readers, this book has good pacing. The girls' journey moves along nicely, skipping over long drawn out parts of the journey where young readers would lose interest. Jones kept the story focused on events and action. The characters aren't overly emotional about the changes that happen, which doesn't work well for adults and older teens in many cases, but for younger readers who want to read about adventure more than emotional turmoil, it was a good fit.

One of my few issues with the book was that I did not immediately care for Ameca very much. I thought she was overly mean to her sister. Perhaps if Fraya had actually been more annoying and troublesome I would have sympathized with Ameca more, but I actually thought Fraya was sweet, so Ameca's treatment of her made it difficult for me to like her in the beginning. As the story progresses and Ameca begins to see that her sister does have worth and that she does love, her attitude begins to change and I felt myself enjoying her character a more.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. The world was well developed, the side characters were full, the overall story was very interesting, and for the most part the main characters were characters you could care about. The adventure these girls and their father go on is sure to capture young readers attention.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. It's a fun, imaginative fantasy. It was a good start to the series.

Who would I recommend this book too? I feel it's going to interest readers on the younger side of the YA spectrum. I would recommend this boys and girls ages 9-14. I think older teens will be harder to target because of the age of Ameca and Fraya, and the focus on the adventure over the thoughts and emotions involved. I think this is a fun book for parents and children to read together, but I don't think it's one that will crossover to the adult readership alone.

[Compulsion Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ameca J is a typical big sister -- everything her kid sister, Fraya, does drives her nuts. When the duo is sucked into a portal they are forced to adjust to a new world and new powers. They learn quickly that they are a part of a prophecy that claims they are destined to save this new world as well as their old one. This story instantly wraps you up in a fast-paced adventure that contains both familiar and new creatures as well as old lore.

The thing I loved about this book is that when the children were sucked into a new world so was their father. Even though he arrives a bit late he is nonetheless an integral part to their mission. I really felt that the father added depth to the story, as he had to protect his children in an unfamiliar world while learning that he had a role to play in this adventure as well. The author did a great job of combining old myths with modern technology throughout the story.

The only drawback for me was that Ameca felt pretty whiny to the point of being annoying for the first half of the book. She did get better as her character grew and started to act more like a big sister looking out for her kid sister. Luckily, the story was entertaining enough that I could ignore the constant complaining by the teen.

(This book was provided to Compulsion Reads for review by the author.)

[Ann Fields · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I thought it interesting that the father and daughters played the lead roles. The mother was very much in the background; we saw little of her and that put a different slant on the story. The setting and fantasy world characters were quite creative--the names, kingdoms, animals, etc. I also liked the connection and dependence between the two worlds. The author did a great job of aligning both worlds so the reader easily followed. Nice job there. I thought the Merlin reference a bit overdone. I expected more creativity in that aspect considering the amount of creative thought given to the rest of the book. But, in all, I liked it and recommend this to readers of all ages.

[Sharon Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book and the following two.
This is girl power and then some. The sisters get into some serious trouble and save many a day with the help of their beloved Dad and trusty hound!
The characters draw you into a spellbinding story and leave you wanting more.
The alignment of real life and fantasy is so clever.
This is a serious rival for Harry Potter, watch out JK, Paul Xavier Jones is on your trail.
This trilogy is memeorable and I for one am eagerly awaiting the fourth in this series

[Kathey · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very beginning you are drawn to the characters in the story. Paul does a great job weaving fantasy with reality. About half way through you realize you don't want to put it down! A fast page turner, easy reading, with just enough humor to make the girls really come alive! A must read if you enjoy villains, magic, twists and turns. Creatures that go bump in the night, and developing super powers that leave you wanting more . Can't wait to follow the girl as they continue on their journey

[Helen Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book and three others in a raffle. It is not the usual book that I would choose to read. But since I won them I thought I would give them a try. So glad I did. It is such a good read, very addictive. I enjoyed every page. Well done Paul for changing the type of book I would normally read. When I go to a book shop now I will look in other sections, instead of going for my usual book. When this comes out in a movie let me know. I think it was such a good book, that it is sure to make a good movie

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul has used the sibling rivalry we all know and love extremely well, also, he has used a great storyline to try and get the sisters to try and work together and help each other through the trials they come up against. He has used his love of science fiction and fantasy to create a very believable landscape (based on myth and folklore), in which the sisters find themselves.
Not normally a lover of this genre, this has been one of the best works of fantasy I have read.