The Twelfth Scepter: An epic fantasy adventure for kids age 8-15

by Ephie Risho

In a race against time, the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a group of young elementalists. With the malevolent White Queen on the verge of obtaining unimaginable power, these brave heroes must band together to thwart her evil plan. But as they face impossible challenges and formidable foes, they realize the task is far more daunting than they ever imagined. Armed with only their growing magical abilities and unwavering determination, they must protect their loved ones, track down powerful artifacts, and prevent the catastrophic spell from being cast. With two skilled wizard mentors by their side, the elementalists must push themselves to their limits and beyond. But when up against foes who can see into the future and harness otherworldly energies, will their training be enough to save the world from eternal darkness?

446 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 12, 2023

About the author

Ephie Risho is the author of two fantasy series that span audiences and styles—from laugh-out-loud contemporary adventures to sweeping epic quests.

His newest project, The Stone of Amun-Ra, blends humor, heart, and high-stakes mystery into a modern fantasy thriller. The first book, The Unbearable Luck of Being Mitzy, follows Stanley “Mitzy” Mitz and his ragtag friends from Montana who stumble upon a glowing shard that changes their lives forever. The artifact grants Mitzy impossible good luck—but also draws the attention of secret societies, ruthless agents, and powers that trace back to ancient Egypt. What begins as a midnight meteor shower quickly spirals into a globe-spanning chase filled with danger, banter, and unlikely heroism.

Risho is also the co-author—along with his oldest child, Blue—of The Elementalists, a sweeping YA epic that blends classic quest fantasy with contemporary heart. Perfect for readers 8–13 (and family read-alouds), the series follows friends whose bond is tested by goblin wars, ancient magic, and choices that carry real consequences. Expect brisk pacing, big set-pieces, and an undercurrent of hope: courage grows, friendships harden into family, and even impossible odds can be outwitted.

The Elementalists — Book by Book

Phoenix Rising (Book 1)
When fire rains down on her village, twelve-year-old archer Amber discovers a spark within herself—real elemental power she can barely control. Teaming up with bold Basil and big-hearted Theo, she uncovers a plot that threatens the realm far beyond her valley. Between midnight escapes, woodland skirmishes, and a perilous trek into enemy territory, Amber must decide what kind of hero she’ll be: a lone ember that burns out…or the spark that lights a beacon. A propulsive origin story about bravery, belonging, and the first price of power.

Crodor the Ancient (Book 2)
A massive goblin host marches on Arendon—but the goblins are puppets, controlled by wizards who want the kingdom to tear itself apart. The only shot at survival? Freeing Crodor the Ancient, a legendary red dragon bound by a cruel spell. To break the curse, Amber, Basil, Theo, and their friends must outwit treacherous mountain clans, solve an elemental riddle, and face the terrifying question at the heart of the war: can you trust a dragon you’ve been raised to fear? Expect siege battles, dragon flight, and a pact that will change everything.

Secret of the Kraken (Book 3)
With the land war stalled, the trail turns seaward—to myths whispered by sailors and a map no dwarf will admit to drawing. The Elementalists venture into storm-lashed waters, where emperors bargain in half-truths and a colossal Kraken guards what it was sworn to keep: clues to a scepter powerful enough to tip the balance against the wizards. In hidden cities and bioluminescent caverns, loyalties are tested and a heartbreaking choice emerges: to claim power, someone must pay the debt the ocean is owed.

The Twelfth Scepter (Book 4)
Prophecy speaks of twelve scepters—eleven known, one lost—that together can either heal the world…or end it. As the wizards rally behind a ruthless queen and darkness lengthens, the Elementalists race to assemble the final pieces before the last eclipse. Old mentors return, betrayals come due, and each hero must wield their gift at full strength—fire, earth, water, air, plants and animals—no longer as children learning control, but as guardians willing to sacrifice. From sky-bridges across the world to a final confrontation where friendship itself becomes a weapon, the series crescendos to a payoff that’s earned, surprising, and deeply satisfying.

Across both series, Risho writes fantasy with a modern edge—fast-paced, witty, and heartfelt—where ordinary kids and twenty-somethings alike discover they’re capable of extraordinary things. Start with Phoenix Rising or dive into The Unbearable Luck of Being Mitzy and meet your new favorite found family.

Reviews

[Siobhain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved every installment of The Elementalists so far and I usually end up saying the current book I’ve read is my favourite…well I’m doing it again! While the first three books are awesome and epic in equal measure and the perfect book for middle grade (or older) fantasy lovers or those new to fantasy The Twelfth Scepter is just one step up. If you are a fan of fantasy this will tick a lot of boxes but what I love most of all about this series is how it grows with the intended audience. The first book was, I believe the shortest of the lot while the third and fourth have seen a larger increase. Tied to this the story and action has matured ever so slightly, along with our heroes and their questions.


Now I do not like to spoil the plot but let me say this one kept me hooked, even being around 441 pages it certainly didn’t feel like that length of a tome because I was enjoying every second of the journey. The writing is perfect for the genre and setting and you really feel like you are along side the heroes. On top of this I love that the adventure and friendships are the focus here. I love all types of fantasy including romance fantasy but I have to say I love that this focuses more on the platonic relationships, for the most part at least.


This journey has been a wonderful one and I really hope we have more adventures in the future. It ticks all the boxes for a great epic fantasy series with memorable characters, interesting worlds and creatures and a solid magic system as well.

[DarkFantasyReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “The Twelfth Scepter,” the fourth book in “The Elementalists” series by Ephie Risho, the young elementalists are back at it again trying to save the world from the evil White Queen. This time, things are even more intense as they have to deal with tough challenges and some seriously tough enemies. The fate of the world is totally up to them.

The characters really grow and change a lot in this book, just like in the series as a whole. They learn more about their magic powers and get stronger in their determination. The group’s friendships and arguments make things interesting, and you can really feel their successes and failures.

Risho’s writing is awesome – it paints such a clear picture and keeps you hooked with all the action. The story flows really well with a good mix of talking and telling to keep things interesting. It’s a book that sticks with you, not only because of the cool world it creates, but also because it’s got some deep themes about bravery, friendship, and doing what’s right.

The author mixes up ideas of good and bad, teamwork, and growing up in the story. Cool tricks like hinting at future events and comparing things make the story more interesting and give it more depth. It really makes you think about what’s going on.

The book moves along pretty quickly and has a good setup for the story. It’s easy to read and can be enjoyed by both teens and older fantasy fans. The length of the book makes sense because it keeps the story going nicely without feeling rushed or dragged out.

The Twelfth Scepter is a great new book in The Elementalists series. It really shows off Risho’s skill at creating an exciting fantasy world full of magic and mystery. Whether you’re a fan of the series or brand new to it, this book is a must-read because it’s so easy to get into and has such a captivating story and characters. Trust me, once you start reading, you won’t want to stop!

Ephie Risho’s “The Twelfth Scepter” is a super fun read for fantasy fans. It’s got a cool adventure that’ll keep you hooked and make you think about stuff. The book gets more interesting as you go along, getting deeper in its ideas and characters, just like real life.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book in this exciting new fantasy series aimed at younger readers - 8-15 year olds - The Elementalists.
You may have also seen my reviews earlier this year for book 1, 2 & 3 - Phoenix Rising, Crodor The Ancient and Secret Of The Kraken, which I really enjoyed reading.
I actually felt that Secret of the Kraken was superb and the best read of the series so far - but I really do think that this book stepped that up a notch further.

We follow the Elementalists on their journey from where we left off in book 3 and see them having to hone their powers beyond anything they've encountered yet.
With the help of a few new characters we root for them all to develop their skills enough to save their world.

We dive straight back into the action and the overall story arc follows through the series as a whole, but the descriptive writing does a good job of explaining the story so far (without being repetitive) and I actually feel that these could be enjoyed as a standalone read.
However, I'd definitely say that you'd get much more from this if you read it as a whole series.

Again, I love the way the writing style has also evolved over the series.
This is such a brilliant idea and means that as the audience is growing and maturing, the books are also maturing, which means that you can still follow the whole series without outgrowing it.
I'm not sure that I've read many (if any) series' that do this.

I've enjoyed this series so much and feel that there would be enough scope to develop this world into a much longer series and so really hope to see more books to follow in the future.

[Amorina Carlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this fourth and (probably) final installment of The Elementalists, the kids are all (well almost all) grown up and things have gotten complicated. Having lost some of their crew (tiny spoiler for Book 3, I won't say who or how) and gained new members, their morale is a little low. They're back with Sage working on honing their skills for their biggest battle yet. And this one is to take the cake. But can a few kids really win against wizards who have hundreds of years of experience?

The idealism of youth starts to wane, as it does for most of us, as the children start to wonder about those who have joined the White Queen. Some of them were good once - why have they joined her? Could they be wrong? Could she actually be good? The shades of grey start to shine through and make the teens question their mission.

Dealing with the typical feelings that teens deal with while trying to save the land isn't easy, but this fantasy story does a great job of offering a sweet, adorable balance and some great social commentary along the way. Some of the readers who start the series might not be ready for the final one quite yet, since all of them are out already. But as long as parents read it along with younger readers, it should be okay. This one is rated for the young adult category, rather than the children's or middle-grade age category like previous books.

I really like when books grow with the characters, and these really have. We've seen these characters grow both in strength as humans and as elementalists, and it has really been something to watch. I'd love to see more stories in this world, but it says book 4 out of 4. But who knows? There could be more tales to tell in this world someday.

[Tami Wylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 12th sceptre is by far, the most thrilling, heart pounding book in the series, so far. There is non-stop, exciting action on virtually every page. We see each of the Elementalists go on their own journeys to hone their
special skills in preparation for the looming final showdown with the white queen. The time is drawing near for her and her band of wizards to cast the fateful spell, that will, one way or the other, change the world forever. There is more insight given into the emotions and inner turmoil of the characters this time, in particular, Amber and her sister Kirstin, as they each begin to question some of their choices. Sadly, the death of the beloved Sage sends Amber on a mission revenge that can send everything crashing down. I love how these characters have developed and found each of their places in the world as the series has progressed, even the White Queen, maybe she has a conscience after all. The descriptions in the story really bring it to life with the fabulous attention to detail from the author. The underlying themes of family, love and courage shine through in each of the characters and their actions. This is by far one of the best fantasy adventure series for the age group I’ve read in a long time.

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

The start of the story gripped my attention from the first line of the book. I loved the way the author described thing in this book e.g. dragon-like flying lizards. With how the story the developed and how the worldbuilding built up it became very interesting as the world seemed to grow even more throughout this story. I was excited about this book as it was very interesting. As I kept reading the more and more I became more interesting to a point I didn’t want to stop reading it. The magic in this book was very interesting, especially as it is based around elements. This makes the story more interesting as it is something different that I haven’t read much off before. This made me want to keep gripped to the story and I wanted to keep reading it. With this alongside the plot, and the idea of a prophecy it made it very intriguing. The characters had to go through many challenges throughout the book, which the main goal of stopping the white queen, and trying to stop the this prophecy in which they keep mentioning. With the whole importance over the scepters which made it gripping. One of my favourite characters were Amber, as she had a lot going against her throughout the book, and with how she had to go through many changes throughout the book. It was the way in which she had to realised that what she once believed in and with what she had found out which meant that needed to change how they were going to work the whole situation. Excitement ran through me the closer and closer I got to the end as I wanted to find out how it was going to end.I loved the way the story ended and how the group realised they needed to work together as a team to be able to be able to win and work through the battle.

[Sapphyre Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Twelth Scepter was such a great ending to the adventures that have spanned from the first book in the Elementalists series. But it also paves the way for more adventures with new challenges based on the ending of this one.
This instalment had me questioning whether what the White Queen wanted in the end wasn't a bad thing. Perhaps it was just her methods that were bad.
I would definitely be interested in a prequel story and maybe finding out the events that set The White Queen on her course.
100% want to see more of Amber and the other elementalists. I loved their progression in this book and the series as a whole.

[Karolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is my review for The Twelfth Scepter by Ephie Risho

I got into this book straight away and found I was really enjoying it, it’s a great fantasy read. I have joined the series at book four and I would love to read the previous three books to get to know the backstory as I think this could be a really interesting series to get into. I decided to read this story from the synopsis that I read for the book and that hooked me, just like the book did. It’s a really fascinating read. Can the young elementalists, with only a few years training, save the world from the White Queen and her army? The plotting is excellent, the writing is superb and the descriptive text is brilliant that explains everything and will keep you hooked just like me. The cover is spectacular with just the right colouring and a good picture on the front. There are pictures included in the kindle version that make a nice change and a map at the start. It’s the first time I have read this author but I will look to read more of their work.

Blurb :

In a race against time, the fate of the world rests on the shoulders of a group of young elementalists. With the malevolent White Queen on the verge of obtaining unimaginable power, the brave heroes must band together to thwart her evil plan. But as they face impossible challenges and formidable foes, they realize the task is far more daunting than they ever imagined. Armed with only their growing magical abilities and unwavering determination, they must stop the queen from finding the hidden mana tower, learn more of the spell itself, and prevent the catastrophic spell from being cast. With two skilled wizard mentors by their side, the elementalists must push themselves to their limits and beyond. But when up against foes who can see into the future and harness otherworldly energies, will their training be enough to save the world from eternal darkness?

[Oldbookishwoman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book four of the Elementalists Series.
This was an interesting read, well paced with plenty going on right from the start to keep you turning the pages until the very end. The writing is very descriptive which I always find wonderful especially in fantasy books. All the characters were well thought and fully fleshed out making them interesting to follow. It has lots of underlying topics too which made it easy to identify with.
The reading age on Amazon says 13-18 yrs however I am definitely not in this age bracket....by a few decades and still enjoyed this story immensely.
This is a magical fantastical story for any age.....

[Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

We tried but the writing is like it was created by a 5th grader who used AI and said "write a fantasy story." Self published ho-hum. Might be ok for relatives though not a book for readers. Save your money for the real McCoy.

[Ash · Rating 1 out of 5]

And more? Really? Self published and not really something for anyone other than friends and family.

[Jay Ump · Rating 1 out of 5]

give up. If you want people to read your book, learn to write. It is NOT just the cover Dude.