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The Keepers #3
The Wizard's Scepter
FACING THE GREATEST DANGER OF ALL!
Princess Arenelle, just turned eleven, the age of Magic, has overcome so much in her quest to be the next Imperial Wizard. Now, as the current Wizard grows weaker and the evil Lord Graieconn grows stronger, she must summon all her reserves of intelligence and courage to outwit the vile creatures and twisted Folk who do the bidding of the Dark Lord. They rise up now, legions of them, from the caverns of Darkearth. Driving the forces of Eldearth before them, they seek to capture and extinguish the Scepter of Light, which protects Eldearth from the supreme evil -- Graieconn himself. Nell cannot stop them alone.
Only by teaming with her twin brother, Owen, can Nell hope to defend the Scepter. But Owen is her archcompetitor for the title of Imperial Wizard! Can Nell and Owen put aside their differences and find a way to work together as the ultimate battle looms? Even then, can Eldearth be saved?
164 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
2 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Jackie French Koller
50 books26 followersJackie French Koller (born 1948) is an American author of picture books, chapter books, and novels for children and young adults. She lives and writes in western Massachusetts.
Koller is also an accomplished painter. Her interest in art inspired her to open The Little Black Dog Gallery in Westfield, Massachusetts.
Koller's young-adult novel If I Had One Wish was adapted into a Disney Channel Original Movie under the title You Wish!.
Koller is also an accomplished painter. Her interest in art inspired her to open The Little Black Dog Gallery in Westfield, Massachusetts.
Koller's young-adult novel If I Had One Wish was adapted into a Disney Channel Original Movie under the title You Wish!.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 31, 2021
I read the first book in this series when I was pretty young, and I dismissed it then because I felt like it was a rip off of Harry Potter (the first spell in the book was “Wizzah wazzah wings!” and was used to give a small golden ball wings. Gah). Anyway, I came back to give it a second try now that I’m all growed up… And they were actually pretty good. There was decent world building, character development and a solid story. But ultimately, these books tackle a whole ton of stuff thematically that I was totally unaware of as a kid. I should have read them back then. It unashamedly dives head in to issues like privilege, gender inequality, colonialism, ableism, diversity and the importance of multiple perspectives. For kids books, they handled all of this very well. Plus’s it’s a fun and entertaining story. I highly recommend, especially for kids.
May 23, 2025
3.5/5 - It's a good children's adventure book, particularly for young girls since there is so much about how girls are strong and just as good as boys. I rated this one lower than the previous two books since the plot and adventure felt repetitive from the first two books. I suppose the author was just trying to incorporate characters we've already met but it felt like nothing new happened especially in regards to them being wizards-in-training and apprentices.
July 13, 2017
Eldearth is threatened as Nell and Owen gather their allies together
to confront the Dark Lord.
The final book in Koller's series blends elements from: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
with Rowling's: Deathly Hollows.
There is also some hints of C.S. Lewis.
to confront the Dark Lord.
The final book in Koller's series blends elements from: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
with Rowling's: Deathly Hollows.
There is also some hints of C.S. Lewis.
May 26, 2024
Read w 8yo. This series is truly amazing. It’s inspiring, moving, engaging, and fun to read. The books grapple with profound ethical issues in an age-appropriate way. Nell’s choices and challenges sparked conversations about contemporary issues we face as a society.
May 19, 2018
I enjoyed this series.
January 24, 2021
Wonderful story
November 20, 2020
It's taken me a while to write this review. Some of it to sum up my thoughts and feelings. But basically... I think the series ends well and there many entertaining parts; however, I think even for a book series meant for children, it rushes too much. The third book starts off with Owen immediately getting the apprenticeship and Nell again fighting for her chance to be an apprentice as well. The stubbornness of typical men throughout this series really, really irked me. (Nell using a tickling spell to convince the Imperial Wizard she's powerful enough to be an apprentice though is pretty hilarious and a great power move.)
But before we get far into training, the castle and village gets attacked by Banshees. Nell uses some of her knowledge from studying to defeat them, but Owen and her father, King Einar, still are focused on the "You're too soft" to see that her method was logically better. They call themselves practical, but don't think that it's better to save resources and lives by using her method of defeating Banshees simply because it isn't done in a manly way is pretty crazy. I would say that this is a children's book, so it would be much more simplistic in approaching the problems of masculinity and patriarchy, but there's a series a hate that does the same thing, but worse and it's written for YA (*sideyes Legacy series by Cara Kluver*).
I like the rest of the book much more than the beginning I think. Referring back to the characters in book one more with the poor girl Raechel and meeting Orson again was nice. I think the lessons that Nell learned from trying to help Raechel is important, even if it's quite sad. (I wonder if my younger self cried reading that part.) It's a little silly how Nell runs into Orson again with Owen and Zephyra getting captured, but Nell tricking Orson to magically turn himself into a woman is gold. I still laugh thinking about it. Grammar is important in this case!!
After they have the time to escape, talk to the camp of women, and retrieve wands from the land of elves only to be told the prophecy isn't fulfilled, the climax and ending hits you like a ton of bricks. They suddenly run into King Einar in the aftermath of a battle and everything is really rushed. I understand that Nell needed to reconcile with her father, but I felt like their reunion was too short. And while there was a moment of teamwork between Nell and Owen, none of the three felt like family. (I'll have more to talk about this later.) And after that, Nell and Owen are off to save the world. The Imperial Wizard's background story is nice and understandable, but I wished it was referenced/hinted at earlier. Something like occasionally Nell would catch him staring at her with sad eyes or look off to the distance forlornly. But before you really can start to sympathize, he dies.
When it comes to Nell and Owen's discovery that they're both the Chosen One really bothers me. Her tripping and them arguing over the scepter was just...childish? I know they're both eleven and children, but after what they've been through, I just was hoping to see more of the sibling teamwork than bickering.
And before you know it, everything about how they defeat the darkness, how they pushed back Graieconn's forces, them coming home to King Einar victorious is skipped over and it ends with them being crowned as Imperial Wizard and Imperial Witch.
What I was really missing from book 2 and this book as well was the development between Nell and Owen to become better friends/siblings. Their teamwork was lacking at at the climatic moment, which I think shows a failure of character growth for both of them, which I think goes against everything the series worked towards. I'm just a little disappointed.
Overall, I still have a fondness for this series, with a heavy dosage of nostalgia thrown in. It's pretty interesting to go back to see what my young self liked and I think it's quite unique in some ways. I don't think I've read many stories where a boy disguises himself as a girl. Nell is still a great character and she was definitely someone I wanted to be like when I was younger. I was happy to go back down memory lane this year.
But before we get far into training, the castle and village gets attacked by Banshees. Nell uses some of her knowledge from studying to defeat them, but Owen and her father, King Einar, still are focused on the "You're too soft" to see that her method was logically better. They call themselves practical, but don't think that it's better to save resources and lives by using her method of defeating Banshees simply because it isn't done in a manly way is pretty crazy. I would say that this is a children's book, so it would be much more simplistic in approaching the problems of masculinity and patriarchy, but there's a series a hate that does the same thing, but worse and it's written for YA (*sideyes Legacy series by Cara Kluver*).
I like the rest of the book much more than the beginning I think. Referring back to the characters in book one more with the poor girl Raechel and meeting Orson again was nice. I think the lessons that Nell learned from trying to help Raechel is important, even if it's quite sad. (I wonder if my younger self cried reading that part.) It's a little silly how Nell runs into Orson again with Owen and Zephyra getting captured, but Nell tricking Orson to magically turn himself into a woman is gold. I still laugh thinking about it. Grammar is important in this case!!
After they have the time to escape, talk to the camp of women, and retrieve wands from the land of elves only to be told the prophecy isn't fulfilled, the climax and ending hits you like a ton of bricks. They suddenly run into King Einar in the aftermath of a battle and everything is really rushed. I understand that Nell needed to reconcile with her father, but I felt like their reunion was too short. And while there was a moment of teamwork between Nell and Owen, none of the three felt like family. (I'll have more to talk about this later.) And after that, Nell and Owen are off to save the world. The Imperial Wizard's background story is nice and understandable, but I wished it was referenced/hinted at earlier. Something like occasionally Nell would catch him staring at her with sad eyes or look off to the distance forlornly. But before you really can start to sympathize, he dies.
When it comes to Nell and Owen's discovery that they're both the Chosen One really bothers me. Her tripping and them arguing over the scepter was just...childish? I know they're both eleven and children, but after what they've been through, I just was hoping to see more of the sibling teamwork than bickering.
And before you know it, everything about how they defeat the darkness, how they pushed back Graieconn's forces, them coming home to King Einar victorious is skipped over and it ends with them being crowned as Imperial Wizard and Imperial Witch.
What I was really missing from book 2 and this book as well was the development between Nell and Owen to become better friends/siblings. Their teamwork was lacking at at the climatic moment, which I think shows a failure of character growth for both of them, which I think goes against everything the series worked towards. I'm just a little disappointed.
Overall, I still have a fondness for this series, with a heavy dosage of nostalgia thrown in. It's pretty interesting to go back to see what my young self liked and I think it's quite unique in some ways. I don't think I've read many stories where a boy disguises himself as a girl. Nell is still a great character and she was definitely someone I wanted to be like when I was younger. I was happy to go back down memory lane this year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2010
The Imperial Wizard, Guardian of the Scepter, is dying, and all the good people of Eldearth are worried. If the Imperial Wizard dies without choosing a successor, Graieconn, the Lord of Darkness, will take over Eldearth and rule over it with an iron fist. Eleven-year-old Nell is determined to be the next Imperial Wizard, but her long-lost twin brother, Owen, is favored because he is a boy. As Nell and Owen compete for title of Imperial Wizard, time is running out for Eldearth. Will Nell be strong enough to fight the forces of evil? And what if neither she nor Owen is the promised one, destined to be Imperial Wizard?
Readers who enjoyed the first two books in the Keepers trilogy won't want to miss the conclusion to Nell's adventures. I enjoyed this trilogy a lot, and I highly recommend it to middle grace readers who enjoy fantasy adventures with strong female characters.
Readers who enjoyed the first two books in the Keepers trilogy won't want to miss the conclusion to Nell's adventures. I enjoyed this trilogy a lot, and I highly recommend it to middle grace readers who enjoy fantasy adventures with strong female characters.
November 30, 2013
I bought this book at a second hand sale as I mistakenly thought it was by the Australian writer, Jackie French, and that for some reason she was just using an alternative writing name with an extra surname (I thought maybe she'd gotten married or divorced or had some other kind of identity-changing epiphany). But as it turns out, Jackie French Koller is an American writer of no connection to the Australian.
I couldn't get my hands on the first two books in Koller's Keepers series so I read this standalone and had no problems catching up on what happened in the first two books.
The book is aimed at 8-12 year olds and has a strong feminist message which sometimes edges into pedantry. I found the sexism/feminism theme of the book a little bit frustrating because it was so obvious and lacking in subtleties.
The story was ok and the setting was interesting.
I couldn't get my hands on the first two books in Koller's Keepers series so I read this standalone and had no problems catching up on what happened in the first two books.
The book is aimed at 8-12 year olds and has a strong feminist message which sometimes edges into pedantry. I found the sexism/feminism theme of the book a little bit frustrating because it was so obvious and lacking in subtleties.
The story was ok and the setting was interesting.
November 2, 2011
I know I just borrowed this book today and that I finish it, so you might be amazed by how fast I read. This book isn't exactly the best in the category of magic and dragons, simply because it feels like it is more of a relationship with twins, complicated families, war, and royal blood. It really feels like it does not contain much magic, even though it takes a major part in it, but a majority part of every book in this series are mostly about "women having more respect than they are being treated by", not like it's bad or anything though. It just annoys me how she gets annoyed every second a man says something wrong and she gets all this "anger towards men" because a word slipped out from him by accident. I mean really, give that man another try, you don't have to scream at him.
August 3, 2016
This book read like a sequel, as it referenced other tasks which Nell had accomplished in order to make it to 'today'.
Other than that it read very well, especially for a children's book.
I was not disappointed at all - the story wove around the twins' attempts to earn the right to be Imperial Wizard, which would pass to the right one when the current rankholder died.
I saw Nell's anger at the unjust treatment she received due to her gender, and although there could have been more worked into that, this book was designed for a much younger crowd, and would have been too much.
I enjoyed the ending and would heartily recommend this to all tweens.
Other than that it read very well, especially for a children's book.
I was not disappointed at all - the story wove around the twins' attempts to earn the right to be Imperial Wizard, which would pass to the right one when the current rankholder died.
I saw Nell's anger at the unjust treatment she received due to her gender, and although there could have been more worked into that, this book was designed for a much younger crowd, and would have been too much.
I enjoyed the ending and would heartily recommend this to all tweens.
January 30, 2013
Good ending to The Keepers series. Eldearth is hardpressed to fight off the evil Graieconn and his armies as the Imperial Wizard grows weaker and weaker. Nell and her new found brother, plus friends, come up with unexpected ways to outwit and defeat Graieconn and retain Eldearth's freedom.
Strong emphasis on the ideas (new to Eldearth) that women should be equal to men and that anyone "different" for whatever reason should be respected--themes running throughout the trilogy.
Strong emphasis on the ideas (new to Eldearth) that women should be equal to men and that anyone "different" for whatever reason should be respected--themes running throughout the trilogy.
July 30, 2007
The problem with reading any kids fantasy about wizrds after HP7 is that they suffer in caomparison. However, this is an enjoyable series with all the right elements...Hero's Journey, Head vs Heart, and dragons, of course. Throw in a little sisterhood solidarity, and it's a quick, engaging read.
January 18, 2010
I didn't like this one as well. There seemed to be an undercurrent of girls are just as good/better than boys that I didn't care for. The male figures almost always seemed brutish and insensitive. It was also a little predictable to me.
January 19, 2008
This is a great read about a girl trying to make her way in a man's world...Fun for boys and girls and adults.
May 26, 2008
Read them all!!!! You will be glad This princess, and strong young girl will be great for your daughter! My girls loved it! I loved it!
September 28, 2008
The final conclusion to A Wizard Named Nell. See if she accomplishes all that she set out to do.
December 16, 2009
a good yet sad end to the series. those who died, i shed some tears for. i wish the series would have been longer!
October 25, 2010
Like it!
August 21, 2011
Quick, fun read
April 9, 2013
now getting to the conclution is great. there has been lots of twists and turns keeping me hooked on the book.
February 17, 2014
When Nell got a blood pox potion and brought it to Reachel but someone stole it from her. Reachels father died and since Reachel didn't have the blood pox potion she also died.
Isn't that sad?
Isn't that sad?
May 24, 2008
Amazing!
June 15, 2015
The kids loved it. What a great series.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews