What do you think?
Rate this book
Ethan and the Key
Twelve-year-old Ethan Mason is focused on baseball, math tests, and staying out of Howard Russman's way. That is, until a mysterious puddle of green light appears in the upstairs hallway of his home. The light brings Ethan to the kingdom of Abentur, a beautiful world defended by a dragon against vicious invaders and Draykik, their brutal leader. Ethan can't tell his parents or friends or anyone else about the new world he's discovered, because he has no way to prove, even to himself, that it really exists. When invaders capture the castle and take him and the royal family prisoner, Ethan learns he alone may be able to save Abentur. Should he risk his life for the kingdom?
215 pages, Paperback
Published October 31, 2017
3 people are currently reading
456 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Canfield
12 books81 followersMy wife and I live near Chicago, Illinois with our two daughters. I am a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Commerce, and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
I became interested in writing when my older daughter was invited to play 'Wendy' in 'Peter Pan,' at our local community theater. The theater needed someone to 'fly' her (that is, pull the rope to make her fly above the stage). That was my first ever experience in theater, and I loved it. But I can't act or sing or dance, and I'm not handy, so if I'm going to have any more connection to theater, I'm going to have to write plays. Or maybe pass out programs.
My first printed book is Back to Christmas, followed by Ethan and the Key. My latest book is the crime novel Hardly Even Rich: A Short Story
What my ratings mean:
5 Stars - Everyone should read this book, so I give very few five star ratings. To Kill a Mockingbird and Les Miserables made the cut, not many others.
4 Stars - A great book, very well written and very enjoyable, but maybe not for everyone. My own books, for example, I would give four stars. Even though I think they're great books, not everyone enjoys fantasy or Christmas stories. Other good examples of books that I absolutely loved but gave four stars to are all the Harry Potters, Treasure Island, and Dracula.
3 Stars - Good but not great. Definitely still worthwhile.
2 Stars - Not worthwhile. I usually only rate books if I can give them at least three stars. I will rate books two stars if they already have a lot of other higher ratings and I feel a counterpoint is needed. A good example of this is "All the Light We Cannot See." Though the writing was beautiful, I thought it was extremely boring with no payoff.
1 Star - Not even an honest effort by the author to write a worthwhile book.
I became interested in writing when my older daughter was invited to play 'Wendy' in 'Peter Pan,' at our local community theater. The theater needed someone to 'fly' her (that is, pull the rope to make her fly above the stage). That was my first ever experience in theater, and I loved it. But I can't act or sing or dance, and I'm not handy, so if I'm going to have any more connection to theater, I'm going to have to write plays. Or maybe pass out programs.
My first printed book is Back to Christmas, followed by Ethan and the Key. My latest book is the crime novel Hardly Even Rich: A Short Story
What my ratings mean:
5 Stars - Everyone should read this book, so I give very few five star ratings. To Kill a Mockingbird and Les Miserables made the cut, not many others.
4 Stars - A great book, very well written and very enjoyable, but maybe not for everyone. My own books, for example, I would give four stars. Even though I think they're great books, not everyone enjoys fantasy or Christmas stories. Other good examples of books that I absolutely loved but gave four stars to are all the Harry Potters, Treasure Island, and Dracula.
3 Stars - Good but not great. Definitely still worthwhile.
2 Stars - Not worthwhile. I usually only rate books if I can give them at least three stars. I will rate books two stars if they already have a lot of other higher ratings and I feel a counterpoint is needed. A good example of this is "All the Light We Cannot See." Though the writing was beautiful, I thought it was extremely boring with no payoff.
1 Star - Not even an honest effort by the author to write a worthwhile book.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 6, 2026
Ethan has spent his entire life...in a perfectly average world.
"I need to speak with you about something important. And it has to be secret."
He has friends and a loving family. He plays baseball and does decent in school, and while he does get bullied a bit, it's nothing major.
And then...one day...something decidedly not-average happens.
A glowing green puddle appears in his house.
And...being a preteen guy, he decides to touch it - and is immediately sucked into an entirely new world.
"Ethan got on his hands and knees and put his face a few inches from the puddle...He blew on it and it rippled like water."
And in this world, Abentur, there's flying horses, a monarchy in danger, evil Invaders (led by Draykik) and, above all, a dragon named Smoke (who takes a liking to young Ethan).
Ethan quickly becomes friends with the prince and princess of the realm, and (of course) that spells out trouble for him.
But despite the danger, the drama and the terror, he finds himself falling in love with this vibrant, whimsical world - but, the question is, will he live long enough to enjoy it?
"Ethan hesitated. He hated small, underground, enclosed places, especially in completely different worlds from the one he grew up in."
I rather enjoyed this one!
Ethan and the Key was fast, enjoyable and (above all) fun.
With so many young reader books targeting girls, it's always a welcome change to have one that focuses on adventure over romance.
I enjoyed reading as Ethan fulfilled his destiny, though there were a few times that the "plot twists" felt a predictable (though I don't think it would be so notable to a younger audience).
However, the alternate scenes between the "real" world and Abentur were a fun way to shake up the plot whenever one setting was reaching a dull point.
Ethan was a fresh, funny main character with lots of spunk!
He has just the right mixture of youthful bravado and teenage angst - which made him feel incredibly real and honest to the reader.
"Shut up! One more word from you..."
Ethan just waved at the invader and said, "Buh-bye."
The side characters alternated between being fully-fleshed out and exciting to playing a semi-predictable role based on their rank (i.e. the King and his ultimate did feel like a bit of a cop-out).
"...you've been lying to me my whole life?"
Overall - a really nice middle-grades read!
The 2018 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge - A book set on a different planet
With thanks to the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
November 6, 2018
Originally posted at Books of My Heart
Every once and awhile, I give a Middle Grade (MG) book a shot. Sometimes they are a lot of fun and easy reads. Ethan and the Key was just that an entertaining read which transported me into another world. This is also narrated by the fantastic Nick Podehl who is one of my favorite narrators which made this even better.
Ethan is just the average kid. He has a few friends and goes to school has parents that love him. He is on a few sports teams but not great at any of them. Then one day he sees a green light in his room, when he steps into it he is transported into the world of Abentur. It is a world not like his own at all. There are Pegasi for one, a Castle and Royal Family for another and even a Dragon whose best friend is a horse. It is a wonderous place and Ethan has been brought there to save it.
The great thing about this is how the story doesn’t waste any time. We get to the meat of the story right away and don’t have much down time at all. I think this would easily keep the attention of someone in the 8-12 age group well. Also, Ethan isn’t just magically transformed once in Abentur to be smarter or stronger, but he does do so work both there and in the real world to increase his strength and athleticism.
There are some great twists in this and I’ll admit the end wasn’t really predictable. I thought I would easily figure it out since I’m much older than the demographic age group but there were some fun twists. I liked how this ended and that the parents were a big part of Ethan’s life and not absentee parents.
A fun story for everyone in the family.
Narration: As I mentioned Nick Podehl is a favorite narrator of mine. He never disappoints and was wonderful to listen to for book as well. He brings the characters and story to life. If you haven’t listed to an audio book by him I hope you give him a try, maybe even with this one. This audio was about 5.5 hours and I listened at my normal 1.5x speed. If you have a car trip with the kids planned this holiday season, it could be fun for everyone.
Audio was received from the author and did not affect my review
Every once and awhile, I give a Middle Grade (MG) book a shot. Sometimes they are a lot of fun and easy reads. Ethan and the Key was just that an entertaining read which transported me into another world. This is also narrated by the fantastic Nick Podehl who is one of my favorite narrators which made this even better.
Ethan is just the average kid. He has a few friends and goes to school has parents that love him. He is on a few sports teams but not great at any of them. Then one day he sees a green light in his room, when he steps into it he is transported into the world of Abentur. It is a world not like his own at all. There are Pegasi for one, a Castle and Royal Family for another and even a Dragon whose best friend is a horse. It is a wonderous place and Ethan has been brought there to save it.
The great thing about this is how the story doesn’t waste any time. We get to the meat of the story right away and don’t have much down time at all. I think this would easily keep the attention of someone in the 8-12 age group well. Also, Ethan isn’t just magically transformed once in Abentur to be smarter or stronger, but he does do so work both there and in the real world to increase his strength and athleticism.
There are some great twists in this and I’ll admit the end wasn’t really predictable. I thought I would easily figure it out since I’m much older than the demographic age group but there were some fun twists. I liked how this ended and that the parents were a big part of Ethan’s life and not absentee parents.
A fun story for everyone in the family.
Narration: As I mentioned Nick Podehl is a favorite narrator of mine. He never disappoints and was wonderful to listen to for book as well. He brings the characters and story to life. If you haven’t listed to an audio book by him I hope you give him a try, maybe even with this one. This audio was about 5.5 hours and I listened at my normal 1.5x speed. If you have a car trip with the kids planned this holiday season, it could be fun for everyone.
Audio was received from the author and did not affect my review
Read
February 17, 2020My hope is that Ethan and the Key will be enjoyed by both children and adults. That's because I've always loved reading at bedtime with my daughters, even as they've grown older. We're always looking for good stories to read together, and I wrote Ethan and the Key for parents like me who love to read with their children. I hope you will enjoy Ethan and the Key.
June 11, 2018
Ethan and the Key by Dennis Canfield is a wonderful middle grade fantasy that flashes between the "normal" world and the kingdom of Abentur.
The action begins right away and totally sucks you in. I picked this one up one afternoon and couldn't put it down until I had finished the read.
Full disclosure: I was given free copies of this book and the audiobook by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
The Story:
This book didn't waste any time at all; I love how we dove right into the action in chapter one! From there, it was a very fast-paced and action-packed tale that I just could not put down.
Like I said above, the story flashed between the "normal" world and the kingdom of Abentur. I loved this organization because it added a layer of anticipation to the story that wouldn't have been there if we had just stuck to the kingdom. There was also a level of humor throughout this book that kept me laughing out loud. Whenever Ethan did or said something that the people of Abentur didn't understand, such as offering a fist-bump, I would chuckle. I really enjoyed how bits and pieces of the "real world" were thrown in like that! Another great example was when Ethan rode the dragon, Smoke, for the first time:
Ethan was flying on the back of a dragon, the greatest thrill he had ever experienced. What he wouldnt have given for a GoPro at that moment!
The descriptions were lovely! They were so well done that I had no problem really imagining the landscapes, the architecture, the decor, and the people.
The characters were all so fun! I loved how each of their personalities were reflected, even if they were a character that we didn't learn much about. I especially enjoyed their relationships. For example, Ethan's relationship with his friends in the real world was so realistic and humorous. Ethan himself was a lovely main character! I really appreciated how down to earth he was. He was also very smart and brave and he had a bit of the underdog trope going for him, but in a refreshing way.
As for the plot... I don't want to give anything away. I will say that I thought it was really interesting and that there were twists and turns I totally didn't see coming. This is a story that I could read time and time again and never get tired of it because of how fun it is!
This story really had it all; great friendships, a brave main character, interesting family dynamics, humor, action, slight-violence, adventure, and of course, a dragon!
Audiobook:
Right from the first line of this one ("YOU'RE OUT!"), I knew it was going to be a great listen! The narrator, Nick Podehl, did a lovely job! He’s so energetic and really performs well! I really loved that he used different voices for each of the characters, and each of them was so different!
This is an audiobook that is such a treat to listen to because of how upbeat and fun it is.
My favorite passages:
He came to the path and joined the line of people going into the castle. They were speaking, but it didn't see like a natural language at all. It sounded more like radio static. It was almost painful to listen to. But he started to hear a few normal words among the static, as if the language part of his brain just needed to find the right frequency for him to understand what people were saying.
He stood about six feet tall, with muscles in his neck and arms and legs that a professional wrestler would have envied. His hooked nose, heavy eyebrows, and the anger in his eyes gave his face a hawk-like appearance, and he was going right at Ethan.
His only hope was that it was all a dream, or a nightmare. But it seemed much too real to be either.
"You're wrestling Howard?" Richard asked. "Where should we send the flowers?"
"It's been nice knowin' ya," Steve added.
It only took Ethan a moment to decide. "Let's rock and roll!"
The king had a puzzled expression. "Pardon me?"
"Sorry. I mean, yes, let's do it."
Ethan was flying on the back of a dragon, the greatest thrill he had ever experienced. What he wouldnt have given for a GoPro at that moment!
He had no idea how much weight to try, but he knew he weighed about ninety pounds. So he selected one hundred pounds, got under the handles, and pushed up.
He might as well have been trying to bench his house.
My final thoughts:
Both the book and the audiobook were so lovely! Definitely a must-read/listen for any middle grade fantasy fan! It reminded me a bit of the Magic Tree House books, simply from the feeling I got while reading it. I would very highly recommend this book! I cannot wait to reread it.
The action begins right away and totally sucks you in. I picked this one up one afternoon and couldn't put it down until I had finished the read.
Full disclosure: I was given free copies of this book and the audiobook by the author in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
The Story:
This book didn't waste any time at all; I love how we dove right into the action in chapter one! From there, it was a very fast-paced and action-packed tale that I just could not put down.
Like I said above, the story flashed between the "normal" world and the kingdom of Abentur. I loved this organization because it added a layer of anticipation to the story that wouldn't have been there if we had just stuck to the kingdom. There was also a level of humor throughout this book that kept me laughing out loud. Whenever Ethan did or said something that the people of Abentur didn't understand, such as offering a fist-bump, I would chuckle. I really enjoyed how bits and pieces of the "real world" were thrown in like that! Another great example was when Ethan rode the dragon, Smoke, for the first time:
Ethan was flying on the back of a dragon, the greatest thrill he had ever experienced. What he wouldnt have given for a GoPro at that moment!
The descriptions were lovely! They were so well done that I had no problem really imagining the landscapes, the architecture, the decor, and the people.
The characters were all so fun! I loved how each of their personalities were reflected, even if they were a character that we didn't learn much about. I especially enjoyed their relationships. For example, Ethan's relationship with his friends in the real world was so realistic and humorous. Ethan himself was a lovely main character! I really appreciated how down to earth he was. He was also very smart and brave and he had a bit of the underdog trope going for him, but in a refreshing way.
As for the plot... I don't want to give anything away. I will say that I thought it was really interesting and that there were twists and turns I totally didn't see coming. This is a story that I could read time and time again and never get tired of it because of how fun it is!
This story really had it all; great friendships, a brave main character, interesting family dynamics, humor, action, slight-violence, adventure, and of course, a dragon!
Audiobook:
Right from the first line of this one ("YOU'RE OUT!"), I knew it was going to be a great listen! The narrator, Nick Podehl, did a lovely job! He’s so energetic and really performs well! I really loved that he used different voices for each of the characters, and each of them was so different!
This is an audiobook that is such a treat to listen to because of how upbeat and fun it is.
My favorite passages:
He came to the path and joined the line of people going into the castle. They were speaking, but it didn't see like a natural language at all. It sounded more like radio static. It was almost painful to listen to. But he started to hear a few normal words among the static, as if the language part of his brain just needed to find the right frequency for him to understand what people were saying.
He stood about six feet tall, with muscles in his neck and arms and legs that a professional wrestler would have envied. His hooked nose, heavy eyebrows, and the anger in his eyes gave his face a hawk-like appearance, and he was going right at Ethan.
His only hope was that it was all a dream, or a nightmare. But it seemed much too real to be either.
"You're wrestling Howard?" Richard asked. "Where should we send the flowers?"
"It's been nice knowin' ya," Steve added.
It only took Ethan a moment to decide. "Let's rock and roll!"
The king had a puzzled expression. "Pardon me?"
"Sorry. I mean, yes, let's do it."
Ethan was flying on the back of a dragon, the greatest thrill he had ever experienced. What he wouldnt have given for a GoPro at that moment!
He had no idea how much weight to try, but he knew he weighed about ninety pounds. So he selected one hundred pounds, got under the handles, and pushed up.
He might as well have been trying to bench his house.
My final thoughts:
Both the book and the audiobook were so lovely! Definitely a must-read/listen for any middle grade fantasy fan! It reminded me a bit of the Magic Tree House books, simply from the feeling I got while reading it. I would very highly recommend this book! I cannot wait to reread it.
December 2, 2018
Ethan finds himself living in a portal fantasy, and the stakes get high enough that he doesn't even enjoy telling the story to his friends as an idea for a movie. But he also learns how to take action for himself and to have a more honest relationship with his parents, who know more than he thinks they do.
December 14, 2017
This adventure rides as smooth and as thrilling as the flight through the clouds on a mystical dragon.
Ethan loves baseball, actually doesn't mind math and can't stand the biggest jerk at school, Howard. He's as normal as normal can be and totally satisfied with life, but when a green light in his hallway transports him to the forest outside of a castle, normality disappears. Ethan soon finds himself wrapped up in an adventure, where horses fly, dragons breath fire and evil men plan to destroy a peaceful kingdom. . .and him.
The first page plants foot in a very real, easily recognizable situation—a baseball game. Ethan and his friends come across as normal as the kid next door, and it's no problem to connect with them right away. Ethan isn't overly daring or brave, but he doesn't back down from things simply because they're difficult. He's got a good head on his shoulders, knows right from wrong, and takes on things as best as any kid could. Readers can easily slip into his shoes and cheer him on every step of the way.
There's no time for boredom in these pages as the fantastical world, and it's challenges, comes to life. Something is always happening. Still, it's not high-tension with jerking abruptness, but rather takes on a smoother pace, making an enjoyable read.
Ethan is caught up in a flip-flop between two worlds, the kingdom and real life. The author sets up the mechanics masterfully, making it believable while adding a bit of humor. While the fantasy world is rich and exciting, the real world borders on obsolete during most of the tale. Ethan does have clever interactions with his 'real' friends, but these are short, sporadic and miss a bit more depth. Still, this doesn't hurt the main plot in the fantasy world in the least. The adventure remains strong the whole way through, holds many surprises and is sure to lure readers in.
Summed up, this is an exciting, well-written adventure for ages 9 and up. It comes across smoother than many adventures for this age group, while still holding all the elements necessary for a terrific read. And at only 200 pages, it's a fantasy even more reluctant readers can dive into and enjoy. I'm giving this one a 4.5 stars and rounding up to 5.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed it enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.
Ethan loves baseball, actually doesn't mind math and can't stand the biggest jerk at school, Howard. He's as normal as normal can be and totally satisfied with life, but when a green light in his hallway transports him to the forest outside of a castle, normality disappears. Ethan soon finds himself wrapped up in an adventure, where horses fly, dragons breath fire and evil men plan to destroy a peaceful kingdom. . .and him.
The first page plants foot in a very real, easily recognizable situation—a baseball game. Ethan and his friends come across as normal as the kid next door, and it's no problem to connect with them right away. Ethan isn't overly daring or brave, but he doesn't back down from things simply because they're difficult. He's got a good head on his shoulders, knows right from wrong, and takes on things as best as any kid could. Readers can easily slip into his shoes and cheer him on every step of the way.
There's no time for boredom in these pages as the fantastical world, and it's challenges, comes to life. Something is always happening. Still, it's not high-tension with jerking abruptness, but rather takes on a smoother pace, making an enjoyable read.
Ethan is caught up in a flip-flop between two worlds, the kingdom and real life. The author sets up the mechanics masterfully, making it believable while adding a bit of humor. While the fantasy world is rich and exciting, the real world borders on obsolete during most of the tale. Ethan does have clever interactions with his 'real' friends, but these are short, sporadic and miss a bit more depth. Still, this doesn't hurt the main plot in the fantasy world in the least. The adventure remains strong the whole way through, holds many surprises and is sure to lure readers in.
Summed up, this is an exciting, well-written adventure for ages 9 and up. It comes across smoother than many adventures for this age group, while still holding all the elements necessary for a terrific read. And at only 200 pages, it's a fantasy even more reluctant readers can dive into and enjoy. I'm giving this one a 4.5 stars and rounding up to 5.
I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed it enough to want to leave my honest thoughts.
July 23, 2018
Ethan is a twelve-year-old boy who enjoys hanging out with his friends and doing what middle-school aged boys like to do. Then, one day, when his parents are out, Ethan sees a pool of green light appear in his house. He steps into it and is magically transported to another time a place, to the kingdom of Abentur. There, he meets the royal family and discovers that the kingdom is under assault from a group of invaders. He also learns that a dragon named Smoke is the best defense the kingdom possesses. Slowly, Ethan learns secrets about the Abentur, the royal family, and his own family as he travels back and forth between the two worlds.
I think this is a wonderful book for almost everyone, child and adult alike. There is some violence and angst, but overall, it’s a well-written, well-narrated tale of good winning over evil. There’s a lot of action to keep the listener engaged. We also get to see how Ethan values friendship ,and how he trusts his instincts when dealing with whatever comes his way. He’s a smart and brave young man who wants to do the right things. I could easily see this book become a series; in fact, I hope it does. It’s an engaging, humorous, and fun listen.
I received a copy of this audiobook as a gift from the author. His generosity is appreciated, but had no influence on my review of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions of the audiobook.
I think this is a wonderful book for almost everyone, child and adult alike. There is some violence and angst, but overall, it’s a well-written, well-narrated tale of good winning over evil. There’s a lot of action to keep the listener engaged. We also get to see how Ethan values friendship ,and how he trusts his instincts when dealing with whatever comes his way. He’s a smart and brave young man who wants to do the right things. I could easily see this book become a series; in fact, I hope it does. It’s an engaging, humorous, and fun listen.
I received a copy of this audiobook as a gift from the author. His generosity is appreciated, but had no influence on my review of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are my honest opinions of the audiobook.
September 11, 2018
This was a fun take on the “chosen one” fantasy. Ethan is living his normal life some may even say a boring life, when suddenly there is a strange green glow in the hallway and when he goes to check it out he ends up in another world that is anything but normal!
Once he goes through the green glow Ethan has quite a journey ahead of him there are some twists and turns and revelations that change everything. As Ethan straddles these two worlds and tries to figure out which one he belongs in he sees his life quite differently than where we started! Can Ethan help save Abentur? Or should he just go back to being a normal boy? Is everything as it seems or is there more going on here than meets the eye?
This great fantasy adventure that starts right away and doesn’t let up till the end. I don’t want to give too much away, I will say this is a well written book with well-rounded characters and I would definitely recommend this one for a family road trip!
Nick Podehl’s narration of this one was great he gave everyone a distinct voice and accent and you always knew who was talking. He captured Ethan’s awe and innocence very well along the journey.
This is my second book from this author and I really enjoy his writing style. If you haven’t read his book Back to Christmas I highly recommend that one too!
Fun book!!
4 stars
**I received this book from the author for a fair and honest review.**
Once he goes through the green glow Ethan has quite a journey ahead of him there are some twists and turns and revelations that change everything. As Ethan straddles these two worlds and tries to figure out which one he belongs in he sees his life quite differently than where we started! Can Ethan help save Abentur? Or should he just go back to being a normal boy? Is everything as it seems or is there more going on here than meets the eye?
This great fantasy adventure that starts right away and doesn’t let up till the end. I don’t want to give too much away, I will say this is a well written book with well-rounded characters and I would definitely recommend this one for a family road trip!
Nick Podehl’s narration of this one was great he gave everyone a distinct voice and accent and you always knew who was talking. He captured Ethan’s awe and innocence very well along the journey.
This is my second book from this author and I really enjoy his writing style. If you haven’t read his book Back to Christmas I highly recommend that one too!
Fun book!!
4 stars
**I received this book from the author for a fair and honest review.**
July 5, 2018
Having enjoyed everything I've read by this author, it comes as no surprise that he’s written another wonderful fantasy novel. It’s impossible to slot it into an age group because it would entertain anybody between nine and ninety.
Fantasy isn’t my first love when it comes to genres, but I’m more than comfortable when there’s a foot on either side of the line, between normal and the not so normal. In this novel, Ethan is a twelve-year-old boy, his parents’ only child. He goes to school, plays baseball, prefers not to bump into a particular peer, has some good mates he likes to hang out with. And that’s it. Nothing strange there. Until a green puddle appears in his house and when he steps into it, he’s transported to the kingdom of Abentur. The king of Abentur has the means to ‘send’ him back to his real life whenever he wishes, but when Abentur’s future is threatened by invaders, led by Draykik, Ethan discovers he and Smoke, the dragon, are key to saving the kingdom.
It’s all just great fun, gallops along at a breathtaking pace, and I found it hard to put down. Canfield writes with fluidity and ease. It’s quite simply a wonderful, effortless read.
Read it yourself, read it to or with your children or grandchildren. Any which way is guaranteed to entertain you all!
Fantasy isn’t my first love when it comes to genres, but I’m more than comfortable when there’s a foot on either side of the line, between normal and the not so normal. In this novel, Ethan is a twelve-year-old boy, his parents’ only child. He goes to school, plays baseball, prefers not to bump into a particular peer, has some good mates he likes to hang out with. And that’s it. Nothing strange there. Until a green puddle appears in his house and when he steps into it, he’s transported to the kingdom of Abentur. The king of Abentur has the means to ‘send’ him back to his real life whenever he wishes, but when Abentur’s future is threatened by invaders, led by Draykik, Ethan discovers he and Smoke, the dragon, are key to saving the kingdom.
It’s all just great fun, gallops along at a breathtaking pace, and I found it hard to put down. Canfield writes with fluidity and ease. It’s quite simply a wonderful, effortless read.
Read it yourself, read it to or with your children or grandchildren. Any which way is guaranteed to entertain you all!
May 4, 2020
•audiobook•
Omgoddess! A remarkable MG fantasy adventure, well written, plotted, and lively characters for the whole family!
Ethan is grounded young boy enjoys his life, friends, and sports. He even likes and gets a long with his parents. (No orphans here!) His only qualm is Howard, a bully who any reader/listener will want to punch in the face.
He wasn’t bored, wasn’t looking for adventure, and didn’t (cliche) feel like he was different. When he slips into the light of the gateway, he is bewildered. His actions and dialogues are believable and realistic.
The characters are so fully developed, it’s easy to fall into this world and slip from time. I loved how he balanced both worlds. I loved how explanations were shown and not told (literally).
Nick Podehl has narrated numerous books, but this was one of the few books he’s read that I’ve wanted to listen. As most will agree, he’s a fabulous voice talent. He added emotion, pacing, and excitement to Ethan’s adventure and heroism.
Ethan and the Key is a hero you’ll want to follow into the Abentur realm and back.
Omgoddess! A remarkable MG fantasy adventure, well written, plotted, and lively characters for the whole family!
Ethan is grounded young boy enjoys his life, friends, and sports. He even likes and gets a long with his parents. (No orphans here!) His only qualm is Howard, a bully who any reader/listener will want to punch in the face.
He wasn’t bored, wasn’t looking for adventure, and didn’t (cliche) feel like he was different. When he slips into the light of the gateway, he is bewildered. His actions and dialogues are believable and realistic.
The characters are so fully developed, it’s easy to fall into this world and slip from time. I loved how he balanced both worlds. I loved how explanations were shown and not told (literally).
Nick Podehl has narrated numerous books, but this was one of the few books he’s read that I’ve wanted to listen. As most will agree, he’s a fabulous voice talent. He added emotion, pacing, and excitement to Ethan’s adventure and heroism.
Ethan and the Key is a hero you’ll want to follow into the Abentur realm and back.
May 9, 2018
I listened to Ethan and the Key, narrated by Nick Podehl on audible.
This is a fantasy story about a young boy that gets transported to a kingdom with strange people, dragons and castles. Its starts off right away and needs little build up to get the reader hooked early. It will be a great read for that pre-teen kid. Story is straight forward, but there are a few age appropriate struggles, if you include..... well I won't say because that could impact the your enjoyment. Our MC overcomes some personal doubt and mediocrity and rises to the occasion and help save those that are in need. It is well worth a read.
Podhel did a really good job narrating. His regular reading voice is clear and pleasant and his character voices were very good. He did such a good job I would want to hear him read more books.
I received this edition in exchange for an unbiased review.
This is a fantasy story about a young boy that gets transported to a kingdom with strange people, dragons and castles. Its starts off right away and needs little build up to get the reader hooked early. It will be a great read for that pre-teen kid. Story is straight forward, but there are a few age appropriate struggles, if you include..... well I won't say because that could impact the your enjoyment. Our MC overcomes some personal doubt and mediocrity and rises to the occasion and help save those that are in need. It is well worth a read.
Podhel did a really good job narrating. His regular reading voice is clear and pleasant and his character voices were very good. He did such a good job I would want to hear him read more books.
I received this edition in exchange for an unbiased review.
June 1, 2018
I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great “middle grades” book that is fun for adults and children. It isn’t too long (about 5.5 hours on audio) and continues to be interesting throughout the book. Unlike some kids’ books, the ending is not as predictable as you would think!
Since part of the description of this book mentions that it is for ages 9 to 11, I put it to the ultimate test and had my nine-year-old son, Olsen, listen to it. He absolutely loved and gobbled it up! He kept on telling me how it was the best book and he did not want to stop listening to it. His review will follow this one.
Audiobook narrator Nick Podehl rating: 5 stars
As usual, Nick Podehl was terrific in reading this book. I am kind of surprised at the ability of Dennis Canfield to find such huge narrators for his books! (I have only read this one and Back to Christmas, which is narrated by Simon Vance).
Olsen’s rating: 5 stars
Olsen’s review:
I liked it. It was a fun and good book. It was cool how he just stepped through the light and he went to that new world. I liked the dragon. I like how the dragon and the horse raced. There was nothing I did not like about the book. I recommend this book to people who like action. I would like to know if there will be a sequel since it was such a good book.
This was a great “middle grades” book that is fun for adults and children. It isn’t too long (about 5.5 hours on audio) and continues to be interesting throughout the book. Unlike some kids’ books, the ending is not as predictable as you would think!
Since part of the description of this book mentions that it is for ages 9 to 11, I put it to the ultimate test and had my nine-year-old son, Olsen, listen to it. He absolutely loved and gobbled it up! He kept on telling me how it was the best book and he did not want to stop listening to it. His review will follow this one.
Audiobook narrator Nick Podehl rating: 5 stars
As usual, Nick Podehl was terrific in reading this book. I am kind of surprised at the ability of Dennis Canfield to find such huge narrators for his books! (I have only read this one and Back to Christmas, which is narrated by Simon Vance).
Olsen’s rating: 5 stars
Olsen’s review:
I liked it. It was a fun and good book. It was cool how he just stepped through the light and he went to that new world. I liked the dragon. I like how the dragon and the horse raced. There was nothing I did not like about the book. I recommend this book to people who like action. I would like to know if there will be a sequel since it was such a good book.
August 13, 2018
Well, I'm living proof that it's not just for youngsters, I'm 50 and have no kids and I loved this story! Haha! This is a great tale of a brave young boy, dragons, and everything that happens in between. It's a fantastic tale of a boy who is transported to another world with royals and dragons. Really great book, great narration, I'd definitely recommend this to all my family & friends, loved it! :)
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
May 23, 2018
I received a free copy in a Goodreads giveaway. This book was really fun to read. The story moved quickly and was very exciting. It was great that Ethan was worried about the other characters and was willing to sacrifice himself for the good of everyone else.
April 23, 2018
I won this in a GOODREADS giveaway! #GoodreadsGiveaway
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews