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The Land Without Color #3
The Collapsing Kingdom
Throughout the Kingdom, the grayness has returned and the ground is collapsing beneath Brandon's feet into a giant, bottomless void. Nutritious fruits and vegetables are no longer growing. And people are missing, including his Grandpa Alvin.
With the help of a giant bald eagle and his best friend, Brandon must elude the tenacious Officer Reed, escape from the dangerous Spider Riders, endure the robot Color Collectors, find the twin princesses Gwendolyn and Sapphire, and rescue his Grandpa Alvin.
In the final chapter in the Land Without Color series, Brandon must hurry to defeat the vile vipers and restore the color to the Kingdom.
With the help of a giant bald eagle and his best friend, Brandon must elude the tenacious Officer Reed, escape from the dangerous Spider Riders, endure the robot Color Collectors, find the twin princesses Gwendolyn and Sapphire, and rescue his Grandpa Alvin.
In the final chapter in the Land Without Color series, Brandon must hurry to defeat the vile vipers and restore the color to the Kingdom.
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2017
15 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Ellefson
3 books57 followersAward winning author Benjamin Ellefson loves writing whimsical adventures for children of all ages.
Childhood was a magical time for him. Benjamin grew up in a neighborhood full of kids. Every day was filled with imagination, adventures, fantasy, and wonderful stories. In school he loved any project that let him explore his creativity.
When Benjamin was older, he traveled across the country to study story telling at the University of Southern California in their school of Cinema/Television. While in school, he had the amazing opportunity to work on several film productions and saw stories coming to life first hand.
Over several years after school, Benjamin had four beautiful daughters. When they were little, he spent all of his creative energy giving them the magical childhood that he had when he was small. There was nothing as exciting to Benjamin as watching their imaginations flourish as they explored the world.
Now that they are older, he wants to give that magic to all of the children of the world. Benjamin focuses his writing on modern fairy tales that are fun for kids and thought provoking for adults. Each adventure celebrates important values of self-reliance, preparedness, and diversity. He hopes with each book to spark imagination in each reader.
Childhood was a magical time for him. Benjamin grew up in a neighborhood full of kids. Every day was filled with imagination, adventures, fantasy, and wonderful stories. In school he loved any project that let him explore his creativity.
When Benjamin was older, he traveled across the country to study story telling at the University of Southern California in their school of Cinema/Television. While in school, he had the amazing opportunity to work on several film productions and saw stories coming to life first hand.
Over several years after school, Benjamin had four beautiful daughters. When they were little, he spent all of his creative energy giving them the magical childhood that he had when he was small. There was nothing as exciting to Benjamin as watching their imaginations flourish as they explored the world.
Now that they are older, he wants to give that magic to all of the children of the world. Benjamin focuses his writing on modern fairy tales that are fun for kids and thought provoking for adults. Each adventure celebrates important values of self-reliance, preparedness, and diversity. He hopes with each book to spark imagination in each reader.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 2, 2018
First, there was Alvin who introduced us to The Land Without Color (TLWC). Then, we learned how it all happened with Otto and The Great Sugar War. Now, Brandon takes the reader on the most adventurous and dangerous journey of all: saving The Collapsing Kingdom. Benjamin Ellefson is true to form in this 3rd installment of TLWC, driving home the importance of vegetables in our lives, and he doubles down on the consequences of eating poorly. He does all of this by bringing the imagination into play in a big way (something sorely needed with youth today).
Joining Brandon on this impossible journey is best friend Steven and faithful companion, talking bald eagle, Scout. You gotta love the name, and you absolutely can’t miss with talking animals and kids. Trust me. Another strong element of Ellefson’s works is critical thinking skills and problem-solving at work throughout the story as well as subtler political concepts that are introduced. The one line the rocked me was delivered by Brandon himself was, “Order is an illusion in a world of chaos. It is given to people to control them.” I love it, something for young minds to digest.
Joining Brandon on this impossible journey is best friend Steven and faithful companion, talking bald eagle, Scout. You gotta love the name, and you absolutely can’t miss with talking animals and kids. Trust me. Another strong element of Ellefson’s works is critical thinking skills and problem-solving at work throughout the story as well as subtler political concepts that are introduced. The one line the rocked me was delivered by Brandon himself was, “Order is an illusion in a world of chaos. It is given to people to control them.” I love it, something for young minds to digest.
December 18, 2018
And the story is wrapping up with this story, as Brandon continues his great imagination of that land. Here his world becomes grey again, until it collapses.
You have to read the story for the ending.
You have to read the story for the ending.
February 3, 2019
This is the third tale in the Land without Colour. Mostly the land does have colour, like anywhere, and the fruits and berries and vegetables help to sustain people's colour and keep them strong. But from time to time the evil serpents sneak in and try to steal all the colour.
On this occasion you should have read at least the second book because that ended on a cliff-hanger and this book takes up the story. In the previous tales we saw resourceful young lads who each met an animal friend. This time young Brandon meets a helpful eagle. What could be better? Together they fall in and out of gaping holes in the ground, turn grey, soar above the lands and battle robots. The useful lesson we learn is that eating factory made food is probably not as good for you as genuine carefully grown fruit and veg.
Parents and teachers will enjoy helping young readers with this book, and those who can read easily will be turning the pages fast as they just need to find out how Brandon escapes the next trap. The line drawings give a great feeling for the adventure. Enjoy!
This is an unbiased review.
On this occasion you should have read at least the second book because that ended on a cliff-hanger and this book takes up the story. In the previous tales we saw resourceful young lads who each met an animal friend. This time young Brandon meets a helpful eagle. What could be better? Together they fall in and out of gaping holes in the ground, turn grey, soar above the lands and battle robots. The useful lesson we learn is that eating factory made food is probably not as good for you as genuine carefully grown fruit and veg.
Parents and teachers will enjoy helping young readers with this book, and those who can read easily will be turning the pages fast as they just need to find out how Brandon escapes the next trap. The line drawings give a great feeling for the adventure. Enjoy!
This is an unbiased review.
July 29, 2018
Raised on stories of his grandfather and great-grandfather’s heroism, Brandon never thought that one day he’d be called upon to be brave and fearless. But, one day, the kingdom starts turning gray, and certain spots are disappearing. Brandon’s in trouble at his school for questioning the teacher’s lectures, and when he plays hooky to find proof that he’s right, he’s chased by the school security guard.
The Collapsing Kingdom by Benjamin Ellefson is book three in the Land Without Color series, and it continues to grand tradition of its predecessors. Really neat illustrations support a fascinating story that has subtle lessons on the importance of self-confidence and a good diet. Great reading for young and old alike.
My kudos to the author for a great series.
I give this one five stars.
The Collapsing Kingdom by Benjamin Ellefson is book three in the Land Without Color series, and it continues to grand tradition of its predecessors. Really neat illustrations support a fascinating story that has subtle lessons on the importance of self-confidence and a good diet. Great reading for young and old alike.
My kudos to the author for a great series.
I give this one five stars.
August 13, 2018
Thoughts: This series is truly incredible. I loved how Benjamin Ellefson was able to connect the three different books in The Land Without Color series into one truly incredible story. For example, in every book there is a different main character, however each main character is related to each other. An example of this is one of the main characters is the grandson and great-great grandson of the two other main characters. I also enjoyed all the sidekicks in this series including a talkative squirrel, a dim solider, and a helpful eagle. Finally, I liked how Kevin Cannon drew such amazing and descriptive illustrations. Overall, I loved this funny, amazing, truly incredible series.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.
December 16, 2018
And the story is wrapping up with this story, as Brandon continues his great imagination of that land. Here his world becomes grey again, until it collapses.
You have to read the story for the ending.
You have to read the story for the ending.
June 2, 2018
I received books 2 and 3 of this series for free as part of a giveaway hosted by GoodReads. I will be reviewing the full series here.
The Land Without Color series is a charming saga for young readers. The Land of Color does not seem to live up to its name very well, as every few decades, it seems its vibrant color is threatened by an unseen force, and the citizens are deceived to look in every direction but the correct one in order to restore their energy and color. In the first book, Brandon’s grandfather related his adventures alongside a squirrel named Permy as they stop the color from being slowly drained out from other the citizen’s feet, and in the sequel, Brandon discovers a book detailing how his great-great-grandfather as instrumental in ending a war between the Land of Color and the Land of Shapes, as well as stopping the advancing threat of the Sugar Soldiers. Finally, in the final instalment, Brandon finds all the color seeping out of the land again, and what’s worse, the whole kingdom is crumbling, leaving gaping holes everywhere he goes. Although he tried to spread the truth, most citizens are too brainwashed to realize it. So, armed with only a backpack of supplies and the true history of the kingdom which the government tries to hide, he must work together with his best friend and a talking eagle named Scout once again save the color before everyone is turned into gray, mindless drones.
This full series is wonderful, and can be enjoyable and exciting for readers of all ages. It is written with vocabulary and concepts which middle schoolers will easily take in and enjoy, telling a story of adventure and touting the importance of healthy eating and a sharp mind, as all three protagonists are able to win their battles by eating their fruits and veggies and outsmarting their foes, rather than through the brawn that many other adventure heroes wield. Older readers, and especially adults, however, will read a deeper meaning, too, seeing a tale of young boys who are able to outsmart a corrupted government and apathetic adults, issues that we see around us in today’s world but often feel powerless to work against. We all wish we could be like Alvin, Otto, and Brandon and outsmart the government powers that work to blind us to the truth for their own gain, and through these stories we can live out that fantasy, even if it is through the eyes of a child in a fantasy land. And, despite these layers of meaning, the book never seems to push an agenda or try to push overly-adult themes onto child readers. Young readers can easily read this book and enjoy it, completely oblivious to any political undertones which older readers may be privy.
The writing of this series was great. It was exciting and expressive, and presented descriptions as colorful and vivid as the land in which they take place in is meant to be. The black and white illustrations are simple yet detailed, providing a nice companion to the text. However, even without the accompanying artwork, I would have no trouble picturing the action, as Ellefson provides plenty of detail in his writing to make the Land of Color seem like a real place. The only real issue I see with the series is that it is morally black and white at time. Throughout the three narratives, fruits and vegetables are portrayed as the answers to all, and junk food as the ultimate evil of dietary choices. While I support encouraging healthy eating, I would have liked there to be some acknowledgement that eating “empty colors” such as ice cream or instant meals in moderation, such as for special occasions or for an easy comfort meal, is fine as long as you make the effort to incorporate healthy, fresh foods into your meals the rest of the time. Furthermore, although the king is always more of a pawn to the greater evil, he always switches from the kind, happy man that he is in good times to a mean man who will not listen to reason during the bad, and surrounds himself with bumbling law enforcement to make sure they do not catch on. Although I am willing to forgive it, as this is a common occurrence in youth literature, so that the message is not bogged down too much by complicated moral discussion, I feel that this series could have been more gray on these matters if the author had wished, as middle grade readers are certainly old enough to understand the fact that these gray areas exist. Once you get past this fact, however, there is not much else I can complain about. I enjoyed every moment of reading it, and looked forward to picking it back up whenever I had the chance to read. I will for sure be recommending it to any young readers I come across looking for a fun adventure, as well as to any older readers looking for a bit of youthful enjoyment. Ellefson is a great writer, and alongside Kevin Cannon’s illustration, they created a wonderful little series.
The Land Without Color series is a charming saga for young readers. The Land of Color does not seem to live up to its name very well, as every few decades, it seems its vibrant color is threatened by an unseen force, and the citizens are deceived to look in every direction but the correct one in order to restore their energy and color. In the first book, Brandon’s grandfather related his adventures alongside a squirrel named Permy as they stop the color from being slowly drained out from other the citizen’s feet, and in the sequel, Brandon discovers a book detailing how his great-great-grandfather as instrumental in ending a war between the Land of Color and the Land of Shapes, as well as stopping the advancing threat of the Sugar Soldiers. Finally, in the final instalment, Brandon finds all the color seeping out of the land again, and what’s worse, the whole kingdom is crumbling, leaving gaping holes everywhere he goes. Although he tried to spread the truth, most citizens are too brainwashed to realize it. So, armed with only a backpack of supplies and the true history of the kingdom which the government tries to hide, he must work together with his best friend and a talking eagle named Scout once again save the color before everyone is turned into gray, mindless drones.
This full series is wonderful, and can be enjoyable and exciting for readers of all ages. It is written with vocabulary and concepts which middle schoolers will easily take in and enjoy, telling a story of adventure and touting the importance of healthy eating and a sharp mind, as all three protagonists are able to win their battles by eating their fruits and veggies and outsmarting their foes, rather than through the brawn that many other adventure heroes wield. Older readers, and especially adults, however, will read a deeper meaning, too, seeing a tale of young boys who are able to outsmart a corrupted government and apathetic adults, issues that we see around us in today’s world but often feel powerless to work against. We all wish we could be like Alvin, Otto, and Brandon and outsmart the government powers that work to blind us to the truth for their own gain, and through these stories we can live out that fantasy, even if it is through the eyes of a child in a fantasy land. And, despite these layers of meaning, the book never seems to push an agenda or try to push overly-adult themes onto child readers. Young readers can easily read this book and enjoy it, completely oblivious to any political undertones which older readers may be privy.
The writing of this series was great. It was exciting and expressive, and presented descriptions as colorful and vivid as the land in which they take place in is meant to be. The black and white illustrations are simple yet detailed, providing a nice companion to the text. However, even without the accompanying artwork, I would have no trouble picturing the action, as Ellefson provides plenty of detail in his writing to make the Land of Color seem like a real place. The only real issue I see with the series is that it is morally black and white at time. Throughout the three narratives, fruits and vegetables are portrayed as the answers to all, and junk food as the ultimate evil of dietary choices. While I support encouraging healthy eating, I would have liked there to be some acknowledgement that eating “empty colors” such as ice cream or instant meals in moderation, such as for special occasions or for an easy comfort meal, is fine as long as you make the effort to incorporate healthy, fresh foods into your meals the rest of the time. Furthermore, although the king is always more of a pawn to the greater evil, he always switches from the kind, happy man that he is in good times to a mean man who will not listen to reason during the bad, and surrounds himself with bumbling law enforcement to make sure they do not catch on. Although I am willing to forgive it, as this is a common occurrence in youth literature, so that the message is not bogged down too much by complicated moral discussion, I feel that this series could have been more gray on these matters if the author had wished, as middle grade readers are certainly old enough to understand the fact that these gray areas exist. Once you get past this fact, however, there is not much else I can complain about. I enjoyed every moment of reading it, and looked forward to picking it back up whenever I had the chance to read. I will for sure be recommending it to any young readers I come across looking for a fun adventure, as well as to any older readers looking for a bit of youthful enjoyment. Ellefson is a great writer, and alongside Kevin Cannon’s illustration, they created a wonderful little series.
October 17, 2019
This is the final book in “The Land Without Color” seris, and I have really enjoyed the series. It is highly imaginative and quite unique.
In this episode, all the color is missing from the Kingdom. There are no fruits and vegetables that give the people their color; I found this an intersting way that the author gives parents to explain to their children the importance of eating their fruits and veggies.
Brandon has gone to Grandpa Alvin’s house only to discover two things: Grandpa appears to be missing and there are giant holes in his basement. Brandon barely escapes the collapsing ground around him. In addition, Officer Reed is still trying to locate Alvin and arrest him on truancy charges.
Brandon begins to investigate why there are suddenly whole neighborhoods and blocks, seeming along with many other who appear to be missing, collapsing into giant holes. It’s all Brandon can do to stay one step of the giant holes.
He makes his way back to school and enlists his best friend’s help to determine what is happening. Along the way, the boys are aided by a giant eagle and encounter soldiers riding spiders, the return pf the Snakes, and the two princesses they met in Books 1 and 2.
While I enjoyed the read, I felt that Book 3 was the weakest. It was more tell than show. It felt like the author was tired of the Kingdoma and ready to move on to something else. I could be wrong, but the story didn’t have the edge-of-your-seat-vibe that the others had. Therefore, “’The Collasping Kingdom’ (Book 3 in ‘The Land Without Color’ series)” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
In this episode, all the color is missing from the Kingdom. There are no fruits and vegetables that give the people their color; I found this an intersting way that the author gives parents to explain to their children the importance of eating their fruits and veggies.
Brandon has gone to Grandpa Alvin’s house only to discover two things: Grandpa appears to be missing and there are giant holes in his basement. Brandon barely escapes the collapsing ground around him. In addition, Officer Reed is still trying to locate Alvin and arrest him on truancy charges.
Brandon begins to investigate why there are suddenly whole neighborhoods and blocks, seeming along with many other who appear to be missing, collapsing into giant holes. It’s all Brandon can do to stay one step of the giant holes.
He makes his way back to school and enlists his best friend’s help to determine what is happening. Along the way, the boys are aided by a giant eagle and encounter soldiers riding spiders, the return pf the Snakes, and the two princesses they met in Books 1 and 2.
While I enjoyed the read, I felt that Book 3 was the weakest. It was more tell than show. It felt like the author was tired of the Kingdoma and ready to move on to something else. I could be wrong, but the story didn’t have the edge-of-your-seat-vibe that the others had. Therefore, “’The Collasping Kingdom’ (Book 3 in ‘The Land Without Color’ series)” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.
December 5, 2018
The vile snakes are back stealing the color from the Kingdom of Color once again. This time it is Brandon’s turn to save the kingdom from them.
When he finds that a large hole has opened up in Grandpa Alvin’s basement, Brandon realizes that something bad has happened to his grandfather. As the hole spreads to engulf the entire house, just barely leaving Brandon time to escape to the road, it comes to him that the snakes have returned.
In his quest to discover what is going on, Brandon discovers soldiers riding giant spiders at the bottom of one of the holes who claim to be protecting the people in the name of the king. He joins up with an eagle named Scout and eventually frees his friend Stephen from the mind-destroying slop they are serving at their school. The three of them uncover the source of the poisonous food that seems to be destroying everyone, and eventually, they are able to confront the snakes and, with the help of the two princesses, Sapphire and Gwendolyn, finally defeat them once again.
When he finds that a large hole has opened up in Grandpa Alvin’s basement, Brandon realizes that something bad has happened to his grandfather. As the hole spreads to engulf the entire house, just barely leaving Brandon time to escape to the road, it comes to him that the snakes have returned.
In his quest to discover what is going on, Brandon discovers soldiers riding giant spiders at the bottom of one of the holes who claim to be protecting the people in the name of the king. He joins up with an eagle named Scout and eventually frees his friend Stephen from the mind-destroying slop they are serving at their school. The three of them uncover the source of the poisonous food that seems to be destroying everyone, and eventually, they are able to confront the snakes and, with the help of the two princesses, Sapphire and Gwendolyn, finally defeat them once again.
June 28, 2018
kindle unlimited, it seems, but also freebie day or permafree; interesting, probably more so if was kid, and the illustrations, too, pay attention to those
Throughout the Kingdom, the grayness has returned and the ground is collapsing beneath Brandon's feet into a giant, bottomless void. Nutritious fruits and vegetables are no longer growing. And people are missing, including his Grandpa Alvin.
With the help of a giant bald eagle and his best friend, Brandon must elude the tenacious Officer Reed, escape from the dangerous Spider Riders, endure the robot Color Collectors, find the twin princesses Gwendolyn and Sapphire, and rescue his Grandpa Alvin.
In the final chapter in the Land Without Color series, Brandon must hurry to defeat the vile vipers and restore the color to the Kingdom.
The Land without Color
The Great Sugar War (The Land without Color Book 2)
The Collapsing Kingdom (The Land without Color Book 3)
Throughout the Kingdom, the grayness has returned and the ground is collapsing beneath Brandon's feet into a giant, bottomless void. Nutritious fruits and vegetables are no longer growing. And people are missing, including his Grandpa Alvin.
With the help of a giant bald eagle and his best friend, Brandon must elude the tenacious Officer Reed, escape from the dangerous Spider Riders, endure the robot Color Collectors, find the twin princesses Gwendolyn and Sapphire, and rescue his Grandpa Alvin.
In the final chapter in the Land Without Color series, Brandon must hurry to defeat the vile vipers and restore the color to the Kingdom.
The Land without Color
The Great Sugar War (The Land without Color Book 2)
The Collapsing Kingdom (The Land without Color Book 3)
June 30, 2018
Wrapping up the series with another great story! If you enjoy action and adventure this is the series for you! Kids of all ages will enjoy hearing and/or reading about The Land of Color.
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.
I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review.
July 8, 2018
Entertaining
"The Collapsing Kingdom" by Benjamin Ellefson is the 3rd book in this series. The main character Brandon has an active imagination and makes the book enjoyable. Highly recommend the whole series. Great for 8+ reader.
"The Collapsing Kingdom" by Benjamin Ellefson is the 3rd book in this series. The main character Brandon has an active imagination and makes the book enjoyable. Highly recommend the whole series. Great for 8+ reader.
June 2, 2018
I won a kindle version #GoodreadsGiveaway
November 16, 2018
Like the other ones but the ending wasn't my style :p
January 22, 2024
3.5/5 stars
Thank you to the author for kindly sending me this book for an honest review!
I received the first 2 books in this trilogy for review a couple of years ago so I was very excited when Benjamin reached out again and asked me to review the final book!
This is probably my favorite book out of the three. I loved following Brandon’s story line and there was a lot more to the mystery than the others. The art work is absolutely adorable and I love the message about kids eating their vegetables! It’s such a cute and unique element of the story
I will say tho I’m not the biggest fan of the writing style and I do feel a disconnect from it. Also with this being a novella type middle grade story there isn’t much room of the plot and characters to grow.
Overall I think these books are perfect to get kids into reading and would be a great book to read to kids in a class room setting
Thank you to the author for kindly sending me this book for an honest review!
I received the first 2 books in this trilogy for review a couple of years ago so I was very excited when Benjamin reached out again and asked me to review the final book!
This is probably my favorite book out of the three. I loved following Brandon’s story line and there was a lot more to the mystery than the others. The art work is absolutely adorable and I love the message about kids eating their vegetables! It’s such a cute and unique element of the story
I will say tho I’m not the biggest fan of the writing style and I do feel a disconnect from it. Also with this being a novella type middle grade story there isn’t much room of the plot and characters to grow.
Overall I think these books are perfect to get kids into reading and would be a great book to read to kids in a class room setting
May 13, 2019
GUESS WHO QUOTED THAT BOOK? THAT'S MEEEEEEE.
Anyway, this is a satisfying end to this trilogy and I cannot thank Ben for giving me the opportunity to read this trilogy. My quote does sum up my thoughts on this series as a whole, I have not read a good middle grade series in a long time since Percy Jackson. This book is also a great way to get your child into reading chapter books because it does have some pictures, but enough to make it a chapter book.
Anyway, this is a satisfying end to this trilogy and I cannot thank Ben for giving me the opportunity to read this trilogy. My quote does sum up my thoughts on this series as a whole, I have not read a good middle grade series in a long time since Percy Jackson. This book is also a great way to get your child into reading chapter books because it does have some pictures, but enough to make it a chapter book.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews