The Chosen

by Andrea Buginsky

Halli is a shy, young dwarf who has no idea of her true calling. When the evil Prince Gastle sets out to detroy the world of Phantasma, Queen Laurali of the Elves comes to tell Halli she’s a Holy Paladin with the power to heal, and will join The Chosen, a group of brave warriors being sent to defeat the evil beast and save Phantasma. Will Halli be accepted by her group, and be able to keep them alive through their adventures? Will the evil Prince Gastle be defeated, freeing Phantasma from his destruction? Only time will tell.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

114 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2010

About the author

Andrea Buginsky is a freelance writer with a BA in Mass Communication-Journalism from the University of South Florida. She has always wanted to be a published writer, and decided to try to write fantasy books for teens. The Chosen is her first book, and was released on December 14, 2010, to her delight.



Andrea has written five more books since:

* My Open Heart, an autobiography of growing up with heart disease.
* Nature's Unbalance: The Chosen, Book 2
* Striker's Apprentice: The Chosen, Book 3
* Destiny: New Avalon, book 1, a YA fantasy
* Fate: New Avalon, book 2, a YA fantasy


She is currently writing the third book in the New Avalon series.

Andrea lives in Kansas with her family, which includes her two precious puppies.
You can visit Andrea on her website or Google+

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phantasma is in shock and grief after attacks by Prince Gastle. Queen Laurali of the Elves sends her valiant group, including the short, stout and beautiful Dwarf Halli. There’s a lot young Halli doesn’t know about herself but she’s about to learn in Andrea Buginsky’s fantasy novella, The Chosen. Perhaps there are strengths in being shy and quiet and avoiding conflict. But first Halli must learn to believe in herself.
A wonderful story for any girl who’s ever felt unimportant or lacked self-confidence, and a fun story for lovers of elves, mages, druids and other creatures of valiant myth, The Chosen is an enjoyable girl-themed adventure for middle-grade readers. A nicely traditional omniscient narrative reveals motivations and conflicts. Pleasantly formal dialog offers smooth reading and a pleasing contrast to the youthful enthusiasm of teenaged Halli as she learns her powers. “Oh, my God, did I really do that?” she exclaims when her magic proves its worth in a lovely scene of swirling braids and powers. Then friends cheer and hug each other in celebration.

Armed with mace and shield, riding a pure white pony, Halli embarks on her quest with the team, completing various side-quests on the way. The story has the pleasant excitement and tension a role-playing game, with careful decisions, clever potions and spells. A final battle is gruesome but lightly described with no lingering on gore. And the whole is an enjoyable tale, well-edited with only a very occasional typo, and warmly told with wise lessons interwoven among sweet characters and exciting fun.

Disclosure: I won a free ecopy of this novella

[Lenora · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chosen by Andrea Buginsky

The Chosen is the tale of a beautiful young dwarf called Halli, who lives in the magical land of Phantasma. But all is not well in Queen Laurali's realm and Halli is called from her life of obscurity to join the band of The Chosen. Their task is to defend the Kingdom from its mortal enemy the wicked Prince Gastle. Along the way Halli must overcome her shyness and lack of confidence and learn to use her extraordinary healing powers to protect her friends during their perilous quest.

This is a lovely little book, perfect for the pre-teen fantasy market. Halli is an engaging heroine, uncertain and shy at first, slowly learning her self-worth and growing in confidence as she learns to use her special skills as a Holy Paladin. The book has valuable lessons for younger readers: be true to yourself, have confidence in your abilities. It also illustrates how working together as a team can be just as important as being the 'hero'.

The story is told in a fairy tale style and contains a number of traditional elements of the fairy tale - the wicked Prince bringing terror to the kingdom, wizened old crones that turn out to be....(well better not say - don't want to put in any spoilers), quests, challenges, magical battles and restorative potions. Gamers and Dungeons and Dragon's fans would probably find themselves quite at home reading The Chosen.

I would have liked a little more of Halli's background, she is raised in obscurity by her parents in order to protect her as she has the rare gifts of the Holy Paladin. It might have added an extra dimension to delve further into why Halli had to be hidden, what forces might have been at work against her. Similarly when she joins the group, she eventually impresses them all with her skill and courage, however I would have liked her to stand out a little bit more...Choosing a dwarf as the heroine of the novel, immediately put me in mind of Tolkien picking a Hobbit as hero - the unassuming Everyman, who ultimately holds the key to everything. I don't know whether this is something that Buginsky will explore in the later books in this series - but I do hope so.

Overall this was a very exciting action packed story, told in a delightful fairy tale style, I think pre-teen readers would find Halli very easy to identify with. The level of action is likely to keep younger readers engaged, whilst the more subtle story of learning to trust in your own abilities and work as part of a team will not be lost on them.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most readers of my blog probably know that I'm a huge fan of the fantasy genre. It's my bread and butter, so therefore I never pass up an opportunity to review a book that falls in this category. Thus when I was offered the chance to review Andrea Buginsky's novel, The Chosen, I readily agreed.

Now let me start out with this. The Chosen is a short book. At only 113 pages, it is a quick read. Therefore there isn't much time for Andrea to acquaint us with her characters. Those of you out there who are lovers of fantasy like I am, will probably be able to overlook their more vague personalities, in favor of the overall story. However I do see a lot of people who are more character driven readers being a little disappointed. Halli, the main character, is definitely the most well developed one. She's sweet, shy, and cares a lot about the other members in her party. I enjoyed her, so it really assisted in my enjoyment of the book.

Story wise, this book reads a lot like a fantasy themed video game. Those who can proudly claim that they have a WOW (World of Warcraft) character, like I do, will probably find this story more entertaining. From drinking potions to heal their life and mana, down to doing side quests on the way to defeating the big boss, The Chosen is like a scene out of a fantasy game. Halli is a Paladin, and she has the task of healing her party members to make sure they are fit to fight. The nerdy side of me took pleasure in all the descriptions of the raid style battle that was taking place at the end. The bookish side of me was wanting more in the area of descriptive writing. I really wanted to be able to see what was going on.

Overall, The Chosen was a quick and rather fun read. I can't say that I was as smitten with it as a lot of other fantasy books I've read, but I see a ton of potential for Halli and her compatriots. I am hoping that Andrea Buginsky might bring them back for another round, hopefully this time a little longer and more descriptive. If I can get to know the characters more in depth, I'm sure I'll fall in love with them much more. If you are a fan of fantasy books, and looking for a shorter read, this is one that you should give a try.

[K.C. Sprayberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen Laurali faces a dilemma, and she only has one choice to make in those she selects to deal with it. The Chosen is a group of six gifted individuals - two elves, a druid, and two Goliaths. And then there is Halli, a pretty dwarf, who is also a Holy Paladin, with the ability to heal and sometimes resurrect the dead. Yet, eighteen-year-old Halli has no idea she was born to such magnificence. She's an unsure young woman studying at a local school when she receives this news. And she must now leave her comfortable, predictable home and train to defeat Prince Gastle, in order to save Phantasma, the kingdom of the elves.

Things don't go easily for Halli after she meets the rest of The Chosen. The druid, an elf, and both Goliaths seem to like her well enough. But one of the elves has some very good concerns about the young dwarf. Halli never trained for her Holy Paladin abilities. She has no idea what a battle is like. There is nothing in her background to assist her in the upcoming confrontations The Chosen must expect. During their training, however, Halli exceeds expectations of everyone, including herself, and she soon finds herself riding into battle in a very important role - she must ensure everyone on her team is energized and healed as they battle. This must go as she finds herself more and more attracted to Silvor, one of the Goliaths. All goes well, and she finds herself with many surprises when she returns to Phantasma as the victor. Going back home isn't a letdown, and she settles into a routine, until Silvor comes to visit.

The Chosen is a delightful read for people of all ages, but especially for teens. Halli is likeable and very normal with her lack of self-confidence when she hears about her abilities. She's hesitant, but then she grows into a confident young woman ready to take on anything life throws at her. The journey she makes with the rest of The Chosen to defeat Prince Gastle isn't without hazards and challenges, but she rises to the occasion, even when faced with situations she never knew of before. Sea Hags and rat creatures don't faze Halli, and she's an integral part of the destruction of Prince Gastle. The end left me wanting more, and I look forward to reading Nature's Unbalanced, the recently released sequel to The Chosen.

[CorLostForWords · Rating 3 out of 5]

Source: Received from author courtesy of the Teen Book Scene blog tour for The Chosen. Many thanks goes to Andrea Buginsky and Teen Book Scene for sending me a copy of this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

My rating: 3/5


Halli is a shy, quiet, unassuming dwarf. When she meets Queen Laurali of the elves outside her home one morning, she is surprised, and shocked by the news that Queen Laurali brings with her. Halli is a Holy Paladin and has the rare power of healing. She is asked to aid her country as Prince Gastle is set on destroying the world of Phantasma. Along the way she will join a group called The Chosen, who will set out to wage war against the evil Prince Gastle.
The Chosen is a cute read, and is aimed at a young audience. I think many middle grade readers will enjoy the action and fast pace used in The Chosen as it is an action-focused read. With Halli coming to terms with her new, unknown abilities, and the group of warriors she is sent to protect, she will soon endear herself to the reader's heart. For Halli's age set at eighteen, I found her voice very young.
I think those that play video games will enjoy this story more so because it reads like a companion novel to a video game with references to actions taken while playing said games. Actions like drinking potions to level up health, among other things.
All in all, this is a cute read. I would have loved to have seen it fleshed out with more descriptions, more back-story, and more interaction with the other characters. It has great bones, but I just wanted a little bit more. This is a fast read, and I'm sure many young readers will be fascinated by Halli's journey with her new team of warriors, The Chosen.

[Christine Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a coming of age story based on Halli set in the land of Phantasma. Halli is an eighteen-year-old dwarf who gets swept into a group of combatants brought together to save the Kingdom. She faces many obstacles, including self-doubt and the doubt of others concerning her abilities.

I loved how the obstacles Halli faced were thinly veiled representations of trials that young adults face growing up. The moral said to me, surround yourself in life with those who will support you and even when others doubt to listen to yourself and trust in your abilities.

I wish I could have jumped into the mind of the author to get a better picture of the characters. How they looked and where they came from. I wanted to know what their motivation was to belong to a group that faced such dangerous circumstances. That being said each character was easily distinguishable, which made the read pleasant and fun.
I would gladly recommend this book for a young adult. The story is fun, fast paced, and features a female lead character.

Excerpt:
“I have brought you all here today because I need the best of the best to complete a mission for me. I am sending you on a quest to find and defeat Prince Gastle, and bring me his staff and crown.” Halli watched the reaction on her fellow guild members’ faces as they learned their quest, which she, of course, already knew about. The reactions of the Chosen’s members were mixed. Redsham and Silvor were hoping this meeting was going to be about Prince Gastle. They had been discussing the tragedies he has been placing on Phantasma for days now, and both were anxious to do something about it. Now they had their chance, and they couldn’t wait to get started.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on my blog, Creativity's Corner

One of the main things I really appreciated about this book is it's one of the very few YA/MG high fantasies out there anymore. Despite my strong love for the genre my biggest complaint is that it's rather obsessed with Paranormal and Urban Fantasy right now. The closest we get to high fantasy is Steampunk, and that really counts more as historical fantasy than high fantasy. This book, though, is an all out questing high fantasy, meany for the YA/MG crowd, and I found it a refreshing change from everything else I've been reading.

I will say that this book is definitely not for everyone. The names are hard to pronounce, if you like to read out loud, there are lots of strange animals and places, and there's lots of battles along the way. This is world-building writing and if you know you don't like those things, then don't read it. And I will admit it reads a little like an account of a Dungeons and Dragons game. I appreciated the references that I recognized (I've never played myself, but I had friends in high school who talked about it all the time). Those who don't have that basic knowledge might be a little confused.


Overall, this was a refreshingly different read. It was fast and easy to read too - just what the doctor ordered after a long stretch of heavy dystopians!

[Jana Grissom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Phantasma is under attack requiring the assistance of The Chosen. The main character, Halli, is surprised when the Queen approaches and informs her of her healing powers. Halli leaves her family and joins The Chosen. Despite the objections of a few skeptics due to the healer's lack of training, Halli is allowed to join the team and learns how to heal, quickly. The journey has multiple battles with diverse enemies in the fantasy world of Phantasma.

This is a very quick read and appropriately labeled MG. I gave this book three stars due to the predictable plot and lack of descriptions. The character diversity and setting are great but there was not enough description for me to see it. The emotions from characters were quick and jumped from Halli's shock and disbelief to her willingly riding away from her home to join the Queen.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and would recommend it for younger MG. Parents, this is a wholesome, fun read for your kids just starting to read chapter books!

[Sofia Wren · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought the premise of this book was awesome. Perhaps it has a good plot.

But the writing? Seriously needs work.

I'm a writer myself so I am admittedly picky. But rather than trade a read for a review, for once I actually bought a fiction book by an author I didn't know.

I couldn't get past the second chapter.

This is not a good read. I went out of the country for the past seven days so I was not able to ask for a refund. It really was painful to read.

The problems that occurred right away were over description of the character's appearance, slow pace, and repetition of all the characters names. It is not necessary to repeat characters names in every single sentence, and characters should not address each other by their names so often. It drives me crazy.

If you are a critical adult reader, skip this book.

Please check out my other reviews or my blog here for more.

[Verna Clay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This YA story is high fantasy. Halli, a dwarf, is also a Holy Paladin, something she did not know until revealed by Queen Laurali. Because of Halli's powers, also revealed by the Queen, she is recruited to become a member of The Chosen, a team of Paladins sent to defeat the evil Prince Gastle. Before battle, however, Halli must be trained in the use of her powers by the other Chosen.

Halli is adorable. Her personality comes through loud and clear. Although timid, she overcomes her self doubt to become a vital member of The Chosen. The personalities of the other characters are well written. I understood and related to Kaidyla's gradual acceptance of Halli.

The names of the characters and lands are delightful. There is also a wisp of romance. I wish there had been a little more dialogue between the characters; however, The Chosen is a fun read with lessons to be learned.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I'm biased, of course, but I think this is a great book. I hope you all like it.

[Stephen Woodfin · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE CHOSEN is a young adult book about Halli a teenage dwarf with healing powers. Beleaguered Queen Laurali presses her into service to save her kingdom from destruction at the hands of an evil goliath, Prince Gastle.
In her telling of the story, author Andrea Buginsky draws on universal motifs, those fundamental themes that make readers pull for their heroes, themes chronicled in Christopher Vogler’s classic work, THE WRITER’S JOURNEY.
Halli shows us how a young person, insecure and unaware of her inner strengths, can learn to draw from the depths of her soul to meet terrifying and dangerous challenges. Her voyage of self-discovery reinforces within her the values her parents taught her, while it teaches Halli that a true person learns to rely on and come to the aid of her friends through thick and thin.
I spent many years reading to my daughters in those hours that preceded sleep. THE CHOSEN is the sort of book that would have come in handy many times. It has a quality of wonder about it, excitement tinged with fun, bizarre creatures, battles and even a touch of the first stirrings of romance. It is a book readers from ages five through preteen (and their parents) will enjoy. It is a quick read with memorable characters galore.
I noticed a slip or two, such as the horse’s “reigns” instead of “reins” for example, but these are picky things which Buginsky could correct in a digital second edition.
THE CHOSEN is Andrea Buginsky’s first novel. According to her web page, she is working on a sequel. I look forward to more adventures from the kingdom of Phantasma.

[Mark Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not my usual type of book, but it was giving to me to have something to read by my daughter for my flight to Thailand. And i must admit i got caught up in it.You have a great imagination. Thank you for making me a believer.

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, Andrea Buginsky! You wrote a page turner for young adults. It was consistently fresh and interesting. Well done!

[Ambrey Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book and fun to read.