Talisman Of El

The Talisman of El is one of those surprising treasures that you stumble upon by chance and you think about even days after the last pages are turned. From its opening chapter, Stone captures her reader’s attention with the mysterious disappearing act of Derkein Odessa from Manhattan, NY, and his connection to Charlie Blake in West Sussex, England. It is difficult not to feel sympathy for Charlie whose mother and father both pass away on his birthday, 10 years apart. With such pain in his life, it is no wonder that he experiences nightmares on a regular basis. His guardian, Jacob, offers him a comfortable new home, and Charlie’s main goal becomes keeping his head down, and trying to blend in a small town. He meets Alex Dench, a show more no-nonsense girl who is just the friend he needs to make his new life bearable. Their meeting is especially fortuitous once Charlie’s prospective adoptive parent shows his true colours and demands that Charlie become his accomplice in midnight burglaries. Once Charlie and Alex befriend Richmond, an orphan with an insatiable appetite, and Derkein reappears, the mysteries from the first chapter are finally solved … And this is only halfway through the book! So what happens in the other half? It’s a whirlwind of magical and mythological creatures, classical architecture and modern technologies, remnants of the past and visions of the future, and so much more. For every question that Stone answers, she introduces corresponding mysteries to keep the reader intrigued until the very last page. I waddled back and forth between reading quickly to find out what would happen next and then going back to re-read scenes of great import!

Stone writes with the passion of a life-long book lover and the fanciful creativity more commonly found in the unfettered imaginations of young children. In short, she has written a story that can be placed squarely in the genre of YA fiction with enough intricacies to make adults who also love this genre appreciate and admire her great work. Her characters are endearing: Charlie is charmingly clueless about girls and uneasy with the weight thrust upon his shoulders; Derkein is a kind uncle figure who is both paternal and friendly to the trio; and Avaran, Oren, and Candra are just so … mysterious! Despite occasional typos (in the ARC version) and some minor unexplored/unexplained plot points, this book is a rare jewel that attracts your attention and keeps you hanging around long after the fiction has closed because you just can’t get enough of it. I can’t wait to read the second and third installments in the series to delve into Stone’s wonderful worlds again. show less

** spoiler alert ** It took me a while to pick up this book and start reading. Once I did I didn't regret it. After finishing the first chapter it was difficult to put down and got harder as I got further into it. The mix of fantasy, mythology, and even biblical references is fantastic. I would definitely recommend this book, but I personally wish it wasn't a trilogy as the way this left me was confused. I literally looked through my copy to be sure I didn't miss some pages. The end was sudden and unexpected.

Disclaimer: this book was received as an early copy for review

The thing that I noticed immediately was how much dialogue was in the story. I do not know why this stood out for me. I normally pay attention to the dialogue as it brings through most of the humor and a way for me to really get to know the characters. But I noticed that this particular story is told more in dialogue than anything else. Which is not a bad thing.
The reader is introduced to Charlie and how he does not feel like he fits in. He knows there is something different about him and possibly more out there. He suffers from nightmares and living with his adoptive family, he is bullied inside and outside of his home by his new family members and schoolmates. Eventually through different events that take place, he ends up bonding show more with a group of friends, together gaining the knowledge of a place called Arcadia, deep within the Earth's core.
They decide that they must go on this adventure together.
All of these events I could see building up and was expecting something more to happen next, but never in my life after reading the blurb and beginning this book did I imagine it would become a battle between Angels and Demons. The idea that part of the story takes place in the hidden lands beneath our feet was a very unique spin. One of the boys that Charlie befriends, Derkein is also an unusual guy, he is 26 but looks 60 and continuing to age faster than others every day.
I though that the world that they discover and the creatures and myths and rules that come along with this story was an amazing read. I loved reading as they had to overcome some of these weird animals, and finding Eden. Everything has to be done in a certain time frame and with all of these distractions it becomes a very intense and fantastical adventure. I wish that I could have stayed longer in the world of Arcadia.
I cannot say that I really had a favorite character in the story. I think that was partially because of the writing style, all of the characters showed an equal role to the story. Although their tasks could not be completed without Charlie and what he finds out he is, each and every character is just as unique and an integral part of the story that I had a hard time liking any of them over another.
At 364 pages, and once I got into the story I was hoping for more of it to be focused on Charlie's big task, but I find that I feel this way a lot in the first book in series, that of course we need to get introduced to the characters, the world and the plot before more of the adventures can take place. I struggled with whether I wanted to rate it 3 or 4 stars, it was an enjoyable read and I am going to continue to see where the next story goes. show less

Talisman Of El (Talisman of El #1) by Alecia Stone

Charlie Blake keeps having nightmares, one so brutal it involved murder. He has been having them for four years. He has no clue what is going on and just wants a normal life. Soon he begins to find out and a normal life doesn't seem possible. He and his new friends are about to embark on an adventure only heard of in urban legends.

The story is original a cross between time-travel/fantasy/sci-fi. The characters are well developed. Charlie is very likable as well as his friends. There is action, adventure, thrills and suspense. Overall I found Talisman Of El enjoyable and recommend to Young adult as well as adult readers.

I enjoyed this book - the story keep you interested, and you fall in love with the characters. You really want to understand what is happening, and how it will be resolved. I had some difficulty understanding all of the different character roles, but it didn't really impact my ability to follow the story. I enjoyed that the book was different from others that I have read, and that it leaves you wanting more. A couple of spelling mistakes here and there, but a good quick read, would be great for teens. Would be interested in a sequel.

Overall it was a quick enjoyable read, but it did have a bit of jumping around and choppiness to it that I don't like - I keep thinking that I missed something when a book is choppy and it takes me out of the story while I re-read to see what I missed.

Enjoyed it and would definitely read the next one.

I really would have preferred that the file for Early Reviewers was available in a mobi or pdf format. It took me a long time to get to this because I had to read it with an alternate reader and thought that it was for PC only - however, I finally discovered that I could read it on my ipad through "Tradebit". Once I had that app installed I was able to enjoy reading this more.

A little while back, I entered a contest to win an ARC of this book, and to my surprise, two weeks later, I received the email that I had won one. I was very excited, as I never win contests and giveaways, so I was pleasantly surprised to get this one. Then, I was worried. What if I don’t like it? What if it is hard for me to get into and read? I have never read an ARC before, so what do I do if there are glaring editing errors that I cannot get past?

As I sat down to read, my fears were quickly allayed. The Talisman of El is an interesting, plot filled story that probably fits well into the category of coming-of-age, young adult fantasy fiction.

I was instantly drawn to the main character of Charlie, an orphaned boy whose whole life show more changes in the blink of an eye, and he embarks on an adventure and a journey of self-discovery unlike any other. In a sense, it is a story that most, if not all, teens can relate to: Feeling like you don’t fit into the world around you. The caveat, of course, is that in Charlie’s case, that is entirely true.

As you journey with the characters, you see what they see, hear what they hear, and experience what they experience. Alecia Stone does an excellent job of showing us what the characters are going through. Many authors make the mistake of TELLING us what the character is feeling/seeing/hearing/doing. That was not the case in this delightful novel.

While I personally felt that there were a few gaps in the plot at the end, and some parts seemed like they might have been a little disjointed, I still felt that the story was enjoyable, realistic and relatable. I definitely look forward to more to come from this up and coming author, and cannot wait to see what happens next to Charlie and his friends in the next installment. Hey, Ms. Stone, there is going to be another installment, right? show less