Customer Reviews

The Brand Medallion

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In this Young Adult Fantasy genre, Cael Brand has just finished some of the roughest years of his life: Middle School. It was here that he learned to walk in the shadows and not stand out. But on the day of his eighth grade graduation all that is about to change. When his mother succumbs to a mysterious illness, Cael must step up to help her--and in the process, step out of his comfort zone.

Cael learns that the medallion he has worn since his seventh birthday has the power to transport him to another world. It is there he must learn the powers that hold his mother hostage.

In The Brand Medallion, Steven J. Martin explores the power of words. In Palatore, a newer version of Earth with the same Creator, they still value the spoken word. In fact, wars are won and lost first and foremost by words, either the pure Words of Creation, Protection, and Healing, or the Corrupted Words which bring with them devastation.

Palatore was a fascinating world. It seemed to function at about the time period that Earth would equate with the Middle Ages. There were many familiar species and a few that we hold in folklore. I enjoyed every moment there and I gleaned a lot of wisdom from the elders are they educated Cael. My chief complaint is how long it took to get to Palatore. The story really seemed to hit its stride at about page 58. The part which led up to it was filled with a lot of introspection and references, that while interesting on a second read, were totally lost on me at first go.

But the author is absolutely right. "Words have a way of sticking in our minds, gradually altering our lives." This book and its lessons will long stick with me.

Armchair Interviews says: A slow start, but the end is worth it.

The Brand Medallion By minister and Christian counselor Steven J. Martin is novel about a fourteen-year-old boy who prefers to keep to himself. But when his single mother falls mysteriously ill, he must follow a series of clues to a land beyond Earth - Palatore, a world where ordinary words have incalculable power to heal or destroy. His travels lead him to the aid of new friends and guide him against an implacable enemy dedicated to his family's destruction. A wondrous fantasy adventure about both an inward and outward journey of destiny.

It reads as a good story and has profound meanings. I thank Steve Martin for writing it.

The Brand Medallion is a life changing story inside of an interesting story! The interesting part of the story is about a junior high student named Cael searching for a way to help his mom. Cael not only discovers a new world, but he learns all kinds of amazing family secrets during his search. It will also keep you up late, wanting to read for as long as you can about mysterious, intriguing and dangerous strangers that Cael meets along the way! Inside of this is the life changing story about a junior high student who decides to reach beyond his comfortable, nearly invisible life into a realm of powerful, life changing friendships and unselfish acts of heroism. Cael allows the family secrets that he discovers to change who he is. He also learns the importance of sharing them with others!

I would definitely recommend this book. It's fun, interesting and challenges you to go on a life changing journey!

I was apprised this book was written for the middle-school age group but was nonetheless suitable for older readers, too. I was surprised to discover The Brand Medallion was a delightful read which held my interest without swamping me with layer upon layer of plot and nonsensical horrifics. The storyline, settings and characters are well developed and interesting. It was very refreshing to read a book which wasn't loaded down with a lot of the trash found in other current books, and I liked Martin's continuous use of positive moral themes throughout. The use of violence in the book serves to move the plot along without being excessive. I found the fantasy portions of the book actually stimulated my imagination in pleasant ways, reminding me of my youth when daydreams concerned possibilities. Younger readers will be built up by this book, and older readers will enjoy a nice read, just the kind of escape from daily life good novels were meant to be. I highly recommend The Brand Medallion.

This is a very clever and thoughtful book. The character relationships are developed well and the underlying messages in the book are communicated effectively on many different levels.

The book accelerates as it progresses through Cael Brand's experiences in Pallatore. Readers from middle school students through adults will find this book exciting, meaningful, and well worth the read.