Customer Reviews

The Elder Worlds: Book One

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This is a fantastic story, enchanting in its choice of locale and written in such a way as to appeal to both genders in the YA population.

The main character, Ryan Rose, and his female counterpart, Willow, form a magical team, destined to change the course of history. Indeed, the very fate of the Universe hinges upon their deeds. Ryan is a typical teenager, eager to show his stuff, but unprepared for the adult consequences of both his actions and the responses thrust upon him by forces beyond his control. The story is steeped in Celtic traditions and lore, skillfully woven into a series of short, concise chapters.

Chaos threatens the Elder Worlds. Willow, a Guardian, has come to Earth to fetch a champion. Lo and behold, she selects Ryan. The story begins with a jump through a fairy ring and chase scenes through darkened skies and forests, the Umbrae out to wreak havoc and destroy the pair before they can begin their mission.

This is an action-packed adventure, cast in the cloak of a fantasy, sure to provide the reader with hours of delightful entertainment.

The Elder Worlds now has an honored place on my bookshelf. A sequel, I'm told, will surely follow.

Engaging from the start and subtly engrossing. My copy of the book is in its second printing since September, 2006, which speaks well I think to the story's appeal in a well-represented market.

Written in a style similar to, but less imitative than Paolini in his Eragon books. Seth Kerin has a good knack for the right details and use of a language that speaks to today's young reader comfortably, and not one that stumbles from the lips like a mouthful of marbles. Elder Worlds is more proof that good fantasy novels need not be filled with bewildering consonant combinations that swell English-speaking tongues.

The story itself is, as fantasy seems to demand, steeped in Jung's/Campbell's font of the collective subconscious: a young hero (Ryan Rose) and a beautiful fairy maiden (Willow), bearing more for him than the call to duty.

The ability to tell stories about fairies and the fate of the Universe is not universal. Kerin has a way of slowly enveloping you in his new word by not making that world seem too far from our own back yards - and yet, he manages all the while to capture the angst of suddenly finding oneself standing unprepared. This is life, and the young adult readers of this book should recognize it at once as a metaphor for the intimidating and often overwhelming challenges constantly thrust upon us as we approach adulthood.

I recommend the book and hope it receives all the attention it deserves.

This is the back cover info of The Elder Worlds:

Ryan is a typical Vermont teen. His life is average, even uneventful. But all that is over when Ryan discovers the dead body of a hunter.

An encounter with a mysterious Guardian forces Ryan to rethink reality. He finds himself on an adventure that crosses the boundaries of what is real, and what is fantasy and science fiction.

As one of a chosen group, Ryan literally finds himself with the fate of the universe resting in his and his companions' hands. Is it all real? Of course it is. As real as life and death.

'Elder Worlds' is the all new epic saga that SF/F readers have been waiting for. Blending multiple genres and interwoven with ancient Celtic legends of the Tuatha de Danann, 'Elders Worlds' begins a fresh exploration into the fantastic.

Ryan Rose is a likable kid from small-town Vermont. He's a bit of a geek-a photographer and aspiring writer. One morning he's out in the woods to work on a story about zombie janitors when he meets a beautiful girl named Willow and notices two things. She's not wearing any clothes, and she has wings growing out of her back.

Willow is a Fae, a Guardian, come to Earth to find a Champion. It seems the Chaos Bringer, one of the forces that keeps the universe in balance (along with Order) has overstepped his bounds and must be stopped. In quick order Ryan is hustled through a faering into another world where he meets Champions from worlds that sound like other versions of Earth. Terran, Gaiya, Erda.

This is a deft mixture of sci-fi and fantasy. Mr. Kerin knows both genres well; he also mixes in a lot of Celtic mytholgy-and other strands. Vlad the Impaler (the historical Dracula) makes an appearance, along with a magic sword that lusts for blood and has a will of its own. The battle to stop Vlad and his really scary army of Drones is bloody and intense. This is not a book for the under twelve set.

Young Ryan is an appealing kid. He's smart and resourceful, and he knows his own limits. His victories here-both to defeat Chaos and to earn the respect of his new comrades are hard-won and genuine. Mr. Kerin is also true to the mytholgy. His 'fairies' aren't cute and giggly; they're powerful and a little frightening.

This is the first of a series. I'll read the rest of it. I'd recommend this to anyone.