Customer Reviews

The Fire Stone (Reign of the Elements, Book 1)

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The Fire Stone (Reign of the Elements, Book 1)

I met Riley Carney on Twitter where my 'screen name' is @Writers_Cafe. One day, in November of 2009, she appeared on my followers list, requesting that I follow her. When I saw she ran her own non-profit literacy charity, I was hooked. I wrote an article about Riley ([...]) shortly after that. For my efforts, she sent me a copy of "THe Fire Stone."

Having learned to read pre-kindergarten, I've been reading for close to 60 years now - and I've never been as entranced with a book as I was with The Fire Stone. It is difficult to believe it was written by a 15-year old from suburban Denver. The truth is, however, that the story was floating around in her head for years before it was committed to paper!

The story is about a teen-aged boy, Matt, who suffers abuse at the hands of his parents. His experiences with dwarfs and elves is both amazing and interesting. Early on, he finds a magical bird and the two become fast friends. He collects a little band of followers who fall into a great conspiracy that threatens life in his corner of the world. Together, they work towards a common goal.

What is really amazing is that between the lines, there are messages. We're all the same, even if we look different. We can work together for the common good. We can overcome difficulties in our lives. But, somehow, it's a very easy read.

Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. This is a book intended for youngsters, not oldsters like me, but I truly couldn't put it down. While reading, I was transported to Matt's world - I saw what he saw. I learned what he learned, I felt what he felt.

Forget that Riley is 'just a teenager,' she is one special lady with a very worthwhile goal in life - to bring literacy to the world, one book at a time.

Now and then I feel the need to be swept away by magical stories, and that's when I put down adult literature and pick up a book that will allow me to become a child again. The Fire Stone was clever, well written, and a thoroughly entertaining read. Adventure and unexpected twists kept me turning the pages. I loved how the author threaded the learning of important values and friendship into a story that was action-packed and witty. And Matt, the main character, was enormously likable. There's something here for everyone, and Ms. Carney did an exceptional job of crafting a story that was as charming as it was entertaining.

Don't discount many because they may happen to be the savior of us all. "The Fire Stone" is the first entry in Riley Carney's 'The Reign of Elements' telling the tales of the land of Mundaria. Following a boy from the backwoods of the land and his adventures in searching for the fire stone, "The Fire Stone" is a treasure for genre fans that should not be overlooked.

I read this book recently and I loved it. It is good for anyone who likes fantasy and adventure. What stood out to me was that the book started out very suspenseful and stayed that way until the very end. Sometimes books start out boring so I put it down and quit but this was great the whole time. I recommend this book to people who like fantasy and well developed characters.

5 stars to Riley Carney!

This book was extremely entertaining, I couldn't put it down! I liked the way Riley made the characters magical and relatable. Matt and his friends overcame many obstacles on their adventures which made it exciting, and you didn't know what was going to happen next. I loved how Matt and Sam had sibling-like relationship with each other. Riley is a fabulous young writer and I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

My 13-year-old son really liked this book, so my 11-year-old daughter and I read it together, and we loved it. It has all the ingredients that made Harry Potter so enjoyable - very authentic characters who teens can relate to (it probably helps that the author is 16-years-old), an imaginative story that involves magic, and a writing style that makes you feel like you are living the story, not reading it.

The storyline is clever; the elements, fire, water, wind and earth, three of which have been harnessed into stones, threaten the world of Mundaria if they are united by an evil force. The main character, Matt, and three other teenagers, two of whom are elves, set off to find the stones so they don't fall into evil hands. There is a creature called an alorath who Sam befriends, who is sarcastic and lovable at the same time. The group travel together and experience a series of adventures - it is action-packed and suspenseful.

It's so nice to find another Middle Grade series for tweens! We are constantly looking for new books in the fantasy genre and we are all looking forward to the next four books!

My kids, aged 10 and 12, loved this book! It is action-packed and the story is clever and suspenseful. It takes place in the imaginary world of Mundaria and Matt (who my kids thought was so cool) joins forces with an unusual group of allies to rescue the Fire Stone from an evil, deformed elf named Malik. The battle scenes are very exciting, the teenagers are all likable and realistic, and the tension builds nicely. We are all looking forward to the next book in the series!

My 11-yr old whipped through this book and devoured 3 more in the series, and now I can see why. Engaging characters, great plot--the whole thing pulls you right in from the beginning and doesn't let go. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I am a huge fan of fantasy writers such as Terry Brooks so I am always looking for great books to read. Stumbled upon The Fire Stone and was hooked the first chapter. It was written very intelligently without being over-descriptive. I was amazed the writer was so young when she wrote this book.

It does seem to follow the typical unknown hero developing abilities to save the world, etc. but it was very fun to read, come with the typical world map which I like, but she's also created some new creatures which I applaud her for. So if you find it seems similar to other books you've read, please read on, because I've read book II and you can tell she developing a world of her own.

If I had any complaint it is only that I caught many typos that need corrected, but hey, you see one or two in almost any book you read;)

Overall, I think it's a great visual story that kept me hooked. This series would make a great Christmas present.