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Keeper Martin's Tale (Ruin Mist Chronicles, Book 1)
 
 
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Keeper Martin's Tale (Ruin Mist Chronicles, Book 1) [Paperback]

Robert Stanek (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (252 customer reviews)

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Book Description

February 1, 2002
Robert Stanek's Ruin Mist Chronicles begin when the Elf Queen sends the warrior elf lord, Seth, on a journey to the lands of Man. Legend says that the races have been divided for hundreds of years after a bloody war that left few survivors among the brother races. In Keeper Martin's Tale, we embark on the unfolding of the first path through the histories of Ruin Mist. This is a deep epic fantasy ostensibly chronicled by Keeper Martin, head of lore keepers. The second path through Ruin Mist, Elf Queen's Quest, delves deep into the darker underside of Ruin Mist, and we start to see the three primary realms of Robert's world: Under Earth, Middle Earth, and Over Earth. You can start with the light path (Keeper Martin's Tale) and then read the dark path (Elf Queen's Quest), or vice versa. Look for the powerful sequels Keeper Martin's Tale Part II and Fields Of Honor soon.

Frequently Bought Together

Keeper Martin's Tale (Ruin Mist Chronicles, Book 1) + Fields of Honor (Ruin Mist Chronicles) + Kingdom Alliance (Ruin Mist Chronicles, Book 2) (Ruin Mist Chronicles)
Price For All Three: $39.04

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Heroic fantasy series are plentiful these days, mass-produced without any regard for quality. Robert Stanek's Ruin Mist Chronicles bucks this trend. Keeper Martin's Tale and the other books in the series represent years of labor during which the author filled out the backstory of the land, the politics and the characters. Copious supplements--maps, glossaries, and illustrated cast lists--show Stanek's commitment to worldcraft. No matter how fascinating a fantasy world is, it fails if not animated by a compelling story and Stanek gives us not just one, but three, tales in Keeper Martin's Tale. One story follows the bored, rebellious Princess Adrina, who flees her moribund kingdom in search of adventure. Another thread concerns the peasant boy Vilmos, whose forbidden magic powers attract the interest of both good and evil forces. Finally, Seth, a warrior priest and part of the Elf Queen's elite personal guard, sets off as an envoy to the human lands. A prolific non-fiction writer, Stanek's focus on instruction influences his fiction with a penchant for clear and simple prose. Stanek's military expertise as a decorated Air Force vet who served in Gulf War I also informs his written work. He enjoys stories of complex strategies, alliances and espionage, like those in his past. He also prefers swift, action-oriented scenes. Keeper Martin's Tale is solidly built. Stanek moves among his three main characters with ease, always switching at a climactic moment to maintain suspense. The accessible, brisk language keeps things moving: "Crying out in the darkness, alone, afraid and drenched in sweat, Vilmos woke... The whole of his small body shivered uncontrollably. Opening eyes and uncurling his huddled form from a corner, moist with perspiration yet still cold from the night's chill, was a slow, time-consuming process." -- Clar Reviews, June 1, 2007 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Indulge, slip away to Ruin Mist! Some authors are powerful storytellers. Some create wonderful worlds. Others create memorable characters. When you find an author that is capable of telling a powerful story that revolves around memorable characters in a deep, rich world, you really have something wonderful and wonderful is definitely what this book is about! Mr. Stanek is the author of many previously published books, including several bestsellers. Currently he lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and children. He is proud to have served in the Persian Gulf War as a combat crewmember on an electronic warfare aircraft. During the war, he flew numerous combat and combat support missions, logging over two hundred combat flight hours. His distinguished accomplishments during the Persian Gulf War earned him nine medals, including the United States of America's highest flying honor, the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross. His career total was 17 medals in only 11 years of military service, making him one of the most highly decorated veterans of the Persian Gulf War.

Overwhelmingly, readers agree that Robert's books are among the best they've ever read. His books have very vocal supporters who aren't afraid to voice their opinion and they frequently do so in online communities and lists. Strong reader support has led to strong sales, quickly making him one of the best-selling authors in the US.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 424 pages
  • Publisher: Reagent Press (February 1, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1575450429
  • ISBN-13: 978-1575450421
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (252 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,374,045 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm Robert Stanek, and I've been writing stories for nearly 30 years. Though I've always been a writer at heart, I never set out to be a writer. What I wanted to be, I didn't know when I said goodbye to high school. What I wanted to do though, I knew that: I wanted to see the world--and so I did while serving my country in distant lands.

I wrote novels for more than ten years before I ever tried to get published. My big break came with a book about publishing--only a different sort of publishing than you may be thinking. The book was about web publishing and so my career in writing began. While I wrote those other books, I wrote many, many stories and books for my kids, and I collected them for a few decades, until at my children's urging I set out to get them published for others to enjoy.

I am the second youngest of five children, raised by a single mom. While stationed in Hawaii with the U.S. Air Force and working shift work, I went back to school and earned my bachelor's and master's degrees from Hawaii Pacific University. After an 11-year career in the military, I moved with my wife and children to Washington State. When I'm not writing, I can be found playing video games, reading books, or trekking the great outdoors in search of adventure with my wife and children.

It's been a fairly open secret I also write as William Stanek. You can learn more about me at http://www.robertstanek.com or at http://stanek.reagentpress.com. Find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RobertStanekAuthor.

 

Customer Reviews

252 Reviews
5 star:
 (183)
4 star:
 (36)
3 star:
 (13)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (19)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (252 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Is there a negative rating?!, December 21, 2002
By 
This review is from: Keeper Martin's Tale (Ruin Mist Chronicles, Book 1) (Paperback)
This self-published book is perhaps the most over-rated drivel available on Amazon. The writing style is similar to what one expects from grade school students, typos abound throughout, the plot is juvenile, and the characters so cliched and vapid as to be useless. Even the binding is terrible, as mine began to fall apart after I drudged through the first few pages.

All these glowing 5-star ratings are difficult to explain or understand. Otherwise, how is it possible to rationalize a higher rating for this book, as well as the others produced by this author, than for works by JRR Tolkien, Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, or George R R Martin? If it were possible, I would give this book a -5 rating. Alas, all I can do is WARN you not to bother even checking this horrible book out from your local library (which is unlikely to carry such terrible works), let alone paying for such a terrible piece of work. STAY AWAY!
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50 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars I wish giving 0 stars were an option, May 4, 2009
This review is from: Keeper Martin's Tale (Ruin Mist Chronicles, Book 1) (Paperback)
Kudos to all the one star reviewers. I, too, was fooled into buying the book by the positive reviews and I was horribly disappointed. What really got me was that I had just finished graduate school and couldn't remember the last time I'd purchased a book for pleasure. I just didn't have the money. But those reviews were so positive. We couldn't be reading the same books! I felt so deceived and cheated that I posted my first (and only, I believe) book review. Imagine my surprise when my negative, but honest, review was deleted by Amazon because I had violated the terms! The author must have someone on the inside because my review did not violate the terms. It was the most poorly edited book I had ever read and a huge chunk of Keeper Martin's Tale was reprinted VERBATIM in Elf Queen's Quest. I begged Amazon to read it for themselves but, getting nowhere, I requested and received a full refund, including the cost of shipping. There's a good reason why you won't find it at your local library. Even if I were inclined to donate it, no librarian would allow it. It's an inappropriate book for children - and not because of the subject matter! It's so poorly written and edited it should be held up as an example of what NOT to do! Wonder how long it will take for "someone" to find this review offensive and request it be deleted?
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62 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent story in classic style, June 2, 2002
This review is from: Keeper Martin's Tale (Ruin Mist Chronicles, Book 1) (Paperback)
Robert Stanek's world he creates in KMT is defiantly unforgettable. I loved all the characters in the book. They all fit into place perfectly! Robert provides a good balance of description, history and action. The detail he uses definitely makes the book come to life. I would extremely recommend this novel to anyone who loves a great fantasy adventure with an immense world and characters that you feel like you know in person. This is a great start of one of the best series I have ever read. Once you start reading it, you just can't stop.

The first book in RUin Mist Chronicles, "Keeper Martin's Tale", begins in the kingdom capital of Imtal. In the distance are rolling foothills and great mountains and mystical lands. Stanek is a rare author that is capable of handling with detail and class many characters without losing track of their individual personalities. The most notable characters in Imtal are Adrina, EMel, Keeper Martin and Father Jacob. Stanek is also great at foreshadowing upcoming events. The progression is logical and the action is solidly intertwined with several mysteries. Best of all every one of Stanek's chapters contains large plot developments, so there is never a dull moment.

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Inside This Book (learn more)
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First Sentence:
Sunrise loomed across the horizon, pale as jasmine and mostly obscured by dark, feral clouds. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
sectional commander, lore keeper, palace guardsmen, dark priests, magical shield, garrison captain, raised squares, acting sergeant, great kingdom
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Father Jacob, Robert Stanek, Captain Brodst, Queen Mother, King Jarom, Prince Valam, Captain Mikhal, Lady Isador, King Andrew, Captain Adylton, Prince William, Brother Seth, Princess Adrina, Chancellor Van'te, Brother Liyan, Keeper Q'yer, Ruin Mist, South Province, Great Houses, Brother Galan, Captain Trendmore, King Charles, Ridemaster Gabrylle, Blood Wars, Duke Ispeth
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stanek is a fraud 47 26 days ago
There is no such thing as Clar Reviews 2 26 days ago
the hundreds of strange negative reviews for this book 35 Dec 7, 2011
Ever tree 1 May 24, 2011
Cool Book! 1 Feb 19, 2011
wow 100th book!!! amazing job mr stanek 6 Feb 19, 2011
Keeper Martin's Guides 3 Dec 29, 2010
What's next for ruin mist.... 4 Dec 29, 2010
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