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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
#1 of a new trilogy, September 17, 2007
This review is from: The Land of Elyon: Into the Mist (Hardcover)
Into the Mist by Patrick Carman is the beginning of a new trilogy by this author based in Elyon. It picks up just a few days after the close of the last trilogy, but the author goes to great lengths to set the context for the story. I haven't read the earlier books, but I still enjoyed this one.
The story is a mix of the present day and reminiscence of the past. Alexa Daley is on a ship captained by Roland Warvold heading for some unknown destination. She convinces the captain to say where they are going, but to do that, the captain must tell the story of how he became captain of the Warwick Beacon.
The story begins with Roland and his brother Thomas in an orphanage where they mine a garbage dump for treasures for the owner of the house where they and the other orphans live. Something they find sends them off on an adventure to learn who they are and what their place in the world will be. They travel back and forth across their world following mysterious clues left for them.
Into the Mist is a well-written and enjoyable story. There are interesting characters and exciting discoveries. The chapters weave back and forth from past to present, but not in manner that is confusing for the reader. For those who have read the first Elyon trilogy, this book will reveal the history of two of the principal characters. For those who are entering Elyon for the first time, this is a delightful introduction to that magical world.
I was captivated by this story and plan to read the earlier trilogy, and to follow along with this second trilogy. Into the Mist is a to be book enjoyed by younger and older readers alike.
Armchair Interviews says: The author's web site is well worth checking out for the artwork and excerpts from his other books.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Ghosts of the past, October 19, 2007
This review is from: The Land of Elyon: Into the Mist (Hardcover)
This is the fourth book in "The Land of Elyon" series, beginning right after Tenth City, but then switching to the past through the recollections of Roland Warvold, seafaring brother of Thomas Warvold.
Serving as the first part of the prequel to the first three books, this book picks up the adventure with Roland aboard the Warwick Beacon, afloat on the Lonely Sea, along with Alexa Daley, the main character of the first trilogy, and her friend Yipes. While temporarily becalmed, Roland tells the tale of their miserable childhood in an orphanage built on a hill of garbage, and the subsequent escape and adventures of the two brothers.
In this episode, the brothers learn the significance of their mysterious tattoos (kind of like Prison Break) and make their first forays into the uncharted lands. Some enchanting new characters are introduced, as well as a couple of unforgettable new locations, and although a working knowledge of the first trilogy would be useful, it isn't essential.
Now for the long wait until the next book......
Amanda Richards, October 20, 2007
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing Story, May 16, 2008
This is the first book in the second trilogy set in the Land of Elyon. It can either be seen as a prequel to The Dark Hills Divide, or as a new beginning in a new saga. It really is, in part, both. For in this book Alexa Daley and Yipes from the first series are on a sea voyage with Thomas Warvold, brother to the late Rolan Warvold. This book is the tale of Roland and Thomas and their journey from being orphans in a house on the hill, to being respective leaders and adventurers in their own right.
Our three adventurers are on a voyage. Yet Thomas has not told Alexa or Yipes where they are going. But he does settle in and tell them the story of how he got there to be the captain of the Warvick Beacon, and also the tale of his brother's and his own adventures when they were younger than Alexa is now. The brother's journey goes from being little more than slave labor to journeys under the world, over mountains and into a magical land where you do not grow old.
All the while, the reader knows that they are being told this story, because Thomas had a task in the story for Alexa and Yipes, a task related to his past and a task that must be faced. Evil has been released in the land of Elyon, and a battle between good and evil is approaching Elyon and Abaddon. It is a battle that once again young Alexa and her friend Yipes will have to decide to choose, either bravery and face the challenge at hand, or ...
There are many great facets of Carman's writings. First is his smooth fluid prose. Second is the wonderful word pictures he creates in the reader's mind, and third, his stories center around normal people being called on to stretch their limits. It is not the classic story of the giant battle between good and evil. It is about small battles with people fighting to do right and learning from their own pasts. His stories have life lessons that can be applicable to almost any reader, yet written in such a way that he never preaches at the reader. The battles are between good and evil without it being a cosmic battle for the whole universe, the whole planet or in this case the land of Elyon.
This book is a great read for the reader of any age, and since it is the first in a new trilogy, it will leave you wanting and eagerly awaiting the next installment.
(First Published in Imprint 2008-05-16.)
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