Customer Reviews

Ruin Mist: Elf Queen's Quest (Collector's Edition) (Ruin Mist Chronicles)

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"Elf Queen's Quest" is the second book in Robert Stanek's wonderful "Ruin Mist Chronicles" series. As I started reading this, I wasn't sure I would like this but this is stunning. All of the magic of the first book, "Keeper Martin's Tale", is here, but the tone is darker, deeper and stronger. Robert has a unique approach in that he provides alternate views of the stories through what he calls "paths".

Robert frequently changes viewpoints in the story. It lets the reader see things from different viewpoints, resulting in a better understanding of everything. The story follows several main threads and we get to see what happens before and after the characters stories come together. Robert's writing style is very natural and free of the standard fantasy cliches. I remember no editing errors and no slow spots and as this is a fairly good-sized book that says a lot.

Robert starts with a large cast of main or possible-main characters, and the weave of the story helps the reader see the huge culminating confrontations on the horizon. I liked this story a lot. I think this represents a strong start to a great fantasy series.

Elf Queen's Quest is an exciting and fitting sequel to Book I. Although some parts of the 1st book are seen from different viewpoints, it didn't stop me from reading. The development of the plot and the characters takes the reader on a new level in every chapter. If in Book 1 I felt their emotions, here in Book 2 I ended up caring for them and fearing for them (because what is happening is dark). Robert Stanek has brillantly put together a story that has everything in it: adventure, magic, mystery, humor but never fails to emphasize on compassion, courage, self-sacrifice, loyalty and friendship.

And though I don't understand all of the characters (Xith for one. He's a mystery. Midori for another), their stories are just as interesting as those of Vilmos, Emel, Seth, Galan and Adrina. Vilmos is the one I identified with most strongly. His dreams, his visits to the underworld, his escape into the forest kept my heart pounding as I turned page after page. Vilmos has proven himself humble and not at all hungry for fame and publicity. He just wants to survive and he's brave enough to head out into the world and leave his family behind. The events that happened to Vilmos and his friends has proven once again that Vilmos is a key in this changing world. He's compassionate and self-sacrificing and will go to great lengths in saving another person's life. And although his dreams are scary and his magic forbidden (because of the evil past of human magic), Vilmos nevertheless showed that his inherent goodness has the power to outweigh everything else.

The stories of Vilmos/Xith, Seth/Galan, Adrina/Emel are absolutely enthralling and when the stories finally come together it's awesome. Everything that happens before and after has a wonderful build. The momentum is fabulous. In Book 2, all the characters have their moment to shine, and friendships are growing. Emel has proven himself a caring and supportive friend to Adrina. Aware of Adrina's plight, he plunges in, thinking more of Adrina than himself and he is there for her throughout. During the journey, Emel never left Adrina's side, and despite his own inner conflicts with his feelings for her, he still went out of his way to help her. That is true friendship indeed! Seeth and Galan, on the other hand, are quite different. Seth provides the 'brains' but lacks experience with the real world. He's never been beyond Kapital and the Brotherhood of the Elves is all he knows. Galan is the balancing weight. She's a bit different and together the members of the Red make many costly choices, choices that hold the keys to their fate. Seth's intelligence, combined with Galan's strength makes their story special.

Book 2 has also given us a mirror into which we can reflect on the events of Book 1. We can wonder what is the truth of the events. Where is the change taking their world? Can we believe the views of Keeper Martin Or is his view stilted in favor of Great Kingdom? Above all, it tells us that history can be written and rewritten and to find the truth of history, you must look for it. Vilmos is a model of bravery, Emel of compassion and loyalty which I hope we can still find in the our world. I can only hope that Adrina can overcome her sadness before it sweeps her away.

I've been reading Mr. Stanek for some time now and he has quickly became a favorite. I have to admit, though, that the second book is better than the first in this series. It answered so many questions and that made me quite happy. The continued fleshing out of the world of Ruin Mist is tops. Ruin Mist is fascinating. This book is a winner. If you like fantasy -- read this book. If you love fantasy and don't have it, shame on you! Run out this weekend and get it if you can.

The book has three main threads. The first thread is about a princess in a dying kingdom. She has a gift in that she is able to see things and she has a part in the great change that is coming. She comes off as a strong, smart character with real flaws and feelings. Although she sometimes comes off a little naive, this is good since it balances out her other qualities. The match of her and Emel, a young guardsman realy makes this work well.

In the second thread is a boy named Vilmos. He's destined to be the first human magus in hundreds/thousands of years. There's a darkness to human magic in this story--the last human mage caused something (unsaid) but terrible, leading to a cleansing of all that is magical from the lands of men. Vilmos is delivered from a terrible death as a result of his magic use by a mysterious character named Xith. Xith is some type of gnome or drawf but we're never told directly, only that king gnome disappeared from the land with his people and Xith may be this.

In the third thread are elves named Galan and Seth. There story is one of utmost tragedy as they undertake a desperate journey to save their lands from a coming darkness. Seth and Galan are members of the Elven Brotherhood. They have the mental powers and the combat skills of ninjas.

The first part of the book introduces these stories and the world. Everything leads up nicely to the second part of the book where there's battles, betrayals, kidnappings and more battles. The introduction of Keepers who have the power to send dream messages, priests who commune with the dead, priestesss who commune with Mother Earth, the under world, dark creatures, and shapeshifting beasts really set this book apart. What more could you ask for in a book?

"Elf Queen's Quest" by Robert Stanek is pretty darn good. Here we get another view into Robert's world. Robert has a very original approach in that the story overlaps and runs parallel with "Keeper Martin's Tale". As th stories have different tellers, they are very different and offer starkly differing views of the world of Ruin Mist. When I finished the last page of Elf Queen's Quest, I knew immediately that Robert had tapped into something wonderful and magical. He's someone who truly understands how people read: we read and reread our favorites, especially epic fantasies. Now wouldn't you love to be able to rediscover your favorite world??? WOW! Robert definitely has a unique understanding of how readers read (*and what readers like*).

I had so much fun reading this! Robert's style is clean and the words flow so well it is easy to forget you're reading and not seeing this in your mind's eye. The style is solid. There's no pretensious clutter! To say that Robert taps into something as wonderful as "Harry Potter" and "Middle Earth" is an understatement. This is an introduction as good as any other I've ever. There's wonder, joy, sorrow, mystery and action. The descriptions are a delight! Those who don't understand the story may never like it but those who do understand and love it! A well-deserved 5 stars!

Contratry to what you might expect Elf Queen's Quest doesn't take up where Keeper Martin's Tale left off. Instead Robert treats us to an alternate view that provides incredible insight into everything that's happened and a much deeper, darker story. Elf Queen's Quest begins to show us a little more of Stanek's complex world. Stanek is wonderul at weaving numerous story threads together, carrying them all throughout the book with a moving flourish.

I was more taken than I expected to be with the magical systems of Ruin Mist. Many fantasy realms have wizards and various classes of wizards, but Stanek's is one of the few that is has many magic systems and we are just now gaining insight into these. So far it seems clearly defined. Stanek's world is one of the most complex and unpredictable I have come across. I have little patience with classic Good vs. Evil and was pleased that Robert doesn't fall into the standard traps. We see a world that is being transformed. We aren't sure who is good, who is bad. There's a sense of evil in the world, but as Elf Queen shows us, our sense of what's evil may be way off from what we thought in Keeper Martin. This makes is so you are never quite sure who to trust or why. I also really like the concept, which becomes more prevalent here than in Keeper Martin.

Stanek is adept at managing many different levels of reality. Nearly as much of the action takes place in places we are not quite sure are real (especially the visits to the under world). There's a lot of action in dreams and Stanek writes some of the best dream sequences I have ever read. Unlike other authors he doesn't minimize the dream action. From the start it is clear that what happens in dreams is just as real as what happens when the characters are awake (and often the dream world is more disturbing).

The story is fast-paced and there's a lot of action. Robert's style keeps you turning pages as you hurry to find out what happened next to your favorite characters. The one difficulty I have with this book is that we're really only seeing a part of this world Robert calls Ruin Mist and so there's a lot we don't know yet. I know, I know. I shouldn't expect to know an entire world as complex as Robert's already but I can't wait to learn the underlying details of the world.

All in all, though, it is a good follow up and a remarkably good series (so far). To be sure this isn't your standard fantasy and this isn't your standard follow up. Be prepared to revisit, see things from different views, gain new insights and meet new characters.

Was it worth it? Definitely. The story has a lot of going for it and Robert Stanek has created characters that are simply marvelous to read about. One of the wonderful things about this is that, Elf Queen's Quest delivers. The world as created by Robert is well-crafted and full of magic. The book has a wonderful quality. Magic is not all powerful, and its use has consequences as Vilmos knows all to well.

Vilmos is my favorite of all the wonderful characters Robert introduces us to. Vilmos is a boy who is plagued by dark dreams and a dark power: human magic. Use of magic is punishable by death and Vilmos is on the verge of being discovered as a would-be mage. The dark dreams become all too real and it seems the fabric of reality between the dream world and the real world is non-existent. That's when Xith comes into the picture. Xith is one of the great watchers and he's there for Vilmos in his darkest moment.

The other characters in this book are outstanding as well. All of the main characters are three dimensional, they all have faults and there are no perfect heroes. Adrina is mix up and confused. She lost her mother to a great tragedy and it haunts her. Yet she has chosen to fight despair and go out into the world as the agent of change. Emel has a checkered past, often getting into trouble because of his friendship with Adrina. Seth is very unworldly, although his skills and prowess as a warrior-elf are phenominal. Galan is one of the few who can see true.

One of the best characters in this book, and this is my biggest bone of contention, is Midori. She's a priestess of the Mother and her introduction is one of the best scenes in the whole book. I really wish there had been more of her story. Somehow she is linked to everything that is happening. We see part of this, but not all.

Another wrong with this book is that we don't get all the pieces we need to understand the changes taking place. I know this is just the beginning of a larger series but I was hoping to know a lot more. The world Robert creates is vast and we see only a small fraction of it. We visit the Kingdoms, some of the minor kingdoms, briefly the East Reaches of the elves, and some exploration of Under Earth. But the maps show so much more of the realms that aren't discussed or explored. At least Tolkien, let us see more of Middle Earth in the Lord of the Rings.

This is definitely a keeper but it's not perfect.

Robert Stanek is easily my favorite author. "Elf Queen's Quest" blows away almost every book that I've read. This is the second book in the series titled "Ruin Mist Chronicles". It is different from most books in that it doesn't pick up right after the first book in the series. Instead it provides new views/insights into what's happened, introducing new characters and events. With this book comes more magical things than what was in the first book. Many magical doings take place and are major to the plot. What makes "Elf Queen's Quest" interesting, and the other novel in this series is the way that the story is told. Sections within chapters are told from the point of view of the main characters and because of this you are not stuck with the point of view of one character throughout the whole entire story. This book is a new type of fantasy novel and shouldn't be missed. The prose and characters are excellent. The action believable.

At just over 400 pages, "Ruin Mist: Elf Queen's Quest", the first dark path book from Robert Stanek's "Ruin Mist Chronicles" hits straight and delivers true! I was not a fan of Stanek's fiction until this book. My daughter's the one who introduced me to his writings. She's a pretty big fan of his "Kingdoms & Elves" and "Elf Queen" so I decided to try this one. I must admit that I liked the story and Robert's style kept me busily turning pages. After finishing I put the book down reluctantly. I didn't want the story to end. I went back and read the book again this weekend--something I haven't done in years. Robert Stanek introduces a unique world with lots to offer everyone who would care to listen.

Thank you Mr. Stanek for this excellent book! Looking forward to many more...

Stanek's Ruin Mist is a wonderful, wonderful place, populated with its own creatures, history, and breathtaking landscapes. The book is a tale of Robert's creation in which we meet heroes Seth, Xith and Keeper Martin. We learn about elves, gnomes, shape-changing beasts, watchers, and wizards. The characters don't gravitate to extremes that can be seen as "good" or "evil" yet there is a struggle going on between the forces of light and darkness. We see shades of darkness, get insight into character's intentions and thoughts but like life there doesn't appear to be true "good" or true "evil". Robert very subtly points to the reality that dark forces at work. We read of Sathar who has survived the dark journey and war banners being raised in the elven Kingdoms yet we don't see this firsthand. This is something on the horizon, like the dark "change" that is coming to the human Kingdoms. I loved this book! I think you will too. The best writers know how to make their work seem effortless and Stanek is definiltey in this category. The clear voice makes the story all the better.

This book goes deep into a darker side of Ruin Mist than we've seen previously. We get to see the dark priests, the priestesses of the mother and more of Xith's back story. The trips to under earth (Rill Akh Arr) are a delight. One things for certain is that Robert has carefully thought out the world's history and settings. I must say though that Xith remains a mystery as does Midori who we meet in this book.

In truth I don't completely understand Robert's notion of light and dark paths. I do know this though: I haven't liked a series this much in a long, long time. EQQ and KMT are a pair of books that go hand in hand. One is a reflection of the other; the two together a set. According to the book's final notes, the next book in the light path is Ruin Mist: Keeper Martin's Tale Part II. The next book in the dark path is Ruin Mist: Fields of Honor. The book's publisher was very nice when I inquired about the books, pointing me to the web site for more information and providing some interesting tidbits on Robert's concept of alternative histories (paths). Maybe I'm looking to deep into this but I very much liked the books and want to know more.

I guess I'll have to wait for the next books in the series to unravel the mysteries the first books hint at. I'm left with many questions though. Like if Lillath and Vil aren't the parents of Vilmos, who is? What secret past do Emel and Adrina have (they've hinted)? Who is the lady of the forest? What's Midori's connection to Talem and others? Is Xith good or evil?

I do think this is worthwhile reading. I enjoyed this alternative views; this was something completely new so enjoyable. Robert definitely understands how readers read (and reread) their favorite books. Problem is I'm not sure who to root for anymore; maybe that's the point, to keep you guessing.