A debut fantasy novel by a beloved picture book author, and the first in an exciting trilogy set in the world of fairies”When Matt and his family move to a new neighborhood, they do not realize that they ve inadvertently stumbled into the middle of massive upheaval in the fairy world. With the elves territory disintegrating and dark factions looking to seize control, apprentice mage Tuava-Li must defend her way of lifeeven when that means cooperating with Matt, a human and a natural enemy, as he may just hold the key to keeping the elf realm from certain destruction. Daniel Kirk has created a mystical world that will envelop readers. A rich story peppered with illustrations that make it come alive, “Elf Realm “is a world few will want to leave.

Out October 1, 2008

MY THOUGHTS:

I finally got my hands on a copy of this book. It took me forever to find it. So… 500 pages and wow!

Dark, creepy saga that does take a long time to get into, but once hooked, watch out!  Yes, it does start off a bit childish but don’t let that fool you.  There’s a lot of gore and grotesque in this series and starts in the beginning of book one and goes from there.  What a beautiful concept and soooooo many characters to keep track of.  I love all the creatures, the setting and premise.   I think readers expect the same type of writing that Kirk puts into his children books.  DON’T!

THIS IS NOT A YOUNG CHILD’S BOOK.  I think even some tweens might have trouble getting their heads around some of the violence but it’s an amazing epic tale that just needs to find its following.

For myself, I adore epic tales that have childish qualities to it.  These fae are small but ruthless and they hate humans because of their destructive qualities.  Hellooooo, look around people to what we are doing to our world.

Why does reading about it bother so many? The settings are well structured, the magic creative and intriguing but if you are looking for a quick read, this isn’t for you!  I am about to begin the second book in this series and will review it shortly.

I gave this book: