Talisman of El- Alecia Stone

                I know I’ve been bad about updates.  Bad me.  I haven’t been doing much reading or writing as of late but this time it’s not for lack of wanting to but just pure exhaustion.  I don’t know if I mentioned this before or not but I have a cat, Keira, she’s almost 8 years old now and I’ve had her since she was an itty bitty kitten.  I still can’t believe this beast used to fit in one hand.  Anyways, growing up I always had a dog around and since living in my apartment for almost 2 years now I’ve missed having a pup.  I just didn’t think an apartment was a good place for the type of dog I want, basically I want a dog that is larger than my cat, I want a medium/large dog.

                What does that have to do with writing and reading you wonder?  Well I started going out to the shelter near my place to see the animals and volunteer to play with the dogs.  I figured I could keep working on my plan of getting a dog and then I’d find one there who matched me.  I found him.  Remming, not a name I’d pick mind you (featured to the left), but still he is so great and it was instant love.  I was all excited and my landlord is great so I text him that I was planning to get a dog and wanted to give him a heads up.  As it turns out he is against dogs in the apartment, liability with the community yard and such and apparently the others I’ve seen with dogs have them without his permission.  Sigh the truth has foiled me, so I can’t get my bebe.  So between spending time at the shelter during their open hours playing with first my bebe then the others and give them some run time and such, and I started going to the gym I’m just beat.

                So enough with excuses.  I did finish Talisman of El, by Alecia Stone last night.  I know this is why you’re reading anyways.  I got this ARC from Netgalley.com by way of kindle from Centrinian Publishing.  This book is more of a younger YA book, which is different for me but I still enjoyed it very much. 

                The book centers around Charlie a young orphan who seems might finally be getting a normal life.  Then of course it turns out not to be the case.  His adoptive father isn’t what he seems and the dreams he has he is no longer able to pretend they don’t have meaning.  He’s different.

                What if your whole life was a lie?  That is the tag line that first caught my attention and made me read further.  One plant, Two worlds.  Makes you wonder doesn’t it?  Well it made me wonder what would happen and so I began to read.

                As I said Charlie is different and has dreams.  He and his friend Alex (girl) come upon a new friend Richmond who is hiding out, a run away and Derkein, a man in his 20’s who looks to be going on 90.  This is when Charlie discovers his dreams are not just dreams as much as he wishes they were.  There is another world, Arcadia, and they have to find it.  The gang set off on the adventure to find Arcadia and save Derkein, Charlie also being led by something inside him telling him he needed answers.

                So this story is a fun little adventure with lots going for it and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.  I’m invested in the characters.  Charlie who has been through so much, Alex who from the first few pages she’s grabs hold of you.  Little Richmond always makes me hungry, be warned, and Derkein who reminds me of that uncle who is more of a friend even when you disagree.  The adventure was to me well paced and added enough action and suspense that I didn’t want to stop reading until I finished.  The world painted before you is pure magic and I wish I could see it, be it the streets of Sussex or Arcadia itself with all of the colorful and amazing characters and creatures.

                This book is part of a series and I myself can’t wait for the next installment.  This is the start of a journey and begins May 20^th, will you join?  I’m giving this book 5 stars, so check it out and tell me what you think because I don't think I did it justice.  Do you like Charlie?  What’s your favorite thing about him?  Is Candra good or bad?  Share your thoughts, I love to read them!