RateItAll: The Opinion Network

This really is one of the best fantasy series I have ever read. A great read full of adventure and magical wonder. Though some may say too similar to Lord of the Rings, I would dissagree, this book is much better. Robert Stanek is amazing in his character detail and development and the plot is more than enough to keep the reader interested but also enjoyed. I strongly recommend these books to all interested in starting that long and amazing journey that is the Keeper Martin's series. Five well deserved stars for Robert Stanek and his literary masterpiece.

Absolutely terrible. No plot, no character development. Trash.

Thank Goodness for The Kingdoms and the Elves! Let me say that I finished reading the last book today and a horrible thought came to mind, this might be the last one. Then I found out there was more and I was the happiest person in the world! Each book in the series is absolutely amazing, each getting jucier than the previous. It is a wonderful imaginative series EVERYONE should take the time to read. Absolutely amazing, the 4th book had me laughing, worried, completely dumbfounded, and even crying as these characters seem so real you can't help but feel their pain.

These books written by Robert Stanek are totally awesome!!!! Ive read them about a hundred times!!! And Im not really the kind of person who loves to read even though I get A's and B's in school I really don't like to read. I think that if you have not read thes books... you totally need to!!!!

After seeing this author on tv talking about his kingdoms and dragon books I could think of nothing else until I got them. Easily the best books I've ever read. The follow up series In the Service is Dragons is equally amazing.

Stanek's writing is amazing. The pages fly by and there's so much happening.

I love these books! Book #1 starts it out and is good, and book # 2 starts off right away as amazing! It doesn't stop until book #4.

"The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches" are some of the most unique books I have come in contact with. It is hard to assign the book to any discrete genre with it's delightful mix of fantasy, mystery, and suspense. Upon first approaching the book, I was somewhat skeptical. Most fantasy books I've readly lately fail to be fun reads - long, tedious, what not. The Kingdoms books don't have this problem. Stanek has done a magnificent job of creating a compelling characters and exciting stories. These are books that need to be approached with no expectations and on their own terms. If you allow Stanek to work his magic, and give The Kingdoms a chance to grow on you, then the journey is one that you will look back upon as enjoyable and inspiring.

I love this series... This is the series that made me a Robert Stanek fan. The first one gets it started, the other three make it great. Read them all.

Excellent! Wonderful storyline and characters. I really loved the books.

I absolutely loved these books - couldn't wait to get to the next one and the next. All four are great and the next set after it is even better. The characters are like my new best friends.

I love his books! It's wonderful to find an author that adults can enjoy and that children are excited to read. The writing and the stories are very well done.

A can't put down set of books by Robert Stanek about a changing world and the heroes in it. Overall these books are very adventurous and fun. The details are exquisite and the characters quickly become friends. When all those things get combined it equals a really great story.

Excellent books by a great author!

Been a fan of Robert Stanek since I saw him on tv speaking about his books. My favorite books are The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches books and Magic Lands Journey Beyond the Beyond. Those are the books I've read with my kids. I was surprised and delighted to see a full page article featuring his work and calling him the new new thing and comparing where he is in his career to where JK Rowling was in her career in the late 90's. Among tweens and teens in the know, Robert Stanek is the new new thing. He has the potential to be the next JK Rowling and the books that are going to take him there are about a boy named Vilmos, a princess named Adrina and a warrior elf named Seth. Not only does Robert have a strong following of readers but readers are also extremely loyal.

Few authors can write fiction appreciated by both children and adults, but Robert Stanek is one such author. His fantasy series, beginning with The Kingdoms and Elves of the Reaches 1 has captured the hearts of readers worldwide. Set in the fantastical world of Ruin Mist, the stories chronicle the adventures of Adrina, Vilmos, the elves and their friends. Fate changes all their lives and it begins when a mysterious woman visits Adrina. Then Vilmos uses his magic once to much and boom! his whole life changes. He has to run away to save his family and himself. Despite the fact that magic use is banned and punishable by death, Vilmos not only discovers his magical heritage but also learns that he has a place in the outside world that he never dreamed of. Once there, Vilmos finds himself in a very exciting world and it a place, a world different from the one he thought he knew. Poor Adrina she doesn't fair much better, but that's just the sad beginning of a wonderful book. Stanek's world is vivid, original, hugely fun and heart warming. His characters range from those we love and admire to those we fear and cry for to those we hate and just about everywhere in between. The books are filled with surprising events and unexpected twists. It makes quick reading for adults, and Stanek should be applauded for his ability to weave a tale that is understandable and captivating to all age groups. Minor complaints aside, I'd recommend it to anyone.

Great series for young adult! Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches was voted Best Children's Book of 2003 and has been called one of the best new series this century and like getting all the fun of JK Rowling and JRR Tolkien in one. I would recommend this and other books by this author.

This book, and all the other Keeper Martin Tales books, are really, really good. I would recommend them to anyone who reads.

I never read a Robert Stanek series before this. With this book, the beautiful cover caught my eye and made me lift it from the shelf. The book description made me buy it, and the wondrous story made me love it! Immediately, afterwards, I began devouring the rest of this great series - eagerly awaiting the next. For other readers who like me find it difficult to leap into a new fantasy world, this book is great at bringing you into this great new world. Trust me, it's a great series to leap into, with so many great possibilities for the future.

I work in a library. A co-worker loaned this book and when she finished, highly recommended it to me. We are both fantasy fans. Now that our credibility has been established, let me HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed fantasy novels. The characters were well developed, the story intriguing and involving, the plot wonderful. I was so involved that, like many readers, I felt I had to share Adrina's sorrow, Vilmos’s pain and Seth’s anger. I fell in love with them all. I felt Adrina’s loneliness, her isolation, and her longing for a normal life. I felt Vilmos’s sadness, his need for truth, his struggle with temptation. I felt Seth’s fear, his desire and his need. I understood them and wanted to be there with them. At any rate, try it and buy it, if you aren't too critical you’ll enjoy it.

A wonderfully crafted book containing brilliant images of a wild and magical world. The backgound is set when the turbulent struggle between the two nations begins. The tragic lead character - a young apprentice named Vilmos - is courageous and determined - attributes he needs in abundance as his world and his life is transformed. Vilmos's determination is remarkable, and his suffering almost unbearable - at times you feel that you must step in to help - then you remember it is just a book!

Great book, it gets everything going. The series is the best