Robert Stanek has a long history of interent misbehavoir which includes writing his own reviews for his books using mutiple fake accounts, spamming message boards and websites such as Wikipedia, emailing fake legal threats to anyone who posts criticism of his book and tatics, and bashing other fantasy authors with bad reviews. See these websites for details:

http://www.davidlouisedelman.com/book-promotion/ethical-self-promotion/

http://pl.atyp.us/wordpress/?p=508

http://news.ansible.co.uk/a219.html#01

http://wwwwolf.livejournal.com/247878.html

http://www.reddit.com/r/scifi/comments/8v254/has_ro bert_stanek_been_trashing_other_writers/?sort=top

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/lofiversion/index.php/t1 9941.html

http://jimhines.livejournal.com/332908.html?thread= 3198316

http://fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/2009/06/pathetic .html

http://io9.com/5300748/how-much-damage-can-a-maniac-and-his-army-of-sock-puppets-do-on-amazoncom

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Articles_for _deletion/Ruin_Mist

http://www.bestfantasybooks.com/blog/2009/04/dont-trust-amazon-reviews-theyre-fake/

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php? t=35437

http://community.livejournal.com/antishurtugal/3220 66.html

http://www.malazanempire.com/IPBforum/index.php?s=a c9748a143d9899260b845c90be3887d&showtopic=7128& amp;st=140&p=619948&#entry619948

Excellent books, even for a college student like me. I thought the books of his I read were excellent. They were very well written and the character development was great. The storyline was smooth and kept me on the edge of my seat. Great books for fantasy lovers. I think his books are great for people of any age, just like the Harry Potter series. I was very pleased with Stanek's descriptions of the different types of creatures. They were definately worth your time and money!

Utterly tiresome, derivative, uninteresting junk. Drugstore shelf material.  And damn close to fraudulent, at that.

What a great author! I've read all of The Kingdoms and the elves of the Reaches books. Really really good stuff. I enjoyed In the Service of Dragons too and can't wait for whatever he writes next. Very COOL!

A self published author of reallly awful cliche fantasy novels - and the grandmaster of fake reviews on Amazon. He claims to be a best selling author on his website and proudly prints this on the cover of his self published books, however no brick/morter bookstores and libraries carry his books.

A wonderful fantasy writer who's books get better and better with each continuation.

Robert Stanek is my favorite author for good reason. He writes excellent stories with characters cut from whole cloth who are part of vividly realized worlds. I'm surprise he has gotten so little credit for all the great many things he has written. Is Ruin Mist Chronicles a masterpiece? Of course, but his work is so underappreciated.

Impossible to read. Not worth the effort. Do not believe the hype.

I don't normally write reviews but I personally loved both The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches and In the Service of Dragons and thought both held my attention throughout. I have no problem re-reading any books in the series. I am VERY interested to read the next book so please hurry!

This is a great book, people shouldn't be soo negative about it, because it is awesome!!!!! Anybody who hasnt read please do, you wont be wasting your time! And as to noralea writing a bunch of short negative reviews and then reposting your original review with new dates so it is at the top? Grow up!

Robert Stanek is one of the better fantasy book out there, although they may not be as well written as Tolkien, I've read all his fantasy and some of the detail and obvious passion written into the books made me unable to put them down. If you haven't read his books,I suggest you do. To be quite honest i'll just say this beats out star wars and LOTR, although they may be some great works, they've lost their ability to enthrall me and all I wish for is Adrina, Vilmos, and them all to find their peace.

Truly, an excellent author whose books I've enjoyed. I definitely recommend his books and he has a wide assortment from fantasy to scifi and beyond. My favorites are his books about the fantasy world called Ruin Mist. They have excellent characters, good details, and lots of history. The world of Ruin Mist is almost like a character.

the book was a freaking piece of shit. vile and crap and extremely bad. the plot was blah, i read the book and at the end of it, i wa thinking, wad the hell iis he going on about. don't read it unless u wann to eyes to start bleeding from the fantastically horrifying book

Some of the worst writing I've ever read.  Don't be fooled by the "reviews".

I just recently finished In the Service of Dragons :). It was excellent, as good as The Kingdoms and the Elves books. I'm getting the second one next. I suppose I can wait until it arrives, but waiting is sooo hard.

It's a shame fanboys of other authors keep saying nasty things about this wonderful writer! Robert Stanek is such a great writer this nastiness is just not right. Robert Stanek's Ruin Mist books are well written and fun reads. I've read them all multiple times and truly enjoyed them.

Great book! Changed the way I live my life! Better than Tolkien, I just love the characters and the story line! No, just kidding, but it probably sounded familiar, didn't it? The books are terrible and all the positive reviews are written by him. Actually Stanek is more gifted in writing fake reviews than writing actual books.

Let's face it, people. You are either viewing this page because you have bought one of Robert Stanek's books and feel the need to alert other readers as to how bad it is, or you are viewing this page because you are Robert Stanek and need to put as many five star reviews on this site as possible in order to drive the bad ratings off the page. So, with that said, it shouldn't surprise people that Robert Stanek is a writer without talent. In fact, I wouldn't even go as far as to call him a writer as he is published by Reagent Press which, when you look close, is a vanity press set up by none other than Robert Stanek. The website for this press makes all manner of outlandish claims without ever supplying any evidence of where plaudits and other praise comes from. For example, he claims to be a #1 bestselling author; this comes from being the #1 bestselling author of Reagent Press, which only publishes unedited nonsense by Robert Stanek. Robert Stanek is known in many circles for being a talentless producer of the worst, most unimaginative fantasy prose alongside such speculative rubbish as Lionel Fanthorpe and similarly self-published, Sean Wright. Like Sean Wright, he is also known for writing his own reviews and believing his own hype when everyone just stands alongside and shakes their head. If you are buying a book for your children then please look elsewhere - preferably to a known publisher - as a book by Robert Stanek has not passed sufficient levels of quality control that other books go through such as agents, editors, and publishers.

Stanek is frequently mentioned in the same breath as the fantasy greats J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Stanek's works, like the works of Tolkien and Lewis, go far beyond the level of story. They impart great truths about human nature on a deeper level. Stanek's novels also entertain as he's clearly a gifted storyteller. As a fantasy story-teller about the world of magic, Stanek is undeniably skilled and many of his concepts are brilliant. Stanek clearly has a style of his own, and in his books have confirmed his reputation as a story-teller for people of all ages. Although his books are about a fantasy world, ultimately they are about ourselves. And that is why we love them. Highly recommended!

Stanek has assured himself a place in the hearts and imagination of everyone who reads and appreciates good books! Written in a plain style that is easily grasped, yet captivating enough to hold the attention of an older audience. I have everyone asking me about his books. I'm seriously addicted.... What else can I say. great books for ANYONE.

Such a good author, his work should definitely be as highly as Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. Better than Harry Potter I think and as good as Lord of the Rings if different.

Saw this author on tv talking about his dragons books. 2 weeks later I've now read all of them -- they're that good. Equally as good as Harry Potter or anything else, and in many ways better. His books have better characters and they are more real because of their hopes and dreams, for example.

Everyone I know is talking about this author! His books are amazing. Kingdom Alliance is top of the shelf. I haven't read a book as good since I discovered Lord of the Rings in 1978.

The best! His books are complex and interesting, but easy to read and full with great characters!

Robert Stanek managed to write a book which is becoming a national phenomenon read by children of all ages. His masterpieces have captured the imagination of children all around the world. These books are about a regular boy, a prince and the elves. These books shall capture the readers' attension by revealing adventures, fantastic creatures, and best friends, who keep getting into trouble, but become heros.

The Ruin Mist novels! Definitely a master of fantasy and my favorite author.

I was extremely pleased with the detail and suspense of this author's books. His books are must reads if you love fantasy, suspense or action.

I found Stanek's books to be full of the writing that captivates you to the point where you want to read the whole book in one sitting. Great books for those of us that put our selves into the characters and feel right alone side them.

An excellent writer! I have read almost everything he's written. I like how each book is more and more interesting.

Derivative, tired writing. Do you really believe all the five star ratings are for real? I don't!

The worlds created by Robert Stanek are entirely believable, engaging, and incredible, all at the same time. I've read everything he's written so far. I've read many other novels that have attempted to maintain such a wide-ranging vision while still giving a sense of personal experience, and none have come close to what Stanek has accomplished. I would recommend his books to any and all lovers of great stories.

The NEW grandmaster of fantasy? Okay, okay Robert Stanek's first book wasn't the greatest but it was full of interesting characters and happenings. The world he started to reveal was rich in history and detail. The plot full of mystery and some surprising twists. Okay got it, but then get to his next books the story gets better and better, richer, fuller, deeper, and you are blown away. Ditto for every book that follows.

Robert Stanek is a true KING of fantasy! There are lots of books in the genre, but Staneks stand out. Why? 1) People with different backgrounds speak differently. 2) Children act like children. 3) Adults act like adults. 4) None of the characters are pure evil or pure good. 5) As in life, bad things happen to good people. 6) The writing style is absolutely top notch.

Can't help myself I've gotta gush on like the other reviewers. Since I read his In the Service of Dragons he's my favorite author.

Robert Stanek is honestly one of the best authors ever. Not only is his Ruin Mist Chronicles amazing but so are all his other books.

My kids are the ones who got me reading Robert Stanek. All good, fast reads. Now if he'd just hurry up and finish the Ruin Mist Chronicles I'd be in pure bliss.

Haven't had as much fun reading books in a long while. Very well-written books and a great author. High marks in my opinion.

One of the few fantasy authors whose books I love. A really great author.

Saw the author on tv a while back. Turns out he's a spectacular author! I would recommend any of his books though Kingdom Alliance is his best work to date. Critics who have hailed Stanek as a cross between Tolkien and Rowling are right on. He has the world building skills of Tolkien but the sensibilities of Rowling. Things don't get bogged in the details.

Really great author. I love his books, they are nice to read and hard to put down.

The first time I learned about Robert Stanek was from the Times article on his life and books. He has the most amazing life story, I was genuinely inspired by it. I recommend to anyone to go to www.roberstanek.com to learn more about this author. What a great author!

Very imaginative stories! He created a terrific world in Ruin Mist. I have enjoyed his short stories too.

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.

A truly great author! In the Times they said he is JRR Tolkien with all the right touches of JK Rowling. I would agree. His books a very popular and there's so many good ones to choose from.

I agree with others who say that Robert Stanek is one of the best fantasy writers they have read. Ruin Mist Chronicles is a mind-blowing series and the characters aren't mere caricatures. They are almost real. Adrina is a favorite as she is a sad girl who grows into a beautiful person in the space of three books. Vilmos is the opposite he is growing into something but it is far from beautiful. It is like he is being swallowed by darkness. If the books had only these two characters to cheer for they'd still be great but Adrina and Vilmos are only a part of the large central cast that includes Seth, Emel, Xith, Father Jacob, Galan, Keeper Martin, King Andrew, Prince William, and others. As for Stanek's other novels, I have only read the first book in the Magic Lands series. It is for younger readers but I was not disappointed. I'd recommend this author over most others any day.

'The bad review you see her and other places from the so called MistressElf are from one person who has a vendetta against a well-written and acclaimed novel, for whatever reason. Maybe this one is jealous of the success that has come to the author. Maybe this one is a frustrated writer. Maybe it's PMS. This so-called reviewer must not be a very spriritual or ethical person, to be faking reveiws and trying jimmy the review system. If this person spent time feeding starving children and adults, their time at least would be generating good. Instead, by the abuse of the review system, this one creates Karma and Sin that they will have to pay back to God and the universal balance scales to atone. If one does not like the book. Let it go. What a waste of one's energy. Wasting one's time and energy on making a career of putting up the samely worded reviews day after day to knock Stanek's books and other reviewers is a loser's life. I feel sorry for you and hope that you will mature into an ethical and spiritual person. I pray that you find what your path in life is; one that makes you happy.

One of the best fantasy writers I have encountered. Robert Stanek belongs in the top 10, not only because he is a great storyteller, but because he is also easy to read. The "Ruin Mist" series ranks with Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings", Jordan's "Wheel of Time", Martin's "Song of Fire and Ice" and Brooks's Shannara as the 5 greatest fantasy series of all time. The most amazing thing about Stanek is his uncanny ability to pace fast, write with clarity and brevity yet with considerable depth in his writing. I think there is a level of emotional maturity in his work that's not found in most other fantasy fiction. His stories have a strong emphasis on character and incredible worlds. Stanek really deserves to be on more people's lists.

Strong up and coming author! I've enjoyed his books and think he has a lot of talent.

Right now my friends are readin reading what I'm reading. we trade off books and talk about them. Recentally my friends and I have read Kingdoms and Elves of the Reaches. My friends and I were hooked immediately. It's a great series. We are so into these!!! It is totally awesome. I also liked Journey Beyond the beyond Magic Lands. Robert Stanek is such a great auithor.

His Ruin Mist series is very good and keeps you very much into it. His characters have their own motivations that seem logical and real. They "are" real people in my mind, knights, queens, warriors, squires, soldiers, commoners. His books will always hold a place in my heart.