Book Review: The Keepers of Elendiel

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Hello all you escapist bookworms,

Reality can be such a bummer, and sometimes we just need to escape, am I right? Today’s book review is a portal fantasy novel The Keepers of Elendiel by Bailee Williams.

I just love portal fantasy. It’s the perfect genre to escape into another world filled with magic. I don’t know much about this author but the cover and blurb sold me right away. Let’s see how this read went!

 

Blurb

All twelve-year-old Emery has ever wanted was to be normal. But when you have magical powers that haven’t existed in over a century, normal is a big ask.

With strange dreams of a magical land and half-buried memories of the tragic accident that killed her father, she knows she’ll never be a regular kid. But when a mysterious stranger turns up on her doorstep with a cryptic warning, Emery’s life is flipped upside-down. She’s shocked to discover that the place she’s been seeing in her dreams is actually real, and the people who live there not only have magical powers just like hers…they’re normal.

Alone and afraid in an unfamiliar world, Emery struggles to control her powers and stay hidden from the dark forces hunting her down. Torn between the desire to return to her own world and the urge to uncover her own forgotten secrets, Emery finds herself in the middle of an ancient struggle for the fate of the world. She is the only one who can stand between the darkness and the light, and prevent the total destruction of her own world and the new one she has come to love.

The Keepers of Elendiel is the first book in Bailee Williams’ riveting new middle grade portal fantasy series. If you like whimsical fantasy, magical worlds, and characters that come alive on the page, you’ll love the first novel in Williams’ page-turning series. Grab your copy of The Keepers of Elendiel and dive into a new magical realm today!

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***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the Amazon links in this post at no cost to you. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

 

The Review

I love a good portal fantasy novel, but this read left me just a little underwhelmed.

In this book we follow young Emery. She and her mom have been moving from place to place for as long as she can remember. But when a stranger shows up to her doorstep her reality is shattered when she’s forced to run from otherworldly forces. Retreating to a mysterious magical world, Emery must find courage if she wants to survive and find a way back home.

There were a lot of elements that jived with me. I loved the concept of the magical world of Elendiel, and that setting is great for a middle-grader to discover themselves in. That being said, I would’ve liked a bit more worldbuilding throughout. At first I got some of that, but when the plot picks up the pace it loses some of the edge it had. I also would’ve liked a bit more of a natural explanation of the magic system. Some of it was done in storytelling, which was fine, but it became a recurring method of explaining that lost some of its luster along the way.

Emery was an enigma, which made her exciting to follow around. She’s distinctly different from most youngsters in that she has hidden memories inside of her, and I wanted to know just what happened in her past that she needed to be protected from. I would’ve liked to see some more distinct personality traits to Emery and her friends. They were fine as they were written, but I wanted just a bit more. Some snark, some sass, something.

In the end, I’m on the fence with this read. I think a young reader would have a lot of fun with it if they need an introduction to portal fantasy works, but I wouldn’t set your expectations too high.

 

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

 

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