Rating: 
Summary: Excellent storytelling
Review: What a great story! I absolutly loved this book because of the charactor strength. I read it over four days and the first day i wanted to finish it because i was dying to know what happened at the end, but when i did finish it, i almost cried. the one flaw that i really noticed was that the ending didn't really come to a close. I know that it is part of a series, but it didn't really come to any kind of closure so i was glad to have the second book there.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional reading
Review: Congratulations, Robert. For anyone out there who is interested in great fantasy, strong characters or fabulous worlds, this is a wonderful novel to put on your "to read" list. Stanek has created Adrina, a heroine who is strong, determined and steadfast. She suffers a great deal throughout this novel, and reading of her trials and disappointments is not for the weak of heart. He has created Vilmos, a hero who is brave, true, and faithful. He has to grow up fast and make tough decisions that change his young life. He has created Seth, Galan, Myrial, Emel and Valam, more great characters with true feelings, strong hearts and great desires. I found myself laughing, crying, sad, happy and outraged throughout the novel. The novel lacks some polish in its language at points, but its strengh is in the reader's strong identification with the main characters throughout. I can't wait until the fifth book in this series is published.
Rating: 
Summary: What is all the hype?
Review: ... I am an avid reader of fantasy and look forward to delving into a new series. I was immensely disappointed in this first book. The writing is superficial, the characters are poorly developed and the story line jumps around and is disorienting. Just when you begin to think it will get better, the author misses the mark. I find his writing under developed and not polished. Save your money and stick with a "brand" name author and one you trust.
Rating:
Summary: Great start and you're missing out if you don't read 2,3,4
Review: What a great read. The story kept me endlessly interested, I couldn't put the book down for a second. When I started reading this book it took me back to the days I first read the hobbit. This man is an excellent writer and good luck to him. This book will take you places you can only dream. The story just got more and more exciting as you flipped every page. Sure parts were predictable, but that's not always a bad thing. There was a solid balance of the predicted and unpredicted. Keep it up Robert!
Rating:
Summary: The Kingdoms And The Elves
Review: When it comes to young adult fantasy literature, there are a few authors who can craft a work that is magnificent in story, rich in history and wonderful in scope. At the top of a short is Robert Stanek, author of the "Keeper Martin's Tales" series. These books avoid the pitfalls of young adult literature and the fantasy genre. I found these spectacular books while searching desperately for a fun and exciting new fantasy series that my son and I could read togher. The books have delivered everything I wanted out of fantasy, and more, which completely surprised me as this is a series intended for a young audience. For my son it was similar experience. He read through the first three books even faster than I did, and as I orderd only one copy of the fourth book we literally fought over who would get to read each day. On several occassions we read the story to each other so neither would miss out on the action. While there are a few who found it did not live up to expectations, I found it to be very, very fulfilling and I am extremely picky when it comes to fantasy. First, it's refreshing to read a fantasy with a plot that doesn't hinge on ultimate bad guys out to destroy the world who must be stopped or bands of heroes setting out on a quest of some sort. Most of those types of stories are hackneyed, and while they can be interesting, we all know what's going to happen and how they will end. The epic struggle/conflict that begins to unfold in Stanek's "The Kingdoms and Elves" is much more real, and more believable. The story is multifaceted, the characters are multidimensional, and the plot has multiple layers. And things only get better as the series goes on. For one, Book #2 picks up where "The Kingdoms and Elves" left off. It kept me glued to the page all the way to the end. I anxiously awaited started Book #3 with great anticipation while wondering if Stanek could sustain this story so well after 2 great stories. The answer to that is a resounding YES! I've rarely read a series where each book gets better than the last. I was sure Stanek couldn't top Book #3 then Book #4 came out and blew all the others away. It is all very thought provoking as well as entertaining. The characters have been well thought out, and even the creatures give you something to think about. As entertaining as it is original, the "Keeper Martin's Tales" novels rank up there with some of the best I've ever found. If you are open to a new and thrilling experience, get to know Robert Stanek's world. I like that magic isn't the center of everything. I've enjoyed the break from the standard fare. Magic is not absent from this series but it isn't the focus either. Characters that have magic aren't all powerful. The constant maneuvering among factions is terrific and helps make this one of the least predictable of the many fantasies I've read. Events that you think are unavoidable may not turn out as you'd imagined, and even characters you are sure would never be out of the story can meet their fate in a tragic twist. Add to that dialogue, which rings true. Too often in fantasy, characters say things that no one would ever speak aloud, but this isn't the case here. I especially like the give and take banter between Xith and Vilmos, Adrina and Emel. The world that Stanek has created has well-crafted history and this is clear from the start of the first book, which makes everything more believable. Great Kingdom and the other lands seem more like places that might actually exist than a place of the author's imagining. I can't imagine what any one would hold against this book. There's plenty to like and even the characters that don't hook you right away have their place in the story. It is an adventure well worth taking, and one I'll be sad to see end.
Rating:
Summary: Completely Bogus
Review: If you have already read The Elf Queen and The King Book 1 - you have read the exact same plot with the exact same characters and only a few word changes and some edited chapter changes. In each book the titles are listed as Book 1 of two separate series, which is not actually the case. The new version is no better written than the old. Reluctant readers will bog down in the poorly crafted plotting. More experienced readers will be in agony. There are much better writers out there for this age group.
Rating:
Summary: A delight to read again and again
Review: I hesitated to buy my 9 year old this book because I questioned the subject matter. I finally gave in and bought the book because my daughter, though an okay reader, has never had a strong interest in reading. We read the book aloud together and took turns. Not only did I fall in love with this book and The Kingdoms, but also the characters which are fun and interesting. My daughter and I spent hours together reading The Kingdoms and the Elves 1-3. Her love for reading has really bloomed. She has also now re-read the books by herself several times. This series of books is becoming so successful because Adrina, Seth, Vilmos and the friends have real personalities and face challenges that anyone can relate to. The story is written in an inviting way and not at all child-like. Buy the books you'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: Great start to top-notch series! #4 is coming!!!
Review: I have to admit, I enjoyed The Kingdoms and Elves of the Reaces #1, #2, #3 and will soon be starting Book #4. It is by far the best and most original epic fantasy that I have read to date and I have read alot of them. I actually held off reading this book when it first came out. At the time I couldn't believe that some new book could be better than Rowling's Harry Potter. I was wrong. I bought the first book, and after 50 pages I knew why everyone who reads this book loves it. What makes these books so great is that the characters are not flawless. They are human with very real personalities. Some likeable characters are blinded by their pasts and can't seem to escape it. Another thing about this book that is refreshing is the "magic" built into the world but there aren't "all powerful" wizards running around rather there are those with special abilities and unique powers. But bottom line is once you start to read it, I will bet that you have a hard time putting it down. Definitly BUY this book -- buy the whole series! Not to lessen the greatness of Rowling, Tolkien or any of the others, the series is on a different level. I know that as you read this you may be sceptical, like I was. But if you just try The Kingdoms and Elves I think you'll like it. It is a very unique book. Stanek's style of writing is unique, gets you. The characters get you too...
Rating:
Summary: A book you never want to put down
Review: This book was about Vilmos, Adrina, Emel, Seth and Galan. Vilmos is a boy who has magic powers. He is going to be a wizard. Adrina is a princess. Emel is her friend. Seth and Galan are the elves. The story starts when Adrina has a strange visitor and Vilmos discovers who he is. They have many adventures, but I won't tell you the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed feelings
Review: I bought this book for my 10-year-old for Christmas after reading the reviews. She hasn't read it yet but I did. After reading it I think she may have trouble following it because of the way it jumps around. It jumps from character to character to character. I would often forget how the last one evolved as I got involved in the next one only to be stopped from that one and start into yet another one. In the beginning you are given the three main character's adventures not as whole chapters but groups of paragraphs and you have to watch for the three asteriks between paragraphs to realize that you would now be reading about one of the other characters. The characters and situations are also different enough to keep them separate. It took me a while to get into the book. By Chapter 4 the characters get their own chapter which improved the pace of the book. Did I miss something?...where/when did Seth, Galan, etc. get on the boat and why? Of the three characters I found Seth's story the most confusing. There isn't a conclusion of any kind at the end of this book. After finally getting into the book you are left hanging at the most exciting part for each of these characters. A good way to sell your next book but a bit frustrating for the reader. I will definitely be reading the next book. PS. I realize the book was produced by a small publisher but the cover/design of the book could use some improvements.
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