Rating: 
Summary: rubbish
Review: bad spelling, grammar...No one would possibly comapre this [book] to Tolkien or George R R Martin. If he is *that* good why isn't this published by a big publisher? Because it's not good, that's why.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy this book!!
Review: I was a little skeptical when I read some of the reviews for this book, but I bought it any way. I decided to go with the majority since a much higher percentage liked the book and gave it "rave" reviews. I was right! The book was fabulous. I could not put it down. My intent was to read a little bit each night, but I ended up reading the whole book during the weekend. The characters are captivating and the story is marvelously written. The author does a wonderful job of bringing this book to life. I hope this review helps others who are undecided on whether or not to buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Totally awesome, just fantastic
Review: Stumbling onto something that's really great is rare, it's definitely a WOW moment when you do. That's definitely the case here. Robert Stanek introduces the mesmorizing world of Ruin Mist, characters that quickly become friends and a wonderful story. I kept turning page after page. If you're looking for a good fantasy with atmosphere and character, don't look any further. Robert Stanek's awesome books will do. You get real heroes and heroines, not all powerful cartoon cutouts. Adrina, grieving over the tragic loss of her mother. Vilmos, a troubled youth who carries a forbidden power that could bring death to everyone around him. Valam, fierce yet gentle, a prince in all senses of the word. Xith, mysterious, dark, powerful, supernatural. Seth with psychic powers and the moves of a first-class ninja warrior. Emel, the bumbling young sergeant who rides a black stallion called Ebony Lightning. The charactres alone make this a worthwhile read. Under the surface, there's a great deal of complexity--more than you might expect in a first book. This is epic fantasy in the truest sense. It's really three stories intertwined: . Adrina's story, the story of a princess in a dying kingdom. Her truest companion is Emel. They share a secretive past that is hinted it. . Vilmos's story, the story of a boy of 12 who has dark dreams. . Seth and Galan's story, the story of the elves of the reaches who must begin a desperate journey to the world of men. I LOVE this fantasy series! I enjoyed reading the book immensely. The plot is intriguing and fascinating and keeps you guessing. You don't always have everything you need to know who is who and what is what. There's a bit of mystery and subtelty. Robert Stanek did an amazing job with this, especially when it comes to plot, pace and structure. Everything unfolds smoothly. It is a good strong start to something wonderful. I would agree with other reviews, this is not a clear straightforward journey. You have to think and you have to be patient. Scenes change, things go back and forth, but trust me it all closes wonderfully! No doubts about it, it also sets the stage brilliantly for what's to come. To those who say the writing is simple, I say this. Great writers make their work seem effortless. There is an intricate and complex story here. It all that flows beautifully, events sweep characters along, Stanek works details with wonderful skill. When I finished, I truly believed this was a "tale". The tale is in the telling. If you are looking for an engrossing read, buy this and Stanek's other books. You won't be disappointed!
Rating:
Summary: Has been on my minds for months now...
Review: I read mostly sci-fi and sometimes a bit of fantasy. I started this because a friend suggested it. That was months ago. Since, I've gone on to read other Stanek books. This book, I can tell you, is one of the best books I've ever read. The setting, characters, plot, all adds up to a masterpiece. It's a treat from beginning to end! I highly recommend it. You won't put it down! Robert's style of writing is something that's new to me. His characters come alive in different ways than the characters the books I've read before. The descriptive scenes are breathtaking, and the action is enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. I was hooked from the first 15 pages. His style is so vibrant it almost seems as if the words leap from the page and spark to life. Too me, this is what reading is all about! This series is now a favorite. Give it a try, find if it may also be yours.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful original storytelling!!!!!!!!!!
Review: I've been looking for a fantasy story that does something new for a long time and recently found just that! Mr. Stanek writes in a wonderful style that is wildly imaginative and he creates a rich tapestry of parallel worlds through which the characters travel. I highly recommend this book to readers of any age who are looking for something captivating, and unique. You're missing out if you haven't read Elf Queen's Quest (and you'll know what I'm talking about when I refer to parallel worlds)
Rating:
Summary: Beyond bad
Review: My wife bought me this book ... Next time she'll probably buy one based on the authors on our bookshelves. There do exist relatively unknown authors with great talent and the ability to conceptualize, execute, and edit a great book; Robert Stanek is not one of these.
The start is slow, disjointed, and cumbersome, but some good books start out that way. It was the poor choices of descriptive words that set me laughing (while shaking my head); the descriptions are frequently contradictory, and he seems to have found many of his words in a thesaurus, without really understanding the differences in the various words. It reminded me of those lists of funny excerpts from high-school essays--"it fell, not so much like a brick, as a cube of vermillion clay that had dried out in the sun." Throughout the book, the grammar and punctuation are likewise poor. There is very little variety in sentence structures, which makes some sections even more boring and repetitive. Spelling errors crop up in embarrassing places with unintended effects; at least I'm fairly sure there isn't suppossed to be a pedophilic element to the main character's mother, who will, we are assured, "bare another child."
The plot is unified in much the same was as a Saturday morning cartoon--as long as you don't care how or why the characters get where they're going or do what they're doing, the story might be enjoyable.
Those comparing this work to those of Tolkien and other greats simply don't understand the scope of what the greats have done. Perhaps Stanek has a fully developed world and characters in his head, but they certainly don't make it into this book.
This book's primary worth is for use in teaching people about editing and why it's so important.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent story in classic style
Review: Robert Stanek's world he creates in KMT is defiantly unforgettable. I loved all the characters in the book. They all fit into place perfectly! Robert provides a good balance of description, history and action. The detail he uses definitely makes the book come to life. I would extremely recommend this novel to anyone who loves a great fantasy adventure with an immense world and characters that you feel like you know in person. This is a great start of one of the best series I have ever read. Once you start reading it, you just can't stop. The first book in RUin Mist Chronicles, "Keeper Martin's Tale", begins in the kingdom capital of Imtal. In the distance are rolling foothills and great mountains and mystical lands. Stanek is a rare author that is capable of handling with detail and class many characters without losing track of their individual personalities. The most notable characters in Imtal are Adrina, EMel, Keeper Martin and Father Jacob. Stanek is also great at foreshadowing upcoming events. The progression is logical and the action is solidly intertwined with several mysteries. Best of all every one of Stanek's chapters contains large plot developments, so there is never a dull moment.
Rating:
Summary: Ok concept, abysmal execution
Review: Some of the concepts are interesting, and I would LIKE to like some of the characters, but the plot is episodic and the prose so incredibly amateurish as to make this virtually unreadable. Read the other negative reviews, check out the reviewers, and save yourself 15 bucks and 4 hours of your life. Check back with Mr Stanek in a few years and there may be something there.
Rating:
Summary: What are you waiting for?
Review: "Keeper Martin's Tale" is a wonderful start to an awesome series! Robert Stanek brings his fantasy world alive with loveable characters, a well developed plot and magic. You really feel everything the characters do, often you worry about whether they are making the right choices, and you love them despite their less than perfect personalities. A good author helps you identify with and care about the characters. But getting to know the characters can often take a whole book or a whole series to accomplish. Robert makes you care for the characters from the first chapter on. You feel horrible when Vilmos succumbs to the dark magic and must flee. You feel frustrated for Adrina and sad for her. You feel Seth's anxiety at the onset of the journey. Robert doesn't make his characters all powerful or perfect or completely evil. While there are characters who have better motives than others, they are all very human, and make human mistakes. They have real flaws, worries, concerns, dreams and aspirations. The book starts out tell you the story of Princess Adrina of Great Kingdom and how there's a great change coming to the dying land. Her story is intertwined with the stories of a boy from the minor kingdoms and the elves of the reaches. When Vilmos is chased from his home, you are petrified for him, especially when you meet the wolmerrelle. The wolmerrelle are beasts of Robert's imagining. They are shape-changing, 1/2 human, 1/2 wolf. They can have multiple heads and seem to be the darkest of creatures in the lands. This book flows and the writing is solid. Robert's world building skills are top-notch. He manages to take an innovative fantasy setting in the middle ages and gives new twists. The books hint at several different magic systems, will vs. magic, and different groups of power: keepers, priets of the dark flame, priestesses of the mother and others. While I could go on and on, I won't. I will say that it you are a reader of fantasy and haven't read this book yet, you should. I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, or just a good story. The next book is just as good, if not better than the first.
Rating:
Summary: A story of three heroes that will open your mind
Review: Good fantasy! Keeper Martin's Tale provides a rich world, full of atmosphere with strong and very likeable heroes. I would also say what other readers have said about Robert's writing style. The writing style is terrific and the prose flows naturally. This is really three stories. The story of Adrina begins when Adrina is approached by a mysterious lady and the lady tells Adrina she will go on a journey and of a great darkness to come. The story of Vilmos is about a boy of 12 who has dark dreams and an encounter that plunges him into an adventure he never dreamed of. The story of Seth and how his life change whens he begin a desperate journey to the world of men. I really enjoyed reading Keeper Martin's Tale. The plot is intriguing and full of twists. There's a bit of mystery and the events taking place are starting to be revealed. I suspect we won't know the truths of these mysteries until later books. The pacing and structure is tops, helping the story unfold smoothly. I recommend this series highly. The books have proved to be great reading and a strong start to something wonderful.
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