Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully crafted introduction
Review: Stanek's first installment of the Ruin Mist Chronicles is perfect in almost every way. You'll find everything from intricate details of Great Kingdom to powerful views of the elves of the Reaches and the southern kingdoms. He paints scenes that are absolutely vivid. Like Tolkien, it's not a clear straightforward journey. You have to think. You have to be patient. You may need to take note of places as scenes change and you move back and forth across the lands.As Stanek begins the story, you enter the delightful new world he creates and you have no idea what's in store for Adrina, Vilmos, Seth, Galan, Xith and all the others. Yes, there's a large cast of characters. The good news is they each have different personalities and act differently. The strongest and best pictured characters are Vilmos, Seth and Adrina. The story moves along quickly in places helped by Stanek's incredible skill as Vilmos, Seth, Adrina, and the others begin to discover what is ahead for them. Stanek weaves the beginning of the Ruin Mist Chronicls perfectly, leading us along a variety of twists, turns and interesting plot developments. The book sets the stage brilliantly for what's to come in the next books in the series. While the writing can seem simple at times, the best writers know how to make their work seem effortless and Stanek is definitly in this category. Just below the surface is an intricate and complex story that flows beautifully. The events of the story sweep the characters along and Stanek works the details with wonderful skill, making everything seem as though this is a indeed a "tale". Indeed the magic of Keeper Martin may be in this more than anything. This is a story I could almost see my grandfather or my grandfather's father telling to a crowded hall of adults and youths. The simple voice of the story makes the story all the better, for the stories were told in such a way that they seemed almost real yet there's this magical quality that you can almost see as well. Anyone looking for an engrossing read is should buy this and Stanek's other books as well. You won't be disappointed, you only need to open your eyes and be willing to believe in Martin's tale.
Rating: 
Summary: What book are the rest of you reading?
Review: I read all the good reviews of this book, and also Elf Queens Quest, and ordered both of them. I really tried to like this book, forced my self to read it, but there are so many problems with the plot, the characters and the writing. First of all, so many things are never explained at all. The author seems to have a complete world in his head, but he's only gotten a fifth of it into the book which makes it impossible to understand whats going on. The characters are flat. From the moment we first see them to the end of the book, they change in very predictable ways that could be easily forseen from the start of the book. The writing is amateurish at best. His descriptions feel forced and bland. After reading him for an hour, I had to go pick up Lord of the Rings just to confirm to myself that Tolkien's writing wasn't that bad. I don't see how Stanek can even be close to Robert Jordan or George RR Martin, its like comparing a high school english paper with War and Peace.
Rating: 
Summary: More please...
Review: I liked this mostly and will read Robert's next books for sure. The story offers a lot to chew on and most parts are good. The story has something to offer everyone. I give 3 stars because Robert's book is better than "Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone" yet not as good as "Lord of the Rings"; better than "Golden Compass" yet not as good as "Eye of the World". While this certainly isn't the best I've read, I do think this has wide appeal. Harry Potter and His Dark Materials fans (and I really am one though I don't think those books are as well written as Tolkien or Jordan) should enjoy this. Tolkien and Jordan fans who like stories with more substance/intruige/plot should like this too.
Rating:
Summary: Poor plot development....
Review: ...I found this book to be disjointed, have poor plot development and lots of typos. For example, on page 50, Seth is told he'll make a journey to the outside world. On page 115 he and Galan are on a boat trying to run a blockade. How did they get on the boats? Why is there a blockade? Who's blockade is it? Why are they trying to go through it? Where are they going? These plot gaps are repeated throughout the book. Also, so much background information is missing that I just can't picture the world and characters the author is trying to create much less identify with them. For example, when Vilmos meets Xith, he thinks Xith looks like a Gnome. Xith responds that Gnomes haven't been seen in 500 years. So, what is Xith? Much later we find out that Xith is an Oread but are never told what an Oread is.... I found reading the book very frustrating and unsatisfying....
Rating:
Summary: Good beginning
Review: A well crafted book with a storyline that pulls you into the author's world. It is rare that a book has both a good story and a good world, even rarer when such a book has decent characters who you can really identify with. Robert's world, Ruin Mist, is developed in good detail, to the point where the historical tidbits truly add to the story and seem well thought out, not tossed in at random. Specific attention to important details is what makes this a good book. Too many authors try to brighten hohum stories with historical details and fail terribly. Stanek's world and the characters in the world mesh well, it all fits and works well together. When you read this keep in mind this is a starting point, setting the groundwork for everything to come while telling a fun story. As I read this I often thought about "Sword of Shannara", "The Hobbit", "Otherland" and others that have simple beginnings. You always knew that something great was ahead. That said, it is an enjoyable read. Its not political fantasy or romance fantasy but there are some politics and some romance. It compares well to most other fantasy books I've read in the past several years. LIke I said I enjoyed this. IMHO the book earns five stars with good delivery. But and this is a big but. I liked the second book "Elf Queen's Quest" a lot more. The stories run in parallel. Robert has this whole concept of light and dark paths that I won't go into (and it is in between the paths where the true history of Ruin Mist lies). Keeper Martin's Tale is the story as told by Keeper Martin, Head of Lore Keepers. After reading both books, I don't know who's view of the events I believe but I do believe there's something here in this whole universe Robert is building. You don't have to read seven levels into the two books like I have. You can read this to have fun and get away for a while. If that's your thing, this is pretty good for that too. A good diversion certainly.
Rating:
Summary: amateurish
Review: I don't believe all the other reviews were written by actual readers. I bought this book and was surprised by the enormous numbers of typos and grammatical errors. I.e., the book wasn't even reviewed by a competent editor. The plot wasn't exactly bad, but not terribly original. There's no way it even begins to compare to the works of authors such as George R.R. Martin.
Rating: 
Summary: Amateurish
Review: I purchased both Keeper Martin's Tale and Elf Queen's Quest based on the ... favorable comparisons to Terry Brooks and George R. R. Martin. Sadly, Stanek's books are in a lower class. I've recently finished Keeper Martin's Tale (KMT), and I've paged through some of Elf Queen's Quest (EQQ). I was shocked to find full paragraphs written verbatim in EQQ from KMT! Maybe this is supposed to acclimate the reader to the point of the story, but I felt cheated. The editing is poor as well (typos and misspellings abound), and the story jumps around quite a bit (large gaps seem to be missing -- maybe these are filled in in EQQ).
For those who enjoy a great fantasy read, no one comes remotely close to George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Fire and Ice Series". Stanek has the initial makings of a good storyteller, but he's still a long, long way off. Don't waste your time with this one...
Rating:
Summary: Deserves 10 stars!!
Review: I was not sure when a friend of mine gave me this book to read. She told me it was a great book, but I heard that before! I was totally surprised at this well-written book. I was drawn to the book after only reading the first few pages. The book has a lot of adventure and great characters. I would recommend this book to anyone. I plan on reading "Ruin Mist: Elf Queen's Quest" next. I will surely give all you reviewers my honest opinion. Buy the book and see for yourself, you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Keeper Martin's Tale
Review: This book was a really exciting and amazing book to read because it is a whole new world. So you never know whats going to happen because everything is new and unpredictable. This book shows a lot of courage and bravery by the main characters. When i got this book as a present I didn't think it could match up to others I've read but i guess I was wrong. Theres no question about it this book is 5 stars hands down.
Rating:
Summary: Love It / Hate It
Review: I scratch my head in wonder. I look at Harry Potter, which IMHO is the worst writing on planet earth, and see like 3 gazillion reviews all gushing glowing puffy happy little praises. I find a good book, definitely as good as anything the two Terrys have done, Brooks and Goodkind and soooooo much better than Harry Potter, yet people either seem to love the book or hate it. What's up with that? Could it be because the book is GOOD and UNDERSTANDABLE by REAL people? Sorry my IQ isn't 195. I'm an ordinary mom, with a college degree. I have an ordinary job so I like to read to get away from my ordinary life. I like Stephen King (Robert Stanek's writing seems to be written at a similar level). I like Terry Brooks (yes its juvenile mostly but fun). I like a lot of other writers to. By the way, I'm buying two copies. One for me and one for my neighbor. Everywhere we looked for the book it was sold out! One of the reasons I like ... is because its so easy to order. My friend and daughter usually do the ordering. Now its my turn. Thank you Mr. Stanek for a book that is fun to read. Gosh that must be new, huh? A book that is fun and real.
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