Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding and highly recommended
Review: As I am a great fan of Harry Potter and have read each of J.K.'s books to my children, I couldn't wait to start this series which has been compared very favorably to the Harry Potter series. I agree. I enjoyed the book, and found it to be filled with as much action and plot development as any of the Harry Potter books. I'll start by saying I hope there is potential of more Elf Queen and the King books after book 2.I think the thing that makes most people and I to read the Elf Queen and the King and other Robert Stanek's books is the simplicity with which he describes the most intricate of things. His books can be seen with two points of views, a childish lighthearted way and a more enigmatic darker way. The first book is enchanting and leaves readers thirsty for more. It is an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: Elf Queen and the King is one of the best books I've read and I read a lot. It has adventure and action, and I would reccomend it to just about anyone of any age. It is truly a gem, as is it's sequal.
Rating:
Summary: Perfection
Review: From the first line to the last letter Robert Stanek grabs your heart and holds on. You feel suspense and plot, while all the same you feel the flows emotion actually emitting from the book. It's as if he put his heart on paper. A brilliantly written piece of fantasy, intriguing and suspenseful. There is no other word that perfection.
Rating:
Summary: super...
Review: good very good in fact it's so good that you'l love and treauser this book for a long time if not forever my goodness it's a very interesting book i love it!
the world is rich and delighting make more...
the charecters are super the story is great I could tell so many good things about this book...
but I won't because it will ruin your fun heh heh heh ha ha ha ha this review is telling you about all robert staneks great book. movie must make, action figures must make, kings mate the game must make, tv show must make now! thank you this review was made possible and brought to you by someone triying to help you with your life!
Rating:
Summary: THESE BOOKS ARE VALUABLE TOOLS FOR PARENTS
Review: I am 46 and my 14 and 15 year-old sons live with their mother. I read the first book so that I could have more to discuss with them when we are together. I was so happy with the first one, I went and bought the second book and eventually got all of Stanek's Ruin Mist Chronicles. I have found the books to be very useful to help make conversation and discuss issues with my sons. I am able to use things that Vilmos, Adrina, Seth, et al are involved with to relate how to deal with people and situations in the real world. They are so well written and understandable to both of us. I will be in anticipation for many years for every new one to be released. He has created a world that makes you want to read and watch as characters grow as if they were your own children. When I think of books that I want my sons to read, I add them to the collections about Narnia, Middle Earth, Xanth, and all the great classic series. I cannot stress enough the need for parents to read the series along with their children. They will enhance hours of conversation and COMMUNICATION between parents and children. I would love to see collections of short stories involving the characters, perhaps as graphic novels as opposed to comic books. These books will never be 'dated'. Perhaps someday Adrina, Vilmos, Seth and the rest will marry and have children who can start a whole new line of stories.
Rating: 
Summary: Yuk!
Review: I bought this book because of the Amazon.com recommendations. This book showed up as a recommendation on the pages of two different authors whose work I really enjoy. I am suffering buyers remorse. The customer reviews did not indicate the necessity of reading the other books in the series. Big omission. This book has too many characters, refering to too many past events. I can't find a hook to get even slightly interested in any of them. If you are new to Robert Stanek's books, I sure wouldn't recommend starting here.
Rating:
Summary: Even Fantasy Needs Some Rules
Review: I enjoy children's books very much - especially fantasy. I am always on the lookout for a nice, long series. The writing does not need to be complex as long as the plot is eventful. If there are interesting characters, that is a bonus. I thought I would be polite and pass on reviewing this book - but without exaggeration, this was the worst thing I have ever read! Altough the book is aimed for the 9-12 year old age group, it could actually put new or reluctant readers off reading entirely. The author needs to attend some writer's workshops and would benefit from a more actively involved editor. To add insult to injury the book physically fell apart before I could finish it. Nevertheless, I read Book I to the bitter end. In the hopes that the author had improved, I also began to read The Kingdoms of the Elves of the Reaches Book I. Imagine my dismay to discover it was basically the same book with the same plot (and the same book binding faults). The plotting is incoherent, the characterization is inconsistent and the overall impact is dismal. The author seems to have relied heavily on both dictionary and thesaurus without gaining benefit from either. Characters "flush palely." Events occurring a millenium in the past are described as having happened 1,000 years "hence." Princess Adrina and her horse take a tumble and eyes roll "wantonly." (I am not sure whether they were hers or the horse's - either way it was the wrong word.) The only section that resonates with any depth or truth is the segment in which the magician Xith instructs his apprentice Vilmos in how to defend himself from attack. This section is disturbing because it portrays an inarticulate, physically abusive instructor as an admirable adult role model. Xith's bombardment of Vilmos with rocks while exhorting him to protect himself sounded like a particularly nasty method of instruction. Evem though Vilmos eventually succeeds, the teaching methods include physical pain and his being "goaded by Xith's perky smirk." For an addictive series with a balance of interesting characters I would suggest instead Garth Nix' Tower series. For adventurous plotting - Tad Williams.
Rating:
Summary: Great !!!
Review: I have been hooked on Robert's writing ever since I picked up Kingomds and Elves of the reaches, and couldnt put it down until i was done. I look forward to every single book as it comes out, and the Elf Queen and the King is more of the same. This book was amazing and full of Robert Stanek's best. But they are all great. As i read this book, I could see everything that was happening, many times i forgot that i was even reading, that is how deep this book pulled me in. This book is a must! and with a suprise ending that will leave your breathless! buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional - no other word for it!
Review: I have been reading the Ruin Mist Tales series since the first book came out and this is my favorite series ever. However, it's not for everyone. Stanek makes his books, and the chapters, fairly short. Some people don't like brevity in writing, I do, I hate long-winded books and books that are bogged down with too much description and I believe that Robert Stanek is the best author I have ever read. Read the series in order, starting from the first book, and it will make a lot more sense and be much more enjoyable reading. I've gone back and read all of them over again at least twice.
Rating:
Summary: This was the worst book I've ever read.
Review: I ordered this book because it sounded interesting. But when I went to read it I found out how wrong I was. It is horrible. In fact, I'm amazed it got published at all.
The writing it too complex and the narration is seriously wanting. He never tells you what is going on even thought the characters seem to know exactly what's happening. He uses twenty-three words in one sentence when three would suffice. None of the characters are likable. And, to top it all off, the book rationalizes child abuse. Vilmos's father beats him because he loves him? That's horrible and inaccurate. Please don't waste your time reading this book like I did. If you want to read something worth while try Garth Nix's Seventh Tower Series or his new Keys to the Kingdom series. Try Harry Potter (if you haven't already) or The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings if you want a wonderful fantasy epic.
| 
