• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Tahlia Newland

Editor, Author & Artist

  • Editing Services
  • Me & My Creative Life
    • My Books
      • Metaphysical Fiction
    • My Poetry
    • My Masks
    • My Hats
    • Permaculture, Forest & Garden
    • Performing Arts
  • Blog
  • Contact

Review: Talisman of El by Alecia Stone

December 28, 2012 by Tahlia Newland

Title: Talisman of El

Author: Alecia Stone

Publisher: Centrinian Publishing

Genre: YA contemporary fantasy

Imagine if there was another world in the centre of the earth, one called Arcadia where angels, both the fallen and the guardian kind live. The Garden of Eden is there too and the Tree of Life and the records of the lives of all mankind over the ages. In the Talisman of El, 14-year-old Char­lie Blake and his friends learn that what they’ve come to suspect is true. But something Charlie never suspected is also true. He has a role to play, not only in the war torn country’s healing, but also in mankind’s future.

Charlie is an orphan. Though he longs to fit in somewhere, he’s always felt different. The story begins after one of his prophetic dreams just after he has come to live with a new foster parent. He has hopes that this man will become his father and that he will finally have found his home. Not so. Instead he begins a roller coaster ride from one strange occurrence to another and eventually into Arcadia itself. At this point, the mystery becomes an adventure, and Charlie finds out things about himself that he finds hard to believe. He also finds that he is the only one who can save a friend. But will he succeed and at what price?

The Talisman of El is a good story, unpredictable and hard to put down. The characters are likeable, well drawn and easy to relate to.

I particularly enjoyed the rich imagery in this story. Arcadia has great scenery, awesome architecture and fascinating shape-shifting beings that glow in their spirit form.

Structurally, it’s a bit odd near the end when we find ourselves abruptly back in the real world with many questions left unanswered. For a while it seems as if we’re reading a different book, but it all comes together in an excellent ending.

Most readers of contemporary fantasy would enjoy this book, but the writing could have been a lot better. In particular, the author greatly overuses words that end in ing, especially at the beginning of sentences which makes the action seem incidental or unimportant, thus removing the reader from the action. Used occasionally, this is fine, (once in 10,000 words one of my writing tutors suggested) but too often and it weakens the writing and gives an amateurish feel. A good copy editor should have picked this up. I suggest that the writer purchase a copy of Self Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King. Following the guidelines in that book should fix up the problems in the writing.

Nevertheless, I think we have the beginning of an excellent series here. I hope we can look forward to an improvement in the prose in the next installment, because Stone has captured my imagination and I’d like to read on. 3 stars.

US Kindle store
UK Kindle store

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Reviews, YA fantasy Tagged With: Book Review, Fantasy novels, Fantasy novels review blogs, Talisman of El by Alecia Stone, young adult

« A Hole in the Pavement – FREE 26th and 27th December – share the love
A change of focus – going hermit for a bit »

Search

Recent Posts

  • Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin
  • Book Genres – What you Need to Know.
  • How to See Edits in Word Documents
  • Finding an Editor You Can Trust
  • Review of ‘The Guild Codex Spellbound Series’ by Annette Marie

View Posts by Category

Writing a novel? Feeling overwhelmed? Get new insight and inspiration with my FREE Novel Revision Checklist. 

DOWNLOAD  NOW

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Free Book Download  
Get Lethal Inheritance free when you sign up to my new release email list.  I won’t share your details and you can unsubscribe at any time.

My Latest Books

  • Fallout: Recovering from Abuse in Tibetan Buddhism
  • The Elements of Active Prose: Writing Tips to Make Your Prose Shine
  • The Locksmith's Secret
    Rated 5.00 out of 5

Alliance of Independent Authors

Alliance of Independent Authors

Click HERE to see all my books.

Books
Reviews, Writing, Cats & Contemplation
Editing

Click HERE to subscribe to my newsletter and get my fantasy novel Lethal Inheritance FREE. 

How to Meditate – the crucial points

See more

Hi I’m Tahlia Newland

I can help you express yourself and share your story with the world.

 

Do you want to write a really good story and have it professionally polished and published?

As an editor, I help you be the best writer you can possibly be. I strengthen your voice, support your vision and can assist you all the way to publication.

On my blog you’ll find book reviews, writer’s tips, contemplative articles on meditation and working with your mind, and occaisonally pictures of my Burmese cats.

If you’re interested mostly in my contemplative articles then  Sign up to the Living in Peace & Clarity Newsletter to get those articles delivered by email. And check out the resources on my Living in Peace and Clarity Page.

I do a lot of community work involving blogging and general support for Buddhist students processing revelations of abuse in their spiritual communities.  Please consider supporting me to continue this work.

Occiasonally, when inspired and not too busy with community work, I make masks.

All my books are

Visit my Mask & Steampunk Accessories Shop

2015-03-19 15.46.12
Blue Burmese
Like cats in stories? Check out my books. And click the photo to read the cat colomn.

Click Here for More Articles in This Series

Book reviews – sci fi, fantasy, literary fiction, Buddhist fiction and related non-fiction

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

Fantasy Book Review: The High Priestess by Val Tobin

The High Priestess: Persephone’s Return is the third book in Val Tobin’s Tales from the Unmasqued World Series, and in it she deepens and expands the stories from the previous two book. The book has two central story arcs based around characters we’ve met before. One arc follows Kelsey (a human) who is with Josh […]

More Posts from this Category

My gorgeous Burmese cats

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Renovated Website & Cute Cat Series

Yesterday I did a photoshoot for my renovated website. Take a look around, particulary at the home page (Click on my name at the top to go there). It’s designed for editing clients with my books secondary because I need to focus on the part of this publishing business that actually earns me more than […]

More Posts from this Category

Seven of my novels have an Awesome Indies Seal of Excellence

Four of my books earned BRAG Medallions

I abide by the ethical author code

I'm an Ethical Author
Alliance of Independent Authors

Copyright

All material on this website is under copyright to Tahlia Newland and cannot be shared without written permission.

  • Editing Services
  • About Me
  • My Books
  • My Masks
  • Blog
  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 · Amoré Theme by Oh, Hello Designs on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

FREE Novel Revision Checklist

Written a book? Need some help reviewing and revising it? Download my Novel Revision Checklist for step by step guidance.  

DOWNLOAD NOW

no thanks

{"cookieName":"wBounce","isAggressive":false,"isSitewide":true,"hesitation":"120","openAnimation":false,"exitAnimation":false,"timer":"","sensitivity":"","cookieExpire":"7","cookieDomain":"","autoFire":"","isAnalyticsEnabled":false}

Please note: I am closed for holidays from Christmas day until Jan 30th 2023. Dismiss