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The Six and the Crystals of Ialana

Pursued by lethal foes, the six, along with a seventh, battle their way toward a lost crystal and an astonishing secret. A secret that has been 500 years in the making. A secret that will unearth the forgotten knowledge of crystal technology, and the mystery of their past. It is a secret so powerful that Amrafalus, the Dragon-King must, once again, stop the six at any cost.

Reviews
Online Book Club

Sometimes we seek adventure and long to escape into a new world full of vivid scenes and lively characters. That is what The Six and the Crystals of Ialanaby Katlynn Brooke delivers. With danger around every corner and tunnel Brooke takes the thrill seeker into an engrossing fully detailed world called Ialana.

From the beginning of the book we are introduced one by one to the six. This unlikely band of heroes includes Jarah a baker's son who wants more than the life he was given in small Meadowfield and Djana a spirited independent teenager from the other side of the Osgoi mountains. We learn of the evil reptile like King Amrafalus from Rhiannon and his penchant for twisting men into what are called the Trueni who are part animal. We follow them down the tunnels and across rough waters facing certain death at each step of their journey toward the evil Amrafalus.

The part that I enjoyed the most was meeting all of the interesting characters. The introduction of these unique heros kept the book flowing forward during the first half. The last half of the book kept the momentum and built at an ever faster pace by bringing the action closer and closer to the enemy.

This book did contain some sections that could have been left out that did not move the action forward. Discussion of bodily functions in my opinion is unnecessary and revolting. Some sections contained authorial intrusion where the author insisted on telling us exactly why things were possible. One instance was why Irusan, a helper of the group, could survive where he does. The long authorial descriptions took away from the joy of experiencing Ialana.

These descriptions did subside during the last half of the book which flew by. They were replaced with character monologs and engrossing dialogue revealing the story with crisp visuals. The tension built upon itself with the characters experiencing who they were meant to be. 

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because of the overall impression that it left with me. I think that young adult readers as well as fantasy fans of any age would enjoy this book. When the story had been told I felt for the characters and wondered what the future would hold. Fortunately for me and you Katlynn Brooke has a series and The Six and the Gardeners of Ialana (The Ialana Series) (Volume 2) is patiently waiting for us to open it and experience the land Ialana once more.
 

 

Online Book Club: Levi

The Six and the Crystals of Ialana by Katlynn Brooke is the first book in the beginning of a series, and one of my new favorite entries in the fantasy genre. Before I go on, I saw that this book was dedicated: "To my mother, who always wanted me to write," and I want to say that the author's mother would be very proud! 

In a dark cave, with a rocky floor digging into his knees and a guard who is treating him viciously, we meet El-Azar. He is fearful for his love Faelan, his friends, and a secret mission that is not immediately exposed to the reader. Before he meets his end, he receives a telepathic message from his friends letting him know that all is well for their plan, and that they will all be back. This is a moving beginning with an intriguing final message; one that makes you want to continue to find out what it all means. Our journey then takes us to Meadowfield where we meet one of our main protagonists, Jarah. Jarah is the son of a baker, a birthright that he has no desire to inherit. He begins to have very strange, realistic dreams of an island that seems familiar, and this makes his restlessness grow stronger. Adain and Blaidd are boys from the same village; Adain is nice, but Blaidd is always putting Jarah down. Jarah soon learns that Adain is having the same dreams that he is, and along with him and Blaidd, are swept off with the King's Army to fight in a war. Jarah is happy to have Adain with him, but Blaidd is not having the dreams and therefore cannot be trusted. After this, we continue to meet others that are having the same dreams of this mysterious island, and that is the beginning of our plot development. One of my favorites in this cast of characters is Kex. She is a tough, fiesty character and a welcome addition as the strong female. At one point when explaining her dreams to the group she is interrupted with a question and says, "I was just going to tell you, worthless worm food!" Once affronted by another member, she says, "I've killed large beasts with these arrows. I could kill you too, stink-worm." 

The narrative is told in alternating viewpoints, and that aspect was very well done. It was not confusing and therefore was a huge asset to the story. I love reading books that are told in various styles, but only if they are properly executed. I absolutely loved this book, and immediately purchased the second book in the series so that I could continue my journey with the Six. Without giving away too much, there was a metaphysical aspect to the book that transcended the usual magic element intrinsic to the fantasy genre. I think that my fellow lovers of the genre will appreciate this very much; it was my favorite part of the story. The characters are great, the plot is unique, and the world is very rich. There are themes of adventure, slavery and betrayal, freedom and loyalty, perseverance, the cost of unchecked ambition, and greatest of all, love.

There were only a few errors throughout, and that was a welcome change. I thank the author for giving us a complete product that was either very well done or had actually been edited, which seems to be a step that some think is unnecessary these days. The one complaint that I have, which may just be a personal thing, is that some of the dialogue of the main antagonist, Amrafalus, seemed to be stilted. That being said, it was minor, and the antagonist was still a great addition. Amrafalus was very ruthless, and without him the story would not have been the same. 

I give The Six and the Crystals of Ialana four out of four stars. As I said before, I have already purchased the next book, and can't wait to continue this journey with my six friends. I strongly recommend this series to all my friends and fellow fantasy lovers as it provides a new and interesting take on our favorite genre.

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