Review: Fun read for fantasy lovers of all ages
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 19, 2013
The Gemstone Chronicles Book One: The Carnelian by William Stuart tells the story of two kids, Aidan & Maggie, who are spending the summer with their grandparents, Nana & Beebop.  During the summer, they discover a fairy cross stone and see a vision of an elf.  After releasing the elf, Findecano, from the stone a friendship develops and they go across the barrier to the magical world of Celahir and embark on an epic adventure.  Along the way they make new friends and also a few enemies.  They discover that they can use magical powers related to their birthstones and they also go through some self discovery.I had a hard time getting into the story at first because the author spent a lot of time describing things and presenting the back story.  But soon, I found myself hooked and the action really picked up.  And then I couldn't put the book down.William Stuart has managed to create a world where all of our myths are real.  The author's descriptive writing style made it easy to picture the magical fantasy world that the characters found themselves in and the strange creatures that they came across.  Mr. Stuart also managed to create realistic and likeable characters with unique personalities.  The main characters of Aidan, Maggie, Nan, Beebop, and Findecano were outstanding...but even the secondary characters really came to life.  I particularly liked the character of The Keeper and I have a feeling that he may become a more important character as the series progresses.This book would be great for young readers because two of the main characters, Aidan & Maggie are both young and relatable.  I loved how these two young children found inner strength and bravery throughout the story.  But this story isn't just for young readers, it is a fun read for fantasy lovers of all ages.This is the first book in a series, but it was a complete story and did not end in a  cliffhanger.  I can tell you that I will definitely be reading the rest of the series.* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.