Elven Jewel (book 1 in the Hunters of Reloria series)

Review by: Kayla Krantz on Feb. 28, 2017 :
~I received a free copy for my honest review~

This book has all the great fantasy elements, a kidnapped princess, elves, and yes, a dragon. The more I read though, the more this book reminded me a lot of Lord of the Rings, and I mean that in a good way. There’s a lot going on in this book with subplots that I can’t do a justice by summarizing in a few paragraphs so I’ll say the main goal of the book—keeping the Elven Jewel safe much in the same way the goal of Lord of the Rings was to keep the ring safe. This book has a simpler writing style than Lord of the Rings though because it was written for a younger audience, but the action in it is very real.

This book features an array of different characters all nicely rounded in their own way. The three main characters are Halflings and many of the characters in the story are some type of folklore creature. The world of these creatures, Reloria, is also very well-described. This book is a good start to what I assume will be an interesting series.

If Lord of the Rings was your cup of tea, I definitely recommend this book.

Review by: Marie Green on March 8, 2016 :
Very vivid book, great story, beautiful cover. I felt that there was too much given away in the beginning, but that was the only issue I had with it. Otherwise, it's a great book and a fun read.

Review by: Michael Curry on Dec. 23, 2015 :
Elven Jewel, Book One of the Hunters of Reloria series by Kasper Beaumont.
An excellent adventure in a Tolkien-esque world populated by elves, dwarves, humans and halflings.
Reloria is “a peaceful land, protected by a massive force field” from the reptilian Vergais, who are determined to invade and complete their conquest of this world. The evil lizard men can occasionally rend a hole in the field and enter Reloria.
During one incursion they meet a family of halflings. The family travel through Reloria gathering allies, including a kingdom of dwarves and a few humans. They also meet an elven princess and her protector.
Through the eyes of the halflings we learn about the societies and peoples of the other humanoids of Reloria. We also learn of the halflings world – unique among the Relorians (and most of fantasy) are their fairies. Each halfling has their own fairy linked to their host. If one dies, apparently, so does the other. Although the halflings are not magical, their fairies certainly are. They are also fun and lighthearted for the most part. It is a nice and unique bit of flair added to the race.
We are also treated to some fun battle scenes against the Vergais, including a fun and epic final battle.
The book does not end on a cliff hanger, but it IS a continuing series and leaves some plot threads dangling. Friends are killed in the battle; enemies unite, if not as friends, then at least as allies.
Fun fantasy and highly recommended! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and I am looking forward to reading the complete epic!

Review by: Queen of Spades on Aug. 18, 2015 :
I was supplied this title by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Things the author did well

(1) The author does a good job at setting up a scene, describing things in a way that makes the reader feel like he or she is there.

(2) There was some dialogue that made me chuckle here and there, particularly between the fairies and their owners.

(3) I did like the hues on the cover.

Things that were opportunities for the author

(1) I believe that too much was presented too soon. For me, I was fascinated by the initial threat of the Vergai and the elves yet soon these other elements got thrown into the mix and the core conflict I was invested in got lost.

(2) Too many characters are in the fray, to the point where it is quite easy to get one person mixed up with the other. Also, that happens when the characters' names too closely resemble each other or sound too much like each other.

(3) The chapters are too long. This is a detriment because it delays the action. Also, if there is pertinent information towards the beginning, there's no guarantee it will be remembered by the time you get to the end of that chapter, heading into the next one. By keeping the chapters shorter in a fantasy, action/adventure work such as this one, it keeps you in the thick of the action instead of dragging you along.

(4) In all of these action sequences, one thing is sorely missing and it is focus on the Elven Jewel, which is the title of this work. For me, if that is mentioned in the book, then at some point, it should be the centerpiece. Yet in the presentation in the book, the Jewel is more a side item. I honestly think in the aim to make this work more exciting, the author added so many layers that the core layer got neglected.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars

Overall, Elven Jewel has potential with its premise, but here, less is more. The author should have taken more time to develop why the reader should really care about the jewel. Yet there are so many story lines presented. Since the author has made this a trilogy it is going to take a lot of diligence (as well as rushing) to tie up all the ends going into books two and three. For me, I would have preferred a sleeker story with less happenings than a whole ball of rush.

Review by: Frank Wright on Aug. 14, 2015 :
The author was kind enough to supply me with a review copy of this title, and while it isn’t the sort of read I usually find myself lost within, I was pleasantly surprised by the story.
This is a fresh and clean fantasy that can be enjoyed by a vast age range.
The author reworks ancient myths and creates new myths seamlessly and fantastically, just as it should be in a good fantasy.
The descriptions guide the imagination to places no one else could take you and I never had to pause to wonder where I was in this world. The attention to detail had me captivated.
This is a well-balanced tale of young love, extraordinary difficulty and the importance of friends, family, and honor. I was happy to note that the story was well structured and well edited leaving me free to explore the story itself. I thought it was particularly interesting how the fairies were named in their specific feminine or masculine context with a variation on the name of their people that made it easy to keep track of who they were and who they belonged with. The names, in general, were complimentary to the mystical tone of the story. I tip my hat to the creativity employed in that area.
I don’t want to risk giving away anything pertinent so I will be brief; the book is a really good one and fantasy lovers everywhere will appreciate it. I fully believe that I will see these characters at Comic-Con at some point.

Review by: magnus90 on May 12, 2015 :
Well, what can I say? I was instantly drawn into the concept of this world and found it impossible to put down. (When I say 'Put down' I mean, of course, look away from the monitor,) but as I usually favor the horror genre, I was actually quite surprised by how well I loved it.

Overall, the plot is nicely tied together with great compelling characters you can't help but care about, and it's a fun, exciting book to read.

I would recommend this book to any fan of YA fantasy.

Review by: Jeremy D. Hill on April 5, 2015 :
This is a unique take on classic fantasy themes. It is well written and a very fun and exciting book for all fans of YA fantasy, even children.

The relationships between the principle characters is believable and well thought out. Kaspar Beaumont is now among my favorite self-published authors and I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

Review by: Susan Day on March 16, 2015 :
What a terrific book. It is jam-packed with adventure and ‘turn paging’ action. I loved the central characters, Randir and Fendi. I enjoyed their relationship or bond with their fairies too.

When the magical continent of Reloria is under threat from the Vergai it is up to our heroes to save the day. These evil reptile like creatures even plan to steal the Elven Jewel without which the land of Reloria would be defenceless.

Ms Beaumont has deftly crafted an excellent tale for middle grade readers. It is complex enough to keep them reading but it flows so easily I can’t imagine anyone of them getting bored. Being the first of the trilogy I’m sure that your children will want to read the other books too.

There are many things teachers and parents could use to further the lessons on team work, friendship and building resilience too. It would certainly be a great book to share in the classroom.

I was given a free copy of this book for an honest review. I was genuinely surprised and delighted with it. I couldn’t recommend it more.

Review by: Sandra Boutwell-Falcone on Jan. 21, 2015 :
Review: Hunters of Reloria, Elven Jewel

Book 1 in the Hunters of Reloria series introduces us to some wonderful and unlikely heroes. Fendi, Randir, and Sienna are teen halflings used to living a mostly quiet life but they are thrust into a harsh new reality when they embark on a quest to warn others of the impending invasion about to overtake their lush and peaceful land. Hoards of Vergai, reptilian warriors from the land of Vergash are pouring into their quiet world through a portal in the shield which protects them from invaders. They are caught up in the rush to assemble an army to fight the invaders and rescue the kidnapped Elven princess, Shari-Rose. Along the way they are able to enlist the help of a motely assemblage of Relorias varied inhabitants. Once mortal enemies forge alliances to save their land. Human Knights fight alongside Dwarves and Goblins. The mysterious Mountain Man, Asher Grey leads the Hunters of Reloria to a bloody encounter with over one thousand Vergai on the plains. The battle is ultimately won but not without great cost and the princess remains captive beyond the portal in Vergash.
Kaspar Beaumont creates a wonderful new world with diverse landscapes and people. The sense of urgency inherent in the quest keeps you turning the pages. The close friendships and teen angst of the younger characters are layered against the growing comradeship of the medley of warriors. It is a quick and easy read for fantasy lovers of all ages. I look forward to the next book.

Review by: Jessica Kong on Nov. 4, 2014 :
I don’t read many fantasy book out of fear they would contain boring plots or poor writing. I was extremely relieved to discover that Elven Jewel (Hunters of Reloria) by Kasper Beaumont did not fall into that category. This story will appeal to all Lord of the Ring fans. I enjoyed the characters and their journey and look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

Review by: Bestlittlebookhouse on Aug. 5, 2014 :
Interesting characters and adventure. An Excellent YA Fantasy Book!
Would Recommend.

Review by: EM Roberts on July 23, 2014 :
I would liken this to a YA Lord of the Rings! The story starts out really well and gets the reader invested in the characters. Kasper Beaumont does an excellent job with description and detail, and it is easy for the reader to imagine the halfling world. The book has just the right amount of innocence without overkill. The story also moves along quickly enough that it doesn't waste the reader's time with any unnecessary filler. Looking forward to the next installment and will recommend this author to other readers!

Review by: Victoria Perkins on June 28, 2014 : (no rating)
Imaginative with a detailed, well-thought-out world. Could use more showing and less telling, but a decent fantasy story overall.

Review by: Tiffany Apan on June 1, 2014 :
Sometimes I just really love a good fantasy novel, and that seems to be what I've been getting alot of recently from other authors wanting me to review their work. Kasper Beaumont was another I met through an event on Facebook and when she told me of her book, it sounded like one I would enjoy reading, so here goes. :)

One common (and important) aspect of the Fantasy genre is the amount of detail that goes into creating these worlds, creatures, races of creatures, etc. If not done well, the possibility for the entire novel falling apart and being an epic fail is extremely high. This author really demonstrates strength in that area. The characters and settings came across pretty vividly, and it was obvious that a great deal of care did go into creating them. The plot is fun to follow, a pretty quick read (at least I thought so) and I enjoyed watching the lives of the characters (which there is a nice variety of) unfold.

If I had to rate it, I'd give it a 4 out of 5 only due to a couple editing issues I caught.

But if you enjoy the Fantasy genre, I do recommend giving this a try and adding it to your summer reading list. And if you don't typically read Fantasy, hey, maybe give it a try anyway. Never hurts, right?

Review by: Author Kreceda Untamed on May 26, 2014 :
I have to start by saying that fantasy novels are not my first choice of reads. I love fantasy movies so I thought why not give a novel a try. I'm glad I did. The story truly pulled me in and I can't wait to read the complete series. This book truly brought the fantasy to life for me and I was completely engulfed. As a fellow author, I truly appreciate the fact that story was well written and formatted properly. Excellent job! Truly a 5 star read

Review by: Melyssa Winchester on May 2, 2014 :
I should start off by saying Elven Jewel is the first book of Hunters of Reloria trilogy. It is not a standalone which I honestly didn't pay attention to when I started reading it. So now, I have to pick up the other books because WOW. It can't just end there for me.

Here are my thoughts on this story.

I haven't ready a fantasy book in ten years. Sad but true. I've read paranormal fantasy I suppose, but there was always more of a romantic undertone to it. Actual fantasy, where there is more focus put on the various creatures, battles and other events...it's been far too long. I am beyond glad that this was the book that got me back into it.

I've always been impressed by Fantasy writers because there is so much detail needed in making these worlds come to life, as well as characters. My hat is off to Kasper as this was done brilliantly. The characters were strong, the locations described in such a powerful way it was as if at times I was right there in the heat of battle with them.

Certain characters stood out more than others and Asher! Ah! I did not see that coming. Wow. I laughed as I read along, I cried (oh did I cry at one certain point) but most of all I was completely swept up in the story and each of the characters put forth within it.

This is a brilliant read, for any fan of fantasy it is a must read, but it's really for all readers in general based on how well it is written. I enjoyed it immensely and I can't wait to get started on the next one!

Thank you Kasper Beaumont for bringing me back into the world of Fantasy!

Review by: Fizza Younis on March 24, 2014 :
I must say that it has been a long time since I read a fantasy as good as Lords of The Rings. I simply loved this book and cannot wait to start reading the next one. Elves, halflings, fairies, lizard-like-scaly creatures, a plan for invasion, a quest to save a land, and what not! This books has it all. It is a fantasy worth reading and I applaud the author for writing such an original, refreshing tale, which will lead the readers to a mystical land they will never want to leave.
Two Halflings and their fairies are the first one to see the scaly invaders, and now it is their task to reach Elves and warn them of the impending danger. Their land is rich in food and the fear of invasion is the reason why elves used their magic to build a shield around it. Now these invaders have found a way to penetrate through it and their mission is to break the shield and lead their army in. They want to capture this rich in resources land. But will they succeed in their evil plans or not is yet to be seen.....
This book is so well written that once started reading you will not be able to put it down. Fantasy is one of my preferred genre and Elven Jewel did not disappoint me in any way. I will recommend this book to any fantasy lover. In fact even if you weren't a fantasy lover, read this, and you may change your opinion about fantasies.

Review by: Intellectual Vixens on March 21, 2014 :
Elven Jewel, is an action packed fantasy with very unique, original and well thought concepts.  Is a great beginning to the series–slow paced but extremely entertaining nonetheless. In fact once you get into it you won’t even notice because every aspect will pull you into this magical story with ease. In the book you will be introduced to an array of different mystical characters: Dwarves, Elves, Halflings and even a mysterious dragon. Something I found very imaginative of the author is the Halfling/fairy bond– I have to say that it adds great touch of uniqueness to the story. To summarise for those of you that are fans of fantasy and The Lord of The Rings this series is a must. Don’t miss it!

Review by: Diane Mae Robinson on March 15, 2014 :
The story started out slow for me, but as I read more into the adventure and got closer to the characters, I couldn't help but become drawn into this fantasy world. This world is in some ways familiar to the reader, yet has its own uniqueness in the diverse, entertaining characters and plot to make it an original fantasy tale.

The characters are original, well-rounded, and believable. The reader comes away from the story with the sense that not all beings are evil, that their is hope for the future, that friendship is worth fighting for, that sometimes good can come out of adversity, and not to give up on what is important.

I always enjoy a good quest with mythical creatures, magic, elves, dwarfs, knights, a dragon, high action and dangerous adventures, and characters that run me through a gamut of emotions. This book has all of that and more.

Review by: Heather Murray on March 2, 2014 :
What a rich tapestry of characters! I loved the first line of this book: "Hurry up you slackers, this portal won't stay open for long." I read this book in one day. It kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat from the beginning through to the end. I enjoyed the story thoroughly!

I would place this book right up there with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series and even The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. The author created a well woven story complete with elves, fairies, dwarves, humans, and even a dragon!

While I awarded this book a 5 star review, it could probably have used one more read through to find and fix a few of the errors. But though there may have been just a few more than you'd usually find in any book (and I do mean only a few), they in no way adversely affected the enjoyability of the story.

This is book one in the Hunters of Reloria series. Book two is also available. The third book is currently being written. Author Kasper Beaumont is definitely an author whose writing career I'll be following from here on out! You can too by visiting her on her website: www.huntersofreloria.weebly.com; and on her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/huntersofreloria; and be sure to follow her on Twitter too: www.twitter.com/KasperBeaumont

Review by: Fi Ja-Mi on Jan. 4, 2014 :
I have really enjoyed reading Elven Jewel ! I havent read alot of fantasy books, and picked this up on recommendation from a friend. Where the quest came upon danger, i found myself reading ahead to make sure my favourite characters were safe, then go back to my original spot. I loved the story line. The Halflings and their bond fairies were very interesting and fun to follow, and the dragon who saves the day. I'm looking forward to starting the Hunters Quest and will enjoy reading again with my kids when they are a little older. Highly recommended !

Review by: Night Light on Nov. 10, 2013 :
This book is incredibly good, it starts of slow but everything fantasy does. But once you get into the meat of the story there is some great moments and the relationship between the Halflings and bond fairies is beautiful and towards the end so sad. And I personally love swords and magic so that is a big plus for me. Overall this is a very solid book good for all people from 8 to an billion or something . Also I like that there a dwarfs going round selling beer and drinking so of it too. But most of all DRAGONS ARE AWESOME and I think they are used well here. So this is from the viewpoint of a twelve year old so ITS SO AWESOME

Review by: scott Patterson on Nov. 10, 2013 : (no rating)
This is an action packed Fantasy novel with some really original concepts. Most interestingly the "bond fairies". I enjoyed the battle scenes the most as they were really well written. The budding romance was also really sweet and added a nice change to the usual type of romance (if any) you see in a fantasy novel. Loved reading this from start to finish and can't wait for the next book.

Review by: Colin Chadwick on Nov. 9, 2013 :
I have been a fan of Fantasy for over 30 years with my intro into fantasy being The Lord of the Rings. I am always overjoyed when a book hits the scene that reminds me of the LoTR and this is one of them.
I can recommend this awesome adventure for any fantasy fan and love the mix of halflings and reptilians. Kinda reminds me of the Dragonlance sagas as well, a nice touch.

Review by: Joanne Steptoe on Nov. 9, 2013 :
CLASSIC FANTASY WITH NEW AND MODERN TWISTS!

Classic fantasy with all the expected elements- magic, mystery, quests, dragons, knights, damsels in distress, heroes and a lots of different races.

However, this author also introduces halfings and their bond fairies a whole new type of magical character. As well as her unique characters which have well developed personalities, Kasper Beaumont writes in a language that is modern and clear to follow making this an easy read.

Looking forward to next book.

Review by: Jude Udina on Oct. 28, 2013 :
Very, very good, I really enjoyed it and can't wait for part 2!! The fairies bonded to the halflings are such a unique idea and there was a lot of action and adventure. Congratulations, it is a magnificent effort. Let me know when I can buy Hunters' Quest!

Review by: Andrew Baker on Oct. 27, 2013 :
Initially, I didn't fall in love with Elven Jewel. It started out a little slow for me, but what high fantasy doesn't start that way? Another issue I had is that during some of the fast paced moments a bit of description is lost, specifically during some of the beginning battles. There were a few issues with editing, but any of us who have written a book know how difficult it is for indie authors to check their own work. A fresh pair of eyes is key.

The story has some old ideas and some new, but if I had set the book down, however, I would have been at a loss. This young adult story just happens to be a diamond in the rough, and anyone who has read through the entire book knows it.

The story begins with some halflings and their faeries playing together in a field far from their home, which just happens to be the place where a portal opens from a land on the other side of the world. The owners of the gateway are a civilization of carnivorous lizard-like people who despise all other life and intend to conquer all the other civilizations simply to fill their own bellies. In fact, they seem barely capable of keeping hostages without eating them.

After the lizard species begins to invade, the young halflings tell one of their fathers, who packs them all up for a journey to warn the elves, the magical protectors of Reloria. The journey does not come without trouble, and soon enough, the young people find themselves fighting alongside fierce warriors of magic, blade, and shield.

I later found myself enjoying the story. All in all, it could use some work, but all the complaints I first mustered were eventually quelled by a fun tale and unique characters and races of people, all with their own sets of skills. I plan on passing it to my son who enjoys epic fantasies. Let me know how you feel down below.

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