Click the titles to read the synopsis on Goodreads.
Talisman of El
Blackout
Ground Zero
REVIEW
Today’s review is about the Talisman of Trilogy. A trilogy
about having another world within our world.
I have a lot to say about this trilogy and I don’t know
where to start.
The first book was a bit fun to read. That is because it is
where things get introduced, it is where my interest got a little curious. When
I read it, I somehow knew that it’s a fantasy book even though I didn’t read
the genre of it when I checked it in Goodreads. And I could tell it has an
interesting plot.
It’s about a world within our world, like in the middle of
the Earth. The main characters were Charlie, Alex, Richmond, and Derkein. I say
it is somehow good to read a book where the protagonist is a boy instead of the
usual being a girl. Although I won’t say this is the first book I’ve read that
has a boy as the main character.
The story is good, interesting and smooth flowing in the
first book. Like I said, it was a fun read. Though I’d be honest, my attention
wasn’t piqued up until a certain secret was revealed. I think it was around 16th
or 17th chapter of the book. That’s where it all started getting
interesting and I started reading so fast. And then I made it to the next book
right after. All in all I could say that the story is good but I really have
some issues and I don’t know where to start and what to start.
First, I don’t like it when Charlie and the other characters
were fighting enemies and stuff and it felt like they can’t win at all but then
miraculously they did. Or that someone arrived to save them just in time before
they meet their death. Too much cliché don’t you think? Honestly, there are
fight scenes in there that irritates me so much. Though I don’t know if it that
part was meant to make the reader feel just that. Also, there are fight scenes
that felt like they’re not actually needed. Well, there are even characters
that seems not needed but still there.
Second, the developing romantic relationship of Charlie and Alex
all throughout the trilogy. I just gotta put this on second ‘cause I can’t stop
thinking about this part of the trilogy.
They met when they are 14 years old. They started liking
each other around that age too but a little later in the book. But then they
don’t say anything to each other because, well, another cliché I think? Don’t
get me wrong, I don’t have anything against Charlie and Alex being together
because I admit that they are a fun couple. However, I just couldn’t fathom the
fact that before Charlie and Alex became a couple, or something close to it,
there’s this character named Josh whom said to be Alex’s ex –boyfriend. Like,
what? I don’t know why I’m having this reaction, really, I guess I’m just a
little culture shocked? Is it like that to other countries though? If Alex and
Josh was said to be an ex couple and Alex and Charlie started having something
close to romantic around each other at 14, when did Alex and Josh became a
couple? When they were 12 or 13? Really? They have boyfriends and girlfriends
at 12 or 13? Gee. I am so not used to that kind of early exposure to romance
stuff. So maybe I am just a little shocked and very not used to it.
Though I admit those times where Alex and Charlie are around
16, I smile whenever they have scenes together, just the two of them, and they
would just talk and exchange witty words to each other. It’s cute and fun to read.
Third, the story and how weird it was narrated or delivered.
Like I said, this trilogy has an interesting story but there
are its downside on some parts too.
Like how the end of book one didn’t quite connect on the
beginning of the book two. The end of book has something to do with revealing a
certain secret to a certain someone. And the beginning of book two is Charlie
having a paintball war with his friends and classmates because it was Richmond’s
birthday. Seriously, how did that certain person take the secret that was
revealed to him/her? (I am so not spoiling anyone right now.) And the same goes
with the end of the second book where it didn’t connect to the beginning of the
third book. There are parts that are missing. Those are some of the important
parts if I say so myself.
Here’s another one, I think I’m one of the few people who
noticed this part of the story. A certain event will come to the end of the
book, it’s actually the conflict of the book. The problem that needs solving. It’s
called the Annus Magnus. It was said to happen on December 22, 2015 but the
timeline of the book started around 2013. Say it’s a lot of time to be prepared
on the end of the world. It’s also a lot of time for Charlie to train and be
mature so he could deal with the things he needs to deal before that certain
event will come. But it’s actually way too long just to wait for it to happen. So
what did the author did? The author would just send Charlie to Arcadia or the
Garden of Eden or somewhere else where time doesn’t exist, it was just a one
chapter kind of scene, and when Charlie emerge in the surface world again, 7 weeks
to 3 months had passed. It’s actually a brilliant way of fast pacing a book.
Fourth, the twists are so twisted.
My brain actually exploded from all those revelations of the
twists that I almost slam my phone down from reading. Seriously, good thing I was
lying and all I did was just put my phone down and stare at my room’s ceilings
trying so hard to understand the twist that just got revealed. I didn’t even
try predicting or guessing the twists while I was reading it. Turns out it was
a right decision. Those things I thought that were smooth flowing and then it
suddenly jumps to another certain point somehow annoyed me. Things where I thought
that thing is headed to a certain direction and all of a sudden it turns to an
abrupt twist. It didn’t even explain some of it! Seriously!
Fifth, and I guess the last, the ending.
All throughout the book they have a villain named Gaddis
which they need to defeat before the Annus Magnus so there’s no one who can
interrupt their saving the mankind mission. In the way they talk about Gaddis,
he seemed to be an invincible kind of villain just like any other villains in
other books. But the way they defeated him was nowhere near difficult. Just fire
an energy ball at that villain and the story is good. What? I thought he’s
invincible! I thought he’s so strong because he’s got a huge army of demons,
Archons as what they are called in the book, in his side following his orders. And
all it takes for him to be killed is one single energy ball fired at him? Really?
And then there’s the Annus Magnus. All throughout the book
they talked nothing but stop the damn thing. But in the end the author didn’t
even give just one detail about what happened but just said that Charlie Blake
died while stopping it? I don’t know how to react to this without saying any
curses so I think I’ll just gonna sshhh….
But I gotta say, the last paragraphs of the third book were
my favorite. For some weird reason I like how the third book ended. But that’s
just it.
Though I’d say this is an interesting trilogy, it didn’t
cover up my issues about the book and the story itself. I feel like I wasted my
time reading this but I admit that I enjoy some of its parts. So it’s not
totally a waste of time.
If you love young adult fantasy who talks about a lot of
mythologies in one go, this is perfect for you. All these things I said about
my review were all the things I thought about the books while reading it. For short,
everything is my opinion. So if you feel like this is an interesting read for
you, go ahead and read it. Like I always say, we all have different opinion on
the same things.
RATE: 3/5
About the Author...
Alecia Stone is the author of the T.O.E. trilogy. She graduated with a BA in Film & TV and has worked in television for a short period of time before branching out into storytelling. Alecia loves anything and everything paranormal. Her fascination with all things supernatural sparked her obsession with books, particularly young adult fantasy fiction, which she has never grown out of. She was inspired to become an author after reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen at the age of fourteen.
In 2010, Alecia started working on Talisman Of El (2012), a contemporary young adult fantasy book. The sequels Blackout (2014) and Ground Zero (2016) are currently available for sale.
When she isn’t writing, she enjoys going to the movies, listening to music and travelling. At present, Alecia lives in England, United Kingdom with her family.
Stalk her in social media.
Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Facebook page of ToE
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