The Talisman of El by Alecia Stone
Here’s a brief synopsis:
WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS A LIE?
One Planet.
Two Worlds.
Population: Human … 7 billion.
Others … unknown.
Others … unknown.
When 14-year-old Charlie Blake wakes up sweating and gasping for air in the middle of the night, he knows it is happening again. This time he witnesses a brutal murder. He’s afraid to tell anyone. No one would believe him … because it was a dream. Just like the one he had four years ago – the day before his dad died.Charlie doesn’t know why this is happening. He would give anything to have an ordinary life. The problem: he doesn’t belong in the world he knows as home.He belongs with the others.
There are so many things to enjoy about The Talisman of El by Alecia Stone. As you know, I am always looking for a multicultural perspective. Stone gave it to me! I’m glad to say that because Stone is a person of color, her characters were also people of color. Or so it appeared: I loved how Stone gave the characters different shades and hues, just like people in real life.
Another appealing feature of The Talisman of El is the storyline. I love the story of Charlie being an orphan and having powers that he’s not really sure exist, intertwined with Charlie’s story is Derkein’s story. I like Derkein mostly because of his name, but he’s an American in Great Britain which, written from a Brit’s point of view, I find interesting. Derkein is also an orphan of sorts so I like that he and Charlie have that in common. I enjoyed the friendships between Charlie, Alex, and young Richmond.
Traveling to the inner hidden universe was where the story became intensely interesting and confusing. I love character definition and while there was development, I couldn’t figure out why Charlie reacted the way he did; I just knew that he would react the way he did, which was often frustrating. I often felt the story dragged; as if the author wasn’t edited and felt the need to include every single situation. Sometimes, it was just too much. Perhaps the first book should have been split into two or three books; it was a lot of information to process.
I have mixed feelings about the heavenly overtones with the angels and the other types of beings (Archons, werewolves, etc) and the fight between good and evil. Is this a timeless message or one that has been overdone? I’m not sure, but either way, despite my many misgivings, the story is a fast paced enjoyable romp through different dimensions and times.
I give it two paws, because the editing oversights and the sometimes confusing action scenes, but the book will appeal to readers of every ethnicity!
