Guardian of the Talisman (Falconara Book 1)
by Michael Gess
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publication Date: December 27, 2016
Available on Amazon
Summary
A long time ago, the Dark Lord Skallerim trapped his death in a needle. He sealed the needle inside an emerald called the Izmargahd and hid it in the Shadow world, out of reach of any mortal being, and thus he became immortal.
Millenniums passed. The story of the Izmargahd became a legend, and then a fairy tale. But the emerald continued a life of its own.
The world of fourteen-year-old Nick Falconara is shattered by the news that his father disappeared without a trace during an archaeological expedition. Nick thought life couldn’t get much worse. He was wrong. He is sent to a special school – a place where “to go on a summer vacation” means to be Killed in Action and to be “expelled” means to be canceled.
As he trying to stay alive, an ancient emerald with mystical powers passes into his hands, setting in motion a strange chain of events that goes far beyond anything he could have imagined. Now Falconara should not only find his father but also save the life of his friend Katie Lynx.
As Falconara embarks on a journey beyond the world, he will face the ultimate evil, threatening to destroy everyone he loves.
My Review
I was paid to proofread this book and I chose to post a review after reading it. All opinions in this review are my own and unbiased.
Guardian of the Talisman is the first book in the Falconara series. It is about Nick Falconara, a teen whose mom and sister died in a car accident and now his dad is missing. He ends up being sent away to school but once he gets there, he realizes that is is no ordinary school. This School teaches things like combat training and they have strict rules. It’s rumored that students can’t just leave the School once they’re there; instead, they are never heard from again.
When Nick’s dad was still around, he was trying to prove that fairy tales are real stories. Nick was always embarrassed about what his dad did for a living. Now, things are happening that are making him wonder if maybe, possibly, his dad was right.
There is a lot of action in this book. Even when there’s not action, there’s always something going on. There were a couple times I had to go back and re-read a section because I got too involved in reading and forgot to proofread.
The characters aren’t typical teens but how could they be? Typical teens wouldn’t be in the School. They have all had to grow up fast, most of them before they came to the School, definitely all of them once they are enrolled in the School.
I definitely recommend Guardian of the Talisman for middle school and young adult readers. Adult readers will enjoy it as well. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
About the Author
Michael Gess is the author of the FALCONARA trilogy. Between working as a computer engineer, reading, and watching the old episodes of Star Trek, he wrote the first part, GUARDIAN OF THE TALISMAN. It is the beginning of the fantasy story of a fourteen-year-old Nicholas Falconara who embarks on a journey beyond the world to find his missing father. The second part of the tale, A PINT OF LIFE, will be followed by the conclusion of the story, the third part called THAT ANCIENT SERPENT.
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