Keeper Martin's Tale

by Robert Stanek

Book Overview

The #1 bestselling series finally back in print for the 20th Anniversary of the world-wide phenomenon that has been translated into 12 languages and sold over 5 million copies worldwide 65 full-page illustrations from original paintings, 50 additional richly detailed illustrations, deluxe full-size format, and beautiful white paper. Finally released in the version envisioned by the author 20 years ago, this is the story of Ruin Mist completely...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1575455099
• ISBN13: 9781575455099
• Release Date: June 2021
• Publisher: Rp Media
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.3" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Great Fantasy!!

Our entire family has read and enjoyed Robert Stanek's fantastic novels. He has a wonderfully unique voice and a powerfully unique way of telling the story. It is quite remarkable how successful these books have been, and how good they are if you give them a chance. The books are available in both adult and childrens editions. The Ruin Mist Chronicles books are the adult editions. The Kingdoms and the Elves of the Reaches and In the Service of Dragons books are the childrens editions. The world of the stories is called Ruin Mist. Ruin Mist is a world shaped by the titans and dragons who once ruled over all the peoples. The name of the world is from the elvish about the lost ages and the ruin of time. In ages past, the lands had many peoples. The titans, the dragons, and the eagle lords were the greatest of these peoples. The dwarves, gnomes, elves, and humans were the lesser of these peoples. As the ages progressed, fewer and fewer of the original peoples survived. Titans and dragons disappeared from the lands first, then dwarves and gnomes. This left men and elves. Eventually men drove the elves away and they have been bitter rivals ever since. This left men as the only great power in the world. In the current age of Ruin Mist, dark forces have returned to the world, and it seems as if this will be the last age of the world. To thwart the darkness, the great elven queen of the east asked her people to return to the lands of men to form an alliance against the darkness. This caused a rift between the elven peoples -- the elves of the west united against the elves of the east. Keeper Martin's Tale tells the story of the start of the great change sweeping Ruin Mist and the people who have a part in this change. It tells the story of Prince Adrina Alder, Vilmos Tabborath, and Brother Seth of the Red. Prince Adrina is a sad, heart-broken young girl who has never gotten over the death of her mother. Through her story the reader learns of the kingdoms of men. Through her the reader comes to know the Alder family -- one of the last Great Families of the kingdoms -- and eventually every member of the family tells their own story. The family bonds between Adrina, her sisters Catrin and Delinna, her brother Valam, and their father Andrew are very important. Adrina's wish for change and an end to her sadness has a terrible, unexpected outcome. Vilmos is a young village boy studying the lore of the lands so he can one day take his father's place as village councilor. Vilmos's mother Lillath and his father Vil greatly influence his life. His studies however have a dark side as he has an uncontrollable power -- he can use magic and he can travel out of his body to far away places. Even more grim for him is the fact magic is forbidden in the kingdoms of men and considered evil. There are groups such as the Priests of the Dark Flame who seek out and kill magic users. His use of magic to protect himself from a bear attack brings those who would help him AND

Simply excellent

Having read all four books so far written, I believe it is impossible not to consider this series as one of the best offerings in fantasy. This particular book is as exciting as any of the others, but this first book in the series deserves a lot of credit for setting the groundwork for the other books. The basic premise of this series is revolves around a world undergoing a great change and the people caught up in what's happening. I don't want to ruin the story, but the story probably isn't what you think it is. It seems to be about one thing (several things really) but it is about something entirely different. Over the course of the books the story increases quickly and progresses into something that really makes you think and start to question what could happen next. The truth of the story is undeniable. Stanek has created a world that is unforgettable, with a cast as equally varied and diverse, and a story that is unique. Certainly, Stanek's writing occasionally has its flaws, but it is hard to deny this is a great story. I actually find this first book in the series to be the weakest, mostly due to the slow buildup at the beginning. Fortunately this failing is not repeated in the books that follow. This series is huge and there's a lot to like. I love the seeming simplicity of the first book, and the underlying complexity. Anything and everything has meaning in the story, connecting all the dots and hidden meanings isn't necessary to understand the story but it adds great depth. This is true of the Robert Stanek Series and its one of the only series I've read twice back to back. There are things that happen in this book (Keeper Martin's Tale) that do not actually make sense until later in the series. I am amazed that simple references made early in the series, completely forgotten about by the reader until their true meaning is revealed later in the series. Having re-read the series, I am frequently saying ah and oh because he's forshadowing an event that won't happen for several books. If you have a great imagination, I think you'll like this.

The first in a great series

R. Stanek is a gifted story-teller. All the characters are fully developed, and even minor ones are drawn with detail to give their personalities lasting impression. Stanek weaves the complex storyline with skill so that a 4 volume epic tale of intrigue, mystery, and adventure is easy to follow. All the pieces from the 4 volumes come together like a puzzle. It is as if you are inside the story watching first hand as the events unfold. Earlier this year, Robert Stanek was selected as the "Best New Voice In Fantasy". Recently, one of his children's books was selected as a "Best Book Of The Year" by several teacher and reader groups. If you're a member of one of these groups, as several previous reviewers seem to be, I guess you might be extremely jealous of this author's success or bitter that your favorite author/book didn't win. All I can say is grow up. Instead of trying to take other people down a notch you should try to achieve for yourself. You might get ahead in life that way. This book has been translated into nearly a dozen languages and is available all over the world. It's won countless awards so you can probably start to see why this series is so popular not only with readers but with critics. A quick trip to the publisher's web site also shows this book is a #1 best-seller. Anyone subscribing to Publisher's Weekly would also have seen the publisher touting the #1 best-seller status of this book. This series is as good as it gets, the real deal. Fans of certain authors may hate there is another series considered so highly as their favorite, but that's just being crass. Surely there can be many more than one best loved fantasy and many more than one best fantasy in print. I've read several different editions of this book. The best ones are the deluxe editions. The illustrations in the deluxe editions are simply incredible. The attention to detail in the book and in the writing are what make this series exceptional. Robert Stanek's work has been compared favorably to J.R.R Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, and others. Stanek isn't Tolkien or Lewis or Rowling, but the stories are every bit as original and the world created is every bit as good. Add to this the fact his characters and events are realistically drawn and the writing is beautifully handled, and you can start to see why the series is so highly regarded. I'll say again what others have said: If you haven't read this, you're missing out. Read it, and decide for yourself.

Better than you might think...but don't prejudge

My kids are the ones who got me reading these books. I went in not expecting much and got about 1000 times more than I expected in my wildest dream. Why? It's a fun read, a very, very fun read. Other reviewers have been right on saying it has a lot of action, intrigue and mystery. WHAT DID I LIKE MOST? The characters are great! If you let them the people in this book will become your new best friends. I loved Vilmos! He's got a lot of spunk like my own children. Adrina, Emel and Seth are other strong characters.HOW IS THE PLOT? I enjoyed the book's plot twists. Don't let the straightforward, easy to read prose fool you. There's a lot going on in this story. IS IT TOLKIEN? I would liken the experience to Tolkien's The Hobbit more than Lord of the Rings. Its an epic quest with 3 bands of heroes who eventually come together to battle a great evil. As a first in a series, it's a strong start, and a good start on what may be a wonderful fantasy series for readers of all ages.IS IT THE STAR WARS OF FANTASY? My kids call it this, their friends do to. It has to do with the amount of action scenes and the good pacing. The book has plenty of battles and action for the patient reader. I like the fact that there are separate adult and children's versions. My sons have rarely finished books but they finished The Kingdoms & The Elves of the Reaches books 1 and 2 in a few days.DO I RECOMMEND THIS? Yes, very much so. But everyone has different tastes. If you don't like it your kids or someone else you know surely will. I also find it wonderful that this book is from a small press. The little guy gets squashed too often by big corporate publishers, so it is great to see the little guy get a leg up. Great to see a BIG book from a small press.

An excellent story in classic style

Robert Stanek's world he creates in KMT is defiantly unforgettable. I loved all the characters in the book. They all fit into place perfectly! Robert provides a good balance of description, history and action. The detail he uses definitely makes the book come to life. I would extremely recommend this novel to anyone who loves a great fantasy adventure with an immense world and characters that you feel like you know in person. This is a great start of one of the best series I have ever read. Once you start reading it, you just can't stop. The first book in RUin Mist Chronicles, "Keeper Martin's Tale", begins in the kingdom capital of Imtal. In the distance are rolling foothills and great mountains and mystical lands. Stanek is a rare author that is capable of handling with detail and class many characters without losing track of their individual personalities. The most notable characters in Imtal are Adrina, EMel, Keeper Martin and Father Jacob. Stanek is also great at foreshadowing upcoming events. The progression is logical and the action is solidly intertwined with several mysteries. Best of all every one of Stanek's chapters contains large plot developments, so there is never a dull moment.