Secret of the Emerald Star
Jason Farrell & Michael de Weever
Montauk Beach Press (2024)
ISBN: 978-1733468640
Reviewed by Susan Violante for Reader Views (01/2025)
I was attracted to Secret of the Emerald Star by Jason Farrell & Michael de Weever by its title. I expected it to be sci-fi (which I enjoy reading) just because of the title. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see it is fantasy (which I LOVE)! When I began, I felt like I parachuted into the middle of a story—later, I realized that it is the second book of the Emerald Star series.
As I kept reading, everything fell into place quickly, and by no means did I feel that I had to read the first book to follow the plot. At the beginning of the book, the authors include a map of the kingdom. I loved spending the time going through it to get familiarized with the story’s universe and found the graphics exceptional as well.
The story begins with the testing of a device that has gone wrong. The Chronos Device was a hybrid of science and magic. The device’s original purpose was forgotten over time, so it was tested, its power and the consequences of its activation gravely underestimated. Chronos is a powerful gateway, and no one could have possibly known what would happen next.
The character development in “Secret of the Emerald Star” is very impressive. I found that with each action, dialogue, and narration in this book, the characters grew in both my mind and my heart…whether in a positive or negative light. My disdain for the evil ones grew as much as my love for the righteous ones. Although the plot and action move at a fast pace, the character-building is subtle and constant.
The authors are masters of their craft. The plot captured me from the beginning, and as I write this review, has not yet let go. The authors, through their descriptions, narrations, plot, character development, and dialogue, took me for an amazing ride that will linger in my mind for a while. I will definitely look for more of their work!
“Secret of the Emerald Star “by Jason Farrell & Michael de Weever is an impeccably written good-versus-evil epic fantasy adventure worth five stars. A MUST-READ for lovers of epic fantasies and adventures! An adventure with an eclectic cast of demons, elves, goblins, dwarves, orcs, druids, humans, ogres, kings, princes, knights…I mean battles galore! Need I say more?