Title: The Elf
Author: Max Dune
Publisher: David and Duke Publishing, LLC
Publication Date: October 2016
Genre: Holiday (Christmas)
Rating: 4/5 "I really liked it"
I received an eARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Description from GoodReads
Elves are dying in the North Pole, and none of their scientists can find a cure. They believe it’s a virus, unleashed by a powerful enemy. All signs point to Jack Frost, who’s been biding his time from afar. Watching. Waiting. Plotting. One brave elf, to save his kind, will venture out to meet evil in the eye. But he uncovers a mystery more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. Now Lucian must join a group of warriors and fight. Fuego; a flame-wielding pyro. Tiktok; a brilliant bomb expert, Yuriko; a deadly ninja assassin. And Bullets; a hot-headed gun aficionado. These unlikely heroes must learn to work together and defeat the rising evil. Or Christmas will soon be lost…forever.
My Thoughts
Halloween is my favorite holiday. Halloween is in a few days. Christmas is in a few months. Christmas decorations have no flipping reason to be on the shelves this far in advance. Christmas books should wait. So, why the heck did I read The Elf so early? Well, someone asked me to. I didn't go into this thinking that I would be super excited about what I was reading. I lost some interest when there was a large number of grammatical and typographical errors in the eARC that I received. However, it is not my job to review according to typing expertise. It is my job to post an honest review based on the plot, characterization, tone, and mood of this piece. Which I LOVED.
When I started this novel, I expected it to be about the happy little elves with bells on their toes and tiny little bodies that need large stools to see over a regular kitchen table. I was delighted when Dune started this book by throwing all of those ideas out the window. That was the first thing that really grabbed my attention. I love that he was willing to take all of the stories about Santa Claus and really make them his own.
Another thing that truly grabbed my attention was Lucian. Dune did a wonderful job of not only making a unique main character, but of making one who was modest and believable. While he grabbed my attention, it was truly Zeb who made this story unforgettable. I loved that Zeb seemed annoying, idiotic, and too happy while being incredibly caring and energetic. I definitely loved the best friend more than the main character in this novel.
What kept this novel from earning a 5/5 was that it is far too predictable. You know what's going to happen way too often and the sense of surprise tends to be non-existent. It seems that while trying to keep his novel interesting and fresh, Dune put a little too much work into the espionage side. While it still creates an interesting story, I thought that there were other aspects that could have been better explained.
Overall, I am glad that I was willing to take a chance on this book. Albeit in the wrong season.
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