Five Elements #1: The Emerald Tablet

A great first in a series. It wraps up is story enough to be more than satisfying while leaving enough unresolved to make me want to go On reading.

The setting is San Francisco. Four middle grade friends are having an adventure following the map they "borrowed" from Gabe's Uncle Steve to a underground location where they are planning a friendship ritual. Unbeknownst to the rest, one the the kids, Brett Hernandez, is being guided by someone who has come to him in his dreams and is playing on the guilt he feels about the death of his older brother.The friendship ritual in the underground cavern endows the four kids with elemental powers. Gabe has some power over fire. Kaz has power over earth. Lily has power over air and Brett has power over water. When they return home they find that Gabe's house has been ransacked and his Uncle Steve is missing. They follow clues to a woman currently in a psychiatric facility who might be able to answer their many questions.The kids find themselves in a battle to keep the world of magic from the world they know. They are battling fanatics who want to unite the world despite the massive destruction that will cause. The story was filled with battles with creatures out of nightmare. The story also has each of the kids finding out just what they can and should do despite the temptation of their new powers.This is the first of a series and the ending nicely sets up the next adventure. Middle graders will enjoy this exciting story.

I received this as a gift from my own wish list. Some may not care, but this book starts off with an explicitly satanic death ritual. No joke. That theme is continued from thereon. I'll admit, it's my fault for not realizing that the book's description, which mentioned an ominous cult as the antagonist, would be understating things so extremely. I wish I had just given this book a hard pass from the start. No child should be reading this book.Also, the writing itself is slightly cringeworthy...not suited to my taste.

This book is great. It has a good plot and well developed characters.The book begins in San Francisco when four average middle school kids steal a map belonging to uncle Steve, who is the main character's guardian. The map takes them on a journey in which they perform a secret bonding ritual that allows them to see magick and control the elements. The main character's home is ransacked and uncle Steve goes missing. To find Steve, the characters go on an adventure, and the mission to find Steve becomes a mission to save the world. Can Gabe and his friends succeed, or will the world be destroyed? This is a great read for middle schoolers who like friendship and adventure.

My 13-year-old daughter and I read this book. We are big fans of Stranger Things and Five Elements #1: The Emerald Tablet was similar to it in regards to an alternate universe and supernatural abilities. A cult and monsters chase the kids instead of the government and monsters.

My son is 8 y.o. and is an avid reader. He says "it is amazing, mysterious and full of adventure." He gets so exited whenever he get hold of the next book in the series. I haven't read it, but his enthusiasm for this book is unequal to other books he read.

This is the best book I have ever read besides Sky Jumpers and Sky Jumpers the forbidden flats

You may find it starts a little slow, but once the first act has passed, it speeds up – in fact, I read the last 200 pages in one sitting – and holds your attention to an excellent degree. Although in terms of structure, it holds together very solidly as the first act introduces the protagonist and the other most important characters to the reader, so it serves its purpose.The characters have been very well-developed in that regard with the majority having clear objectives on display. All stand out - namely one who has a very distinctive voice and plays an anti-hero role - and there are a couple of small twists built on some of the characters introduced – among others – which worked well and surprised me a couple of times.The main setting is San Francisco. This works incredibly well with the novel’s plot: famous landmarks are referenced or visited, and the city’s history with earthquakes is very cleverly fused into the plot. The other setting is called Arcadia, a dark dimension that is roamed by ‘nightmarish creatures’. Arcadia and its inhabitants have been described and created to a high standard; I especially like the ‘null draak’.I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, one of the best I've read in awhile. Dan Jolley has a distinct style, and normally I very much dislike longer chapters, but he worked them in perfectly and made it an engaging experience. I’m looking forward to eventually reading other books authored by him.Overall, a unique and engaging read that pushes me – along with the mighty intriguing epilogue – towards pre-ordering the second entry in the series, The Shadow City, when it is released. And since I’m older than the book’s target age range, I’m sure it will be an interesting and enjoyable read for any younger reader, too.