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The Emerald Atlas
- Books of Beginning
- Narrated by: Jim Dale
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last 10 years, passed along like lost baggage.
Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.
Until now.
Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And - if an ancient prophesy is correct - what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right.
The Emerald Atlas brims with humor and action as it charts Kate, Michael, and Emma's extraordinary adventures through an unforgettable, enchanted world.
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What listeners say about The Emerald Atlas
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Stacey
- 04-21-11
Fantastic addicting fantasy
If you love Rowling, Tolkien and Lewis, you will love this book. A fast paced, well written novel about three children and their nail biting fight against evil. Although maybe not incredibly original, this book has all the earmarks for a run away hit: an evil witch, a mysterious book, good hearted orphans, an absent-minded wizard and of course, terrifying creatures that seem unstoppable. As a testament to how addicting this book is, I started listening to it Monday morning and finished Thursday morning. And I must rave about the narration- Jim Dale could make a book about the history of dimes interesting and he does not disappoint here. The only odd thing is the book takes place in America yet all of the characters have British accents (very well done thanks to Mr. Dale but British none the less). You do get over that, but it's a little weird. All in all an excellent book- I predict this series will be a wild success.
51 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Rex
- 05-28-11
Emerald Atlas
Excellent book by a talented author brought to life by an excellent narrator! A pleasure to find a book that is exciting, involving and fun yet appropriate for the whole family. We are very excited about the coming books and wish Mr. Stephens would hurry up!
18 people found this helpful
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- Lance W. Larsen
- 09-21-11
Fantastic
What an awesome book -- whole family (7 and 10 year old daughters, my wife and I) enjoyed thoroughly -- you know it a great book when after you've driven 5 hours and are at your destination - the girls say - awww can't we keep driving... :)
Eagerly await next book in the series.
17 people found this helpful
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- TD
- 12-02-17
Fan Fiction
I was shocked at how closely the writing style of John Stephens' Emerald Atlas imitated that of JK Rowling's Harry Potter books--including, despite her many talents, Rowling's penchant for excessive and repetitive detail. The characters and plot were all highly evocative of other great books in the genre: The Golden Compass, Narnia, Lord of the Rings, etc. However, the pitch perfect rendering of the tone of a Harry Potter story, plus the choice of Jim Dale as the narrator, was very distracting. Rowling's themes were not always highly original, and she leaned heavily on past authors as well, but the characters she created and the way she wove the story lines together felt fresh. The Emerald Atlas was too derivative. Clearly other people either didn't notice, didn't care, or just got past it, because the novel has wide acclaim. About half way through, I decided what the heck, I was mostly enjoying the story. It actually does take fair amount of talent to write like this, just as it takes a great painter to copy a masterpiece. I will go on to read the rest of the trilogy, but given Mr. Stephens abilities, it would be nice to hear his voice. And speaking of voices, Mr. Dale is honestly without peer. These books are not an easy read, especially when there is so much internal dialogue to deal with, and there are so many well-worn themes and characterizations. He is the best.
16 people found this helpful
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- Matt
- 08-25-11
Excellent!
This book brought me into another world, and kept me excited throughout. I actually listened to this Book at work, while doing my price changing work while my store is closed. Every time i got off work, i hated having to stop at that chapter and wait till next week to listen to more. I didn't want to listen to it while i was off, because then i would have nothing left to listen to at work, and hanging tags all night long gets really boring if you don't have something good to listen to. It took me 3 work days to finish this book, but when i was done i was really wanting more.
I am very much looking forward to the next book in the trilogy. This book is very well written and exciting throughout. It is filled with emotion as well. It really takes you into their world and lets you feel what the 3 main characters feel. At times, i felt like i was there with them and traveling on their journey with them. When writing reviews i worry to much about giving away to much information about the book, so i generally don't give to much length about what happens in the book.
So, to sum it up, these 3 kids are on a journey of fate, which they are not informed of. They find themselves separated at times and are forced to continue on their journey without their siblings and continue their search for the emerald atlas, while trying to keep it out of the oppositions hands at the same time. The sibling squabbling between the younger 2 siblings brings much comic relief at times to lighten the mood.
I really enjoyed listening to this book, and Jim Dale did another fantastic job in narrating as he usually does.
11 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Emiko
- 06-13-11
Three and a Half Stars
I listen to lots of children's stories since I have toddlers and most adult books that I tend to listen to are not appropriate for little ears. I wasn't a fan of the defensive/ sometimes bratty attitudes of the main characters and it took me awhile to become more interested in the story. I can't say that I ever truly "got into" the book. However, it wasn't so bad that I won't listen to the next books in the series. This story didn't hold my attention as well as Peter and the Starcatchers, Harry Potter or the Bartimeaus trilogy. But it did pass car time.
12 people found this helpful
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- erobbins33
- 01-19-16
Love!
I started this Series on a recommendation from some friends in a book group, based on previous listens that I share with my Kiddo on our 2 hour commute. Let's just say... this one didn't get paused when the car ride ended. Epic story, on par with Narnia or Potter, we enjoyed immensely!
4 people found this helpful
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- Amaze
- 04-29-20
Central character a dud
This is an odd book because the author does almost everything right, except he completely botches the central character. Her name is Kate and she's a grim, suspicious blockhead. What's odd is that the other characters are attractive--even the evil ones, in their evil way. So the author knows how to create compelling characters, The plot is pretty good--a magical time-travel yarn. But it's as if a skilled artist created a colorful, lively painting and then destroyed it by dropping a big grey splotch right in center. I tried hard to like or appreciate Kate, but it's impossible. She's a bore and a dummy. A total dud. On this basis I'll probably skip the next books in the series. I just can't stand Kate. It's too bad, because I'm quite fond of the other characters.
The great Jim Dale does a fine job as reader, but he can't rescue Kate.
1 person found this helpful
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- Arnoldo
- 06-26-18
Confusing
Trying to follow storyline was difficult (at least for me). The book was rambling without any real substance. This would not be a book I’d read again like many others. It’ll go on a “back shelf”.
The only redeeming quality was that it was read by Jim Dale with the same quality of expression that he has in so many others.
1 person found this helpful
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- MSEreads
- 02-20-18
Fun listen good for children and adults; 4.25.
In the middle of the night a mother kisses her children goodbye and leaves them to be delivered to an orphanage. Kate is old enough to remember her mother’s message: ‘take care of her brother and sister’. Ten years later the three have gone through numerous orphanages and are shipped off to a last resort orphanage. The building is very strange as it has a dormitory for children but appears to have been closed for years. There is a strange cook/housekeeper, Miss Sallow, and a peculiar handyman, Abraham, but the head of Cambridge Falls, Dr. Pym, is nowhere to be found.
Abraham tells the children not to wonder the halls as they might get lost. He hands them an old photograph and tells them a few broken tales of years past when children lived in the village by the nearby lake. In spite of the warnings, Kate, Michael and Emma begin to explore the mansion, as children will. They discover a dark study and a strange book. Then their adventure begins as they are dropped into a time and place full of magic, greedy, evil witches, dwarves, rumors of treasures and more.
The story pulled me in quickly and moved at a good pace. I enjoyed the characters, the mystery and the danger. The reader knows from the beginning that the children are special and there is a need to protect them. Slowly the events, and characters, such as Dr. Pym and the witch/Countess, begin to reveal the secrets of the children’s abilities and their connection to the book.
Although there is danger and suspense, this is appropriate for middle school children. The fantasy is fun and the plot well developed with twists and turns. I recommend this to readers looking for a lighter, engaging fantasy.
Audio Notes: Jim Dale, of Harry Potter audio fame, is a delightful narrator. I really enjoyed this listening experience.
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