Review: Chrysalis Chronicles - The Eyes of the Desert Sand

Chrysalis Chronicles - The Eyes of the Desert Sand by Edwin Wolfe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Fantasy Reading Level: Middle Grade

Disclosure: I received a free ebook eGalley from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: How many parents would believe their thirteen year old son who told them that two vampires and a hooded stranger had tried to abduct him? Strange thing is, young ETHAN FOX is convinced his parents, GEORGE and BETSY, do believe him. Could it have something to do with the mysterious poem he wrote in his sleep? Or maybe it has something to do with his past, the past he cannot remember before his eighth birthday. Something strange is afoot, and it is about to turn Ethan’s world upside down.

While vacationing with his parents, to get away from the crazy events of the previous two weeks, Ethan Fox encounters a young girl named HALEY HUNT who he is strongly drawn to . . . and the feeling is mutual. Together, Ethan and Haley are lured to The Residence, home of the CARETAKERS, an organization of intelligent beings sent to Earth to nurture the human race and protect them from un-Earthly influences.

Armed with special abilities, including the power to evolve any Earthly creature, the Caretakers take in their unexpected guests. They have been watching young Ethan Fox, and are curious as to why the GRIMLEAVERS, their mortal enemy on Earth, would want to abduct a young human child. Together, Ethan and Haley journey to magical worlds, make new friends, and help the Caretakers unravel the stories greatest mysteries. Along the way, they learn that the Caretakers have been here since the beginning of human history and have played a key role in shaping human lore. In their world, VAMPIRES, WEREWOLVES, TROLLS, and even MEDUSA herself really do exist but have been kept hidden from the human world around them.

Ethan is the key as they ultimately discover the Grimleavers true intentions, to unlock the four portals to the elemental worlds of the Chrysalis.

My Thoughts: This is a middle-grade fantasy adventure book. At first I didn’t much care for it, since it sometimes seems to “write down” to the reader, and there are a lot of grammatical errors in it; however, as I read further, it became almost compulsively readable and I was unable to put it down until I finished. There are mysteries within mysteries in this book, and it is just the first book in a series – many questions are left unanswered at the end of this book, but it wraps itself up nicely enough. The characters all seem to have quirky or strange differences – to the point where their variety is almost a similarity of a sorts. Many of them are described as having goofy or silly voices; I could almost see this being turned into a Pixar cartoon. It is certainly colorful enough, with enough strange and interesting characters to pull it off.

All-in-all, I could recommend this even for very young readers, although I would also recommend that someone help with pointing out grammar errors – it could almost be a lesson! A fun book, and I’ll be watching for future books in the series.



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