Prince of the Elves (Amulet #5)

And this is an awesome contribution to this series. Amulet 5 was received by my own children and the students I work with with the same enthusiasm that the previous four received. My students fight over these books (please let me read it next). I have a library in my classroom and this series is a big hit with all kids, from 3rd grade to high school sophomores. The reading is very easy and the pictures help but the story line is interesting enough to catch everyone up and keep you interested.

I (a literature loving parent) had difficulty instilling an appreciation for books and reading in my son until discovering his appreciation (accompanied with pickiness) in graphic novels. I found myself delighted and moved by Kibuishi's The Arrival, which led to my purchase of this series for my son along with Flight. My son gobbles them whole and asks for more. "Is there a sixth book? A seventh?" The seventh is on pre-order. I'm certain there will be a dark cloud over the house until my 9-year-old can get his hands on the ones that follow.

The Elf King launches a new attack on the rebellious Stonekeepers, with a new ally and an ancient monster leading his army. Meanwhile, exiled Elf Prince Trellis explores his past in hopes of changing it. Emily continues her training as a Stonekeeper, trying to sort out how much she can trust the voice of her stone (which certainly seems extremely malevolent). Her brother Navin hits the front lines, piloting new and fun technology in the war.

The bulk of the story is on Trellis (hence the title) and on the past of many of the characters. Emily's new mentor, Vigo, searches for what happened to the Council that was supposed to protect everyone. He finds hints that things are worse than they thought, which makes a nice build up for later conflict. Trellis discovers that his extended family is not so evil as his father, so maybe there is hope for him yet.

The art is still very imaginative and impressive, with the occasional splash page reveal of important points or cool locations.

Recommended.

Each volume of the Amulet series of graphic novels seems to fall into one of two categories, overall; either a story of action and plot advancement, or (in between) a bridge - even a break between - the action, literally taking you from one plot point of the story into the next. Book five feels like one of the "bridge" books, but at heart stands out as it also starts to delve more into the history of its characters - in particular Trellis, the Elf Prince, as well as the history of the elves and how they came to be "the bad guys". Meanwhile, thanks to the events of book four the evil Elf King (Trellis's father) has control of the mother stone, and plans to forge new amulets from it that will enable him to conquer anyone who stands in his way at last, even if it includes his own son who is now seemingly on the side of the good guys. Meanwhile, Emily's amulet is no longer speaking to her but outright challenging her, implying it's only a matter of time before it takes control, leading her down a dark and inescapable path. You really get the sense, with this one (volume five of a seven-book story), that the series is drawing ever-closer toward its final confrontation between good and evil; setting up the players on the chessboard, so to speak, for the last match. And it promises to be a doozy. ****

Originally posted to Nori's Closet ([...])

Again, I am blown away by this artwork. It is just so pretty. The details of the landscapes and the panoramic views of this crazy world are always my favorite pictures.

What Kibuishi has become so skilled at is his ability to only release tidbits of information at a time, while continuing to surprise you. I like not knowing all there is to the stone, and learning more with each book. I also like getting to know certain characters better in later installments. This book certainly painted Max in a completely different light. It’s always nice getting to know why bad characters behave the way they do.

I was also glad to see more of a role for Emily’s brother. He doesn’t get a lot of spotlight in all of the books. And I find him particularly interesting. I still want to know more about why everyone just thinks of him as a commander. Also, the ships/robots/creations in this one were insane! I could easily recommend these books to Star Wars fans because of these futuristic machines.
It was also super interesting to be able to learn more about the elf characters. I felt bad for the group’s elf components from the beginning. They don’t even get to have much color to their illustrations. No one likes them. They have such a bad rep because of the king. But, it’s clear that the elves traveling with Emily are not like the king at all. And one of the things that impressed me right away about Emily’s brother was his affection for them, and his ability to see beyond what everyone else does.

It’s hard to talk about these books without giving away too much of the story. So, I’m cutting myself off from plot-chatting. However, know that with each book the artwork gets more amazing, the characters get more interesting, and the plot definitely twists and turns in unexpected aways. I love that this book can surprise you and I don’t feel like I already have all the answers. I can’t recommend this series enough. This book gets a 10/10.

I had a little trouble staying into this edition of the Amulet series. Parts of it lost me a little bit and I found them hard to follow. I think I like Emily's part of the story more than Max or Trellis.

I am still really enjoying the artwork, it's very detailed and tells so much of the story without words. And I like that we're getting more information about the Stones and the Stonekeepers and the history of the war with the elves.

I'm looking forward to finding out what happens in the next book.

Bestselling Author Kazu Kibuishi strikes gold once again in his epic fantasy series with 'AMULET #5:Prince Of The Elves." This captivating, action-packed adventure grabs the reader's attention in the very beginning as it becomes more exciting page-after-page. Emily and her friends are preparing to fight a brutal battle to defeat the Elf King in hope for survival. Many mysteries are solved, including the voice of the Stone as we find out what Max and Trellis are up to. The story is engaging as well as addicting. The colorful illustrations are stunning as they come to life, illuminating the story. A fun-filled, compelling adventure that makes you crave for more from this author. Highly Recommended to all fantasy lovers!

Prince of the Elves picks up where Book Four, The Last Council left off. Emily has survived the madness of the Guardian Academy, but her challenges aren't over yet. Her nemesis Max has stolen the Mother Stone that will allow the Elf King to forge new Amulets to overpower and destroy the nation of Windsor. Together with her allies--as well the ones who she /thinks/ are her allies--Emily must lead the Cielis Guard in an epic battle to stop Max. If they fail, all will be lost.

Amulet is clearly a graphic novel series, and I believe the thing that draws most people to a graphic novel series is its art. On that note, Amulet succeeds brilliantly, as it usually does. The colours are truly beautiful and they seem to burst out of the paper you are reading from. The world is haunting and creative and the characters are original as well. Everything, from the idea to the execution of this series, exudes confidence and originality! The plot is winding and treacherous and the stellar pacing ensures that you'll never stop turning pages. I loved how we got to delve into Max's backstory more into this volume. The only complaint that I have for Prince of the Elves is that it ended! If you haven't started the Amulet series yet, do it now. It is a must-read graphic novel series. You won't regret it!

Emily survived the chaos of the Guardian Academy, but Max Griffin has stolen the Mother Stone. With it, the Elf King forges new Amulets that will give him the power to invade and destroy the nation of Windsor. Emily and her friends lead the soldiers of the Cielis Guard in a fight to stop him, but Max stands in their way. Emily seeks information from the Voice of her Amulet, but instead she discovers the Voice is much more sinister than she ever could have imagined.what is max up to is he really on their sides or is he just looking for a means to an end

Wow, I thought the last volume took a dark turn… this one was even darker. At the beginning of this volume, we learn about Max Griffin’s backstory. Meanwhile, in the current timeline, Em and the Elf prince train together. But things quickly take a turn when Trellis enters the void, forcing Em to go in after him. The two also learn a great deal about the stones and the voices.

At this point it is getting difficult to review this series without giving away any more spoilers than publisher already does, so I'll keep this brief. The series continues to delight and by this book the world building has become quite detailed. Answers to questions are finally being answered and some resolution to plot points are made in this volume (though they only raise more questions!). I'm loving this series as an adult but it doesn't quite hit spellbinding or page turning for me so keeps at a solid four stars for me. Kibuishi's artwork continues to be astounding matching the emotions of the plot. Quite an intense ending with this volume leaves me waiting for the next one.

Great story that sucks you in within the first few pages. My daughter read them in three days. She loved them so much she made me read them, and I have to say I loved them as well. Beautiful artwork, great characters, intriguing plot. We are eagerly awaiting books 8 & 9.

The designs in Amulet is very versatile and fresh as it combines inspirations from the middle ages, gothic, industrial England, and many other cultures.

Mixing magic wielding knights with airships and floating gothic arches still feels logical for a fantasy book, but adding a twenty first century military hangar and high tech fighter jets to the mix is a bit too overwhelming. The high tech battle machines feels like they could be from Pacific Rim, and the fighter planes seem of belong to the Star-Wars universe. Joining worlds from centuries ago with modern and futuristic elements can be very disjointing for me.

I praise Amulet for it’s versatile designs but mixing the past visual language with the present ones can be too chaotic for me at times. I would definitely give Amulet a six out of five if it could be a bit more coherent. ;)

Beautiful artwork and well-developed characters and setting. These books are great inspirations for young readers who enjoy drawing comics. Recommend for ages 7 and up. My sons and I read these together for storytime, they're great for breaking away from the normal set of nighttime stories for a little bit older kids that still enjoy storytime with dad.