Thirteen-year-old Elissa has a very special gift: she can speak with animals. She doesn't think much of her unique ability but keeps it a secret as her nana advised. Not knowing who her real parents are, she stays with an all-knowing healer in the quietly pleasant valley of High Crossing. News arrives of a royal guest coming and Elissa is invited to the royal banquet. There she meets a mysterious nobleman named Lord Falk who says that he has come for her. Having no choice but to go with him, Elissa leaves her beloved home to travel across the desert to the Citadel many miles away. After learning that she is a bargaining tool for Lord Falk's kingdom, she is held captive by a devious Khan who wants her hand in marriage. She meets and makes friends with a very unusual servant girl and together they run away to try to find their way home. Along the way Elissa learns of her fate from the wise Blue People and the Healers. Will Elissa be able to take on her destined duty or will she choose to go home while the chance still exists?
Elissa's Quest is a unique fantasy full of talking animals and rivalry that will surely appeal to young readers. I think that the author did a very good job at being descriptive and unfolding the scenes. It was hard for me to get into the story at first and I found it somewhat boring and slow-paced since I am of an older age. I thought that a lot had occurred throughout the story but it felt like not much had really happened because the events only lasted a few pages at most and there wasn't a lot involved with each event. I think that the idea for this trilogy was pretty very different and Elissa being able to talk to animals made it more interesting. There wasn't enough action during each scene and the setbacks were solved too quickly and simply but she did add some very silly parts, which added a good laugh to the read. The wording was well-chosen for the reading age suggested, which was 9-12. Overall, I recommend this story to younger children who are looking for a fun and amusing read.
Reviewer Age:15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Upper Strasburg, Pennsylvania United States
