Book one in the Folktellers Universe. This Middlegrade book series follows Aaron as he discovers his grandfather's world as a Folkteller, and how he plays a part in it. The book was quite fast-paced, which is to be expected for its age range, however, it did disappoint when it can be character development. I wanted to care for the characters, and truly root for them - but it feel just shy of letting me feel it. The dialogue could also benefit from an edit to help smooth out the stilted talk. The story was a fun adventure though, the world Josef Bastian is creating if certainly intriguing.

This book drew me in with its amazing cover and interesting preface. And at no point in the book was I really bored which is good.

However, that is pretty much where the good things stop. I didn't love the characters or even like them that much, nothing really drew me to them. The characters and their reactions to things seem so unrealistic and flat. The characters relationships feels forced,

The book is also cluttered with reused phrases, potholes and so many grammatical errors that it was distracting.

I honestly feel like this book has so much potential but it just needs another draft.

Welcome to the Folktellers Universe... There's a story in the story, like a wheel within the wheel, spiraling forever, through the world we see and feel. There's a tale within the fable, like a gear within the gear, marking time forever, until the secret is revealed. In every age, across time and space, there have been Folktellers. These are the select few who have been chosen to collect and share the stories that must be told. Aaron is an average midwestern teen; or so he thinks. When his grandfather disappears under strange circumstances, Aaron's ordinary existence changes forever. He will soon discover a mysterious world where stories are powerful and dangerous, and dark, deadly enemies lurk just out of sight. Accompanied by his friend Jake and an odd girl from another dimension, Aaron must save his grandfather from the gathering darkness, and the shadowy creatures that thrive within.In time, Aaron will learn that whoever holds the story wields the power, and that the choices he makes will change the destiny of the entire universe.

Bastian’s novel is a fantastic concept; what’s not to love about time travelling teenagers out to save the world. With fantastic characters such as: the courageous and enigmatic Aaron, his loyal and oftentimes critical BF Jake and his quirky, mysterious grandfather who not only keeps Aaron on his toes but also the reader. Throw in a bit of romantic spice when Aaron and Jake bump into difficulties and have to bring Wendy (a hot girl from an alternate dimension) home for her own safety and some villainous Shadow People, this story definitely keeps you guessing what’s around the next corner.

However, the story’s execution wasn’t perfect; I just felt like the plot was convoluted in places and then lacking in depth in others which left me frustrated at times.

Nevertheless, this is the first book in a trilogy and it isn’t going to stop me from checking out what Aaron and the gang get up to in their future adventures.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ This was a cool read, I do have to say that the writing style threw off the experience for me, I couldn’t enjoy or immerse myself into the folklore or the characters due to a lot of just not enough building behind them. The cover is awesome and the book is okay! Overall its a cool read, but one that didn’t let you connect with characters or much of the writing style.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribe Publishing Company for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a fast pace, and is a quick read. There's adventure, mystery, and character development.

I was drawn in within the first 10 pages or so, even though I'm an adult so am far out of the target demographic for this story. It held my attention throughout, and I was entertained by the journey that unfolded for Aaron and his sidekicks.

The writing style is very straightforward, being a middle-grade book, and this is one that would be best enjoyed by those in that age range; I think readers around the ages of 10-11 would really appreciate this book. I will definitely recommend it when asked for book suggestions for this age range.

I read an advanced copy, and there's minor clean-up that's needed in the storytelling to really bring it together, but all in all, I can see this being a good start to an intriguing series.

The children enjoyed this book but did not connect with the characters as much as they usually would, not really finding anything they could identify with. They did like the illustration especially. Overall a fair read but not one of our favourites.

Rating: 2.5/5

If you like any of the following five things in a book, you should consider picking this one up:
1. Familial powers
2. The power of stories
3. Multiverse
4. Powerful shadows
5. Chosen one trope

I found the ideas behind this book to be incredibly inventive, but not all of it came together in the way I wanted by the ending. Personally, the pacing was entirely too quick (even for a book for young readers) and, although I appreciated it being a quick read, I thought more could have been done to flesh out the story. It almost seemed as if the deescalation of the plot following the climax took up more page time than the meat of the book itself. I also didn't care much about the characters. I would be most interested to hear more about Wendy's journey later on in the series. The ending definitely left an opening for the author to pursue such a story.

That said, it was a fairly enjoyable read and I would be open to see where the series goes in the future.

I will start with the positives. The artwork for each chapter was really good. I wish I could see more books like it. The storyline was unique I will commend it on that. But like others I didn't really connect with any characters and found it it a bit boring in places.