[Review]The Emerald Talisman, Brenda Pandos

In the realms of vampire lore there are few, if any possibilities that have not yet been exploited, and as a result a multitude of Twilight clones circulate the fantasy lit scene and quite successfully manage to rise to the top of bestseller lists. „The Emerald Talisman” is the debut novel of American author Brenda Pandos and not surprisingly, having in mind my introduction, is concerned with the nocturnal and dangerously alluring children of the night. 

It is a classic boy-meets-girl story, except for the fact that Julia almost gets killed, while trying to escape from a dangerous predator (allegedly a mountain lion). And yes, she does have a special power: the gift of reading minds. The setting is dreary, even a bit ghastly, especially those creepy woods strange people are lurking about. Our teenage heroine immediately is head over heels after her miraculous savior appears on the scene – a man wearing a mystical emerald talisman. The connection between the two is inexplicably strong and not before long strange occurrences start happening: young people are found either dead or dying from animal bites and Julia is being stalked by an enigmatic figure risen from the dead. 

As you can see, the novel is filled with some heavy stereotypes of the genre – danger, love and the ubiquitous bloodsuckers. Yet, why would I be writing a review of a mediocre book? Well, because it is anything but mediocre, for Brenda Pandos has managed to spin the clichés into a compelling tale by weaving an engrossing plot with a bit misguided, yet likeable main characters. Her writing style is flowing and unobtrusive, thus I found myself enjoying the book immensely, though this particular genre does not appeal to me normally. 

However, there are some minor flaws in “The Emerald Talisman”. To start with, the relationship between the two main protagonists is quite forced and develops too swiftly in order to be plausible. Furthermore, some of the secondary characters are awfully underdeveloped with the exception of some fleeting (and definitely insufficient) descriptions. It has been implied that there is much more to be discovered in the world of “The Emerald Talisman”, so I am optimistic that in the next installment (called “Sapphire Talisman”) Brenda Pandos will manage to resolve these issues. 

In conclusion, “The Emerald Talisman” may be a clichéd work of fiction, but is well-written and should live up to the expectations of all fans of the paranormal, even to those of us who do not particularly enjoy romance. I recommend it because of the lively characters, the perilous situations they drag themselves into, as well as for the promise of something much more.