The Elf of Luxembourg
Author
Tom Weston
Publisher
tom weston media
1 Review Copies Left
What's an older sister to do? It's not all fun fairs and ice-cream. Well, it is - but that's beside the point. When one is in Luxembourg, there is a certain standard to maintain, and vacationing with Elves and Vampires is just so old school. But can Alex convince her younger sister, Jackie, of that? No, of course not, so she may as well get used to it. But deep beneath the ancient city of Luxembourg there lies a secret. The Vampires believe it is protected by the Elf. The Elf believes it is protected by a prophecy concerning Alex and Jackie. And the sisters? They believe shoes in Luxembourg are too expensive. Why are the Vampires going toe-to-toe with an Elf for the pleasure of the sisters' company? Why does the Elf think Alex and Jackie can sing? And just who let Sir Walter Raleigh and the Conquistadors into this story? To answer these questions will take all of the sisters' cunning, bravery and imagination, as well as some souvenir shopping. Because this is the Elf of Luxembourg and this is an Alex and Jackie Adventure.
Reviews
The Elf of Luxembourg centers around two teen girls, Alex and Jackie, who are currently on a vacation with their aunt and uncle in Luxembourg. Little did these girls know that they were part of a prophecy, and their happy go lucky lives of shopping and just living as teens would quickly turn. They find out they have amazing potentials, and of course, they get to meet paranormal creatures such as elves and vampires!
Thoughts: Who would have ever thought to put elves and vampires in a novel? It's just brilliant! Usually it's just wolves vs vamps, but hey, this novel provides a breath of fresh air in what has become a stagnant paranormal cliche.
I also love the fact that the author has decided to set his tale in a real city, and provides information on the places to see, and where to eat! It honestly makes me want to go to Luxembourg, like, right now.
The presentation of the story is brilliant too. I love the author's writing technique. Every chapter is a breath of fresh air -- even if you're traveling from one story to the next, and you're presented with a specific scenario, you never get lost as you are reading the tale. It's easy to follow, plus the German and French phrases are also a plus. I learned a lot reading this book! Both geographically and language-wise, of course.
What I am not too happy about is the cover -- for a great tale, it needs a more striking cover, nothing like the one that is available right now. please change the cover to something else, something more eye-catching!
Overall, very brilliant book! I would definitely recommend reading it!
4/5 stars for me!
Reviewed on 06/21/2010 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Ruby Escalona
Émile is out working in his grandfather’s field one day in 1924 when Belle’s hoof gets stuck in a deep hole. The family rushes to the cow’s side and finds many ancient artifacts. Archeologists from the Louvre want to take control of the dig, but the family will not allow it. The archeologists accuse Émile of fraud. The story then flows to what is now Colombia and a man named Cuchaquichá who is a musican. (The Musicans are similar to the Aztec or Incan people.) It is the day before the solstice and they are electing a new president. Cuchaquichá was picked to act as the guard for the new Zipa (president). He was also to perform the ceremony where a god who come out of the Vision Snake’s mouth. But rather than calling a god, he calls Bochica, a traveler. Cuchaquichá is entrusted with a message for the gods. During the ceremony Zipa offers himself to the gods, the Spanish come and take Cuchaquichá’s wife and son hostage. The story then goes to Jackie sitting in a café in Luxembourg with her sister Alex and their Aunt Anne. Aunt Anne told the girls that one of them needed to learn French and the other German. This leads the girls to be able to flirt with the waiters. Later in their trip they meet an Elf. This Elf needs the girls’ help to fulfill a prophecy. But you need to read the book to find out what that prophecy is!
I love how Tom Weston works into his books history and it is never boring. This series is awesome. I love Alex and Jackie and can’t wait to see where they visit in the third book, which they give a hint to at the end of book two. IT is IRELAND! Even though this is the second book in the series, you can really read this book without reading First Night. That is another reason that I love this series, they can stand on their own. I definitely cannot wait until book three comes out.
Reviewed on 06/13/2010 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Arianna Grainey
-As a Muisca, living in South America and preparing for one of the most important ceremonies of his people, Cuchaquicha was horrified to find that the Spanish Conquistadors had invaded their lands and kidnapped both his wife and his son during the ceremony. Only having them in mind, Cucha set off on a trip that would take him to Luxembourg all because the vampires wanted the secret to finding El Dorado (the city of gold) and the vampire named Meadow thought that Cucha could draw out the elf that was the Guardian. - 400 years later - As Alex and Jackie set off on vacation to see their Aunt and Uncle in the town of Luxembourg the plan was to do some shopping and enjoy their time there. The sisters did take the time to learn a little of the languages, one chose a few phrases of French while the other a few words of German, but that didn’t help with the too expensive shops that they had intended on visiting. Exploring the rich cultural, religious and mythical history of the area was how they ended up spending their days. Touring the area, the museums and the churches proved to be more interesting after meeting a man named Sergio who seemed to know a lot about the history of Luxembourg.
Reviewed on 04/26/2010 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Debbie Berry
The Elf of Luxembourg BY: Tom Weston PUBLISHED BY: tom weston media PUBLISHED IN: 2009 ISBN: 978-1-981-94134-9 Pages: 290 Ages: Young Adult Reviewed by Billy Burgess The teenage California sisters from “First Night” are back. Once again, Alex and Jackie are traveling with their aunt and uncle, but this time they are in Luxembourg. The girls are enjoying their vacation, and are especially excited about seeing the old Dracula movie at the Capucins Theater. Of course the girls know that vampires aren’t real? Or are there vampires in Luxembourg looking for Alex and Jackie? After Jackie receives a mysterious looking coin, an elf comes into their lives and turns their vacation into an journey they will soon never forget. “The Elf of Luxembourg” is an exciting, fast-paced sequel. Tom Weston has wonderfully blended historical facts with supernatural fiction. My first thought was, “Not another teen vampire novel.” But after reading the first chapter, I knew this was a clever story that just happens to have a few vampires in it. Alex and Jackie are fun, energetic characters that both male and female readers will connect with. The book is just as charming at the “First Night.” I recommend “The Elf of Luxembourg” to everyone who enjoys a good adventure. *Note: I would like to thank the author for sending me this book to review.
Reviewed on 03/01/2010 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Billy Burgess
