The Elf Queen (by Lyndi Alexander)

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"Well-written and intriguing! -- Fantasy is not my usual genre to read, but I'm glad I uploaded The Elf Queen onto my knew Kindle. What began as simply a desire to support other authors on a writer's Facebook group, became a wild, witty, humorous, and quite well-written ride through the world Alexander created. Alexander certainly has strong writing chops, which is what kept me turning the pages of her novel. The humor and witticism and command of language kept me following this quirky, but strongly crafted, cast of characters. I rooted for Jelani to have a happy ending, but I won't give that away. I think Alexander may be a writer to watch!" ~ reviewed by Kathryn Magendie, Editor/Writer (2011) FOUR STARS

"The Elf Queen is a good light fantasy tale with interesting characters and an fascinating plot. I did enjoy the read and believe that this book is intended more for women than men. Still, as a man, I did enjoy the book an look forward to seeing how this trilogy continues in THE ELF CHILD." ~ reviewed by Conan Tigard for Reading Review.com (2010)

"When Meadville attorney, Barbara "Babs" Mountjoy, closes the door on her busy law practice, and has her even more active family safely tucked into bed, she dons the robes of Lyndi Alexander, her pen name, and escapes to the world of fantasy that lives within the deep recesses of her computer. Even though Mountjoy has been a published writer for over thirty years, The Elf Queen is her first novel. Fans of fantasy fiction will wonder why she waited so long. This is a crackerjack of a story. Set in the scenic Bitterroot Mountains of Montana and the nearby city of Missoula, the book gets a jump start when the protagonist, Jelani Marsh, a sassy, young college dropout and coffee shop waitress, finds a glass slipper lying on the sidewalk. Taunted by her friend, Jelani tries the shoe on only to have it shatter and cut her foot. Suddenly, a group of small men, the tallest two inches high, run from her bleeding foot and disappear around the corner of nearby buildings. Had the friend not been filming the incident with her cell phone it would have been easy for Jelani to mark it up to her vivid imagination. From the time the glass shatters, Jelani is drawn into a web of eco-terrorism, long-standing tribal feuds and strange clues about her father's murder. She is tossed into dark and clandestine meetings with elves in the old growth forest of the Bitterroots and finds that her mother, who died mysteriously at Jelani's birth, was not at all what she had pictured her to be. Mountjoy's novel grasps the reader and takes him on a wild and sometimes perilous ride through deep forests and rushing streams, and into places that we can travel only when we allow our thoughts to merge with her story. If you are fan of fantasy fiction you will be pleased to know that Mountjoy has a three-book deal with the publisher, and the next novel in the Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series will be released in December. Even if you aren't a fan of fantasy, this is a great place to begin." ~ reviewed by Ed Post for GoErie.com (2010)

"Jelani Marsh finds a glass slipper and tries it on only to shatter the slipper slicing her foot. Seems normal enough right? Well, out of the remains dozens of tiny men scatter, her foot is miraculously healed and the tiny men are gone. From that moment on, strange things happen, including meeting two men who claim to be elves. Jelani had always thought she was an orphan, but finds out that is not true. Can she learn the truth and save her family, friends, even herself? The moment I started reading The Elf Queen (Book 1 of The Clan Elves of the Bitterroot Series) I was engrossed in the story. It is filled with mystery, suspense, questions, laughs, and loads of friends. I wanted to be right there to help Jelani find all the answers she is looking for. Not mention to hurry up the romance that was blooming between the lines. I wanted to know the whole story, but was sadly left hungry for more. The good news is the rest of the Trilogy is already set to be published. ~ reviewed by Rita's Reviewers (2010)

"I have been reading some really great books lately. One of them that I was recently sent was The Elf Queen by Lyndi Alexander. Mrs. Alexander is mom to seven (and I think I have it made when I just find time to read in a corner; she found time to write an entire novel), three of which are special-needs. Amazing woman for sure. But more importantly for this review is the fact that she is an amazing writer as well. Oftimes you find an author's first novel a little hard to swallow. You find mistakes, and it is hard to get fully into the story line. Or the story line is just screwed up seriously from the get-go. Thankfully, Lyndi Alexander will not let you fall down that path! From the moment you start reading The Elf Queen you are engrossed in the story. You want to climb in the book and help Jelani find all the answers she is looking for. You want to slap some sense into her and hurry up the romance you can see blooming between the lines. You want to know the whole story. You will be left hungry for more of the story, and wanting the book to keep going. Luckily, the rest of the Trilogy is already set to be published, and we just have to be patient and wait. Easier said than done. Coming in at just 250 pages, The Elf Queen is short enough to read in a weekend, or long enough to drag out (if you can). It is filled from page one with mystery, suspense, questions, laughs, and loads of friends. The story starts out when Jelani Marsh spies a glass slipper in the middle of the sidewalk and decides to try it on (after some egging on by her friend). The shoe breaks and Jelani is shocked to see little men running out and around her foot. Hmmmm. Talk about taking the Cinderella story to a new level. The wonderful story takes place in Missoula, Montana in the Bitterroot Mountains. Finally something exciting for Montana! Be sure to check out this fun new read from Lyndi Alexander. And watch for the rest of the trilogy to be published soon. I know I am!" ~ reviewed by Fivemonkies.com (2010)

"I totally enjoyed this fantasy novel (The Elf Queen), particularly it's mix of modern day human adventure combined with elves and fantasy. It's a unique and creative juxtaposition of computer hacker meets eco-terrorist meets North American deep-woods meets real life elves. Jelani is a young American woman who discovers there is more to her family history than she realizes when she is unwittingly pulled into an adventure involving strangers in a small town. Readers see her humanity as we explore Jelani's family history and her relationships with a group of odd-ball friends during her adventure into the elven nation. In future novels in this series I hope to see more about where and how the elves actually live and am excited to learn Jelani's next adventure into the woods. Good read -- and good job Ms. Alexander!" ~ reviewed by Shawna Coronado (2010) FIVE STARS

"What a fascinating and quirky world Lyndi Alexander has drawn in The Elf Queen. The fantasy of the elven world combines with the exotic (at least for an easterner) Montana locale to take us to a different world. Yet it is all so familiar in so many ways. Relationships are key, and finely detailed. These are people I know, at least in part. And there's plot and action and suspense. What more could you ask? I'm looking forward to the next installment." ~ reviewed by Avid Kindle User (2010) FIVE STARS

"I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It was well written and interesting. If you enjoy fantasy, and letting your mind wander and wonder about other worlds or beings, then this is up your alley. A quick and easy read, as the cadence of the writing flows nicely from chapter to chapter. Enjoy!!" ~ reviewed by M. J. Shoop (2010) FIVE STARS

"I enjoyed the first book in the Bitterroot Series (The Elf Queen) and am looking forward to seeing where this series leads. I was charmed by the setting for this seemingly straight-ahead fantasy. We've seen elements of the plot before in many other fantasy works (elf clans battle amongst each other for supremacy with the involvement of an apparently human protagonist), but Alexander gives it interesting 'green' and 'native American' twists that make the story fresh. Present day Missoula, Montana is a terrific setting, made even more so because it isn't the first place I would have thought to go searching for elves. I also liked the hippy vibe of the human characters in the book. The band of latte-drinking, slacker/hacker, eco-warriors already live in a kind of fantasy world of their own construction and the events in the book cause them to rethink their lives in different ways. One of the humans, an agoraphobic with a painful past, hasn't left his apartment in years. He is drawn out of his own world and discovers the 'real' world is more inviting than he could have imagined. This is the first of a series, but it stands alone as a complete story with a satisfying ending. This was a nice piece of escapist fantasy with interesting characters and told with a fresh voice, and I'm looking forward to returning to the Bitterroot Mountains when the next installment comes out." ~ reviewed by William P. Henley (2010) FIVE STARS

"I have thoroughly enjoyed The Elf Queen. The pages turn at a rapid pace and I loved the ending. This is not your expected fantasy-type book. I can't wait for the next of the series." ~ reviewed by Rebecca's Book Blogspot (2010)

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