A magical menace is on the loose . . . forcing Alexa to take to the seas and save a secret community located in a strange land known as the Five Stone Pillars.

Patrick Carman's STARGAZER adds to the Land of Elyon with the 4th adventure in the series. Here Alexa Daley has defeated a threat to her home and is off on a sail to adventure; but after a savage attack she's stranded in a strange community known as The Five Stone Pillars. Evil and challenge threatens her every move in this fast-paced saga of struggle, suitable for prior fans of the series.

I loved all of the elyons (1, 2, 3, and the prequel)

But I must say I was kind of disappointed with this last entry.

It felt like I was reading another Atherton (which I personally did not enjoy.)

Wow, this book is AMAZING!! Of all the Land of Elyon books, this is the best! Patrick Carman never fails to surprise readers as they dig through his books. I don't want to tell you much about this book (you need to read it yourself!), but it is truly amazing. Alexa finds her calling on the world at the end. That is all I will say. I highly recommend this book to all who love adventure books!

In INTO THE MIST, a prequel to The Land of Elyon series, Alexa and her good friend Yipes boarded a majestic ship captained by Roland Warvold. As they sailed toward their mysterious destination, Captain Roland captivates their attentions as he describes his and his brother's adventures escaping a nightmarish orphanage and discovering their destiny.

Now, in STARGAZER, they finally reach their goal, the amazing colony called the Five Stone Pillars. Exactly as it sounds, it is comprised of five huge pillars sprouting out of The Lonely Sea. The community originated from the orphans rescued by Captain Roland and his brother as described in the prequel, and has grown to a thriving society of over 200 people and a handful of pet dogs.

Alexa and Yipes love getting to know this new place and her people, and explore the wonders of the three pillars that are settled (pillars four and five are uninhabited). Traveling among the pillars takes a bit of getting used to, not to mention a whole lot of bravery, as rope bridges swing a thousand feet above the crashing surf below. But it's all part of the charm of this enchanting society. Alexa and Yipes quickly make new friends, including a woman by the name of Matilda, who stands just a bit taller than Yipes's own tiny size. One pillar holds the farms to grow food, another contains fresh water, and they are especially thrilled with the third pillar that offers crisscrossed rope-like vines on which the citizens enjoy sliding; they call it skimming, and it rather resembles a zip line. However, Alexa and Yipes can't get too comfortable because life on the Five Pillars takes a dangerous turn --- and it all started when they arrived.

Unknowingly, the evil Abaddon, in the form of a sea monster, has followed the ship to the Five Pillars. Abaddon is determined to rule this society, or destroy it in the process. Filled with guilt at leading him here, and disbelief that he still exists after their last encounter, Alexa takes on the overwhelming task of rescuing the Five Pillars. She joins forces with her new friends to try to figure out a way to defeat the evil and save their home. In the process, they risk a venture over to the deserted fourth pillar and make even more amazing discoveries. But they are quickly running out of time. Unable to reach the top of the pillars, Abaddon is pounding away the base of one of the pillars in order to knock it over and gain access. Will the people of the Five Pillars be able to defeat the evil in time?

Truly an amazing storyteller, Patrick Carman's imagination runs full steam, never threatening to quit or run dry. Each chapter promises new excitement and even more colorful characters. He also writes with a unique style that encourages a positive outlook on life, one that truly shines through his amazing character of Alexa: "My strength was returning as we went on. It occurred to me then that it was in times of struggle that I found the best parts of myself --- courage, loyalty, an unexpected peace --- and I always discovered what I needed to break through and go on." Fans will look forward to reading more from this talented author.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman, author of FINDING MY LIGHT and THE BLACK POND

This is book four in the Land of Elyon trilogy. At the end of Into The Mist we leave Yipes, Roland and Alexa heading towards the five pillars community hidden out in the sea. Yet a great evil, defeated once, has followed them and desires to make this place its new home and its dominion. Abaddon is this great evil, and is full of a vehement hatred because of his defeat and the new form he has been forced to take. Abaddon has taken a form much like a great octopus, with scales of iron and enough spite to want to destroy the whole world. Stargazer begins right where Into the Mist leaves off. The book opens with the destruction of the Warwick Beacon, with Captain Roland Warvold going down with the ship.

Alexa must face a world without the guidance and protection previously provided by the Brothers Warvold. She is in a strange place, where the rules and customs are unknown to her. Yet it is also a place of great adventure. Five stone pillars rise up out of the sea; the community living there resides on the first three. The first and shortest is for crops, the second has a freshwater lake on most of the surface, and the third is concave and has the most homes. The fourth is convex and is uninhabited, and finally, the fifth towers into the sky and the top is not known or visible to the inhabitants of the islands. They make their way from pillar to pillar by a series of rope bridges and slide down natural vines like zip-lines. And as much as Alexa would like to just explore this new place, Abaddon has informed her that he plans to destroy it, or make it his own. He is slowly eroding the fourth tower by tearing chucks from the stone, as it is the narrowest. They fear that it will topple into the third and cause a cascade effect.

Alexa is once again thrust into the middle of a great adventure, but an adventure filled with the unknown and with mystery. She must find a way to save this new place she has just discovered. For the first time, she must do great things with only the help of Yipes, her friend small in stature but great in heart and will. But the lord of Elyon has even more in store for her than she can imagine. As she proceeds to try to discover a way out of this situation, she begins to see her own life path and purpose.

Patrick Carman has been nominated for numerous book awards for this series, including winning the 2007 Lamplighter Award and the Cochecho Readers Award 2005-2006. This book lives up to that heritage or even exceeds it. So give the book a try - it is strong enough to read alone, but is also part of a great series.