• The Emerald Atlas

  • Books of Beginning
  • By: John Stephens
  • Narrated by: Jim Dale
  • Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,820 ratings)

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The Emerald Atlas  By  cover art

The Emerald Atlas

By: John Stephens
Narrated by: Jim Dale
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Editorial reviews

The Emerald Atlas author John Stephens has a Hollywood background, so it’s not surprising that his debut novel feels like a movie in the making, with elements that recall the Harry Potter series and other kid-friendly fantasy epics. It’s to Stephens’ credit, though, that Atlas never comes off like a cash-in or a cheap imitation: It has its own fully realized world and compelling characters, and the familiar aspects of the story serve mainly to place it in an honorable tradition.

The set-up is easily relatable and recognizable: A trio of siblings (Kate, Michael, and Emma) have been left to the fates after the disappearance of their parents, bounced from one comically horrific orphanage to the next. Their latest home, however, is somewhat different: It’s a mystical town that hides some magical secrets, and soon the kids have discovered a mysterious book that transports them back in time. There they face down an evil witch who is holding the town’s residents hostage. Wizards, dwarves, and ancient prophecies all come into play in a story that takes advantage of plenty of well-worn genre tropes.

Narrator Jim Dale handles it all masterfully, with a warm and inviting tone and some highly entertaining voices for the colorful supporting characters. Some of it might be a little too colorful, though, as Dale’s animated voice acting can become a little distracting. Still, he neatly delineates the various players in Stephens’ grand tapestry, and enhances the suspense of the various moments of peril. The book ends, naturally, with the set-up for the next installment of a planned trilogy, but it’s a satisfying enough story on its own. We can only hope for the same for the inevitable movie version. Josh Bell

Publisher's summary

"A strong . . . trilogy, invoking just a little Harry Potter and Series of Unfortunate Events along the way."—Realms of Fantasy

Siblings Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage.

Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.

Until now.

Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey through time to dangerous and secret corners of the world . . . a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is true—what they do can change history, and it's up to them to set things right.

"A new Narnia for the tween set."—The New York Times

"[A] fast-paced, fully imagined fantasy."—Publishers Weekly

"Echoes of other popular fantasy series, from "Harry Potter" to the "Narnia" books, are easily found, but debut author Stephens has created a new and appealing read . . ."—School Library Journal, Starred Review

©2011 John Stephens (P)2011 Listening Library

What listeners say about The Emerald Atlas

Average customer ratings
Overall
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

fantastically fiction

If you could sum up The Emerald Atlas in three words, what would they be?

Like harry potter

Who was your favorite character and why?

The three children were very likable.

What does Jim Dale bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

We got this book because we missed hearing Jim dale. he is one of the best readers we have ever had the pleasure of listening to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The book keeps the reader wanting to keep going.

Any additional comments?

Great book for 10 YEAR OLDS AND UP

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful

A wonderful book full of detail i am getting the rest of the series to enjoy

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Jim Dale brings alive a wonderful fantasy world.

I re-listen to this over and over, falling in love with the characters Dale brings to life, every time.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

predictable YA story

Storyline​ pretty predictable. Kept wanting to ditch but made it through. Jim Dale did a good job with the performance - very similar to his Harry Potter narrations.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Emerald atlas

Great to listen to, easy to follow and entertaining. I could pick up the story line every time I came back to this book all in all an enjoyable performance. Thrilling but not scary.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Add a star if this is your first YA fantasy

A suspenseful, quest to find maybe dead parents and save the world. Depending on your reading background it may seem new (add a star) or familiar (hence just 3 stars). Orphans, the "found book" and the resulting quest is a comfortably familiar storyline. So also (later in the series) is the accusation that Mentor character may actually be grooming the children to die in order to save the world. On the lighter side, I did enjoy the comedic elements in visual descriptions and the repartee supplied by the cook and the dwarfs.

Sadly, good orphan caregivers are overshadowed by systemic failure. As a result, these 3 children get to ignore, distrust, disobey or lie to adults who are trying to care for them. In turn, as in the real world, adults tell lies as opposed to having different opinions.

I wonder why the family orphan-causing disaster is moved from Halloween to Christmas Eve - is this some kind of anti-Potter move? In retrospect based on reading the full series twice, it feels like a story that JKR might have written had she not spent years developing her plot.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great listen!

Listened over a few weeks which made it hard for the kids to follow but my husband and I thought it was a great story. Jim Dale never disappoints.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful narration!

Loved the magical story, and the narration is fabulous! It’s time to get the rest of the series now.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Fun book!

This is a book about a trio of kids that go on a magical adventure. The reason I chose the book is because it is narrated by Jim Dale, the guy who narrated the Harry Potter books in the USA. He's my favorite and can bring the characters to life!

The book was fun and is suitable for families.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining, Great Narrator

What made the experience of listening to The Emerald Atlas the most enjoyable?

Good Story as always Jim Dale is an excellent story teller.

What did you like best about this story?

It was suspensful - Kept my interest

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