Elias of Elderberry

Elias Rey, a fifteen-year-old student at Penquis Valley High School, is skinny, has a chipped tooth, and a bad case of acne. His favorite pastime is drawing dragons and his room is plastered with his renditions. Tested out as a genius, he should be in college instead of high school, but he chooses to be with the only family he's ever known, his foster sister Lizzie, and his best friend Jaron. Life is good, except for one thing, Brute, the meanest student at PVHS.

Elias considers moving to get rid of Brute's constant bullying. Until one fated day when a strange boy pushes a leather pouch into his hands and then mysteriously disappears, leaving Elias to wonder who he was. Shortly thereafter, Elias discovers that the pouch contains Ilesar, an ancient Papyrus that can give him anything his heart desires. He isn't going to be pushed around. Ever. Again. At least, not by the school bully.

I love this story! Elias of Elderberry is a cross between Harry Potter, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland, with a hint of Lord of the Rings. - Sarah Beggs
Elias of Elderberry is imaginative and entertaining, but also thought provoking. It was fun learning about the worlds Theresa Sneed creates. Her evil is pure evil . . . and her good is amazing. - Kari Pike
Elias of Elderberry is a truly marvelous book! The action, concept, and mysteries contained in this novel are intensely compelling and exciting. Not satisfied with simply writing an entertaining story, Sneed fills the pages with lessons about temptation, addiction, and the morals of right versus wrong. - R.L. Drembic
The Sons of Elderberry! Book One was fantastic! I am eager to read the continuing sequels. Do any of us really know who we are and what are real worth is? Fifteen-year-old Elias was soon to discover things beyond his wildest imagination. This is about present day with regular school attendance, yet also, time travel with castles, dungeons, dragons and more! There were many characters well-defined and realistic. Also, the scenes were portrayed very well so the reader was able to easily picture them occurring. My Review of this book offers a Five Stars rating.
- LAWonder10
Elias of Elderberry was action packed and a fast-paced read. There was a plethora of different species. I'm amazed by the world the author created and all the different creatures. I enjoyed getting to know Elias and his friends and family. I laughed at some of the antics of the characters. I found Elias to be a typical teenager, dealing with the normal teenage woes. I loved the solutions he came up with for problems. - TNT Reviews
Elias of Elderberry is a good read. Not only is it good fantasy, but the characters seem very real as they grasp with the choices of good vs. evil, power vs. the greater good of mankind. The characters are memorable, especially Elias. The dilemmas he faces, while fantasy, can parallel situations in modern life, such as addictions which may take courage to overcome, the struggle with selfishness, etc. It was both a fun read and insightful. -Azguy
I look forward to more from this author. It was well-written and I could identify with the characters and their circumstances, which probably makes me weird since this is High Fantasy (fairies, etc.) urban style. I look forward to more from this author. She kept it clean. - Meesha