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J.M. Arlen
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The Crystal Keepers Kindle Edition

by J.M. Arlen (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.0 out of 5 stars 31 ratings

The first in a saga that will span across the stars, The Crystal Keepers tells the story of Manie, a girl from a magical world of Crystals that once came down from the stars like rain; and Shawn, a teenager who stumbles upon Talmoria by accident. Backstabbing family members, invisible creatures who grow forests in seconds, magic crystals, love, and a fire-breathing monster that can bore tunnels through the Earth. Get ready for the next great adventure.

Praise for The Crystal Keepers:

"Manie is one of the few female protagonists I’ve read lately who behaves like an actual traumatized teenager, and it was interesting to see her attempt to develop a coherent identity throughout the story after being denied agency since she was a very young child. That aspect alone makes it worth a read for me. She’s an incredibly dynamic character." 4/5 stars -Bree. Goodreads

"The plot is great, and some of the twists and beats are actually very well executed. Even though the main characters are herded through it, they are going on one hell of a ride, and the stakes are believably high." 4/5 stars. Dylan Graves.

"Every page I was excited to get to the next one. Amazing read strongly recommend 10/10." Emjay Anthony, actor, Bad Moms.

When the Rain of Crystals fell, just one blue stone was among them, the most powerful of all the magic Crystals. For years that Blue Crystal lay dormant, lost to the decay of time, until it was given to Manie by King Dukemot. Now only she can control its power. Only she can decide the fate of the island and stop a deadly disease. But when Manie learns that the price to save Talmoria is the lives of all the Torch-Wings in the South, she can no longer justify what she has to do. Manie and Shawn must decide if they are brave enough to give up everything they used to know in order to prevent the extinction of a race of creatures that most don’t know exist.

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  1. Book 1 of 1
    The Crystal Keepers
  2. Print length
    455 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    March 18, 2022
  5. File size
    3.6 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09TX3D4JX
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (March 18, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 18, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.6 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 455 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.0 out of 5 stars 31 ratings

About the author

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J.M. Arlen

J.M. Arlen

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I grew up loving stories, and now I'm writing them. My whole life I used to daydream about going on some grand adventure like Frodo and Sam in Lord of the Rings, Jon Snow beyond the wall in Game of Thrones, or Harry Potter in his own magical adventures, and the people that created those types of stories have always been inspirational to me. My only hope is that I might continue the legacy they left behind and continue making great stories and great characters for readers to enjoy.

Visit my website for all the latest news: jmarlen.pubsitepro.com

Or on Twitter at twitter.com/JMArlen8

Customer reviews

3 out of 5 stars
31 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book to be an amazing read with excellent prose. The plot receives mixed reactions, with some customers enjoying keeping up with it while others find it nonsensical.

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3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be an amazing read, with one customer noting the excellent prose and another describing it as a decent self-published debut.

"...sprinkled throughout -- but I do think it is vastly more interesting to read JM Arlen's prose than it is to read generic, dry fantasy with no flair...." Read more

"Excellent book keeps you on the edge of your seat makes you want to keep reading it hard to put down highly recommend reading this book game of..." Read more

"Every page I was exited to get to the next one. Amazing read strongly recommend 10/10 Beautiful story my new personal favorite...." Read more

5 customers mention "Plot"3 positive2 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the plot of the book, with some finding it enjoyable to follow and describing it as a beautiful story, while others find it nonsensical and difficult to follow.

"...The plot is intricate, interesting, and complex, and the various world-building elements connect well to make the plot work, and integrate naturally..." Read more

"...Amazing read strongly recommend 10/10 Beautiful story my new personal favorite...." Read more

"...books because every now and again I discover an entertaining and fun series, and I want to support those authors and help get their work out there...." Read more

"...The plot uses many familiar elements: crystals that give magic powers, portals from the 'real' world to a fantasy realm, an unknown disease sweeping..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Boomer
    2.0 out of 5 stars It's hard to find much to like here
    Reviewed in the United States on April 17, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of several novels I've purchased lately in an attempt to find another great fantasy series. I'm good with taking a chance on unknown authors and debut books because every now and again I discover an entertaining and fun series, and I want to support those authors and help get their work out there. This has resulted in both hits and misses in terms of quality. This one's a big miss.

    There's nothing about the Crystal Keepers that makes it stand out from the hundreds of other self published fantasy books available. In fact to be brutally honest, this is worse in many ways. The plot uses many familiar elements: crystals that give magic powers, portals from the 'real' world to a fantasy realm, an unknown disease sweeping the land... you get the point. The plot deals with unlikeable main character Manie, who is the only person who can use the most powerful crystal in the world, and can shoot lightning from her hands (it's never explained why) and equally unlikeable fifteen year old Shawn (who comes from the real world and also has some crystal superpowers somehow) fighting against King Dukemot (who is never seen in this book BTW) and his plan to sacrifice the Torch-Wings (fairies) to cure the Gray Death disease. The Gray Death supposedly somehow starves people and makes them go mad, but since we never see any victims of the disease - no madmen, no bodies - it's hard to care. In fact I'd forgotten several times it was even an issue until a character would casually bring it up. I get that this is the first in a series, but if you're going to push things like this in the blurb as a major part of the story it should feature more prominently to give me a reason to get invested. Since it doesn't, I have no real reason to care about it.

    The writing here isn't great either. Not the worst I've read, but lackluster would be putting it kindly. The first page of the book features some horrible dialogue and it's sadly a sign of things to come. It only gets worse with cringe worthy descriptions like 'His words stabbed out like a scorpion's sting'. Ugh.

    In summary, The Crystal Keepers is just a dull, cookie cutter fantasy filled with forgettable characters, cheesy dialogue, and clunky wording. I only got through this book out of my sheer stubbornness in not giving up on novels I start.
    91 people found this helpful
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  • Dylan Graves
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Decent Self-Published Debut with Many Flaws
    Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I'll start by saying, I think I am being quite generous by giving this book 4 stars. I do so because I believe it should be compared to other self-published, debut fantasy books, the kind which appear by the hundreds in every library and search, rather than against the best books of the fantasy genre. Compared to even other books containing "Crystal Keeper(s)" in its title, this is a good book, and I am glad I read it, in large part on a whim. For a debut, self-pub fantasy, I've read much, much worse, and I am glad that the author put in the time to properly edit and refine his story.

    Unfortunately, however, I just don't think the story is very good, and it does pain me to say that about a first novel in a genre I love. Enough vagueness, though; let's dive in.

    The novel starts in an interesting place, Talmoria, and at an interesting time, when hundreds of magical meteors fell from the sky, causing destruction but leaving, in their wake, powerful crystals that grant some people fantastic abilities. It's not the most original premise, but I'll take it, and it would be interesting watching how this upsets the balance of society and --

    Cut 1000 years into the future.

    The novel starts, in earnest, with Princess Manie, who has spent much of her life trapped in a tower, with her Torch-Wings (read: fairies). She has a blue crystal, Mikhail's Crystal, which is one-of-its-kind and might be the thing which can stop the mysterious plague known as the Grey Death. After her sister climbs her tower and tries to take the crystal, Manie ends up accidentally killing her and, due to knowledge learned, escapes the tower. Well, that is an interesting take on the "princess in a tower" trope. I'm excited to see --

    Manie dies. Cut 70 years in the future.

    Shawn lives in our world, and one day, while exploring some abandoned mines (or, at least, near some abandoned mines), finds a strange blue crystal, still clutched by a skeletal hand. He takes the crystal, which revives Manie, who, before long, takes Shawn through a strange portal back to Talmoria. Due to the plague and the actions of Manie's kingly father, the world is a darker place, though still filled with enough magic to fill Shawn with awe. In order to save the Torch-Wings, and possibly the world, the two teenagers must use the crystal to... (sigh) -- okay, stop, again. You get the picture.

    I'm not very fond of stories with too many introductions and false starts, and this story has probably 5 or 6 before we finally get into the meat of the story. That is, perhaps, it's biggest flaw. The structure is incredibly repetitive, especially in the beginning, and each beginning restarts any momentum the story had before each time. And, personally, I think each time the story reveals a new starting point, it gets worse. Or maybe that is just my disdain for portal fantasy, especially that which is so derivative of the very-overused 'Isekai' formula. I'll not harp on it too heavily, but choosing to introduce your secondary protagonist after so much world-building largely defeats the point of even using the portal fantasy trope -- which largely exists so that the audience has a point-of-view character who can see and experience the world fresh, like the readers. Rather, we know quite a lot about Talmoria before Shawn finally sets foot there. It's an odd choice, to say the least, to not start the story with Shawn, especially given that anything we learn in the prologue is reiterated several times to Shawn, and would've served better as twists or plot beats.

    It doesn't help that Shawn, and to a lesser extent Manie, are very boring protagonists. I couldn't bring myself to care for Shawn at all in the entire narrative. He has no character, makes stupid decisions, seems intent on making things difficult, and his dialogue is very cringey. He is, in short, an obnoxiously accurate 15-year-old with nothing interesting to make the character worth reading. Oh, and his motivations are absolutely nonsensical. I already hate that he is from "our world", but I really can't get over how little he seems to care about being away from his family, friends, and world. If he every thought to worry about how his mom or grandfather, much less his friends, were reacting to him being gone for days and weeks, than I don't remember the passage. If I were him, that would be my main concern, and I think it is almost alien how little Shawn cares about getting back home or what his family and community might be going through in his absence.

    Manie fairs better, being a take on the classic 'tower princess' archetype. She is strongheaded, somewhat cruel, and determined. She still falls victim to making stupid decisions and hiding information for the sole purpose of allowing later plot beats to happen, but she works better. I like Manie. I don't like Shawn.

    But that doesn't really matter, because who they are means nothing to the story. They are two teenagers who are hampered along, from task to task, by others, or by circumstance. Manie makes one choice towards the beginning of the novel, and after that the protagonists are basically forced along a path and make no interesting choices again. A character meets them, tells them to do something, and they do. Another character meets them, threatens to kill them, so they do what they can to survive so that they can go meet another character who can tell them what to do. It's hard to make protagonists interesting when they are shepherded along in the plot.

    On that note, I'll take a break from the negativity to speak positively. I did enjoy the work, after all. And that hinges on two elements: the plot and the prose. The plot is intricate, interesting, and complex, and the various world-building elements connect well to make the plot work, and integrate naturally into the conflicts (Note, now, that the world-building is not always a plus, but we are being positive for now). The plot is great, and some of the twists and beats are actually very well executed. Even though the main characters are herded through it, they are going on one hell of a ride, and the stakes are believably high.

    As well, the author clearly has a gift for prose. I don't think it's perfect -- there are some laughable metaphors and imagery sprinkled throughout -- but I do think it is vastly more interesting to read JM Arlen's prose than it is to read generic, dry fantasy with no flair. I'd rather someone take risks with weird descriptions, as Arlen does, rather than describe everything objectively and boringly. In fact, I want JM Arlen, should he publish another book, to lean into this even harder. It was a real joy, and part of what carried me through the whole book.

    What didn't carry me through the whole book, though, was the world. I hate to say this, because there is a lot of crafting and heart that has gone into the creation of Talmoria, but it feels like a world of plot-convenience. And, frankly, a world that could've used a lot more research. Let me explain:

    Everything in Talmoria seems like it is within a few days of anything else. We are never shown the difficulty of travel, or even given realistic timescales, in my opinion, for the world. I don't recall it ever taking the characters more than a few days to get anywhere, even when those 'wheres' are places that are described as different regions or faraway lands. It feels very cluttered. Now, maybe we can damn realism some here. It makes a more interesting story if we can, so sure, any trip takes a few days on foot.

    What I can't forgive, though, is that the author seems to not realize how long the timescales he is working on are. Manie leaves Talmoria, dies, and then comes back 70 YEARS LATER. Yet, pretty much everyone knows what she looks like, knows who she is, talks about her constantly, can recite her exact crimes by heart, and is on the constant lookout for her. I can't talk about how mind-boggling that is. You know, the Prime Minister of Australia once went for a swim in the Ocean and just... vanished one day. And you know how long ago that was? 1967, only 55 years ago. Yet, it only ever gets mentioned in passing as a fun fact, people aren't out, looking for Harold Holt, knowing him by look and able to name his policies by heart (even in Australia). Now, I get that timescales are extended in Talmoria -- people seem to live long, maybe memories are better, and the King is essentially immortal -- but its just bizarre how little seems to have changed in 70 years, down to people recognizing what are essentially long-dead celebrities when they see them on the street. That's to mention nothing of the fact that old establishments, like taverns and forests and kingdoms and buildings, all seem to still be standing, operating the same way, and utterly unchanged in the previous 70 years. The world of Talmoria may be dense in scope, but it is temporally frozen, with no progression in any way even after 70 years. Why did Arlen choose to make it 70 years that passed, instead of a more reasonable five or ten? Who knows.

    I have a few other, smaller complaints as well. Characters are rendered unconscious pretty much every chapter, so much so that I'm surprised they aren't all in brain-hemorrhage-induced comas. The torch-wings are neat, but are essentially just fairies (love the other creatures, like those that hunt the protagonists, though!). A lot of problems, especially the conflicts between the main characters, would disappear if they just talked to each other. There are some scenes which are just pages on pages of exposition about something that happened in myth, or hundreds of years ago (If Manie starts telling a tale about the past, 90% of the time it is skippable; either is boring exposition, or its repeating what we already know). Shawn and Manie form a weirdly strong bond after knowing each other for about a day of collective wakefulness. Just a bunch of weird stuff.

    So, after all that negativity (done in large part to serve as a critique for JM Arlen, in hopes that I've given enough for him to improve), why still 4 stars? Well, some of that is generosity, it must be said. But, also, it's because I enjoyed reading it. The individual adventures were exciting, the action fun, the banter sometimes quite clever. The plot was enjoyable to keep up with, and the world has some fascinating ideas, and the prose is pretty excellent (or at least not dull). There is a lot to like here, and I really look forward to JM Arlen's next book, should one ever be written. There is enough here to like that I want this author, and even this very-flawed story, to do well, and I think it is worth the read because of the positives alone. The negatives may be numerous, but this book is better than any other book I've read in years that had less than five reviews (at the time of writing, it has 1 on Amazon and 0 on Goodreads), and I read quite a lot of those.

    I'll conclude this absurdly lengthy review by saying, to the author: Keep it up. I will be on the look out for your next book, and am confident that it will improve in every way off this one.
    30 people found this helpful
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  • IHR TANTRUM
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent book keeps you on the edge of your seat makes you want to keep reading it hard to put down highly recommend reading this book game of throne Lord of the rings style not so much sex not so much violence more of a GP rating general public highly highly recommend reading this book
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    1.0 out of 5 stars I’ve read better fan-fiction
    Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2023
    “Blue flame twirled and leaned in unseen winds within a dark chamber. Around that dark chamber was a rim of more blue color–an iris–in eyes brimming with wonder and fear, shining like liquid glass. The face around these eyes was cocooned in blue hair, hair that hung gently around a girl’s cheeks, barely lower than her ears. When this girl was born her hair had been black, like her mother’s and father’s, but in her hand had been placed a magic stone, a Crystal–an age-old wonder from a time long forgotten–and all that she had been born as was burned away.”

    Opening paragraph lmao. Whoever edited this, I recommend you let them go. And the dialogue is even more cringe. Just… just don’t, dear reader. Your time on this earth is finite and this is not a useful occupation of that time.
    27 people found this helpful
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  • Sam McGreevy
    2.0 out of 5 stars Bruh
    Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This lowkey sucked lmao. Improve greatly before you publish again. Like for real. Also, chopping out everything up to the 2nd timeskip would have made this review a 3-star by itself.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Jamie Lynn Wirth
    4.0 out of 5 stars Potential for a good series
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2024
    The book portal fantasy with potential for a good series. The beginning could have used some editing for clarity and structure, but overall interesting concept.
    One person found this helpful
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  • emjay
    5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful book
    Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Every page I was exited to get to the next one. Amazing read strongly recommend 10/10
    Beautiful story my new personal favorite. Flawless writing amazing style I felt like I was with the characters. Wonderful read please please check it out you won’t regret it!
    6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Kirsty
    4.0 out of 5 stars I'm glad I didn't listen to the hate
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 23, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    To those here hoping for another scathing rant, I am sorry to disappoint you.
    I am aware of the author’s online presence and have been around since the original kerfuffle last year.
    In good faith, I have chosen to read this work and leave this review, with only the story in mind.
    A small disclaimer: I do not condone bad behaviour online and choose not to comment on it. I’m choosing to keep this review only book-related.
    So let’s Begin.
    *Spoilers*
    What did I think of the Crystal Keepers?

    This book feels like a first book in many ways.
    Like a first love, there's the occasional stumble, a few awkward phrases and all the adoration and infatuation that comes with laying your heart out for someone new.

    I think this is a very loved story, but someone without all the skills to bring it to grandeur. I believe in this story. It’s true to the genre while adding new elements, plant-based monsters, and a new look at fae and dragons.
    I was a little surprised after the blurb and then reading, as I have expected this to be Manie’s journey from her point of view, but we spend the majority of the book with Shawn as our POV.
    It breaks away from standard isekai/portal off the bat by opening in the other world, with two time skips it’s a bit of a rough start and proved hard to settle into.
    From there, we jump over to our world and flick back to it fairly fast.
    Our characters had guts but the writing of them made them lack heart. A lack of immersion was a disservice to the characters I know are in there, that I could feel just out of reach.
    The setting was fascinating, if not always well explained and I found myself nodding along and mumbling “Oh I like that” more than I frowned and looked puzzled, wondering, “What now?”
    Though there were a few of those moments.
    I think that it’s the quality of the writing that holds this story back. Amateur mistakes are rampant, and I’m embarrassed on behalf of the person who edited this. There are far too many errors in here that should have been ironed out by a trained eye.
    A lack of immersion, overuse of filtering and lack of sensory detail left parts feeling greyscale, while others burst vividly in dancing colours. There were moments I could see the world around me, as though I stood shivering beside Shawn and Manie in an enchanted forest. Other moments I had no idea where we were and didn’t know up from down.
    The story, world and characters are not without problems. The character motivations and stakes were a touch inconsistent, and I didn’t always follow on with who was mad at who and why, but for the most part I found it a good and straightforward enough story to follow.
    Was this the worst book of 22? Absolutely not.
    Does it have room to improve? Absolutely.
    Do I think it deserves the hate? No. No, I do not.
    I think if you’re still reading this, and you’re willing to give this book a chance, you would be pleasantly surprised.
    There’s lots to overlook, and it’s clearly a first book but that’s the thing, it’s just the first one. You can see progress between the start and finish, and for that alone, I would recommend this.
    5* for effort on the author's part
    3* for formatting and grammar
    3* for consistency and follow through
    4* for story
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