Book Review: Jeweler's Apprentice by Elizabeth Kaiser

Jeweler’s Apprentice (Five Gem, Book 1)

By Elizabeth Kaiser

Publisher: Hearth Books

Published: Dec. 15, 2011

ISBN: 9780615581040

Amazon Synopsis:

When a bookish country lass stumbles onto a court secret while trying to save the princess (and the princess turns out to be in no danger at all) the Chancellor sends her on an apprenticeship to a high mountain jeweler to get her out of the way; but he is unaware that the civil war in the neighboring kingdom is spilling over into the jeweler's house.

Fia Brithin is beginning an adventure.

On her first visit to the palace, 16 year old Fia Brithin stumbles into a court intrigue. To keep the secret safe, the Chancelor sends her off as apprentice to a famous, and reclusive, high mountain jeweler.

...And straight into adventure.

Discovering gems with deep secrets and new friends with the same, Fia learns a whole lot more than just modeling wax. When to trust a stranger, and when not to; why not to try


 stealing from gem thieves; what heroism is, what royalty ought to be, and that the mountains themselves can sometimes be the greatest danger of all.

The first in a series, Jeweler's Apprentice introduces protagonist Fia Brithin to the wide, wide world, and starts her on a journey toward adventures, and that difficult thing called growing up.

Book Links

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My Thoughts:

This was a nice, clean, fantasy novel without the commonly prevalent demons, witches and vampires so often seen in today’s fantasy novels. This is a book that is suitable for all ages. This book is free from offensive language and imagery, yet is captivating and interesting.

I really liked Fia who is not as confident in herself as she probably should be (and like many teenage girls today). She has a dream to become a jeweler’s apprentice when it is time for her enter into an apprenticeship. While on a visit to the king’s court with her family, she unintentionally becomes involved in some political intrigue. For her safety, the king’s chamberlain has her sent off to a remote place, where her dream comes true – she becomes a jeweler’s apprentice, but she’s not as safe there as the chamberlain thinks she is.

The author has done a beautiful job in creating the countries of Lorsia and Othira. Her description of the trek through the mountains with her companion and the refugees was very well done. It was easy to imagine in the mind’s eye with her narrative. 

I thought the book flowed quite well, as did most of the dialogue throughout the book. The characters did not have a lot of depth, but they were likeable.

I found this book to be highly interesting and I liked that though Fia did not seem to feel confident in herself, she was able to carry out her task courageously and successfully. I very much enjoyed this book and gave it four stars.

Thank you to the author Elizabeth Kaiser for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not required to give a positive opinion. All thoughts are my own.

About the Author:

E. Kaiser was born into a family of readers, and got started on storytelling around the age of four when her older siblings prompted her into recounting an absolutely ridiculous account of a parallel childhood. It was good for the family's general entertainment, and she discovered the thrill of making people laugh.

At the age of seven her mother read the Hobbit aloud, and a fascination with beautiful fantasy was born. At nine she came to the decision that she wanted to be a writer, and set to reading rabidly to learn the art. At thirteen she attempted her first novel, and it was eaten in a computer's demise.

Afterward, during her teenage years she tried very hard at various times to stop writing all together.

Not succeeding, she at last gave in to her addiction, and wrote "for fun"

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