ElfQuest impacted my life in ways I'll probably never be able to comprehend. I first read the comics that make up this graphic novel when I was 13, and I was hooked. I collected all the reprints of the original series I could find, and then found my way to more. This story of love, honour, betrayal, and being one with nature is a must-read for anyone from 8-80. If you find comic books a little daunting and/or simplistic, there are novels as well. Perhaps read those and then come back to the comics and allow them to fill in the blanks. A marvellous gift for a creative kid or an adult who hasn't lost that gleam in their eye.

Elfquest - Fire and Flight has to be one of my favourite fantasy books that I have read. At first I was skeptical about reading a novel based on comics, and it has been sitting on my shelf for about 2 years before I thought about reading it. At first I thought it was very childish and rather silly but after the part about the meeting with the trolls, I started to get into the story. To summarise the plot as simply as possible, the story is basically about a group of elves (Wolfriders), driven from the forest after it has been destroyed by humans, and their journey across a desert to a place known as Sorrow's End, which is inhabited by another group of elves. There Cutter, the leader of the Wolfriders, meets Leetah, a healer from Sorrow's End and they know each other through what the elves call "Recognition".(Read the book to find out about this!). An elf, called Rayek, who is in love with Leetah, is hateful of Cutter and is jealous of him.

I really enjoyed how the authors drew out all the characters, especially Cutter and Leetah, and because of this and the simplicity of the story, one can guess how the story would evolve and pan out as one can guess how the characters would behave. That is not a bad thing. Believe me. Even though the story is short, it is an engrossing and entertaining read.

I believe the reason why I liked this book a lot has to deal with the emotions and feelings the Wolfriders undergo, especially the part where they travel through the desert. We have Cutter trying his best as leader trying to hold his tribe of Wolfriders together, Skywise and his trust in the "magical stone" and the love Nightfall has for Redlance, and the anguish of the elves and wolves. All the emotions are portrayed briefly and powerfully. You see many examples of the good and bad side of elven nature which can easily be translated into our lives and which makes the reader feel good all over.
I recommend this story/comic to anyone who wants to read an inspiring story, abut the strength of the elven (human) spirit and how love overcomes all.

I bought this one for my 9 year old son who loved it but ended up reading it myself. I plan on buying all of them!

Warning! If you start reading this book before bed, you probably won't go to sleep that night. I picked up ElfQuest vol 1 out of mild curiosity, then had to run to the bookstore the next morning and waited an hour before they opened to get the next three volumes. It's difficult to decide if the artwork or the storyline deserves more praise, since they compliment each other so well. Throughout the series the plot develops wonderful intricacies and side-avenues that all tie together in later chapters. The characters each have distinct, quirky personalities that are presented so well that they start to become old friends. And the artwork, ah the artwork! Wendy Pini steadly improves at her craft from an extremely high standard set at the beginning. Get this book.

This work of fantasy rivals some of the best of the century, with superb artwork by Wendy Pini, and a brilliantly planned storyline by Wendy and Richard Pini. Follow the adventures of a tribe of woodland elves who are forced to abandon their forest dwelling in the face of fire. Tricked by their fickle friends the trolls, they find themselves lost in the desert, where they find...But thats for you to find out when you read this work of art. Full of emotions that anyone can relate to, and characters who clash, and come together to form grand friendships and rivalries that will keep you reading through the whole series of Eight full color, and unfortunately, out of print Elfquest Stories.

I have read every elfquest book that I can get my hands on and I have to say that book one is my favourite. The artwork and the story are beautiful and I re-read them every chance I get. (My copies are starting to wear out). I have books one through seven and I am looking for book eight. Preferably a color hard cover one. I hope it will continue in the spirit of the true elfquest books. Anyone with Info. email me

A collection of short stories, _Hidden Years_ fills in some missing spots in the storyline, mostly from the time period before the 'Shards'and Kings of the Broken Wheel timeline. It was really nice to see that a story could indeed be covered in the equivalent of one issue of a comic book. My favorites are the story depicted on the cover and the origin story for Skywise. No spoilers here, just go out and get it.

Wendy is arguably the best comic book artist of our time, and this little gem has got to be her greatest work ever. This is the very first book by the Pinis that I bought. (Which may I recommend that you don't get this first. You will be very confused, even though the stories are great in themselves.) This one book started the Elf-mania in my family. Now, I buy all of them, even the off-the-wall side stories that are more humorous than anything (see "New Blood" and "Worldpool"). It's really great artwork and rich color are the best. And Strongbow is a heartthrob.;)

Wendy Pini has certainly outdone herself! Her artwork has always been versatile, changing to fit the mood of the story. In this graphic novel, she used vivid watercolors to tell the tale. It's amazing! The stories are also superb, in the honored tradition of Elfquest. My favorite story is the one about Tyleet and her adopted human cub, Little Patch. Wendy Pini is definetly my favorite artist! :)

I say this is more (much more) bloody than others of four ordinary ElfQuest, but it is writed well. There is a story much morer than ever in "Fire & Flight". Kahvi's the new character in this( you see her in picture) , and she is the chief on elkriders, who call themselves Go-Backs. Go-Backs live in shadow of mountains were is a HOME OF HIGH ONES. And with wolfriders they found it. once more i will say: Wolfriders never die. Yes, I know one-eye just did in a "Captives of Blue mountain", but, if you read this, you se how many of Go-Backs die. And that is normal. But NONE of wolfriders. They have armors as much as Go-backs.

But to end this, I tell you: Wendy and Richard teach us in every book , and they tell about life.

VERY GOOD!! the best yet.

Believe me, you just won't believe this! This is the most skillfully drawn and written part of the whole "Elfquest" series next to the part about the adventures in the Blue Mountain. In fact, you won't see anything like this ever again in any Elfquest tales, nor even the future ones yet to come, I suspect. The great epic of war against the bloodthirsty Trolls of the Great White North begins right after the imprisonment of elves in the Blue Mountain by the witchlike Winnowill - a real teeth-rattling clash of so many different characters, old or new with their individual personalities and differences. In additional, a whole galaxy of the fantastic environment on the far-off World of Two Moons really opens up for the very first time to your mortal human eyes - from the monstrous labyrinth of the Troll lair to the shimmering walls of the long-lost Palace of the High Ones - with a whole bagful of earth-shaking surprises to boot! If you already have this rare book or are lucky enough to get your hands on a copy, I sincerely promise you that you just won't be able to put it down, nor read it just once!

I love it when the characters, plot and storyline all flow as nicely as this one did. Great Job!!!!

Yet another masterpiece by Wendy Pini. I had only just finished "Forevergreen" (I constantly read them out of order), and to see the crisp, smooth drawings was like a breath of fresh air. This is in no way an insult to Barry Blair, or any other Elfquest artist; I merely mean that Wendy knows best what her elves look like, and captures the essense of each personality. The artwork looks three-dimensional, so that it seems to have a depth that some of the other Reader's Collections lack. I look at each page, marveling "That's how Shenshen and Cutter look like!"

Dreamtime's story wasn't skimped on, either. The dreams add new insights and facets to each Wolfriders' personality, and were told in an inventive way. In favorites, i'm torn between Pike's story and "Dreamtime - Pt?" I don't want to give too much of the story away, though, so I won't tell you too much about it: Just that it's terrific!

I thought that it was a wonderful story full of our favorite characters. It was one of the best of the elfquest books that I've read in a while.

This is the second book in the series. Written in text form, it covers book 2 of the graphic art series. It is, if anything, even richer and better written than the first book in the text series. The book covers what happens to the Wolfrider elves after they settle down with the desert elves. After a traumatic encounter with stray humans, the Wolfrider chief decides to see if he can find other elves to unite them against what is clearly becoming a major problem -- human invasion of the elves' homes.

The idea is simple, but mythic. Covering much land, the questing elves run into not-so-hostile trolls and friendly humans of various sorts, forcing them to go against their grain in many ways. As usual, the writing is lush and descriptive, painting evocative pictures with words. Elves are more than capable of bigotry, false assumptions, and violence, as well as fear and hesitation. One elf has to confront his longstanding hatred of humans; another has to confront her terrible fear of the unknown. The conflicts set up in this novel are amazing to watch unfold.

Best of all, the novel stands on its own easily. It expands very much on what happened in the graphic novel, to the point that it doesn't feel like a novelization at all. I would suggest this book wholeheartedly both to people who don't own the graphic novels, and to those wishing to learn more about what happened in the graphic novels.

The Quest Begins is another wonderfull book from elfquest. A Tale of Undying love and unjust hate fill this book. A great book for any Elfquest fan.

Arguably the best of the three Elfquest-based novels yet written, "The Quest Begins" includes all the plot material from issues 6-10 (collected in Book Two, "The Forbidden Grove") while effectively expanding the story, mainly by getting deeper into the emotions of the characters.

Those familiar with the series may want to know that the main improvement this novel provides is the extra insight into Leetah's mind, as she wrestles with the necessity - but also the danger - of leaving her home and heading into the great and mysterious forest, in order (possibly) to save Cutter's life. This is the element missing from the original story, which makes it whole.

If you are new to the world of elfquest this is the third book in the elfquest line.Before it comes the books Fire and Flight(book #1)and the Forbbiden Grove(book #2). In this book, you meet the Gliders, a group of elves that claims to be the High Ones. You also meet the dark and evil Winnowill, a healer but one which uses her powers for hurting rather then healing.Lastly you learn the secret of the Wolfriders... I won't give away the story but I do reccomend you buy this book for its art,story and feeling...

I thought this was one of the best books in the EQ series, and coming from me thats saying quite a bit, oh and Winnowill is a subject worth thinking about.

ElfQuest is a wounderful series for anyone whom reads it. It is full of some of the personal expierences from Wendy and Richard Pini's own life, it contains moral lessons, it has incredible insight, a dynamic story and georgeous artwork, do not pass this book up! IT ROCKS!!!

As a hardcore Elfquestfan I really like the whole audio version of "Journey to Sorrow's end" and as I read the Elfquest novels first I was already familiar with the third-person-view the tapes are written in. The only thing I don't really like are the voices of some of the elves. But everything else- the story, the characteres, the style... makes it wonderful!

How do you rate something like this? Wendy Pini has an exquisite sense of pacing, a master's command of the English language, and a grand story to tell. Without hesitation I would recommend any of her works.

This is the first book in the series. Told in text form, it stands easily on its own -- people who don't have or want the graphic art series won't miss anything here. It tells the story of a band of elves who are persecuted out of their home and must find a new one before they die in the desert. Along the way they encounter a new band of elves, hostile trolls, and some even more hostile humans. Sure, they're elves and they're cute, but these elves have courage, heart, and compassion -- they are as accessible and understandable as we are, metaphors for what we wish we could be.

Unlike many novelizations of graphic art, this book is accessible to newcomers and doesn't leave out important things. It expands some parts of the graphic art series, adding details like background, private thoughts, and extra interactions.

Although the story is fantastical in nature, it holds the universality of wanting a place to belong, fate, overcoming fears, and the conflict between man and the unknown. Wendi and Richard's textual adaptations of their first five comics offer a new look to the story, and a great deal more detail. Written from a third-person view, it allows the reader to feel like a part of the group, while not having to feel like their suffering all he hardships that the elves feel. The biggest things that drew me to this book, were the characters. They are so complexly simple, that it's hard to remember, sometimes, that they were originally ink and paper drawings, telling their stories through pictures, as well as words. Secondarily, I was drawn by the world, itself. How clearly and vividly it's described has captured me from the first time I even heard of Abode, distinctly the fact that it was inhabited by such creatures as the elves and their bonded wolves. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed realms of magic, love, fantasy, trial, or challenge. It holds all of these, and much, much more within it's comforting arms, and is definitely an excellent escape from reality.

If you are a fan of the Elfquest comics, this is really a must to own. Lots of facts are to be revealed about Bearclaw's leadership and about the elf he was and if you are fan of Strongbow, you really must read it...

Why?
Because in this book you will find all kinds of emotion, from happiness to desperation and grief. And a dark chapter in the history of the Wolfriders is enlightened. What kind of chief, lifemate and father was Bearclaw?
And...
Did you ever wanted to know more about Strongbow, the silent archer? And about his deceased child? Then this issue is worth to read. His dislike of changes, it doesn't come out of nowhere, does it? Read and you'll know.

Not only this issue, but all the issues drawn by Wendy Pini are worth to read... you won't regret it......

Bearclaw isn't an easy character to love, and he definitely isn't the stereotypical nurturing, loving, peacable Wolfrider. The book details how he came to make war on the humans and firmly sets responsibility for that war just as squarely on his shoulders as on the humans'. Prejudice, racial hatred, violent childrearing, and Dumb Boy Mistakes abound here. After reading this book, I came to understand that the Pini's elves are in their way just as human as we are, and just as capable of unpleasant behavior and beliefs.

In "Hidden Years", when Ember asks her father, Cutter (whose hand is raised to slap her), "Who taught you to do that, anyway?", the question is all the more poignant, and Cutter's childrearing beliefs in the face of Bearclaw's treatment become all the more remarkable.

I was quite jarred when, midway through the book, another artist took over -- this new artist had a very different style from Wendy and honestly I did not like that style much -- but eventually Wendy took over again.

I'd consider this a must-have in an Elfquest reader's library. It very efficiently balances the overly-good image the elves have.

I loved this book. Not only is the art work beautiful, the story is one I've been wanting to see for quite some time. If you don't have this book in your collection already, I recommend adding it.

True to their relationship in Fire and Flight, Cutter and Skywise prove to readers that they are indeed "brothers in all but blood", as they travel the world of two moons in search of other elves, so that all the children of the High Ones may be reunited. They meet some of the most Enchanting dangers along the way, that perhaps any work of fantasy may boast, and the artwork By Wendy remains SUPERB as ever. You cannot help but be touched by the relationships in this and the other seven original full color elfquest graphic novels by Wendy and Richard Pini.

Beautifully crafted! The greatest story ever told comes to paperback! Wendy and Richard Pini bring the legend of Elfquest to paperback along with all the details they had to leave out of the illustrated series. Discover the adventure for the first time, or embark on it all over again through written word.

The second book in the elfquest saga following Fire and Flight. This is simply the best in fantasy writing!