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The Hadariah Chronicles #1
The Strings of the Violin
Seventeen-year-old Carrie is lying in her backyard ignoring all the looming responsibilities in her life, when a fox makes a mad dash across the grass in front of her. After she manages to keep her dog from attacking the frightened animal, the fox turns to Carrie and seems to bow in gratitude before he disappears into the bushes. All Carrie knows in that moment is that something has unexpectedly changed in her life.
Carrie has been best friends with Lindsay Smith and Rebecca Campbell for years. During a summer when they should be focused on choosing colleges and career paths, the girls suddenly find themselves swept away on the adventure of their lives. The fox reappears three days later and reveals to Carrie that he is Adom, emissary to the king of Hadariah. With his land of music and magic in peril, Adom has been sent to seek help from Carrie and her friends. In the blink of an eye, the three teenage girls go from living an average suburban life to being the champions of a world where they must contend with giants, witches, and magical beings.
On their quest to save a people from destruction, Carrie, Lindsay, and Rebecca are pitted against Asmodeus, the powerful and cunning king of the dybbuks. Now, only time will tell if the three girls will prevail against Asmodeus and somehow find their way back home.
Carrie has been best friends with Lindsay Smith and Rebecca Campbell for years. During a summer when they should be focused on choosing colleges and career paths, the girls suddenly find themselves swept away on the adventure of their lives. The fox reappears three days later and reveals to Carrie that he is Adom, emissary to the king of Hadariah. With his land of music and magic in peril, Adom has been sent to seek help from Carrie and her friends. In the blink of an eye, the three teenage girls go from living an average suburban life to being the champions of a world where they must contend with giants, witches, and magical beings.
On their quest to save a people from destruction, Carrie, Lindsay, and Rebecca are pitted against Asmodeus, the powerful and cunning king of the dybbuks. Now, only time will tell if the three girls will prevail against Asmodeus and somehow find their way back home.
- GenresFantasy
164 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2011
2 people are currently reading
305 people want to read
About the author
Alisse Lee Goldenberg
20Ìýbooks43ÌýfollowersAlisse Lee Goldenberg is an author of Horror and Young Adult fantasy fiction. She has her Bachelors of Education and a Fine Arts degree, and has studied fantasy and folk lore since she was a child. Alisse lives in Toronto with her husband Brian, their triplets Joseph, Phillip, and Hailey, and their rambunctious Goldendoodle Sebastian.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 24, 2012
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Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating. This review expresses my true opinions.
It's hard for me to rate this book on a scale of 5 stars. By definition, The Strings of the Violin should have been a book that I loved, because of it's similarity to other fairy tale-ish fantasies I've read. I'm not quite sure what went wrong in my reading experience - maybe the writing styles? The characters? I'm still not too sure.
The World: What I liked most about this novel was probably the world and the lore included. I liked how the author incorporated folktales of cultures not too well known, as well as some familiar but magical creatures. For me, it's always fun to see the all familiar fairy tales and creatures we know, as well as learning about some new ones(:
The Plot: The plot was pretty quick in moving and interesting enough that I could finish the book in a couple of sittings. The ending was pretty sweet, kind of resembling a fairy tale. However, I found that there wasn't much action, which was what I suppose I was expecting on a quest to save a magical world - instead, there was a lot more talking, which seemed a little repetitive, in my opinion. Even the climatic battle only lasted a handful of pages. I also found that it was pretty predictable and simplistic, since I could tell who was the traitor that was constantly mentioned about halfway through the book. Overall, it seems as if this book is suited for more of a middle grade audience...
The Characters: I suppose if I was to "grade" this as a YA novel, I honestly have to say, I would be expecting too much. Compared to some of my favorite characters in some YA author's novels, the characters in this book were kind of stereotypical and underdeveloped. Take Carrie, Lindsay, and Becca for example - in real life they would certainly be nice people - it's just that the qualities of these characters portrayed in this novel don't really make them stand out. Moreover, I found that the language Carrie and her friends used in their dialogue wasn't appropriate for teenagers (it was probably a little too eloquent for my tastes) Maybe I'm expecting too much out of characters? I'm not too sure.
The Writing Style: This part is probably mostly based off of my personal tastes, so it may not pertain to all readers. However, it was probably what bugged me the most. As I mentioned before, the way that Carrie and her friends speak seemed way too mature for their age. Moreover, the writing style in which the author used to describe the adventure bugged me a little, probably because of the repetitiveness of speech, simplistic-ness, and other little things :/ I'm not quite sure how to describe it - maybe I'm more accustomed to more snarky voices?
Overall, I would think that The Strings of the Violin is more suitable for a younger audience because of the writing style, plot, and fairy tale resemblance. I would recommend this for people looking for more of a story with lots of folklore, rather than battle scenes.
Disclaimer: The fact that I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review has not affected my rating. This review expresses my true opinions.
It's hard for me to rate this book on a scale of 5 stars. By definition, The Strings of the Violin should have been a book that I loved, because of it's similarity to other fairy tale-ish fantasies I've read. I'm not quite sure what went wrong in my reading experience - maybe the writing styles? The characters? I'm still not too sure.
The World: What I liked most about this novel was probably the world and the lore included. I liked how the author incorporated folktales of cultures not too well known, as well as some familiar but magical creatures. For me, it's always fun to see the all familiar fairy tales and creatures we know, as well as learning about some new ones(:
The Plot: The plot was pretty quick in moving and interesting enough that I could finish the book in a couple of sittings. The ending was pretty sweet, kind of resembling a fairy tale. However, I found that there wasn't much action, which was what I suppose I was expecting on a quest to save a magical world - instead, there was a lot more talking, which seemed a little repetitive, in my opinion. Even the climatic battle only lasted a handful of pages. I also found that it was pretty predictable and simplistic, since I could tell who was the traitor that was constantly mentioned about halfway through the book. Overall, it seems as if this book is suited for more of a middle grade audience...
The Characters: I suppose if I was to "grade" this as a YA novel, I honestly have to say, I would be expecting too much. Compared to some of my favorite characters in some YA author's novels, the characters in this book were kind of stereotypical and underdeveloped. Take Carrie, Lindsay, and Becca for example - in real life they would certainly be nice people - it's just that the qualities of these characters portrayed in this novel don't really make them stand out. Moreover, I found that the language Carrie and her friends used in their dialogue wasn't appropriate for teenagers (it was probably a little too eloquent for my tastes) Maybe I'm expecting too much out of characters? I'm not too sure.
The Writing Style: This part is probably mostly based off of my personal tastes, so it may not pertain to all readers. However, it was probably what bugged me the most. As I mentioned before, the way that Carrie and her friends speak seemed way too mature for their age. Moreover, the writing style in which the author used to describe the adventure bugged me a little, probably because of the repetitiveness of speech, simplistic-ness, and other little things :/ I'm not quite sure how to describe it - maybe I'm more accustomed to more snarky voices?
Overall, I would think that The Strings of the Violin is more suitable for a younger audience because of the writing style, plot, and fairy tale resemblance. I would recommend this for people looking for more of a story with lots of folklore, rather than battle scenes.
October 8, 2013
Book review originally published here:
The Strings of the Violin is intended for a young adult audience, but the characters all act significantly younger than their age. Carrie, the main character, is supposedly 17, but she acts more like a 12-13 year old girl. In general, with the character interactions, the setting and the events that happen in the book, it seems more suitable for a middle grade audience. That’s not to say young adults won’t enjoy it, but I’m confident middle graders would probably like it even more. It has that fun mix of humor and fantasy middle graders tend to love.
While our main character, Carrie, is wondering what she’ll do with her life after the summer holidays are over � go to college or not? � she meets a talking fox named Adom. While that’s certainly peculiar, what’s even stranger is that apparently Adom needs her help. He comes from another dimension, a magical world that is in great peril, and he hopes Carrie will drop everything and help him out. Carrie, beings a surprisingly good person, does exactly that. With the help of her friends Rebecca and Lindsay she travels to the kingdom in danger. Apparently an evil wizard stole the strings of an enchanted violin, and if he destroys the strings, their world will end forever, and Carrie and her friends have to stop this evil foe.
It doesn’t take long before they encounter Emilia and rescue her. Emilia is a princess who defied her father and, as gratitude for being rescued, she agrees to guide the three friends to the castle of the evil wizard. But the longer their journey takes, the more Carrie begins to wonder if she can trust Emilia or not�
Let me start by saying the good stuff about this book. There’s a lot of folklore, which I thought was pretty cool, like dybbuks, for instance. The whole plot with the magical strings of the violin was pretty original as well. The world Carrie and her friends end up in, is vibrant and exciting, and we meet all kinds of creatures, from giants to witches to enchanted trees.
Now, on to the not-so-good. My primary concern was how the book is targeted at young adults, yet everything about it seems aimed at a younger audience. Then there’s also the writing style. It is rather fluent, sure, but two things bothered me about it. One would be the telling instead of showing. “Carrie could see�, “she was frightened�, “Lindsay was petrified�, “Carrie smelled�. All this distances readers from the book, and it happened all the time. I would’ve been much more involved in the story if there was more showing instead of telling. Second was the dialogue. Sometimes it was repetitive, or stiff, or totally out of place. I understand wanting to make Adom and Emilia sound like they come from an exotic fairytale land, but even Carrie, Rebecca and Lindsay suffered from this sometimes.
Apart from the writing style problems, the book was a blast though. I never knew what to expect, and it’s obvious that the author has an amazing imagination and an astonishing eye for detail. All in all, an enjoyable read in a fantasy world you won’t soon forget.
The Strings of the Violin is intended for a young adult audience, but the characters all act significantly younger than their age. Carrie, the main character, is supposedly 17, but she acts more like a 12-13 year old girl. In general, with the character interactions, the setting and the events that happen in the book, it seems more suitable for a middle grade audience. That’s not to say young adults won’t enjoy it, but I’m confident middle graders would probably like it even more. It has that fun mix of humor and fantasy middle graders tend to love.
While our main character, Carrie, is wondering what she’ll do with her life after the summer holidays are over � go to college or not? � she meets a talking fox named Adom. While that’s certainly peculiar, what’s even stranger is that apparently Adom needs her help. He comes from another dimension, a magical world that is in great peril, and he hopes Carrie will drop everything and help him out. Carrie, beings a surprisingly good person, does exactly that. With the help of her friends Rebecca and Lindsay she travels to the kingdom in danger. Apparently an evil wizard stole the strings of an enchanted violin, and if he destroys the strings, their world will end forever, and Carrie and her friends have to stop this evil foe.
It doesn’t take long before they encounter Emilia and rescue her. Emilia is a princess who defied her father and, as gratitude for being rescued, she agrees to guide the three friends to the castle of the evil wizard. But the longer their journey takes, the more Carrie begins to wonder if she can trust Emilia or not�
Let me start by saying the good stuff about this book. There’s a lot of folklore, which I thought was pretty cool, like dybbuks, for instance. The whole plot with the magical strings of the violin was pretty original as well. The world Carrie and her friends end up in, is vibrant and exciting, and we meet all kinds of creatures, from giants to witches to enchanted trees.
Now, on to the not-so-good. My primary concern was how the book is targeted at young adults, yet everything about it seems aimed at a younger audience. Then there’s also the writing style. It is rather fluent, sure, but two things bothered me about it. One would be the telling instead of showing. “Carrie could see�, “she was frightened�, “Lindsay was petrified�, “Carrie smelled�. All this distances readers from the book, and it happened all the time. I would’ve been much more involved in the story if there was more showing instead of telling. Second was the dialogue. Sometimes it was repetitive, or stiff, or totally out of place. I understand wanting to make Adom and Emilia sound like they come from an exotic fairytale land, but even Carrie, Rebecca and Lindsay suffered from this sometimes.
Apart from the writing style problems, the book was a blast though. I never knew what to expect, and it’s obvious that the author has an amazing imagination and an astonishing eye for detail. All in all, an enjoyable read in a fantasy world you won’t soon forget.
October 8, 2014
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The main plot comes out pretty quickly. Or at least the beginning of the main plot. And in a shocking form. A talking fox. It is definitely different than what I'd been reading lately. The writing was well done, and easy to read. It was somewhat easy to get into although it wasn't one of those books you can just jump right into and immediately be completely immersed. It slowly builds up until you find yourself entering the world of Adom as the girls do.
The easy banter between the friends took away much of the danger of their situation until something happened to clearly bring that danger to the forefront. It made things relaxing and a bit like you were replaying conversations you had with your best friends before. It was great, and kept your attention.
Then there was learning about this world other than Earth. It was great to see a new setting and learn more about it. I had lots of questions and got answers as well.
It was very interesting to see how folklore and their grandmothers stories were actually incorporated into the story. The folklore of the situation just made things that much more interesting because you're learning about these stories in bits and pieces, as they're remembering them and it was fun to learn some about their pasts.
I was also happy that Alisse Lee Goldenberg didn't take advangtage of the fact that she is writing fantasy and thus uses it as a free pass to manipulate lief and death. I'm not saying that I don't cheer when that happens but still sometimes it seems that it's used too often or it's used as a way to please your readers. That didn't happen here and I was glad to see it. Even if I was crying and wishing it could happen.
The Strings of the Violin was a good read, and different than the books I've read recently. If you like fantasy and young adult novels than you should add this to your TBR list.
Find this review and many more at
The main plot comes out pretty quickly. Or at least the beginning of the main plot. And in a shocking form. A talking fox. It is definitely different than what I'd been reading lately. The writing was well done, and easy to read. It was somewhat easy to get into although it wasn't one of those books you can just jump right into and immediately be completely immersed. It slowly builds up until you find yourself entering the world of Adom as the girls do.
The easy banter between the friends took away much of the danger of their situation until something happened to clearly bring that danger to the forefront. It made things relaxing and a bit like you were replaying conversations you had with your best friends before. It was great, and kept your attention.
Then there was learning about this world other than Earth. It was great to see a new setting and learn more about it. I had lots of questions and got answers as well.
It was very interesting to see how folklore and their grandmothers stories were actually incorporated into the story. The folklore of the situation just made things that much more interesting because you're learning about these stories in bits and pieces, as they're remembering them and it was fun to learn some about their pasts.
I was also happy that Alisse Lee Goldenberg didn't take advangtage of the fact that she is writing fantasy and thus uses it as a free pass to manipulate lief and death. I'm not saying that I don't cheer when that happens but still sometimes it seems that it's used too often or it's used as a way to please your readers. That didn't happen here and I was glad to see it. Even if I was crying and wishing it could happen.
The Strings of the Violin was a good read, and different than the books I've read recently. If you like fantasy and young adult novels than you should add this to your TBR list.
Find this review and many more at
October 29, 2013
What would you do if a fox not only came up to you, but started speaking to you as well? What if it asked you to save it's world, a world of magic and demons, princesses and kings?
When faced with this exact occurrence, Carrie Eisen says yes. She and her best friends travel to another world to find the magical violin strings that will save everyone. They will meet many magical beings, come across demons and princesses, and even some enchanted fruit trees!
I found this book to be a highly enjoyable read. I loved the characters and the story. I have always enjoyed a good fantasy novel, and this one really fed my child-like wonder of all things magical. I am very glad I picked it up and started reading it.
There were a few tense moments and many times I wasn't sure if certain characters were trustworthy. I eagerly read on to see what would happen and whether or not we would get a happily ever after type ending.
I won't ruin it for you! Just read on for an excerpt that will draw you into the story and make you want to finish reading it. I reccommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good fantasy. There was nothing in this book that I wouldn't let my ten year old daughter read. This book is wonderful for all ages!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. Regardless, all opinions are my own and were in no way influenced. I was not required to leave a positive review.
When faced with this exact occurrence, Carrie Eisen says yes. She and her best friends travel to another world to find the magical violin strings that will save everyone. They will meet many magical beings, come across demons and princesses, and even some enchanted fruit trees!
I found this book to be a highly enjoyable read. I loved the characters and the story. I have always enjoyed a good fantasy novel, and this one really fed my child-like wonder of all things magical. I am very glad I picked it up and started reading it.
There were a few tense moments and many times I wasn't sure if certain characters were trustworthy. I eagerly read on to see what would happen and whether or not we would get a happily ever after type ending.
I won't ruin it for you! Just read on for an excerpt that will draw you into the story and make you want to finish reading it. I reccommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good fantasy. There was nothing in this book that I wouldn't let my ten year old daughter read. This book is wonderful for all ages!
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. Regardless, all opinions are my own and were in no way influenced. I was not required to leave a positive review.
October 12, 2014
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars.
The Strings of Violin is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. A magical world is in danger and the ones chosen to save it are a trio of teenage girls. Magical creatures, talking animals and adventure are the recipe for a fast book.
The book is aimed for a YA audience and not only because the characters have around seventeen years old. However, for moments the book seems more a Middle grade read than a YA, this is not a bad thing because I think MG books are great.
The dialogues are simple, the scenarios are well described and there are a lot of elements of folklore and magic. The characters are nice and likeable but somehow they seem too simple for moments. I couldn't sense a real growth in them; it's like they just went to this adventure and never really experience it.
The story has a good rhythm, steady but without being boring. It has a good outcome and an easy to read language.
If you are a careful reader there are things that will come as obvious and the surprise will be ruined before it is revealed. But for young readers the book has good surprises and twists prepared.
Overall, it is a good fantasy book. It’s fast to read and despite being a trilogy there is no cliffhanger.
*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange of an honest review. ***
The Strings of Violin is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. A magical world is in danger and the ones chosen to save it are a trio of teenage girls. Magical creatures, talking animals and adventure are the recipe for a fast book.
The book is aimed for a YA audience and not only because the characters have around seventeen years old. However, for moments the book seems more a Middle grade read than a YA, this is not a bad thing because I think MG books are great.
The dialogues are simple, the scenarios are well described and there are a lot of elements of folklore and magic. The characters are nice and likeable but somehow they seem too simple for moments. I couldn't sense a real growth in them; it's like they just went to this adventure and never really experience it.
The story has a good rhythm, steady but without being boring. It has a good outcome and an easy to read language.
If you are a careful reader there are things that will come as obvious and the surprise will be ruined before it is revealed. But for young readers the book has good surprises and twists prepared.
Overall, it is a good fantasy book. It’s fast to read and despite being a trilogy there is no cliffhanger.
*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange of an honest review. ***
August 9, 2012
The Strings of the Violin by Alisse Lee Goldenberg
3.5 Stars
When Carrie, Lindsay and Rebecca met they were the wolf pack that lived under the teachers desk, they shared stories of a magical land where animals could speak and were always in trouble for their day dreaming. A few years later when they no longer believed, Carrie was approached by a talking fox who wanted her to go on a mission to save his realm, they were dying because the music had stopped and they needed it to survive. Carrie now had to convince her friends that their stories had been true and it was up to them to save this magical place before it was too late.
The Strings of the Violin is a very exciting children’s book. It reminds me of the adventures I used to go on as a child in the Faraway Tree or on the Wishing Chair. The story moves along at a nice pace and the characters-though they appear younger than seventeen, are varied, with personalities that complement each other.
The prose is simple and the plot is uncomplicated and easy to follow. It is predictable from an adults point of view but I am sure for a child aged 8 and over this would be quite an exciting read
Copy supplied for review
3.5 Stars
When Carrie, Lindsay and Rebecca met they were the wolf pack that lived under the teachers desk, they shared stories of a magical land where animals could speak and were always in trouble for their day dreaming. A few years later when they no longer believed, Carrie was approached by a talking fox who wanted her to go on a mission to save his realm, they were dying because the music had stopped and they needed it to survive. Carrie now had to convince her friends that their stories had been true and it was up to them to save this magical place before it was too late.
The Strings of the Violin is a very exciting children’s book. It reminds me of the adventures I used to go on as a child in the Faraway Tree or on the Wishing Chair. The story moves along at a nice pace and the characters-though they appear younger than seventeen, are varied, with personalities that complement each other.
The prose is simple and the plot is uncomplicated and easy to follow. It is predictable from an adults point of view but I am sure for a child aged 8 and over this would be quite an exciting read
Copy supplied for review
August 12, 2013
A sweet and enchanting little story about best friends, growing up, and just a bit of magic. I was quickly swept away on an adventure to a magical world full of fairy tale creatures both good and bad. With an important quest to fulfill there was no time to waste! Although parts of this story might be a bit scary for little ones I think it would be a wonderful chapter book for older kids that love fantasy and magic. I enjoyed this book and I hope to see more stories because I would love to learn more details about this other world and it's inhabitants. In my opinion recommended for both kids and adults alike.
July 8, 2014
Very cute book that kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen. A little immature and the writing was missing a lot of key issues. I knew from the start what was going on but the ending just was silly. However, it did keep me interested until the end so that is very good.
September 4, 2012
Well done, but obviously a new writer. She could have made the story longer, with better details. A little too dependent on cliches, but a good effort for a new author.
April 29, 2013
A good book, although I wish some of themes of friendship and the relationship between the girls was explored more.
December 1, 2014
This was a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ First Reads Giveaway.
A pleasant young adult fantasy read with several life lessons about friendship, faith and sacrifice.
A pleasant young adult fantasy read with several life lessons about friendship, faith and sacrifice.
February 25, 2018
The plot, the folklore background, the fact magic doesn't solve every problem... I sort of wish I could be a part of the story.
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