Hardcover, 263 pages
Published August 4th 2010
by Deseret Book Company
ISBN 160641657X
4.5 stars
Synopsis from Goodreads…”Busted. Football star Kaleo Steele is caught under the high school bleachers with the wrong group of friends. Even worse, he’s caught by his seminary teacher, Brother Mortensen. If Kaleo gets turned in, he’ll be in jeopardy of missing the regional championship game. It doesn’t help that Kaleo has been cutting seminary class. But what’s the point? Mumbo jumbo stories about angels and gold plates and Joseph Smith? Brother Mortensen decides Kaleo is ready for an extraordinary “field trip” – one that could alter the course of his life and his heart.
Reluctantly, Kaleo meets with Ladan – a mysterious old blind man – and unknowingly begins a quest through time, landing in Palmyra, New York, in the fall of 1827. Soon, Kaleo and a nineteenth-century girl named Jennie are caught up in a battle between treasure seekers – led by Alistair Blackburn, a necromancer hired to steal the gold plates – and the young Joseph Smith, who has sworn to keep them safe.
In his quest to find a key that will send him back to his own time, Kaleo will have to decide for himself what to believe and who to trust. Before it’s too late.”
Every once in a while a book takes me completely by surprise and I close the pages with a smile on my face. The Fourth Nephite Series is one I now have my eye on, awaiting book two. Here are a few of the many reasons I loved the first book, The Fourth Nephite:
1) The cover. The top half of the front page is gold metallic paper with rusty holes, resembling golden plates. The rest of the cover illustration fits the plot within perfectly.
2) The author. I have met Jeffrey and his wife and two book signings and decided it was time to read his books. They are wonderful people who sit together at their booths and engage fans.
3) The scenes are places I’m familiar with. It’s fun to hear of tunnels beneath Salt Lake City and travel back in time to the thick woods of Palmyra where we visited as a youth and an adult.
4) The message is positive and interesting for both teenagers and adults. Common questions and doubts about the early history of the Mormon church are answered through Kaleo’s adventures. He learns that knowledge and faith must work together as a key.
5) The author’s notes were my favorite part of The Fourth Nephite. I love that Jeff uses real historical facts and names in his scenes. I wish he would have written more. When Joseph Smith speaks his own story to Kaleo, end notes or footnotes would be a useful reference for teens or others not familiar with his quoted words.
6) The writing mixes fantasy with reality in a tasteful way. I am one who usually runs far far away from series like this. But I was drawn in to Jeffrey’s writing, his characters and the quest of Kaleo. I will be reading the entire series and one day when my children are a little older we’ll read it together.
7) The journalistic pages written by Kaleo at the beginning of each chapter bring us back to the present thoughts of an every day average teenager and show the changes in his personality as he learns the truth for himself. 
Well done Jeffrey Savage! I enjoyed his writing so much I picked up the first book in another one of Jeff’s other series called “Far World.” Learn more about it here and The Fourth Nephite Series here.
To enter to win your own copy of Far World: Water Keep another title by J. Scott Savage, simply comment below. Giveaway Ends December 10, 2010.
sablelexi
I’m going to have to read this book, I’ve got the first Far World book in my tbr pile.
jlynettes @ hotmail . com
Vivien
This book looks great!
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
throuthehaze
This sounds great!
throuthehaze at gmail dot com
ako4eggs
That book sound really cool! Thanks
ako4eggs at comcast dot net
Twilighter
This book sounds great. Enter me please
meganmcdade2008@yahoo.co.uk
Dovile
Looks interesting, please enter me too.
spamscape [at] gmail [dot] com
lulilut
I love the cover with the water flowing. Please enter me.
Thank you
d.septer at insightbb.com
Misty (Mistys Book Mess)
I love reading books the whole family can enjoy. Mum read the entire Harry Potter series to my sister and I despite the fact that by the time the last book came out I was in uni.
Thanks looks like a great read, thanks for the heads up:)
Betsabè
thanks for this chance
ale84.vercelli at hotmail dot it
Ashlie Swainston
I absolutely have to read this now. The historical fantasy is a catch for me too, especially when it’s got to do with churhc history. This sounds like a super fun read. Did you get it from Deseret?
Thanks,
Ashlie@BookishNovelties
xlacrimax
This book would be an absolutely new experience for me as I am usually avoiding genres like this.
xlacrimax at gmail dot com
Brooke
This sound interesting! Thanks so much for the giveaway!
texas_gal45(at)hotmail(dot)com
Mandi
Please enter me!
horselovercutie@yahoo.com
Aik
I’d love to win!
aikychien at yahoo dot com
✿StrawberryMilk✿
please enter me!!
greetings from Italy
strawberrymilk12 at gmail dot com
va
excellent giveaway , this book sounds interesting .
tumblemumbo at gmail dot com
thanks
yokeMun
enter me please
teddymun@gmail.com
thanks!
Ashley (Ashley's Bookshelf)
Enter me please!
ashleysbookshelf at gmail dot com
Cathie
I’d like to give this author a try.
lovemybabysquid@yahoo.com
linaramz
This sounds really good. I totally want to read it! Thanks for the giveaway!
linaramz at yahoo dot com
PringlesPalo
wow that’s a great book! 🙂 pls have me entered on this giveaway 🙂 thank you.
pringlespalo(at)gmail(dot)com
Ginny
This is the kind of book I like, thanks for the review & chance to win!
Aleetha
Nice review.
seems it’s another interesting fantasy book
Thanks for giveaway
aleetha.ally at gmail dot com
book review help
well your Po$t is good and i really like it :). . .awesome WORK . . .KEEP SHARING. .;)
book review help