My thanks to Booktasters for a review copy of this book. The first of a series of children’s/middle-grade fantasy books, the Guardian of Whispers by B. E. Padgett might have hints of Harry Potter but still makes for a very creative and enjoyable adventure. We are introduced to the Reed family, five children—Eugene, the twins…
Book Review: Jirvania by Jan Anderegg
My thanks to the author for a review copy of the book via Booktasters. Jirvania is the second in a fantasy children’s series the Julu series, and a story which is set around the idea of protecting stories and more importantly our imaginations, for where would the world be without them? An ordinary 11-year-old boy…
Book Review: The Grey King by Susan Cooper #TDiRS22
The fourth entry in The Dark is Rising sequence, and my final completed read of 2022, The Grey King, takes us to a completely new setting (as indicated at the end of Greenwitch)—Wales—and is rich in place, language and legend, besides Arthurian lore. From all the books in the series so far, this was the…
Book Review: Greenwitch by Susan Cooper #TDiRS22
While I’ve given up any pretence of trying to catch up with the readalong of the wonderful Dark is Rising sequence hosted by Annabel at AnnaBookBel, I am of course continuing to read the books, which I am enjoying very much. This will however, be the last of the books I will be able to…
Book Review: The Dark is Rising (1973) by Susan Cooper #TDiRS22
Second in the Dark is Rising sequence, The Dark is Rising (1973) by Susan Cooper takes us into very different territory from and introduces us to entirely different characters than the first book, and if I found the darkness and danger palpable in that one, in this book it is far more intense and disconcerting.…
Book Review: Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper #TDiRS22
As I wrote in a previous post this week as well, I seem to be running on my own schedule on book challenges and memes I’m joining in, with work commitments having set my reading plans awry. So I’m only just getting to my review of Over Sea, Under Stone (1965), the first in Susan…
Book Review: Chandrakanta: A Hindi Fantasy Classic by Devaki Nandan Khatri (translated by Rohini Chowdhury)
Today I am sharing my thoughts on the Hindi fantasy classic Chandrakanta (1888) by Devaki Nandan Khatri, which first appeared this past Friday as part of #WitchWeek2022 hosted by Chris at Calmgrove, and Lizzie at Lizzie Ross Writer, here. Below is the post as appeared on Chris' blog. * * * A beautiful princess, a…
Book Review: The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
The Poppy War is the first in a historical–fantasy trilogy, based on the second Sino-Japanese war but with a fictional setting and characters. In the kingdom of Nikara, in the southern Rooster province lives a young orphan Rin in a small village Tikany. Her parents, dead, she is being brought up by foster parents, the…
Book Review: The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim
My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for a review copy of this book. The Dragon’s Promise is the second and final part of the Six Crimson Cranes duology by Elizabeth Lim, a fantasy–adventure which takes us to many magical kingdoms in East Asia. In the first book, a loose retelling of the Wild…
Book Review: The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis #Narniathon21
Having fallen rather behind on my reading, I only got down to reading and putting down my thoughts on the final Narnia novel, The Last Battle (1956) rather late. While I had read the other six Narnia books earlier (some more than once), this was my first time reading The Last Battle and it was…
Literary Potpourri 