Weekender Books - June 2019

Weekender Books - June 2019

Weekender Books - Fantasy YA

Carl Heinzelmann, kobold (Artist: Freddy Iryss 2019)

It's been a while since I've posted my five-cents-worth on books I read. This is not because I haven't read anything, or the books that I did read aren't worth writing about. Quite the opposite, but sometimes life and other writing deadlines get in the way, as was the case in May and June. Overall, I can say though,  I've made significant headway working through my tsundoku  and my pile of brand new books that I bought recently (which I hope don't end up in my tsundoku pile!). The reason why I haven't posted much is, I have written a lot of short stories and poems, some of which have now been published, more details here.

Most of the books I read lately are Junior fiction and YA and have maps, dragons and other mythical and not so mythical creatures roaming their magical worlds. I also read a heap of other books but today I want to feature books about adventures in fantastical worlds!

I admit, I'm not impartial at the moment when it comes to fantasy fiction: my current WIP, The Helpers (working title only) is my first novel-length fantasy story, with MC kobold Carl Heinzelmann and his friends (drawing is of a young Carl Heinzelmann. I hope I can manage to draw him as the fourteen year old MC of my story).

So, let's begin!

Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend

The Mapmaker Chronicles by A.L.Tait

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke

Wundersmith - The Calling of Morrigan Crow 

by Jessica Townsend (Lothian Children's Books)

I read Nevermoor when it first came out in pretty much one sitting. It was a new world I was drawn into, with an unusual heroine and her friends leading the way. Wundersmith is the sequel, which took me much longer to read. Morrigan Crow finds herself facing a threat to her new life which she'd come to cherish. This time, the threat comes from within herself and others. Entangled in good versus evil magical forces, Morrigan needs to prove that she belongs in the elite Wondrous Society, against all odds and the workings of an unexpected enemy.

This book is about Morrigan defending her place in her new home and family, which includes a mostly absent guardian and father figure, Jupiter North, and Fenestra, a 'magnificat'. I really enjoy the way each character's name has a double meaning: Jupiter North may not be god-like but he is pretty much one of the most important people at Nevermoor when it comes to its safety. Fenestra means window in Latin and she's the housekeeper who seems to know it all. The book is also about team building and team play and the cost that come with it.

Wundersmith is a logical sequel to the brilliant Nevermoor, and will have most fans sitting on the edge of their beds at night.

For everyone who invested in Morrigan in the first book and who wants to see the her succeed as a scholar of the Wondrous Society and as a trusted friend.

😼😼🙀🙀👀

Recommendation: The fast paced, action driven plot set in a unique world will keep the reader entertained to the last page. For readers 9+

The Mapmaker Chronicles - Race to the End of the World

by A.L. Tait (Lothian Children's Books)

Farmboy Quinn is chosen for the King's training school of mapmakers and ends up on board a ship, racing to the edge  to create a map of the world for which the King has promised a handsome prize.

I first heard about this fun, action-packed sea adventure series when the author, A.L. Tait, read at the Sydney Writers' Festival - Live and Local at the Wollongong town hall a few years back, hosted by the South Coast Writers Centre and Merrigong Theatre. 

Even before the readings began, I immediately was drawn to the fabulous covers when I saw the books at the book stall. Yes, books, because Race to the end of the World is the first in a series of four. I'm a bit of a sucker when it comes to book covers and have purchased many books based on that alone (unfortunately!). While some of those have turned out to be duds, the book behind this cover delivers on the swashbuckling, seafaring adventures it promises! There aren't enough seafaring, monster-filled mystery adventure books out there at the moment and the Mapmaker Chronicles series caters for those who love stories with pirates, sea and other monsters shaking the world of the likes of young adventurer, Quinn. 

This is a great sea adventure, full of action set in a time long gone, with characters that resonate in readers of today.

💀🐋🌊🌎🔱📜

Recommendation: Readers who look for adventure stories that are set in times long gone by but not forgotten, full of twists and turns and mystery, will love to follow Quinn in his quest to map the world. For Readers 9+

Dragon Rider

by Cornelia Funke (Chicken House 2017, orig. Drachenreiter, Dressler Verlag 2000)

As humans encroach on their hideout, the dragons only hope is to find a mythical place their forefathers once called home. Dragon Firedrake and brownie Sorrel set out to find the dragon sanctuary with the help of a boy, called Ben. 

This book reminded me a bit of the books I read when I was a kid, like The Never Ending Story, by Michael Ende and The Wonderful Adventures of Niels Holgersson, by Selma  Lagerlöf. The adventure filled travels of a dragon a brownie and a boy is written in classic fairy tales style and introduces mythological creatures and places as they appear along the way. 

While it may conjure nostalgic feelings for the adult reader, it is a safe story for children 7+ who don't like the violence that often have a place in contemporary children's fantasy fiction. Oh, and the book has a map of the trio, crossing three continents!

🐉🐲🧚🧝🌄🌖

Recommendation:  This is a great epic adventure story for younger readers 6+