K. T. Dady

Synopsis: 5 children visit their grandmother and are sucked into a fantastical world and sent on a quest. Please note I was sent a copy of this book by the author however the review is my honest opinion.

Rating:
3/5

The five children, Meredith, Wesley, David, Devina, and Max were all very distinct characters within this book. Max particularly really shone. He is a know it all Hermione type of character. Max was my favorite of all the children characters in this book.

Much of the dialogue was witty and funny though there were a few characters who had repetitive sayings that sometimes got on my nerves or odd manners of speaking.

This book gave me Narnia vibes through and through but was written stylistically with fuller writing than Narnia and without the religious undertones. The world the children ended up in was full of fun characters and well fleshed out. There are leprechauns, fairies, and wizard rats. All very fun and fantastical.

This book is told in omniscient POV which is my least favorite style. I really prefer to closely follow one character at a time. I realize that many classic middle grade books are told this way including Narnia. I respect the style but it is harder for me to get immersed in a book told this was. The narration was done well with a distinct omniscient voice but if omniscient POV isn't for you then this book may be a struggle.

Plot wise, this is very much a questing adventure story which is not necessarily my thing. I found myself occasionally bored and distracted. I wasn't invested in the stakes, though they were high. I had trouble caring. If "we are going on an adventure and seeing cool things along the way" isn't for you, then it is likely this book isn't going to be a great fit. On the other hand, if you love adventure stories in a fantasy world you will probably really enjoy this book.

This is the first book in a series however the adventure quest felt fully tied up so I am curious what the next book will involve. If it will be in the same world or a different one. The only thing we are given at the end of this book is that book 2 involves pirates. There were a few character things that were hinted at but not explored such as the children being "special" which, I assume, we will learn more about in future books as it wasn't fully explored here.… (meer)