Archibald and his family (mom, dad, and sister Hailee) move into a big, spooky mansion just before Christmas that they inherited from Archibald's grandmother. Archibald is searching the house one day, looking for his Christmas gifts (which, of course, his mother forbade him to do), when he came across an old globe. It wasn't an ordinary globe, though, as there were countries on there that Archibald didn't recognize. It does have a keyhole, so Archibald goes on a search for the key, which he eventually finds. To his surprise, the globe starts spinning and emits a bright light, and sucks Archibald and his surrounding furniture into another world. Archibald has to learn the ways of this new world, and he has to search for a way home. Meanwhile, in present day England, Hailee is also working on finding a way to bring Archibald home.

I really enjoyed this story, as did my 15 year old son when he listened to it. I think the narrator did a good job with the pacing and the dialogue, which makes all the difference when listening to an audiobook. The characters were well defined and explained, and I liked the changes I saw in both Archibald and Hailee as the story progressed.

The pacing of the story itself was also done well, and the world building was extensive. Something else I appreciated was that the author didn't talk down to the reader like in some MG books I've read. That makes it much easier to enjoy.

All in all, I give this book 5/5 stars.
I received a copy of this audiobook free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )

Archibald and his family (mom, dad, and sister Hailee) move into a big, spooky mansion just before Christmas that they inherited from Archibald's grandmother. Archibald is searching the house one day, looking for his Christmas gifts (which, of course, his mother forbade him to do), when he came across an old globe. It wasn't an ordinary globe, though, as there were countries on there that Archibald didn't recognize. It does have a keyhole, so Archibald goes on a search for the key, which he eventually finds. To his surprise, the globe starts spinning and emits a bright light, and sucks Archibald and his surrounding furniture into another world. Archibald has to learn the ways of this new world, and he has to search for a way home. Meanwhile, in present day England, Hailee is also working on finding a way to bring Archibald home.

I really enjoyed this story, as did my 15 year old son when he listened to it. I think the narrator did a good job with the pacing and the dialogue, which makes all the difference when listening to an audiobook. The characters were well defined and explained, and I liked the changes I saw in both Archibald and Hailee as the story progressed.

The pacing of the story itself was also done well, and the world building was extensive. Something else I appreciated was that the author didn't talk down to the reader like in some MG books I've read. That makes it much easier to enjoy.

All in all, I give this book 5/5 stars.
I received a copy of this audiobook free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )

The family of 11-year-old Archibald and 14-year-old Hailee Finch inherit their grandmother's creepy old mansion including an ancient manservant. Archibald spends his days exploring and finds an old globe hidden in the library covered with pictures of strange monsters and countries he doesn't recognize. At first, it doesn't seem to do much but, when he touches a certain area, it glows. When he discovers a key that seems to activate it, he is sucked into the globe along with everything around him. leaving behind a shocked Hailee who witnessed his disappearance. Now, Archibald finds himself in a strange world full of monsters called marodors and a gang of girls who hunt them.

While Archibald is learning to survive in this new world, Hailee is trying to find a way to bring him back. Unfortunately, there are others searching for the globe and soon, she is having to run to protect her family with Oliver, a young antiques dealer, her only ally.

Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches is the first in a middle grade series by Michel Guyon. The narrative is split between Archibald's tale in this new world and Hailee's as she rushes to solve the mystery of the globe and save her brother. This is an entertaining book with plenty of interesting characters, magic, and adventure to keep a child's attention throughout. But I think my favourite part of the book was the beautiful black and white illustrations by Zina Kostich that helped introduce each chapter. I may be way outside the intended age but I quite enjoyed this book so a great tale for the young and young at heart. One thing though - this does end on quite the cliffhanger.

Thanks to Edelweiss and Andrew McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review ( )