Fablehouse by E. L Norry

Pages: 372 

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books 

Released: 8th of June 2023 

Unlock the legends. Unleash the magic. Save your home.

Fablehouse, a mysterious mansion surrounded by ancient woodland, is Heather's new home. Roaming the countryside with some of the other mixed-race kids who are in care there, she finds a stone tower that feels strangely magical. There they meet Palamedes, the Black knight from King Arthur's court. He warns them that danger lurks in a world beneath their feet.

Heather, Pal and friends set off to rescue children who have been taken to this threatening underworld. No child will be forgotten on their watch. Heather and friends realise they have been specially chosen for this quest. They must use the talents they've been given in the battle to save Fablehouse and all the children who have found shelter there.

What I Have to Say 

Diverse characters, friendship and Arthurian legends, this book has it all. I devoured it. I loved all the children and their personalities, I loved the sense of danger there was to their adventures and I loved the way they worked together to save Fablehouse. 

The thing that touched me most was how strong the message was that even if you're different and feel like you don't fit in (as these children do because of their mixed heritage), you can still find your place in the world and make a difference. These are children who have been swept aside because it inconveniences people to acknowledge their existence and yet they still find each other and with Pal's help go after the fae that are threatening their home and the entire world.  It was beautiful. 

I don't have much more to say other than just read this book! Buy it for the child in your life! Buy it for yourself! You won't regret it. 

5 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Bloomsbury Children's Books for providing me with this copy for review. 

 

Until the Road Ends by Phil Earle

Pages: 240 

Publisher: Andersen Press 

Released: 1st of June 2023 

Until the Road Ends is the eagerly awaited new novel from the bestselling author of When the Sky The Times Children's Book of the Year, winner of a Books Are My Bag Readers Award, the British Book Award for Children’s Fiction and shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.

When Peggy saves a stray dog from near-death, a beautiful friendship begins. Peggy and Beau are the only thing that can ever come between them is war. Peggy is evacuated to the safety of the coast, but Beau is left behind in the city, where he becomes the most extraordinary and unlikely of war heroes.

Night after night, as bombs rain down and communities are destroyed, Beau searches the streets, saving countless families. But then disaster strikes, changing Peggy’s life forever. With her parents killed, both she and Beau are left alone, hundreds of miles apart. But Beau has a plan to reunite them at long last . . .

TW: Grief, Parent Death, Animal Death, Animal Euthanasia, mentions of animal neglect and abuse 

What I Have to Say 

This book was so sad, but it had an incredibly heartwarming story at it's heart. As a Homeward Bound loving kid, this definitely hit the spot. Though the start of the war is a bit tough as there is mentions of people taking their healthy pets to be put down and there are mention of abuse in both the dog and the cat's pasts, the  overall message is one of love between humans and animals. 

At the start it was a bit slow, but once it warmed up, it was a really entertaining read. My only hesitation about it was how eager to be a soldier the pigeon was. It came off a bit pro-war and wasn't really argued against until nearer the end. It made me a bit uncomfortable. 

The emotion was done well in this book. I loved the little historical touches like the cinema owner who took in pets abandoned by the war. 

If you're buying this for a kid you know, be cautious that they won't be sensitive to the animal abuse and death, but otherwise I would very much recommend it. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Anderson Press for providing me with this copy for review. 

Like a Curse by Elle McNicholl

Pages: 320 

Publisher: Knights Of 

Released: 2nd of February 2023 

Stuck in Loch Ness while Edinburgh falls under the control of a terrifyingly powerful Siren, Ramya Knox is frustrated. She's supposed to be learning magic from her Aunt Opal, but that isn't going as smoothly as she'd hoped. As she pushes to rescue her Hidden Folk friends in the city, long-buried secrets come to light and legends come to life.

Ramya knows she's different; she knows she's a witch. But now she must learn the true meaning of her powers... before all she loves is lost

What I Have to Say 

I loved everything about this book, except for the ending. It was everything I've come to expect from Elle McNicholl. Brave, bold neurodiverse characters, interesting and unexpected plots and for this series all sorts of exciting mythical creatures!! But the ending just let it down completely. I understand why it ended this way from the perspective of things that Ramya needed to learn. But I just don't think it's the right ending for a book of this genre. 

I was so excited to be near Lock Ness! Lock Ness means one thing. The Lock Ness monster. And if you're reading a book about hidden creatures and it's set near Lock Ness then obviously it has to be the Lock Ness Monster, even if all the characters say it doesn't exist. I won't say much about what kind of creature it is, but I will see that I was very happy. 

As always, I loved Elle McNicoll's characters and how neurodiverse they were. I am very happy to see myself represented in these books for my autism and dyspraxia. It means so much to me to see these things. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Knights Of as well as Ed Pr for providing me with this copy for review. 

The Nowhere Thief

Pages: 256 

Publisher: Nosy Crow 

Released: 2nd of March 2023 

A mind-bending multiverse adventure about theft, family, and finding your home.

Twelve-year-old Elsbeth has an extraordinary power: she can travel to parallel worlds and bring objects back with her. But as freak weather events become more frequent and a strange boy, Idris, starts to turn up everywhere she travels, she has to ask herself: does her gift come with a price?

What I Have to Say 

I really enjoyed this book, but it was a little disappointing. I wanted more time to explore the worlds that Elsbeth and Idris were going to but most of them they spent barely any time in. Even the main worlds they were in, Elsbeth's and Idris's own two worlds, were only sketchily made. 

I was really sucked into the story though. I felt the characters were really sympathetic and I loved the description of the little cat like animals that existed in Idris' world. 

The ending was another disappointment though. I felt that it all wrapped up a little too conveniently and without that much impact of the kids. Everything just fell into place and was fixed. 

I would like to see more in this universe though as the concept and the characters were really intriguing. 

3.5 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Nosy Crow for providing me with this copy for review.