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The Wind Child #1
Dijete vjetra
Mara, unuka boga zimskih vjetrova, kreće sa svojim najboljim prijateljem Tornivom, dječakom-medvjedom, na epsko putovanje kojim prkosi bogovima želeći svog ljubljenog oca vratiti iz mrtvih.
Cjenkat će se s čuvarima šume, oslobađati božice od vradžbina, ploviti olujnim morima u brodu od zlata i umaknuti loncu podle Babe Latingorke.
Ali neustrašivi dvojac ni ne sluti kakve je mračne sile uzburkao, jer svijet je pun tame i morat će biti domišljati ako misle preživjeti...
"Gabriela Houston svoju je fascinaciju slavenskom mitologijom, čarobnim i čudesnim bićima, pretočila u uzbudljiv roman prožet dječjom znatiželjom i smionošću u otkrivanju novih i nepoznatih svjetova." Library Journal
"Uvjerljivo pripovijedanje, zapanjujuće živopisan krajolik i duboke emocije." Jake Hope
Cjenkat će se s čuvarima šume, oslobađati božice od vradžbina, ploviti olujnim morima u brodu od zlata i umaknuti loncu podle Babe Latingorke.
Ali neustrašivi dvojac ni ne sluti kakve je mračne sile uzburkao, jer svijet je pun tame i morat će biti domišljati ako misle preživjeti...
"Gabriela Houston svoju je fascinaciju slavenskom mitologijom, čarobnim i čudesnim bićima, pretočila u uzbudljiv roman prožet dječjom znatiželjom i smionošću u otkrivanju novih i nepoznatih svjetova." Library Journal
"Uvjerljivo pripovijedanje, zapanjujuće živopisan krajolik i duboke emocije." Jake Hope
268 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2023
3 people are currently reading
419 people want to read
About the author
Gabriela Houston
9 books54 followersGabriela was born and raised in Poland, brought up on a diet of mythologies and fairy tales. She spent her summers exploring the woods, foraging and animal tracking with her family. At 19, Gabriela moved to London to study English Literature and obtained a Masters degree in literatures of modernity. She has worked for as an assistant editor and as a freelance writer.
She is the author of Slavic -folklore-inspired novels for adults and children. She lives in London with her husband, children and two cats.
Sign up to her newsletter to get news, writing tips , book recommendations and more!
She is the author of Slavic -folklore-inspired novels for adults and children. She lives in London with her husband, children and two cats.
Sign up to her newsletter to get news, writing tips , book recommendations and more!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 6, 2021
Loved it! Bear and the Nightingale vibes.
July 22, 2024
" 'There once was a girl and the girl was me.' Mara sat down among her mother’s fine pillows and said the familiar words, as she had done for the last three of her eleven years. They were from a story her father told her long ago, a fairytale she no longer remembered. But the words remained."
Thus begins this wonderful Slavic fantasy tale about Mara, a child of a human and a goddess, the grandchild of Slavic god Stribog, god of winter winds and music. She has no magical powers, but she makes up for it with extraordinary wit and resourcefulness. After her human father becomes ill, her parents leave Stribog's palace and come back to the human world and meet his family for the first time. And this is just the beginning of her adventures.
Guided by the strength of love for her father, Mara goes on an impossible quest to return him back from his journey to the land of the dead and she has only 40 days to do so. Her newfound friend Torniv accompanies her and their friendship is one of the sweetest ones I've read about for some time. They must travel to impossible places and overcome so many challenges, and in the meantime gain some unexpected alliances.
There are difficult topics of losing a parent and not fitting in, being afraid and not giving up regardless, as well as themes of friendship, sincerity and family.
And there is plethora of Slavic mythical creatures, all of them serving the story (and not merely showing up).
The way Mara interacts with them is so interesting, because, yes, these are mythical creatures and deities, but also, they are her family and communication with all those weird uncles and aunts is no different from complicated human family relations.
Mara is such a stubborn and delightful character, but she isn't perfect, which makes her so relatable.
This is one of the best Slavic myth fantasies I've read (stands in equal rank with Sophie Anderson's books) and I can't wait to read the sequel.
A great cozy and smart fantasy read for these times.
Thus begins this wonderful Slavic fantasy tale about Mara, a child of a human and a goddess, the grandchild of Slavic god Stribog, god of winter winds and music. She has no magical powers, but she makes up for it with extraordinary wit and resourcefulness. After her human father becomes ill, her parents leave Stribog's palace and come back to the human world and meet his family for the first time. And this is just the beginning of her adventures.
Guided by the strength of love for her father, Mara goes on an impossible quest to return him back from his journey to the land of the dead and she has only 40 days to do so. Her newfound friend Torniv accompanies her and their friendship is one of the sweetest ones I've read about for some time. They must travel to impossible places and overcome so many challenges, and in the meantime gain some unexpected alliances.
There are difficult topics of losing a parent and not fitting in, being afraid and not giving up regardless, as well as themes of friendship, sincerity and family.
And there is plethora of Slavic mythical creatures, all of them serving the story (and not merely showing up).
The way Mara interacts with them is so interesting, because, yes, these are mythical creatures and deities, but also, they are her family and communication with all those weird uncles and aunts is no different from complicated human family relations.
Mara is such a stubborn and delightful character, but she isn't perfect, which makes her so relatable.
This is one of the best Slavic myth fantasies I've read (stands in equal rank with Sophie Anderson's books) and I can't wait to read the sequel.
A great cozy and smart fantasy read for these times.
October 20, 2024
This was sent to me by Netgalley in return for an honest review.
This is a book full of Slavic gods and monsters and a really enjoyable read - perfect for Middle Grade.
At its heart there is a story of the value of friendship and the sacrifices we make for those we love.
Mara is the grand-daughter of Striborg, the god of the Winter Wind. Her mother is Striborg's daughter but her father is human and Mara has inherited his qualities rather than her mother's. She possesses no magic. At the start of the story they return to her father's home as he is dying.
When her father dies, Mara has 40 days to get her father back as it takes that length of time for the dead to reach Navia where the soul will divide and enter the heart of a new-born. What I particularly loved was that at the beginning of each chapter we are told what the soul is feeling on its 40 day journey to Navia.
It is unheard of for a soul to be taken back from Navia and it is something that no human would ever be able to achieve but Mara puts her faith into the fact that she must have some of Stribog's blood somewhere, that she is not entirely human. On her journey she is joined by Torniv, a boy who feels an outsider. Together they battle against gods and monsters.
This is a story of love, endurance, adventure. A perfect read.
This is a book full of Slavic gods and monsters and a really enjoyable read - perfect for Middle Grade.
At its heart there is a story of the value of friendship and the sacrifices we make for those we love.
Mara is the grand-daughter of Striborg, the god of the Winter Wind. Her mother is Striborg's daughter but her father is human and Mara has inherited his qualities rather than her mother's. She possesses no magic. At the start of the story they return to her father's home as he is dying.
When her father dies, Mara has 40 days to get her father back as it takes that length of time for the dead to reach Navia where the soul will divide and enter the heart of a new-born. What I particularly loved was that at the beginning of each chapter we are told what the soul is feeling on its 40 day journey to Navia.
It is unheard of for a soul to be taken back from Navia and it is something that no human would ever be able to achieve but Mara puts her faith into the fact that she must have some of Stribog's blood somewhere, that she is not entirely human. On her journey she is joined by Torniv, a boy who feels an outsider. Together they battle against gods and monsters.
This is a story of love, endurance, adventure. A perfect read.
January 9, 2022
I received an eARC from the publishers through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.
THE WIND CHILD is a short, bittersweet little book full of Slavic/pre-Christian Polish mythology. There's a cast of gods and nature spirits who twine through these pages, and a trickster heroine who's going to get her father back no matter what.
And yes, bittersweet is a very deliberate choice. It's also a book about grief and trying to solve the issue of loss/not letting go. I wasn't sure where the ending would go (would she achieve her goal of getting her father back? Would she not?) but I loved the way it ended. It felt so much more meaningful with that bittersweetness, and the choice presented to Mara that drove home the cost behind her desire.
I loved exploring a mythology I wasn't familiar with, all these new characters to meet, who had their own caprices and blind spots. It was learning and meeting new faces every time, unlike more commonly published mythology (Greek, Roman) where you know the basic facets of the gods already. This leant for more surprise and wonder. Fiction should make you want to know more, in my opinion - be it about the characters or the stories behind the book. And this did.
The title page of the eARC seems to imply there should be illustrations ("Illustrated by Alexis Snell" under the title.) However, there are no illustrations in the file - though, frankly, 99% of the time that images are included in an eARC, everything goes horribly wrong, so it was nice to have a readable document! Given Alexis Snell was involved in the gorgeous cover, if her illustrations are also inside, then it will doubtless be beautiful.
The ending feels like it's setting up a possibility of a sequel. The original deal announcement for this book (as far as I can tell) was only for one book, so hopefully it sells well enough to garner a sequel.
THE WIND CHILD is a short, bittersweet little book full of Slavic/pre-Christian Polish mythology. There's a cast of gods and nature spirits who twine through these pages, and a trickster heroine who's going to get her father back no matter what.
And yes, bittersweet is a very deliberate choice. It's also a book about grief and trying to solve the issue of loss/not letting go. I wasn't sure where the ending would go (would she achieve her goal of getting her father back? Would she not?) but I loved the way it ended. It felt so much more meaningful with that bittersweetness, and the choice presented to Mara that drove home the cost behind her desire.
I loved exploring a mythology I wasn't familiar with, all these new characters to meet, who had their own caprices and blind spots. It was learning and meeting new faces every time, unlike more commonly published mythology (Greek, Roman) where you know the basic facets of the gods already. This leant for more surprise and wonder. Fiction should make you want to know more, in my opinion - be it about the characters or the stories behind the book. And this did.
The title page of the eARC seems to imply there should be illustrations ("Illustrated by Alexis Snell" under the title.) However, there are no illustrations in the file - though, frankly, 99% of the time that images are included in an eARC, everything goes horribly wrong, so it was nice to have a readable document! Given Alexis Snell was involved in the gorgeous cover, if her illustrations are also inside, then it will doubtless be beautiful.
The ending feels like it's setting up a possibility of a sequel. The original deal announcement for this book (as far as I can tell) was only for one book, so hopefully it sells well enough to garner a sequel.
May 11, 2023
"Bijaše jednom jedna djevojčica, a ta djevojčica bijah ja."
"Ali ja nisam sasvim čovjek... Mara pomisli za sebe, a jedan dio nje, onaj satkan od leda i vjetra, poraduje se."
"Nav je dom rastanaka.
Sa snovima.
Sa srcima.
S imenima."
🍃
🍃
🍃
Kada vidite Maru, vidjeti ćete običnu djevojčicu smeđe kose, tamnog tena i zamišljenog pogleda. Ali ona nije sasvim obična djevojčica, ona je dijete vjetra - otac joj je ljudsko biće Yaris, a majka strašno predivna božica čarobne srebrene kose Zevena je kći boga vjetra Striboga.
Mara nije bila te sreće (ili prokletstva) da naslijedi čarobne gene svoje vjetrovite obitelji, no rasla je u dvorcu svoga djeda okupana ljubavlju svoga oca - jer vjetrovi ipak nemaju toplu dušu i nikad se nije znala s njima povezati kao sa svojim ocem.
No sva ta toplina nestaje kad joj otac umire od misteriozne bolesti, te skupa sa novim prijateljom Tornivom polazi u potragu za očevom dušom...
U ovom epskom putovanju susrećemo mnoge mitološke likove gdje joj jedni pomažu, a drugi je pokušavaju prevariti ili ubiti.
Jako divna priča koja pruža upoznavanje iz prve ruke sa natprirodnim silama iz slavenske mitologije,ali isto i pomaže sa upoznavanjem raznih faza žalovanja gubitka drage osobe. Stil pisanja je zavodljiv i pitak, a podsjeća me na Zimsku noć Katherine Arden. Jedva čekam drugi dio (na GR stoji da je duologija za sada).
🍃
"Ali ja nisam sasvim čovjek... Mara pomisli za sebe, a jedan dio nje, onaj satkan od leda i vjetra, poraduje se."
"Nav je dom rastanaka.
Sa snovima.
Sa srcima.
S imenima."
🍃
🍃
🍃
Kada vidite Maru, vidjeti ćete običnu djevojčicu smeđe kose, tamnog tena i zamišljenog pogleda. Ali ona nije sasvim obična djevojčica, ona je dijete vjetra - otac joj je ljudsko biće Yaris, a majka strašno predivna božica čarobne srebrene kose Zevena je kći boga vjetra Striboga.
Mara nije bila te sreće (ili prokletstva) da naslijedi čarobne gene svoje vjetrovite obitelji, no rasla je u dvorcu svoga djeda okupana ljubavlju svoga oca - jer vjetrovi ipak nemaju toplu dušu i nikad se nije znala s njima povezati kao sa svojim ocem.
No sva ta toplina nestaje kad joj otac umire od misteriozne bolesti, te skupa sa novim prijateljom Tornivom polazi u potragu za očevom dušom...
U ovom epskom putovanju susrećemo mnoge mitološke likove gdje joj jedni pomažu, a drugi je pokušavaju prevariti ili ubiti.
Jako divna priča koja pruža upoznavanje iz prve ruke sa natprirodnim silama iz slavenske mitologije,ali isto i pomaže sa upoznavanjem raznih faza žalovanja gubitka drage osobe. Stil pisanja je zavodljiv i pitak, a podsjeća me na Zimsku noć Katherine Arden. Jedva čekam drugi dio (na GR stoji da je duologija za sada).
🍃
August 4, 2022
Gabriela Houston knocked my socks off with The Second Bell for adults, exploring parenthood. Here, she makes us empathise with displaced and yearning child Mara, whose love for her parents brings its own problems. But Mara is determined to find solutions, even if that means a seemingly impossible quest.
Houston’s prose is gorgeous. It’s ambitious and heightened but surprisingly easy to read aloud (to my 10yo son, who was gripped throughout), apart from a few unfamiliar names.
I was worried the themes might hit too close to home since my partner has a brain tumour and Mara’s father is dying but perhaps the fantastic nature of Mara’s world took him far enough away from his own concerns to help him deal with the story and his own fears on a subconscious level.
The Wind Child gets a massive thumbs up from both me and my son and I would love to revisit those characters in another book.
Houston’s prose is gorgeous. It’s ambitious and heightened but surprisingly easy to read aloud (to my 10yo son, who was gripped throughout), apart from a few unfamiliar names.
I was worried the themes might hit too close to home since my partner has a brain tumour and Mara’s father is dying but perhaps the fantastic nature of Mara’s world took him far enough away from his own concerns to help him deal with the story and his own fears on a subconscious level.
The Wind Child gets a massive thumbs up from both me and my son and I would love to revisit those characters in another book.
April 12, 2022
This book absolutely blew me away! Based on Eastern European mythology, The Wind Child follows Mara - the daughter of a human and a goddess (daughter of the wind god Stribog) as she is faced with her father becoming fatally ill, and how she copes with that - a very human story intertwined with mythological beings who guide (and potentially misguide) Mara.
From the very first chapter, I was hooked! I think that this is a great book for children and adults, at it's heart it is a children's book, but simultaneously it doesn't mince words and felt very suitable for an older audience as I read it. I would absolutely recommend The Wind Child, and would be thrilled if Houston decided to expand the world with a sequel or companion novel following Mara and Torniv's future adventures.
From the very first chapter, I was hooked! I think that this is a great book for children and adults, at it's heart it is a children's book, but simultaneously it doesn't mince words and felt very suitable for an older audience as I read it. I would absolutely recommend The Wind Child, and would be thrilled if Houston decided to expand the world with a sequel or companion novel following Mara and Torniv's future adventures.
February 24, 2022
The Wind Child is a fantastic book full of Slavic gods, goddesses and monsters. The book covers relationships with family members, friendships being developed, and also grief.
We join Mara who is part human, but also is the granddaughter of the God of Winter Winds. She goes on a quest with her friend Torniv to bring her father back from the dead. In this quest she comes up against gods and goddesses, and some challenges along the way.
An absolutely beautifully written book. I loved the mythology in the book, really liked the characters. Would highly recommend - and hope there's a sequel coming!
We join Mara who is part human, but also is the granddaughter of the God of Winter Winds. She goes on a quest with her friend Torniv to bring her father back from the dead. In this quest she comes up against gods and goddesses, and some challenges along the way.
An absolutely beautifully written book. I loved the mythology in the book, really liked the characters. Would highly recommend - and hope there's a sequel coming!
August 1, 2023
I enjoyed the folklore of this book and the exploration of human/ god relationships. The challenge and development of characters was great. This will be a book I recommend and look forward to the sequel.
October 15, 2023
Magična priča, divna i razigrana pustolovina…
(no nekako za djecu, jer je tema smrti prožeta kroz čitav roman i to jako…)
(no nekako za djecu, jer je tema smrti prožeta kroz čitav roman i to jako…)
September 9, 2024
Lovely world-building!
March 5, 2022
Twelve-year-old Mara comes from the god of the wind on her mother's side, but her magical lineage can't save her ailing father from passing away after she returns with him and her mother to the village where he grew up. While his health declines, Mara gets to know her human family and other children in the village, making friends with the loyal Torniv. Once her father dies, Mara vows to bring him back by rescuing him from Navia, the land of the dead. Torniv joins her on a journey filled with magic, deception, gods, mythological creatures, lots of danger, and hard truths she would rather not face.
The Wind Child brought me back to many of the things I loved in different fairy tales and fables I read growing up. I loved the whimsy and danger involved in the quest, getting to know fickle gods and creatures from Slavic mythology, and watching Mara overcome each challenge, oftentimes more by being clever than through any magical means. I enjoyed her friendship with Torniv and the way the two of them faced each challenge and strain on their friendship without giving up on each other.
The world of the story is richly populated with human and magical characters who have distinct personalities that were all fun to get to know. I loved the variety of settings and challenges Mara and Torniv faced, including the ultimate decision she makes at the end, which sets us up for another Mara and Torniv adventure. I'd definitely read more!
The Wind Child brought me back to many of the things I loved in different fairy tales and fables I read growing up. I loved the whimsy and danger involved in the quest, getting to know fickle gods and creatures from Slavic mythology, and watching Mara overcome each challenge, oftentimes more by being clever than through any magical means. I enjoyed her friendship with Torniv and the way the two of them faced each challenge and strain on their friendship without giving up on each other.
The world of the story is richly populated with human and magical characters who have distinct personalities that were all fun to get to know. I loved the variety of settings and challenges Mara and Torniv faced, including the ultimate decision she makes at the end, which sets us up for another Mara and Torniv adventure. I'd definitely read more!
March 3, 2022
I received an e-arc of this title courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
While this book did take me quite a while to fully become invested in, I did end up really enjoying the different mythical creatures from Russian folklore.
However, from my own experience working in children's bookselling I think this book would be more suited to an older audience than middle grade.
Subject matter can be quite dark but also the writing style didn't really suit the 8-12 years range in my opinion.
It reminded me a lot of The Bear in the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.
Even though the protagonist in that series is a child for a portion of the books it's still written for an adult audience.
It did have some important themes such as friendship and family, especially dealing with the unfairness of grief for a child at the death of a family member. But part of me still feels like this story would suit a more mature middle grade -teenage audience.
3.5/5
While this book did take me quite a while to fully become invested in, I did end up really enjoying the different mythical creatures from Russian folklore.
However, from my own experience working in children's bookselling I think this book would be more suited to an older audience than middle grade.
Subject matter can be quite dark but also the writing style didn't really suit the 8-12 years range in my opinion.
It reminded me a lot of The Bear in the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.
Even though the protagonist in that series is a child for a portion of the books it's still written for an adult audience.
It did have some important themes such as friendship and family, especially dealing with the unfairness of grief for a child at the death of a family member. But part of me still feels like this story would suit a more mature middle grade -teenage audience.
3.5/5
October 16, 2023
This story is beautifully written and drew me in from the very first line. Mara’s perilous quest is driven by grief and endless love for her father. Torniv, her boy companion is her first true friend and vows to look after her as she seeks to bring back her father’s soul.
Torniv is granted the ability to shape shift into a bear and together the two friends travel through deep forests and across stormy seas. Both children have to use their courage and wit to outsmart the mythical and magical creatures that try to challenge them on their journey.
While classified by my library as a children’s book this isn’t a story for young readers. The core of the story is about the death of a parent, and the understanding that however far you would travel and how many challenges you can overcome, you cannot bring a person back from the dead.
The last line of the story set us up for a sequel, and I cannot wait to join Mara and Toniv on their next adventure together.
Highly recommended ♥
Torniv is granted the ability to shape shift into a bear and together the two friends travel through deep forests and across stormy seas. Both children have to use their courage and wit to outsmart the mythical and magical creatures that try to challenge them on their journey.
While classified by my library as a children’s book this isn’t a story for young readers. The core of the story is about the death of a parent, and the understanding that however far you would travel and how many challenges you can overcome, you cannot bring a person back from the dead.
The last line of the story set us up for a sequel, and I cannot wait to join Mara and Toniv on their next adventure together.
Highly recommended ♥
December 25, 2024
Thank you to UCLan Publishing for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is an exciting, middle-grade story inspired heavily by Slavic folklore. I loved Mara as a main character and I was swept up very quickly in her story. Houston does a great job of giving you a sense of place and those first couple of chapters at Mara's Grandmother's house were some of my favourites. I always forget though that these authors can pack a punch. Folklore can be scary at times and Houston did not shy away from the darkness of these tales and characters which I loved.
This is an exciting, middle-grade story inspired heavily by Slavic folklore. I loved Mara as a main character and I was swept up very quickly in her story. Houston does a great job of giving you a sense of place and those first couple of chapters at Mara's Grandmother's house were some of my favourites. I always forget though that these authors can pack a punch. Folklore can be scary at times and Houston did not shy away from the darkness of these tales and characters which I loved.
December 4, 2023
As a lover of all things mythology and folklore, Houstons duology sounded like perfection! I'm glad to say, it hits all the marks. Discusses some somewhat triggering topics such as; parent loss, grief, fear and not fitting in, in a way that feels relatable and honest. The Wind Child is a beautiful story with wonder, adventure and impressive world-building. This book is perfect for any kid especially those who enjoy works by Rick Riordan or Katya Balen. The prose is elegant and emotional, Houston has created a world of wonder, easy for any child to sink into within mere pages.
January 7, 2022
3.75 stars
I received an advance e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A beautiful story about grief, friendship, and adventure. The folktale elements felt both magical and realistic, they were not cheesy or over the top and added to the atmosphere of this gripping cold landscape.
Over all 3.75 stars my only issue being that the ending felt rather abrupt and there could have been more detail about the reactions to the longer than anticipated journey.
I received an advance e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A beautiful story about grief, friendship, and adventure. The folktale elements felt both magical and realistic, they were not cheesy or over the top and added to the atmosphere of this gripping cold landscape.
Over all 3.75 stars my only issue being that the ending felt rather abrupt and there could have been more detail about the reactions to the longer than anticipated journey.
April 24, 2023
Knjiga me baš na lijep način vratila u djetinjstvo. :) Nisam baš imala očekivanja da će me knjiga namijenjena tinejdžerima i klincima nešto previše zaokupiti, ali me ipak uvukla u svoj svijet. Malo slavenske mitologije koju volim, malo avanture, rješavanja zdataka i eto, pročitana u svega par sati. Posebno su mi se svidjeli uvodni stihovi u svako poglavlje. E, da je to posebno djelo, to bih zaista s oduševljenjem čitala.
June 29, 2023
This book reads like a Russian fairy tale but with so many new things to discover. When Mara reaches Baba L. I do wish that scene was not over so quickly.
I am sad about how the book ended, I was really hoping for her to reunite with her Dad…even if it was for a little bit to get some closure and comfort. Ahhh, I wanted her mom to be kinder and it’s hard that she’s not but it would have been terrible change her as well.
Such a great book
I am sad about how the book ended, I was really hoping for her to reunite with her Dad…even if it was for a little bit to get some closure and comfort. Ahhh, I wanted her mom to be kinder and it’s hard that she’s not but it would have been terrible change her as well.
Such a great book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2022
A gorgeous winter read. Framed like a mythic quest, Mara's journey takes her on a tour of lands and creatures just MADE for film adaptations or artwork. I absolutely flew through the book, after spending most of 2021 plodding slowly through my other reads.
Highlights for me are the poetic extracts (you'll have to read it to know what I mean :) ) and the ending. PERFECT.
Highlights for me are the poetic extracts (you'll have to read it to know what I mean :) ) and the ending. PERFECT.
April 20, 2022
I don't know why it took me a whole week to read this book because this is not long book. This is 224 pages middle grade fantasy book and I can usually read these in 2-4 days. I just didn't care what happens to the two main characters but the world was interesting and some of the side characters were intriguing.
January 29, 2022
Wonderfully dark yet uplifting tale of love, bravery and friendship rooted in Slavic mythology. Thanks to incredible writing, the story manages to be moving, funny and sweet despite the overarching theme of loss & death. I need a part 2!
March 9, 2022
A story feauring slavic mythology, style-wise reminded me of Sophie Anderson. If you are a fan of "magical journey" style of books, certainly give it a try. Ending was unexpected, which was both a pleasant surprise and also a bit annoying. Overall an interesting read.
August 27, 2023
Picked this up by chance in The Book Hut in Maldon's Promenade Park (mostly because it's such a beautiful book) and worried it might be too 'young' for my tastes, but I loved it. Such a fun retelling.
August 5, 2024
A beautiful, stirring and heartfelt tale of loss, adventure and belonging.
Read
January 27, 2022DNF so didn’t rate.
Not one for me.
Not one for me.
April 11, 2022
Very quant, whimsical tale that doesn't quite pay off, doesn't hit the emotive beat at the end. But well worth the read nonetheless.
May 22, 2022
low 3 stars
July 17, 2022
A beautiful story of grief, friendship and belonging, steeped in Eastern European folklore and mythology.
Ended quite abruptly, but I very much enjoyed this MG read.
Ended quite abruptly, but I very much enjoyed this MG read.
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