Malkin

Star Maker #2

by Sophie Masson

Based on the traditional English tale, "Tattercoats," this novel follows the plight of the beautiful, neglected granddaughter of the Baron of Fisher Forest and her special friend, Malkin.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Childrens

156 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2001

About the author

Born in Indonesia of French parents, Sophie Masson was sent to live with her paternal grandmother in Toulouse, France, when she was just a baby and lived there till she was nearly five, when her parents came back from Indonesia and took her to Australia. All the rest of her childhood, the family stayed in Australia, with frequent trips back to France, and this dual heritage underpins a good deal of Sophie's work.
Sophie's first book appeared in 1990 and since then she has published more than seventy books, for children, young adults and adults. Her books have been published in Australia, the USA, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and many other countries. She has also had many short stories and articles published in newspapers, magazines, and online journals.
Sophie holds a BA and M.Litt in French and English literature, and a PhD in Creative Practice. A former Chair of the Australian Society of Authors, she is the current Chair (2021) of the New England Writers' Centre and of the Small Press Network. She is also the President committee of the New England and North West sub-branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia, NSW branch.
Sophie has received several awards for her creative work, including the Patricia Wrightson Prize in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, and the YA category of the Aurealis Awards. In 2019 she received an AM in the Order of Australia for her significant service to literature as an author, a publisher, and through service to literary organisations.
Sophie's website is at www.sophiemassonauthor.com
She has a writing blog at www.firebirdfeathers.com
Her You Tube channel, with trailers to many of her books, is at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWLa...
She is also a regular contributor to the popular authorship blog Writer Unboxed, www.writerunboxed.com

Reviews

[Janelle]

It wasn't the characters or the quality of writing that caused me to stop reading this. It was simply the bastard grandfather of the mc. He made me so sad and angry and his actions made no sense whatsoever.
But to be honest, I don't like fairy tales, so I guess I was destined to not finish this anyway.

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars. A real jewel of a book that suffers seriously by its title.

I read this book under the title Cold Iron. It's like A Midsummer Night's Dream meets Tam Lin in an Elizabethan world of romance, intrigue and neglectful fathers.

As with her other fine novel, The Gifting, Sophie Masson does her best work describing the world of magic through the eyes of someone who can sense the enchantment and feel the pull of its 'glamour' but can also see right through it.

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed the journey through the forest and the introductions to all the new companions. I also was intrigued by the splash of mystery regarding magic and the intentions of the male characters. However, the second half of the book completely lost its way and unfourtunetely overshadowed the joy I felt at the beginning.

[Amelia Rockliff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bolinda audiobook.

Did not like.

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting take on the original tales. Well written, with a dream-like quality, and a bitter-sweet ending.

[Charise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Sophie Masson but this book didn't do much for me. I found the characters very one dimensional and I didn't find that I cared about any of them. Also while the book seemed to move slowly there were so many scenes that I think needed fleshing out. Overall the book was confusing, I wasn't sure what the aim of the story was and who many of the minor characters were.

[The Fairy Godmother]

Based on Tattercoats.