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Castle Glower #2
Wednesdays in the Tower
A castle that is constantly rearranging itself, and a young royal family sworn to protect it. Celie, Rolf, and their beloved Castle Glower are back in this exciting sequel to Tuesdays at the Castle.
When her brother Rolf dares her to catch magical Castle Glower creating a new room, Princess Celie takes the challenge. No one knows the Castle better than she does. But as usual, the Castle has ideas of its own. Celie finds the new room first, and inside it is hidden a giant egg. It looks like the Castle wants Celie to care for the egg and whatever creature it hatches, but Celie hadn't bargained for a pet. And caring for this one will prove to be especially tricky once Celie and her siblings realize what else the Castle is hiding . . .
Jessica Day George's magical series is a classic in the making—and not to be missed.
When her brother Rolf dares her to catch magical Castle Glower creating a new room, Princess Celie takes the challenge. No one knows the Castle better than she does. But as usual, the Castle has ideas of its own. Celie finds the new room first, and inside it is hidden a giant egg. It looks like the Castle wants Celie to care for the egg and whatever creature it hatches, but Celie hadn't bargained for a pet. And caring for this one will prove to be especially tricky once Celie and her siblings realize what else the Castle is hiding . . .
Jessica Day George's magical series is a classic in the making—and not to be missed.
256 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2013
332 people are currently reading
4652 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Day George
26 books5,929 followersJessica Day George likes chocolate, knitting, books, travel, movies, dragons, horses, dogs, and her family. These are all things to keep in mind if you ever meet her. For instance, you could bring her chocolate to make the meeting go more smoothly. You could also talk about how adorable her children are, even if you have never seen them. You could discuss dog breeds (she had a Maltese named Pippin, and grew up with a poodle mix and a Brittany Spaniel. Right now she has a Coton de Tulear named Sunny). You could talk about Norway, and how it's the Greatest Place On Earth, and Germany, The Second Greatest Place On Earth. You could ask her about yarn, and indicate a willingness to learn to knit your own socks, if you can't already do so.
And, well, you could talk about books. Jessica's books, other people's books. It's really all about the books. To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld: Friends, family, school, they were just obstacles in the way of getting more books.
She would like it if books came with chocolate to eat while reading them.
And, well, you could talk about books. Jessica's books, other people's books. It's really all about the books. To paraphrase Jerry Seinfeld: Friends, family, school, they were just obstacles in the way of getting more books.
She would like it if books came with chocolate to eat while reading them.
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June 14, 2025
So much fun!
Just finished the Big Rewrite, November 24th, 2012!
Aaaaaand copy edits are done! January 2013
And, at long last, galleys were proofread. All that's left is to say a little prayer, and let the book hit shelves. February 2013
Read aloud to the kids, Summer 2014.
Just finished the Big Rewrite, November 24th, 2012!
Aaaaaand copy edits are done! January 2013
And, at long last, galleys were proofread. All that's left is to say a little prayer, and let the book hit shelves. February 2013
Read aloud to the kids, Summer 2014.
April 18, 2016
Final review, first posted on www.FantasyLiterature.com:
The adventures of Princess Celie, who lives in a magical castle where rooms appear, shift around and disappear again, continue in Wednesdays in the Tower, Jessica Day George’s lively sequel to Tuesdays at the Castle. Normally Castle Glower only moves its rooms around on Tuesdays, but one Wednesday Celie, heading up the stairs to go to the schoolroom for lessons, finds herself in a passageway leading to a tower room she has never seen before. And in the middle of the tower room is a huge, flame-colored egg, as large and orange as a pumpkin.
Mysteriously, the castle prevents Celie from sharing her exciting discovery with anyone else in her family: the tower room disappears when she tries to show it to others, and interrupts her attempts to tell about the egg. Why is the castle hiding the egg from everyone except Celie?
When the egg hatches, Celie has her hands full, feeding and mothering a ravenous baby griffin ― an animal that everyone in the kingdom thinks is only a myth. As the griffin grows older and much larger, Castle Glower gradually allows Celie to share her new friend with a few others. But the castle is behaving very oddly in other ways as well: new rooms appear that the royal family has never seen before, doors get blocked off for reasons known only to the castle, and the entire castle is getting much larger and more dangerous. Could this have anything to do with the appearance of the griffin egg?
Wednesdays in the Tower is a good, solid follow-up to Tuesdays at the Castle, almost certain to please young readers who enjoyed the first book, and likely their parents as well. Celie is an empathetic, adventurous girl with a charming personality. The scenes with Celie caring for the baby griffin, and later learning to ride on its back as it flies around, are a lot of fun, particularly for readers who like animal stories. Some parents might be a little perturbed at the idea of a twelve-year-old daughter keeping a huge secret from her parents (“The castle didn’t let me tell anyone!” may or may not be viewed as a sufficient excuse), but I suspect young readers will greet the idea with glee.
The mystery of the castle’s odd behavior is not as compelling as the griffin plotline, and might be a little complicated for the youngest readers (or listeners), but it fits in well with the overall plot. An antagonistic wizard arrives to try to resolve the problem, pursuing his own unknown agenda. Celie and her siblings don’t trust him, but it’s not clear whether he’s actually a villain, which adds some interest to that part of the plot.
Wednesdays in the Tower ends on a major cliffhanger; essentially it’s only the first half of a two-volume story. So I strongly recommend that readers have the next book in the series ready to start as soon as you are finished with this one. I ran down to the library immediately after finishing this to pick up the next book, Thursdays with the Crown, which is a wonderful, fantastical adventure that may be my favorite book in this series yet.
3.5 stars.
Initial thoughts:
Me reading this book:
Ah, so fun -- a huge flame-colored egg! Dragon egg? Roc egg?
Oooh! It's a griffin! And the castle is hiding it!
Hmmm. The castle is doing some very odd shifting here. Rooms appear and move around, doors get blocked off, and it's all getting bigger and more dangerous. I wonder why?
Sweet: Celie gets to ride around on the griffin!
Aaarrgh! Cliffhanger ending!
Review to come. I'm on my way to the library to pick up the next book. :)
The adventures of Princess Celie, who lives in a magical castle where rooms appear, shift around and disappear again, continue in Wednesdays in the Tower, Jessica Day George’s lively sequel to Tuesdays at the Castle. Normally Castle Glower only moves its rooms around on Tuesdays, but one Wednesday Celie, heading up the stairs to go to the schoolroom for lessons, finds herself in a passageway leading to a tower room she has never seen before. And in the middle of the tower room is a huge, flame-colored egg, as large and orange as a pumpkin.
Mysteriously, the castle prevents Celie from sharing her exciting discovery with anyone else in her family: the tower room disappears when she tries to show it to others, and interrupts her attempts to tell about the egg. Why is the castle hiding the egg from everyone except Celie?
When the egg hatches, Celie has her hands full, feeding and mothering a ravenous baby griffin ― an animal that everyone in the kingdom thinks is only a myth. As the griffin grows older and much larger, Castle Glower gradually allows Celie to share her new friend with a few others. But the castle is behaving very oddly in other ways as well: new rooms appear that the royal family has never seen before, doors get blocked off for reasons known only to the castle, and the entire castle is getting much larger and more dangerous. Could this have anything to do with the appearance of the griffin egg?
Wednesdays in the Tower is a good, solid follow-up to Tuesdays at the Castle, almost certain to please young readers who enjoyed the first book, and likely their parents as well. Celie is an empathetic, adventurous girl with a charming personality. The scenes with Celie caring for the baby griffin, and later learning to ride on its back as it flies around, are a lot of fun, particularly for readers who like animal stories. Some parents might be a little perturbed at the idea of a twelve-year-old daughter keeping a huge secret from her parents (“The castle didn’t let me tell anyone!” may or may not be viewed as a sufficient excuse), but I suspect young readers will greet the idea with glee.
The mystery of the castle’s odd behavior is not as compelling as the griffin plotline, and might be a little complicated for the youngest readers (or listeners), but it fits in well with the overall plot. An antagonistic wizard arrives to try to resolve the problem, pursuing his own unknown agenda. Celie and her siblings don’t trust him, but it’s not clear whether he’s actually a villain, which adds some interest to that part of the plot.
Wednesdays in the Tower ends on a major cliffhanger; essentially it’s only the first half of a two-volume story. So I strongly recommend that readers have the next book in the series ready to start as soon as you are finished with this one. I ran down to the library immediately after finishing this to pick up the next book, Thursdays with the Crown, which is a wonderful, fantastical adventure that may be my favorite book in this series yet.
3.5 stars.
Initial thoughts:
Me reading this book:
Ah, so fun -- a huge flame-colored egg! Dragon egg? Roc egg?
Oooh! It's a griffin! And the castle is hiding it!
Hmmm. The castle is doing some very odd shifting here. Rooms appear and move around, doors get blocked off, and it's all getting bigger and more dangerous. I wonder why?
Sweet: Celie gets to ride around on the griffin!
Aaarrgh! Cliffhanger ending!
Review to come. I'm on my way to the library to pick up the next book. :)
June 19, 2013
I gave Tuesdays at the Castle to my nieces, as I enjoyed the bright, resilient young heroine, and her quirky, benevolent old castle. Seeing Wednesday in the Tower, I bought it without hesitation, and read it myself as a light treat--and am so disappointed that I will actually return it! I cannot give this story to my nieces, as it is so poorly written.
The storyline is an odd combination of breeziness ( in details and descriptions never explored) and complexity ( George seems to be trying to quickly build a history for the castle, and introduce new creatures, worlds, and aliens.). Meanwhile, the characters remain sketches, only hinting at possible depth, and the villain is instantly recognized by protagonist and reader alike.
There are two main reasons that I cannot pass this book on. The first is that the plot is forced, with participants jumping to illogical conclusions, leading to inadvisable actions. This lack of thought and reactionary, black-and-white thinking is not something that I want to pass on to my nieces. The other is that this book ends not with resolution of the conflicts that it introduces, but with an abrupt cliffhanger which introduces yet more distress, and more questions.
The implication here seems to be that the author was rushed into creating something to publish, and to submit it with no thoughtful editing, while forcing the series into a serialized, read-the-next-installment-to-find-out-what-happens form which traps the reader into installment payments.
What promised to be a fresh and charming approach to the Princess-story form has devolved into a cash cow, milked before it was ready, yielding only a thin stream of non-nutritive skim milk.
I apologize for the heavy metaphor. It's just that I am disappointed.
The storyline is an odd combination of breeziness ( in details and descriptions never explored) and complexity ( George seems to be trying to quickly build a history for the castle, and introduce new creatures, worlds, and aliens.). Meanwhile, the characters remain sketches, only hinting at possible depth, and the villain is instantly recognized by protagonist and reader alike.
There are two main reasons that I cannot pass this book on. The first is that the plot is forced, with participants jumping to illogical conclusions, leading to inadvisable actions. This lack of thought and reactionary, black-and-white thinking is not something that I want to pass on to my nieces. The other is that this book ends not with resolution of the conflicts that it introduces, but with an abrupt cliffhanger which introduces yet more distress, and more questions.
The implication here seems to be that the author was rushed into creating something to publish, and to submit it with no thoughtful editing, while forcing the series into a serialized, read-the-next-installment-to-find-out-what-happens form which traps the reader into installment payments.
What promised to be a fresh and charming approach to the Princess-story form has devolved into a cash cow, milked before it was ready, yielding only a thin stream of non-nutritive skim milk.
I apologize for the heavy metaphor. It's just that I am disappointed.
April 25, 2020
This is the second book in a delightful middle-grade fantasy series about a likable royal family that lives in a castle that is always rearranging its rooms. In this one, a newly hatched baby griffin named Rufus adds to the fun. I was surprised to find that it ends in a big cliffhanger, so I will have to continue on to the third installment, Thursdays With the Crown, very soon.
October 26, 2025
This is the sequel to Tuesdays at the Castle. Starting here won’t be too confusing. It’s a very cute story. Castle Glower always changes on Tuesday, but now, on Wednesday, a giant egg appears. The castle wants it protected, and Celie does her best, though it’s much harder once it hatches as she has to keep it secret for quite a while.
There aren’t a ton of villains in this story, but we learn a lot about the history of the castle, and it ends on a pretty big cliffhanger.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Mild
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
There aren’t a ton of villains in this story, but we learn a lot about the history of the castle, and it ends on a pretty big cliffhanger.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Mild
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
February 11, 2014
I really liked Tuesdays at the Castle, and I think this one is even better, mainly because the nature of Castle Glower is at the heart of the story. It's no longer just an eccentric, interesting aspect of the kingdom; Celie's adoption of a baby griffin calls into question a lot of things everyone has always assumed about the Castle, particularly the issue of where the rooms actually come from. Celie is a really fun protagonist, and I love her interactions with Rufus the griffin. I also like Bran, valiantly doing his best to be Royal Wizard despite his youth, and Pogue Parry, who is my favorite character and is developing in interesting ways.
My daughter, who is Jessica's biggest fan, insisted that I read this Right Away because she needed someone to talk to about the cliffhanger ending. It's a great, exciting ending that makes all the rest of the buildup even better in hindsight. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
My daughter, who is Jessica's biggest fan, insisted that I read this Right Away because she needed someone to talk to about the cliffhanger ending. It's a great, exciting ending that makes all the rest of the buildup even better in hindsight. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
December 11, 2015
Here I was, happily skipping through the pages, enjoying the sheer fun of hatching a raising, and training, and flying her very own griffin with Celie, occasisionally doing a little research into the history of the castle, and then,
the book is just over.
Huh.
I took a brief look at other people's reviews just to be sure it wasn't a fault in the review copy.
Huh.
I don't much care whether a book is long or short, but I do expect an individual volume to reach some sort of conclusion. This is not #2 in a series. It doesn't even have the completeness one expects from the short stories many authors produce as "X.5", a little scene between books. This is just the first portion of the next book.
I hate that. I hate it enough that I can feel my rating drop the longer I take to write this.
Netgalley copy provided for review.
the book is just over.
Huh.
I took a brief look at other people's reviews just to be sure it wasn't a fault in the review copy.
Huh.
I don't much care whether a book is long or short, but I do expect an individual volume to reach some sort of conclusion. This is not #2 in a series. It doesn't even have the completeness one expects from the short stories many authors produce as "X.5", a little scene between books. This is just the first portion of the next book.
I hate that. I hate it enough that I can feel my rating drop the longer I take to write this.
Netgalley copy provided for review.
July 31, 2013
The sequel to, Tuesdays at the Castle, does more world building than the first novel explaining the history of the castle and how it got its powers. It is more of a setup for the third book with its cliffhanger ending, but I enjoyed the mythical creatures, pacing, and heroine. Celie is back with her kind ways and important skills of mapping the castle and communicating with it. When she finds a mysterious egg in a new tower, she watches it everyday until it hatches a creature that imprints on her. The castle wants her pet kept secret and Celie must learn how to be responsible for raising it without the help of her parents.
When a creepy wizard comes to the castle to help her brother, Bran, decipher a storehouse of magical and powerful weapons, the castle starts to change in alarming ways forcing everyone to work together to try and make things right. The family decides to trust the wizard, but Celie and Pogue think he is up to something. When things reach a crisis it is up to Celie to make the right decision and save her family.
While the plot's pacing sputters a bit at the beginning, most of the threads from subplots come together and make for a fast-paced ending. I enjoyed the world building and explanation of the castle's powers. I think this is the strength of this book for it gives a better foundation for the characters. I would have liked more development of a diverse culture in the alternate world, but it suggests this won't happen until the next book. The villain or not - it isn't clear - is somewhat one-dimensional and I would have liked to know more about why he was so obstinate in his opinions about what action to take. The cliffhanger suggests it is to come. On the one hand, I liked the superpower explanation, but on the other I want more regarding the alternate world and its culture. Bring on book 3!
World building is not as important as the characters that drive the story. Celie is a likable protagonist. She doesn't change internally as much in this book as learn to be responsible for another creature's well-being. She's good at problem-solving and is not a royal snob. She doesn't fight with others and usually makes the right decisions. If you like flawed characters, Celie is not one. It isn't clear if Pogue is interested in Celie as only a friend or more romantically. She can count on him and while he is called a flirt he isn't one at all in this story. A nice fantasy and entertaining read.
When a creepy wizard comes to the castle to help her brother, Bran, decipher a storehouse of magical and powerful weapons, the castle starts to change in alarming ways forcing everyone to work together to try and make things right. The family decides to trust the wizard, but Celie and Pogue think he is up to something. When things reach a crisis it is up to Celie to make the right decision and save her family.
While the plot's pacing sputters a bit at the beginning, most of the threads from subplots come together and make for a fast-paced ending. I enjoyed the world building and explanation of the castle's powers. I think this is the strength of this book for it gives a better foundation for the characters. I would have liked more development of a diverse culture in the alternate world, but it suggests this won't happen until the next book. The villain or not - it isn't clear - is somewhat one-dimensional and I would have liked to know more about why he was so obstinate in his opinions about what action to take. The cliffhanger suggests it is to come. On the one hand, I liked the superpower explanation, but on the other I want more regarding the alternate world and its culture. Bring on book 3!
World building is not as important as the characters that drive the story. Celie is a likable protagonist. She doesn't change internally as much in this book as learn to be responsible for another creature's well-being. She's good at problem-solving and is not a royal snob. She doesn't fight with others and usually makes the right decisions. If you like flawed characters, Celie is not one. It isn't clear if Pogue is interested in Celie as only a friend or more romantically. She can count on him and while he is called a flirt he isn't one at all in this story. A nice fantasy and entertaining read.
August 29, 2014
I liked this book although not as much as I liked the previous one in the series – Tuesdays at the Castle. Here, the tale of Princess Celie and her family continues. They live in a Castle with a personality, a magical Castle which occasionally adds rooms, removes hallways, installs new towers and reroutes corridors without consulting or even informing its human denizens.
This time, the Castle is on a mission of profound change, and Celie, the Castle’s most beloved member of the royal family, is once again the heroine. She finds a griffin’s egg in one of the newest towers. In fact, the tower is so new nobody could see it but Celie. Obviously, the Castle is protective of its little griffin and it wants Celie to hatch and raise it… without telling anyone, especially not her parents or a visiting wizard.
A brooding, slightly sinister personage, that wizard, and Celie doesn’t like him from the beginning. So the griffin becomes their secret – Celie’s and the Castle’s. Keeping such a secret is not very hard to do: nobody believes in griffins anyway. They are a myth, right? That griffins are depicted on the kingdom’s coat of arms doesn’t mean a fig. Nobody has ever seen them in nature. Of course, as soon as it hatches, Celie does, the first person in several hundred years, and she instantly falls in love with her little (not really) protégé.
The story starts slowly. In fact, despite the griffin escapade, I was getting bored and wanted to abandon the book until about 40% in. I started and stopped, then continued and stopped again. But I remembered the delight of the first book in the series and kept on reading. I was rewarded for my persistence. The tempo picked up eventually, and I read the rest of this short novel in one sitting.
As with the previous book, the author’s characters are alive and diverse, but she lavishes most of her attention on Celie – a charming protagonist, courageous, compassionate and very smart, despite being the youngest. Her family cherishes her. The griffin considers her his mother. And the readers adore her.
The book would’ve been better if it didn’t end in a cliffhanger. It feels like I only read the first half of the story, and then it was arbitrary cut off at the point where the real adventure starts. Maybe that’s why it was so slow to start, because the entire book is just the first act, setting the stage for what will happen next.
Now, I must read the next book.
This time, the Castle is on a mission of profound change, and Celie, the Castle’s most beloved member of the royal family, is once again the heroine. She finds a griffin’s egg in one of the newest towers. In fact, the tower is so new nobody could see it but Celie. Obviously, the Castle is protective of its little griffin and it wants Celie to hatch and raise it… without telling anyone, especially not her parents or a visiting wizard.
A brooding, slightly sinister personage, that wizard, and Celie doesn’t like him from the beginning. So the griffin becomes their secret – Celie’s and the Castle’s. Keeping such a secret is not very hard to do: nobody believes in griffins anyway. They are a myth, right? That griffins are depicted on the kingdom’s coat of arms doesn’t mean a fig. Nobody has ever seen them in nature. Of course, as soon as it hatches, Celie does, the first person in several hundred years, and she instantly falls in love with her little (not really) protégé.
The story starts slowly. In fact, despite the griffin escapade, I was getting bored and wanted to abandon the book until about 40% in. I started and stopped, then continued and stopped again. But I remembered the delight of the first book in the series and kept on reading. I was rewarded for my persistence. The tempo picked up eventually, and I read the rest of this short novel in one sitting.
As with the previous book, the author’s characters are alive and diverse, but she lavishes most of her attention on Celie – a charming protagonist, courageous, compassionate and very smart, despite being the youngest. Her family cherishes her. The griffin considers her his mother. And the readers adore her.
The book would’ve been better if it didn’t end in a cliffhanger. It feels like I only read the first half of the story, and then it was arbitrary cut off at the point where the real adventure starts. Maybe that’s why it was so slow to start, because the entire book is just the first act, setting the stage for what will happen next.
Now, I must read the next book.
February 25, 2017
Fun, clean fantasy!
May 26, 2025
*4.5 stars
Welcome to an official Charlotte’s BookNook book review! Make sure to go follow my YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@charlottes_bookn...) if you haven’t already. I post video reviews and all sorts of clean bookish content! Now let’s get this review started.
This book was so good, really. Almost a five star. Most of the book was going at a slower pace until a ton of crazy, slightly scary things happen at the end. That is the way the series is supposed to be and it’s not like the author is rushing things at the end. But personally, I didn’t enjoy as much in this book as I did the first one so I didn’t quite rate it a five star. A must read series for middle grade and YA readers who love fantasy and want something unique and well written!
Language: None
LGBTQ+: None
Romance: Mentions of a girl and boy flirting and the girl gets in trouble from her parents.
Violence: A griffin ate a bad guy in the previous book and it’s mentioned. No details, just a fact. A character hurts their head and blood is mentioned.
Religious Views: There is magic in this book. The castle has a royal wizard who uses spells to heal villagers and stop evil. Spells are never said. Characters say “thank the powers” once or twice and mention praying multiple times, but not really in a religious way. The castle is magical and changes rooms around. There is a mythical creature as a main character in the story.
Authority Roles: The parents in this book aren’t around very much, but when they are, they aren’t put in a bad light. The kids don’t try to keep things from their parents either, it just happens.
Welcome to an official Charlotte’s BookNook book review! Make sure to go follow my YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@charlottes_bookn...) if you haven’t already. I post video reviews and all sorts of clean bookish content! Now let’s get this review started.
This book was so good, really. Almost a five star. Most of the book was going at a slower pace until a ton of crazy, slightly scary things happen at the end. That is the way the series is supposed to be and it’s not like the author is rushing things at the end. But personally, I didn’t enjoy as much in this book as I did the first one so I didn’t quite rate it a five star. A must read series for middle grade and YA readers who love fantasy and want something unique and well written!
Language: None
LGBTQ+: None
Romance: Mentions of a girl and boy flirting and the girl gets in trouble from her parents.
Violence: A griffin ate a bad guy in the previous book and it’s mentioned. No details, just a fact. A character hurts their head and blood is mentioned.
Religious Views: There is magic in this book. The castle has a royal wizard who uses spells to heal villagers and stop evil. Spells are never said. Characters say “thank the powers” once or twice and mention praying multiple times, but not really in a religious way. The castle is magical and changes rooms around. There is a mythical creature as a main character in the story.
Authority Roles: The parents in this book aren’t around very much, but when they are, they aren’t put in a bad light. The kids don’t try to keep things from their parents either, it just happens.
June 14, 2017
Another wonderful book in this series! I loved the first book so much, and wondered what direction the author would take next, and I was astounded with the magical scope of the story! Castle Glower holds so many secrets and magical enigmas, and I can't wait to read the rest of the books.
In this book, Celie finds a mysterious orange egg that the Castle will let only her see. She hatches the egg, and cares for the newborn creature without letting anyone in the castle know about it. But her brother Bran, the Royal Wizard, finds Celie with her quickly-growing and mischievous pet, and the two have to find a way to protect the magical baby, and somehow protect the Castle from threats as well.
Adventure, and spying, and mysterious secret rooms, labyrinths, and passageways are all in abundance, but the best part of this particular story is the rich history of the Castle and how that history of magical artifacts, maps, and symbols comes into play with the plotting and scheming.
Celie is spunky and fun and intelligent. I love how all the people in the Castle really respect her judgement although she's young, and even the maids will ask her advice, and the lords of the court accept her guidance.
This book ends on a cliffhanger, so I'm going to dive straight into the next book!
In this book, Celie finds a mysterious orange egg that the Castle will let only her see. She hatches the egg, and cares for the newborn creature without letting anyone in the castle know about it. But her brother Bran, the Royal Wizard, finds Celie with her quickly-growing and mischievous pet, and the two have to find a way to protect the magical baby, and somehow protect the Castle from threats as well.
Adventure, and spying, and mysterious secret rooms, labyrinths, and passageways are all in abundance, but the best part of this particular story is the rich history of the Castle and how that history of magical artifacts, maps, and symbols comes into play with the plotting and scheming.
Celie is spunky and fun and intelligent. I love how all the people in the Castle really respect her judgement although she's young, and even the maids will ask her advice, and the lords of the court accept her guidance.
This book ends on a cliffhanger, so I'm going to dive straight into the next book!
May 28, 2018
This felt like the reading equivalent of watching a clip show when it’s only the second episode of the show you’ve ever watched. There’s a ton of half-done worldbuilding — aliens! wizards! griffin riders! other worlds! — spliced together with Celie running around the castle and raising a pet griffin. I might’ve been into this as a kid, but, well, I’m not a kid anymore. I kept reading a chapter of this, wandering off, and remember three days later that I still had the rest of the book to read.
Also, this isn’t a complete book. It exists merely to set up book three, and the ending is a giant cliffhanger. (It’s two of my favorite small screen storytelling devices in one middle grade book!) And I tell you what: even at the age this book is written for, that would’ve pissed me off.
I’m still going to read the third book, to see if she can get this series back on track. But in this book she tried to pull the lens back and show much more of the world, and it kind of, uh. Doesn’t work.
Also, this isn’t a complete book. It exists merely to set up book three, and the ending is a giant cliffhanger. (It’s two of my favorite small screen storytelling devices in one middle grade book!) And I tell you what: even at the age this book is written for, that would’ve pissed me off.
I’m still going to read the third book, to see if she can get this series back on track. But in this book she tried to pull the lens back and show much more of the world, and it kind of, uh. Doesn’t work.
June 6, 2019
Didn't love the Castle and siblings as much in this one. Willing to give #3 a chance.
May 19, 2019
Note: I listened to this on audio so please pardon any misspellings that occur, especially of names, because I didn't get to see the words on a page.
I listened to the first book in this series earlier this year and enjoyed it so much I decided to try the rest of the series.
This second book in the series had just as much charm as the first, though perhaps not quite as much excitement or intrigue. There is a mystery, however, as Celie is having to figure out why a gryphon egg has appeared in a new tower in the castle and why the castle seems to want her to raise the baby gryphon in secret.
Just like in the first book I enjoyed the character's personalities and the teamwork between the children whether siblings or friends. (I love seeing healthy sibling relationships in books. ❤) Though certain aspects of the plot once again put much of the responsibility for dealing with the problems on the children, I once again appreciated that the adults were not portrayed as stupid or incompetent and that Celie actually wanted to involve her parents in what was going on, but was simply kept from doing so for by the castle for a while. Once the parents were able, they didn't hesitate to try to help.
The only mild disappointment was that I wasn't expecting a cliffhanger ending since the first book wrapped itself up so tidily, but a cliffhanger there was. Still, it does its job and I will read the next book, so that's not much of a complaint. I'm excited to see what happens!
Content Advisory:
Violence: There's a legend that tells of gryphons attacking unicorn and forcing the unicorns to flee to another world entirely in order to survive. (The attack is not described, but it is clear that it was a terrible attack.) Brief mention of blood in the context of someone bumping his head and the scratch bleeds a bit.
Magic: Same as the first book, the castle itself is sentient and able to make choices and do things on its own via magical means. It seems wizards may have had something to do with why the castle has these abilities. As best as I can tell, it seems that the magical abilities of the wizards are inherent, though they can go to school to better learn how to do what they do. (Celie's own brother Bran is the royal wizard and there is brief mention that the queen could have become a royal wizard, but did not, for reasons unknown.)
Mythical creatures like gryphons and unicorns exist in this world and it seems that they have something magical about them.
Sexual (or a lack thereof): A male character is known to be attractive and popular with girls. There's a mention or two of flirting and blushing.
Profanity: None.
I listened to the first book in this series earlier this year and enjoyed it so much I decided to try the rest of the series.
This second book in the series had just as much charm as the first, though perhaps not quite as much excitement or intrigue. There is a mystery, however, as Celie is having to figure out why a gryphon egg has appeared in a new tower in the castle and why the castle seems to want her to raise the baby gryphon in secret.
Just like in the first book I enjoyed the character's personalities and the teamwork between the children whether siblings or friends. (I love seeing healthy sibling relationships in books. ❤) Though certain aspects of the plot once again put much of the responsibility for dealing with the problems on the children, I once again appreciated that the adults were not portrayed as stupid or incompetent and that Celie actually wanted to involve her parents in what was going on, but was simply kept from doing so for by the castle for a while. Once the parents were able, they didn't hesitate to try to help.
The only mild disappointment was that I wasn't expecting a cliffhanger ending since the first book wrapped itself up so tidily, but a cliffhanger there was. Still, it does its job and I will read the next book, so that's not much of a complaint. I'm excited to see what happens!
Content Advisory:
Violence: There's a legend that tells of gryphons attacking unicorn and forcing the unicorns to flee to another world entirely in order to survive. (The attack is not described, but it is clear that it was a terrible attack.) Brief mention of blood in the context of someone bumping his head and the scratch bleeds a bit.
Magic: Same as the first book, the castle itself is sentient and able to make choices and do things on its own via magical means. It seems wizards may have had something to do with why the castle has these abilities. As best as I can tell, it seems that the magical abilities of the wizards are inherent, though they can go to school to better learn how to do what they do. (Celie's own brother Bran is the royal wizard and there is brief mention that the queen could have become a royal wizard, but did not, for reasons unknown.)
Mythical creatures like gryphons and unicorns exist in this world and it seems that they have something magical about them.
Sexual (or a lack thereof): A male character is known to be attractive and popular with girls. There's a mention or two of flirting and blushing.
Profanity: None.
August 15, 2017
I love that I have gotten to the point that my eight year old daughter is handing me books and saying, "Mom, you have to read this!" I handed her Tuesdays at the Castle last year, and she has breezed through the series. She has been insisting that I needed to read the other books as well, and took things into her own hands last week by forcibly handing me this book.
I was reminded of why I love Jessica Day George's books in the first place. Castle Glower is magical, mysterious, and capricious. I wanted to unravel all of its secrets. Celie was a great heroine, who is courageous, kind, and not afraid to ask others for help. Wednesdays in the Tower was a perfect blend of magic and adventure. I loved imagining myself flying along with Celie (although, I would be flying a dragon). This story brought all of my childhood imaginings back to life, if only for a few hours.
I will now be picking up Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at my local library tomorrow.
I was reminded of why I love Jessica Day George's books in the first place. Castle Glower is magical, mysterious, and capricious. I wanted to unravel all of its secrets. Celie was a great heroine, who is courageous, kind, and not afraid to ask others for help. Wednesdays in the Tower was a perfect blend of magic and adventure. I loved imagining myself flying along with Celie (although, I would be flying a dragon). This story brought all of my childhood imaginings back to life, if only for a few hours.
I will now be picking up Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at my local library tomorrow.
March 3, 2020
This was not as good as the first one (Tuesdays in the Castle) but also I read that book a couple of years ago and I think these books are for elementary kids lol but I think it was still good, but the plot wasn't as cool as the first one. Some of the characters also...weren't acting how they did in the first book and that rly bothered me (like Lilah, she was a lot less useful this book).
Also the cover why oh why did you have to put Bran on it? I had to picture him like that for the whole book and it was torture...isn't he supposed to be like 16 or 17? idk but he looks like the same age as Celie and that is not ok
Also the cover why oh why did you have to put Bran on it? I had to picture him like that for the whole book and it was torture...isn't he supposed to be like 16 or 17? idk but he looks like the same age as Celie and that is not ok
July 10, 2021
Is it just me, but I thought the writing here was choppier than the first book. At one chapter I counted probably something like 50 "had" words.
In comparison to her other books, this one is probably the choppiest I've read, as Jessica Day George is usually a very poetic and smooth storyteller. Will continue to read on though, because I am now quite invested with the characters and the griffin!
Oh yes, Rufus the griffin is a plus point for sure, although Rufus is kind of a funny name for a griffin!!! Maybe that's her point?
In comparison to her other books, this one is probably the choppiest I've read, as Jessica Day George is usually a very poetic and smooth storyteller. Will continue to read on though, because I am now quite invested with the characters and the griffin!
Oh yes, Rufus the griffin is a plus point for sure, although Rufus is kind of a funny name for a griffin!!! Maybe that's her point?
December 27, 2020
Another very fun story about the Castle Glower and the royal siblings who live there. The story is still told from Princess Celie's point of view, but you spend a lot more time with her oldest brother Bran, which is nice getting to know him better. Their friend Pogue is in this one a lot, too, but I feel like he is really toned down, and I kind of miss his rakish nature from the first book. I liked learning more about the castle history and look forward to the next book!
August 13, 2018
Oh wow! Do I ever love this series! All I can say it is a younger person's Harry Potter, or HP lite. I cannot wait to start the next book in the series!
Read
May 20, 2019M A J O R S P O I L E R : wasn't *really* listening this one AT ALL but who even cares? my mom said it was slower moving and a bit boring haha I just got the gist of it :P
April 24, 2013
I got a copy of this book to review through NetGalley(dot)com. Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for giving me the chance to review this book. Last year I read Tuesdays at the Castle and really enjoyed it. This sequel to that book was a fun read but not as magical as the first book.
Things start going strange in Castle Glower. First Celie finds a strange orange egg in a tower that’s never been there before and she needs to figure out what it is. Bran, the new Royal Wizard, is in on the secret but is swamped with identifying a bunch of magical armor and weapons that showed up in a new armor room. Meanwhile a visiting wizard stops by to help Bran and he seems to have a hidden agenda all of his own. Adding to all of this is the Castle’s increasingly erratic temperament; rooms no one has ever seen before are appearing left and right.
This was a fun continuation of the Castle Glower series. Not as magical and whimsical as the first book in the series, but still a fun read. The biggest downfall to this book is that it ends on a horrible cliffhanger and reads more like half of a book than a full book; I felt like half of the story was missing.
Celie and her siblings are fun to read about. They are all very agreeable characters and they work together well. It is always fun to see how well Celie’s family gets along together and how well they work together to solve problems. It makes for a light and uplifting read.
I enjoyed that the storyline is expanding here, we finally get some explanation as to why Castle Glower is how it is. We also learn a lot of history behind the castle itself. The additon of some mystical creatures made the story even more fun.
I did feel like the story was missing some of the whimsy, surprise, and delightful magical feel of the first book though. Part of that is just because we’ve already been introduced to this castle and nothing is as surprising this time around. I also felt like maybe Celie and family were just dealing with too many different problems at once, so the story was a bit bogged down and not as light-hearted and magical as the first book.
The absolultey biggest drawback to this book for me was the horrible cliffhangers. Oh, Miss Jessica why did you have to do that? I hate cliffhanger endings, it really drops my opinion of the book a lot. I hate it when author’s depend on a cliffhanger to force readers into continuing a series rather than just providing a good story and world that makes readers want to come back for more because the author writes well.
Overall a fun continuation of this series. Great for all ages. I enjoyed the magical creatures, the nice family dynamic, and finally learning about the why behind Castle Glower. I absolutely hated the horrible cliffhanger ending; this actually made me not want to read more of this series because I hate it when authors do that. This book wasn’t as magical as the first one, not as much full of wonder and fun. Still I recommend to those who enjoyed the first book in the series and to those who are looking for a good children’s fantasy read that is light and fun.
Things start going strange in Castle Glower. First Celie finds a strange orange egg in a tower that’s never been there before and she needs to figure out what it is. Bran, the new Royal Wizard, is in on the secret but is swamped with identifying a bunch of magical armor and weapons that showed up in a new armor room. Meanwhile a visiting wizard stops by to help Bran and he seems to have a hidden agenda all of his own. Adding to all of this is the Castle’s increasingly erratic temperament; rooms no one has ever seen before are appearing left and right.
This was a fun continuation of the Castle Glower series. Not as magical and whimsical as the first book in the series, but still a fun read. The biggest downfall to this book is that it ends on a horrible cliffhanger and reads more like half of a book than a full book; I felt like half of the story was missing.
Celie and her siblings are fun to read about. They are all very agreeable characters and they work together well. It is always fun to see how well Celie’s family gets along together and how well they work together to solve problems. It makes for a light and uplifting read.
I enjoyed that the storyline is expanding here, we finally get some explanation as to why Castle Glower is how it is. We also learn a lot of history behind the castle itself. The additon of some mystical creatures made the story even more fun.
I did feel like the story was missing some of the whimsy, surprise, and delightful magical feel of the first book though. Part of that is just because we’ve already been introduced to this castle and nothing is as surprising this time around. I also felt like maybe Celie and family were just dealing with too many different problems at once, so the story was a bit bogged down and not as light-hearted and magical as the first book.
The absolultey biggest drawback to this book for me was the horrible cliffhangers. Oh, Miss Jessica why did you have to do that? I hate cliffhanger endings, it really drops my opinion of the book a lot. I hate it when author’s depend on a cliffhanger to force readers into continuing a series rather than just providing a good story and world that makes readers want to come back for more because the author writes well.
Overall a fun continuation of this series. Great for all ages. I enjoyed the magical creatures, the nice family dynamic, and finally learning about the why behind Castle Glower. I absolutely hated the horrible cliffhanger ending; this actually made me not want to read more of this series because I hate it when authors do that. This book wasn’t as magical as the first one, not as much full of wonder and fun. Still I recommend to those who enjoyed the first book in the series and to those who are looking for a good children’s fantasy read that is light and fun.
May 19, 2013
Castle Glower, the royal residence of Sleyne, is a sentient, living entity that makes its wishes known in no uncertain terms and selects and protects the royal family. The Castle is up to its usual tricks, adding and removing rooms and features on Tuesdays. One morning Princess Celie, who knows Castle Glower better than anyone, is on her way to the schoolroom when the Castle suddenly adds a staircase leading up to a new, roofless tower. The curious young princess climbs stairs where she finds a large nest with an enormous, flame orange egg in the middle. She runs down to tell her family, but returns to find the staircase has disappeared. Castle Glower will allow no one else to see the stairs or the tower, but Celie is drawn repeatedly back to the tower where she wonders about and watches the egg. She is shocked and thrilled when it hatches to reveal a baby griffin. Celie can hardly wait to show her family, but the Castle makes it plain that she is to keep it secret. Then the Castle routine begins to alter, with changes coming more and more frequently, changes that are often dangerous and always puzzling. A strange wizard arrives to help Royal Wizard Bran determine what is happening to Castle Glower and why. These factors come together to provide clues to the Castle's mysterious past, but no one seems to know how to stabilize the Castle, and Celie and her family fear that the Castle is being attacked in the other world where it originated and where much of it still remains. How can a young girl raise what she always thought was a mythical creature without making others suspicious? Is the griffin's appearance related to the disturbance in Castle Glower? And most importantly, how can they help the Castle?
This second tale in the Castle Glower series is highly entertaining, and I would have loved to give it 5 stars. However, but rates only 3 because it violates my cardinal rule of writing: "Thou shalt not force a reader to continue to another book to gain closure to a story." I have no problem with series books that point to a sequel provided that they resolve the specific conflict in that book, aka the Harry Potter series which had the ongoing struggle between Harry and Voldemort but always resolved the main conflict in each book, e.g., the quest for the Sorcerer's Stone, the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, and so on. That does not happen in this book. Readers are left with a total cliffhanger, no answers for most of the major questions, and no resolution. I eagerly await the next book, but hope it will have a real ending rather than being another installment in "The Perils of Pauline," or rather, "The Castle Catastrophes."
This second tale in the Castle Glower series is highly entertaining, and I would have loved to give it 5 stars. However, but rates only 3 because it violates my cardinal rule of writing: "Thou shalt not force a reader to continue to another book to gain closure to a story." I have no problem with series books that point to a sequel provided that they resolve the specific conflict in that book, aka the Harry Potter series which had the ongoing struggle between Harry and Voldemort but always resolved the main conflict in each book, e.g., the quest for the Sorcerer's Stone, the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, and so on. That does not happen in this book. Readers are left with a total cliffhanger, no answers for most of the major questions, and no resolution. I eagerly await the next book, but hope it will have a real ending rather than being another installment in "The Perils of Pauline," or rather, "The Castle Catastrophes."
April 28, 2021
Celie discovers a large nest and a mysterious egg inside a tower that no one knew was there (blame the shenanigans of the magical castle). The egg hatches and out comes a baby griffin. Celie helps to raise the griffin and she names him Rufus (after her stuffed animal lion).
The castle seems to want Celie to keep the griffin a secret and helps her take care of the beast and to keep Rufus hidden. She shares her secret with her brother, Bran and her friend Pogue.
The castle then seems to change a lot, as if its upset, when a mysterious magician arrives.
I thought this was fun. I enjoy Celie and her interactions with the castle. However, the end felt a little rushed and then a major plot development is introduced (back history on the castle).
However, I may go on with the third book.
The castle seems to want Celie to keep the griffin a secret and helps her take care of the beast and to keep Rufus hidden. She shares her secret with her brother, Bran and her friend Pogue.
The castle then seems to change a lot, as if its upset, when a mysterious magician arrives.
I thought this was fun. I enjoy Celie and her interactions with the castle. However, the end felt a little rushed and then a major plot development is introduced (back history on the castle).
However, I may go on with the third book.
March 4, 2024
Oh my goodness, I adored this book! The series is full of such fun adventures and the twists on this one...🤯 I also was not expecting that ending. I need all the rest of books in the series now. XD Celie is such a great character and I love her, and I also loooooved Rufus! The Castle is still one of my favorite aspects of the book, though I was a little sad that, because of certain things that were going on, we didn't get to see as much of the whimsicalness and personality. It was still wonderfully whimsical, though. And I can still highly recommend this one for middle grade kids! There's a little more magic in this, though it's very whimsical and mysterious, and so we don't actually know what's going on. But I'd generally recommend it for 7+! It doesn't really have any scary parts, and it's just fun with lots of sibling relationships. The main character actually doesn't hang out with any other kids her age, rather just her siblings, which I thought was cool! I loved this book and I must have the next one!
March 23, 2013
You know that wonderful moment when you really like a book and think it’s a standalone but then find out a sequel was written? I totally recently had that moment with Tuesdays At The Castle by Jessica Day George. I had to read it a few years ago for the CYBILS awards and find myself utterly charmed by what I had read, and so it was a total delight to find out we would be returning to Glower Castle in Wednesdays In The Tower, the sequel. For the most part, I really enjoyed revisiting Celie and discovering new quirks of the castle, but I honestly think that Tuesdays At The Castle is a better read, however, I still feel optimistic about book three.
Read the rest of my review here
link goes live 4/10/13
Read the rest of my review here
link goes live 4/10/13
June 3, 2020
Another fantastic story and a promise of at least one more book with Castle Glower! I love Jessica Day George's writing style and characters, it makes me happy every time I pick up one of her books.
2020 reread: so many fun conversations are being had with my 6 and 4 year old as we continue separately listening to Castle Glower. It has kind of become our mother daughter book club as we talk about our favorite parts and characters. These are such wonderful books!
2020 reread: so many fun conversations are being had with my 6 and 4 year old as we continue separately listening to Castle Glower. It has kind of become our mother daughter book club as we talk about our favorite parts and characters. These are such wonderful books!
April 6, 2019
While clearly aimed at early and middle grade readers, this series is Just interesting enough to keep me reading. My 9 year old son also enjoys it.
In "Wednesdays," Celie finds herself irresistibly guided to a new tower room in the castle occupied only by a hot, orange, pumpkin sized egg. When it hatches days later, she finds herself the parent of an extremely needy baby griffin - an animal heretofore considered mythical, despite its presence on the royal crest. (We're not, apparently, to count the live one that appeared ever so briefly at the end of book one!) Furthermore the castle seems determined that no-one know about this critter aside from Celie and her big brother Rolf. Things grow even more complicated as the strange, elderly wizard who recently invited himself into the household begins acting even more oddly, warning them about certain artifacts the Castle keeps bringing to their attention, and basically being weird in an ominous, semi-threatening way. Of course everything comes to a head and Celie's pet is revealed... but not without some highly unforeseen consequences.
In "Wednesdays," Celie finds herself irresistibly guided to a new tower room in the castle occupied only by a hot, orange, pumpkin sized egg. When it hatches days later, she finds herself the parent of an extremely needy baby griffin - an animal heretofore considered mythical, despite its presence on the royal crest. (We're not, apparently, to count the live one that appeared ever so briefly at the end of book one!) Furthermore the castle seems determined that no-one know about this critter aside from Celie and her big brother Rolf. Things grow even more complicated as the strange, elderly wizard who recently invited himself into the household begins acting even more oddly, warning them about certain artifacts the Castle keeps bringing to their attention, and basically being weird in an ominous, semi-threatening way. Of course everything comes to a head and Celie's pet is revealed... but not without some highly unforeseen consequences.
May 12, 2022
Continuing the story that was started in Tuesdays at the Castle we return to Celie and Castle Glower. This time instead of a threat coming from outside the castle, the castle itself presents an unexpected situation for Celie to deal with. A new room appears that only she seems to be able to find, and a large egg is inside. It seems that the castle wants Celie to care for whatever hatches out of the egg, and it doesn't want her to tell anyone about the existence of this creature.
I enjoyed this book just as much as I enjoyed the first one in the series. Celie continues to be a very realistic and strong character. This book gives her a more personal growth challenge, as opposed to the leadership role she was forced to take on in the first book. I liked seeing how her confidence grew as the book went on and she was able to take on the challenges and figure out what was going on with the castle.
I enjoyed this book just as much as I enjoyed the first one in the series. Celie continues to be a very realistic and strong character. This book gives her a more personal growth challenge, as opposed to the leadership role she was forced to take on in the first book. I liked seeing how her confidence grew as the book went on and she was able to take on the challenges and figure out what was going on with the castle.
June 18, 2020
**3.5 Stars
This one was a little less engrossing for me - it felt like a lot of stage-setting (which, it kinda was), although I did love the Rufus bits! I really need me a griffin ... I also like the dynamic of "the kids" and how they're continually growing and adjusting to each other and their roles in the Castle. Definitely a cliff-hanger ending after all the build-up, but honestly? After all the stage-setting, I expected it - I was ready for it - and now I can dive into the next book and find out what's really going to happen next.
This one was a little less engrossing for me - it felt like a lot of stage-setting (which, it kinda was), although I did love the Rufus bits! I really need me a griffin ... I also like the dynamic of "the kids" and how they're continually growing and adjusting to each other and their roles in the Castle. Definitely a cliff-hanger ending after all the build-up, but honestly? After all the stage-setting, I expected it - I was ready for it - and now I can dive into the next book and find out what's really going to happen next.
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