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Il·luminacions
De l'autora del gran èxit i PREMI LLIBRETER, GUIA MÀGICA D'AUTODEFENSA AMB GALETES arriba, per primera vegada en català IL·LUMINACIONS.
L'Estudi Mandolini és un dels més prestigiosos tallers d'il·luminacions màgiques de la ciutat, però ja no rep tanta feina com abans. La Rosa, la més petita dels Mandolini, vol ajudar la seva família, però hi ha poques coses que deixin fer a una noia de deu anys.
Preocupada per la situació, la Rosa busca amb persistència fins que troba una estranya caixa màgica amb un corb pintat, que li sembla una possible solució als problemes dels Mandolini. Tanmateix, res no és el que sembla…
Kingfisher ha guanyat nombrosos guardons i és reconeguda com una de les escriptores de fantasia més originals de l'actualitat. Il·luminacions és una novel·la sobre l’art, l’amor i la família que defensa el valor de la confiança i el suport mutus.
L'Estudi Mandolini és un dels més prestigiosos tallers d'il·luminacions màgiques de la ciutat, però ja no rep tanta feina com abans. La Rosa, la més petita dels Mandolini, vol ajudar la seva família, però hi ha poques coses que deixin fer a una noia de deu anys.
Preocupada per la situació, la Rosa busca amb persistència fins que troba una estranya caixa màgica amb un corb pintat, que li sembla una possible solució als problemes dels Mandolini. Tanmateix, res no és el que sembla…
Kingfisher ha guanyat nombrosos guardons i és reconeguda com una de les escriptores de fantasia més originals de l'actualitat. Il·luminacions és una novel·la sobre l’art, l’amor i la família que defensa el valor de la confiança i el suport mutus.
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 25, 2022
425 people are currently reading
7509 people want to read
About the author
T. Kingfisher
57 books24.9k followersT. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name of Ursula Vernon. In another life, she writes children's books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 709 reviews
August 29, 2023
This was a return to the Kingfisher fun, or perhaps more accurately, Ursula Vernon fun. I'm not sure why she didn't publish this one under Vernon, her moniker for the younger set. With a very age-appropriate ten year-old Rosa Mandolini leading, it doesn't do anything too scary. Themes and confrontations are all within range for that age group, and if you never confronted malevolent living scribbles as a child, well, your imagination wasn't working hard enough. At any rate, the feel reminded me very much of Castle Hangnail, with Serious Adult Stuff happening, but also Serious Kid Stuff as well.
“No fighting now, girls,” he called, in the jovial tone that grown-ups use when they think they’re smarter than children. “We aaaarrrren’t,” called Rosa back, in the saccharine tone that children use when they know they’re smarter than the grown-up in question."
I'll confess I picked it up for the idea of living paintings, particularly the painted crow what helps Rosa out, but was delightfully surprised by the emotional depth of Rosa. Both the crow and Rosa's best friend get to show some emotional growth. However, it's not all seriousness; the cast of secondary characters is a lot of fun, particularly Aunt Nadia.
“I feel terribly weak,” murmured Aunt Nadia. “As if the life was draining away from me…oh wait, it’s just that there’s no coffee.”
Call it fantasy or call it science-fiction (though unclear, it develops that this may be post cataclysm), what it really feels like is a sort of egalitarian Renaissance-era Venice. The setting is a key part of the story and is used well.
"Between this and Uncle Alfonso, they put together enough to pay the milkman. “If the man selling eggs comes, we are not home,” said Grandmama. “We have moved to the country and then died.”
Considering, I'd say re-readable, absolutely. Tch, who am I kidding? Five stars.
"Rosa scowled. If Uncle Alfonso had a flaw, it was that he always saw the best in people and was happy for everyone."
“No fighting now, girls,” he called, in the jovial tone that grown-ups use when they think they’re smarter than children. “We aaaarrrren’t,” called Rosa back, in the saccharine tone that children use when they know they’re smarter than the grown-up in question."
I'll confess I picked it up for the idea of living paintings, particularly the painted crow what helps Rosa out, but was delightfully surprised by the emotional depth of Rosa. Both the crow and Rosa's best friend get to show some emotional growth. However, it's not all seriousness; the cast of secondary characters is a lot of fun, particularly Aunt Nadia.
“I feel terribly weak,” murmured Aunt Nadia. “As if the life was draining away from me…oh wait, it’s just that there’s no coffee.”
Call it fantasy or call it science-fiction (though unclear, it develops that this may be post cataclysm), what it really feels like is a sort of egalitarian Renaissance-era Venice. The setting is a key part of the story and is used well.
"Between this and Uncle Alfonso, they put together enough to pay the milkman. “If the man selling eggs comes, we are not home,” said Grandmama. “We have moved to the country and then died.”
Considering, I'd say re-readable, absolutely. Tch, who am I kidding? Five stars.
"Rosa scowled. If Uncle Alfonso had a flaw, it was that he always saw the best in people and was happy for everyone."
December 31, 2022
Another cracking middle grade fantasy from T. Kingfisher, this time about kooky magic-making artists and their creations. And...fanged vegetables?
Studio Mandolini is known for its magic-infused illuminations, extremely sensible artwork that does things like prevent mouse infestations in a pantry (the art must feature a white cat with blue eyes in order to work) and ward off sickness (a radish with wings). And then there's Rosa, the youngest Mandolini, whose talent thus far seems to be for drawing radishes with fangs that are almost, but not quite, illuminations. When she accidentally releases an ancient magic that threatens not only Studio Mandolini's livelihood but also every illumination in the city, Rosa will have to draw on every talent and friend she has to put things right.
The plot's pretty simple, but Kingfisher's quirky sense of humor and wry observations shine through the simple story. I appreciate the way she can capture a character or type (whether artist, botanist, cat, crow, allergy-sufferer...) with just a few deft details:
Also, hurrah for a book in which families and friends are imperfect but love you, and adults are not stupid, absent, or useless when it's crunch time. Rosa grows up a little in this book, but not because she has to save the world on her own: actually, she learns that she needs the help of others and comes to appreciate them more, as family and friends and individuals in their own right. That's almost as refreshing as a mandrake antagonist.
I have the hardest time understanding why Kingfisher can't find a publisher for her kids' books when they, to my mind, are frequently better than her adult fiction. Unlike her adult protagonists, her kid heroes are likable and act their age (please, no more 30-year-old heroines going on 15), and the focus is on friendship in its various forms - I especially like the non-human friendships - rather than romance, which is the one thing that Kingfisher is absolutely and irredeemably terrible at writing.
I bought Illuminations new, unread, and with hardly a glance at the description. I have no regrets.
See my previous reviews for:
**** A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking
***** Summer in Orcus
Studio Mandolini is known for its magic-infused illuminations, extremely sensible artwork that does things like prevent mouse infestations in a pantry (the art must feature a white cat with blue eyes in order to work) and ward off sickness (a radish with wings). And then there's Rosa, the youngest Mandolini, whose talent thus far seems to be for drawing radishes with fangs that are almost, but not quite, illuminations. When she accidentally releases an ancient magic that threatens not only Studio Mandolini's livelihood but also every illumination in the city, Rosa will have to draw on every talent and friend she has to put things right.
The plot's pretty simple, but Kingfisher's quirky sense of humor and wry observations shine through the simple story. I appreciate the way she can capture a character or type (whether artist, botanist, cat, crow, allergy-sufferer...) with just a few deft details:
"Bathrooms are important," said Aunt Nadia vaguely. She seemed more interested in her coffee. "Bathrooms are the windows to the soul."
Rosa was fairly sure that bathrooms were nothing of the sort. Aunt Nadia often got a little weird when she was working on a painting, as if most of her brain was involved with art, and the bits that controlled talking were wandering around unsupervised.
"How is your painting going?" asked Rosa.
"Glorious. Terrible. I don't know. I'm a genius or an idiot. I won't be sure until it's done."
Rosa nodded. This was also perfectly normal. Aunt Nadia spent at least two-thirds of every painting convinced that she was the worst artist in the world and the other third convinced that she was the best. This was slightly easier to deal with than Cousin Sergio, who believed that the painting was brilliant up until the moment it was finished, when he suddenly discovered it was terrible and they had to stop him from setting the canvas on fire.
Also, hurrah for a book in which families and friends are imperfect but love you, and adults are not stupid, absent, or useless when it's crunch time. Rosa grows up a little in this book, but not because she has to save the world on her own: actually, she learns that she needs the help of others and comes to appreciate them more, as family and friends and individuals in their own right. That's almost as refreshing as a mandrake antagonist.
I have the hardest time understanding why Kingfisher can't find a publisher for her kids' books when they, to my mind, are frequently better than her adult fiction. Unlike her adult protagonists, her kid heroes are likable and act their age (please, no more 30-year-old heroines going on 15), and the focus is on friendship in its various forms - I especially like the non-human friendships - rather than romance, which is the one thing that Kingfisher is absolutely and irredeemably terrible at writing.
I bought Illuminations new, unread, and with hardly a glance at the description. I have no regrets.
See my previous reviews for:
**** A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking
***** Summer in Orcus
March 27, 2024
Actual rating: 4.894564158461184 stars.
To think I once was a nefarious breeder of murderous crustaceans. And now look at me, enjoying the fish out of despicably cute and revoltingly heartwarming kiddy stuff 🤦🤦. You know what this means, right? That doom and oblivion (and quite possibly the end of all life in the universe) await, obviously.
But hey, even if we all kick the bucket because I slightly loved this story, it will be all worth it. Because who wouldn't want to die from reading about magical paintings, clever kids who actually act like kids (and not like mini grown-ups), deliciously quirky adults, crows with an attitude (and an unhealthy obsession for shiny spoons), evil (and slightly vengeful) mandrake roots, villainous scribbles, and chirping radishes with fangs? Yeah, I knew you would agree with me on that one. So RIP and stuff.
Oh, and by the way, since the end is nigh anyway I decided I might as well make things even worse and read Castle Hangnail next. It was nice knowing you and stuff!
P.S. You might want to read Carol's review for this book, it's slightly more informative than mine for some (very mysterious) reason.
[Pre-review nonsense]
T. Kingfisher, making life more bearable one book at a time.
This is how I usually feel when reading a Kingfisher story, in case you were wondering. What can I say, I love channeling my inner hedgehog. (And strangely enough, I think the author would approve.)
➽ Super Extra Short Review to come and stuff.
To think I once was a nefarious breeder of murderous crustaceans. And now look at me, enjoying the fish out of despicably cute and revoltingly heartwarming kiddy stuff 🤦🤦. You know what this means, right? That doom and oblivion (and quite possibly the end of all life in the universe) await, obviously.
But hey, even if we all kick the bucket because I slightly loved this story, it will be all worth it. Because who wouldn't want to die from reading about magical paintings, clever kids who actually act like kids (and not like mini grown-ups), deliciously quirky adults, crows with an attitude (and an unhealthy obsession for shiny spoons), evil (and slightly vengeful) mandrake roots, villainous scribbles, and chirping radishes with fangs? Yeah, I knew you would agree with me on that one. So RIP and stuff.
Oh, and by the way, since the end is nigh anyway I decided I might as well make things even worse and read Castle Hangnail next. It was nice knowing you and stuff!
P.S. You might want to read Carol's review for this book, it's slightly more informative than mine for some (very mysterious) reason.
[Pre-review nonsense]
T. Kingfisher, making life more bearable one book at a time.
This is how I usually feel when reading a Kingfisher story, in case you were wondering. What can I say, I love channeling my inner hedgehog. (And strangely enough, I think the author would approve.)
➽ Super Extra Short Review to come and stuff.
December 31, 2022
What a cute story. I enjoy T. Kingfisher and this is one of those books that were supposed to satisfy her middle grade or kids book publishing but just was too adult for that and so it is published under her adult moniker. I guess this also happened with A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, which I also found delightful.
Rosa comes from a family of artists. But these are not just any artists they have magic and paint things that are useful to society. Like wards to keep pots from breaking, fire from catching, garbage from stinking. I loved imagining a city where there was all this extra art to help keep things running in order. I enjoyed how each artist in Rosa's family was so different and each had their own way of making art.
Rosa is still young around ten and she wants to help her family any way she can and since she and her best friend Serena are in a fight right now she can. When she happens upon a mysterious box hidden away in the house is intrigued. Especially since it seems that something on the box makes you forget all about it. Well Rosa is determined that whatever is in that box could help her family and be the thing that make then the best artist family in the city again. Oh how wrong she was.
With the help of a crow sometimes distracted by shiny objects, her best friend/sometimes nemesis and the rest of her family Rosa will have to find a way to capture the unusual monster she accidentally let lose before it sucks all the magic out of the paintings in the city.
Totally cute story and I loved hanging out with Rosa and learning that even kids can do amazing things when they don't know they aren't supposed to.
Rosa comes from a family of artists. But these are not just any artists they have magic and paint things that are useful to society. Like wards to keep pots from breaking, fire from catching, garbage from stinking. I loved imagining a city where there was all this extra art to help keep things running in order. I enjoyed how each artist in Rosa's family was so different and each had their own way of making art.
Aunt Nadia often got a little weird when she was working on a painting, as if most of her brain was involved with art, and the bits that controlled talking were wandering around unsupervised.
Cousin Sergio, who believed that the painting was brilliant up until the moment it was finished, when he suddenly discovered that it was terrible and they had to stop him from setting the canvas on fire.
Rosa is still young around ten and she wants to help her family any way she can and since she and her best friend Serena are in a fight right now she can. When she happens upon a mysterious box hidden away in the house is intrigued. Especially since it seems that something on the box makes you forget all about it. Well Rosa is determined that whatever is in that box could help her family and be the thing that make then the best artist family in the city again. Oh how wrong she was.
“He made an evil monster that’s out to ruin us! Does it really matter how good his technique was?”
“Of course it matters,” said Aunt Nadia with a half-smile. “You’d hate to see the studio destroyed by a mediocre artist, wouldn’t you?”
With the help of a crow sometimes distracted by shiny objects, her best friend/sometimes nemesis and the rest of her family Rosa will have to find a way to capture the unusual monster she accidentally let lose before it sucks all the magic out of the paintings in the city.
Totally cute story and I loved hanging out with Rosa and learning that even kids can do amazing things when they don't know they aren't supposed to.
November 29, 2022
3.5 stars. Unlike T. Kingfisher's other middle-grade books (Minor Mage, A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking and Summer in Orcus), this one read like a true children's story. That is the intended audience, so as someone who is 50 years older than the heroine, I shouldn't complain that the book wasn't as rich, clever and snarky as my favorite Kingfishers (Swordheart, Clockwork Boys, Paladin's Grace, among others). Payne the enchanted crow is another one of the author's memorable talking animals, the tool used to defeat the monster is suitably bizarre, and Aunt Nina provides a small but effective dose of snark.
July 22, 2024
T. Kingfisher is very, very good at writing people. Likeable people, with a few horrible ones for variety, though in this middle grade/YA (?) book there are no horrible people. She is very good at writing about loving families, and somehow, in her YA books, those loving families do not get in the way of our child protagonist having an adventure or agency. (It is said that children in children's adventure books are orphans or have horrible guardians/parents because good parent figures would not let them have adventures, but Kingfisher does reliably work around that, even if technically Rosa is an orphan here.)
I am not sure what to call this, it's an adventure story with a 10 year old child protagonist, where the child knows things adults do not and has agency to try to fix things on her own, and her friendship with another child is very important. Language and themes are all appropriate for readers of the same age, but there are also so many layers here that are fun for adults. The older adults are just fantastic, wise, and fun. The artistic reaction to so many things. The layers in the friendship between two girls, the relationship between business rivals.
There is not a lot of plot; it is all relatively straightforward, and it's not important, world changing plot, but I thought it was tone-perfect at what it attempted to do. I found fault with her earlier YA books, much as I enjoyed them, but this just hit off perfectly for me.
I listened to the audiobook, read very well by Raquel Beattie (the older women were fantastic). She sounded maybe a bit old for Rosa, but an adult with adult sensitivity reading a 10 year old has quite a challenge). But I want to reread this in print one day, The lines, descriptions, and dialogue were so much fun and would work even better in print.
Incidentally, while being totally different, the one author who consistently reminds me of Terry Pratchett is "Kingfisher," and again, she did—his YA novels, of course. It is totally different, but there is a kind of perspective and humour that just works for me.
So, I am not saying this is a must read or transformative, but it was just my cup of tea.
I am not sure what to call this, it's an adventure story with a 10 year old child protagonist, where the child knows things adults do not and has agency to try to fix things on her own, and her friendship with another child is very important. Language and themes are all appropriate for readers of the same age, but there are also so many layers here that are fun for adults. The older adults are just fantastic, wise, and fun. The artistic reaction to so many things. The layers in the friendship between two girls, the relationship between business rivals.
There is not a lot of plot; it is all relatively straightforward, and it's not important, world changing plot, but I thought it was tone-perfect at what it attempted to do. I found fault with her earlier YA books, much as I enjoyed them, but this just hit off perfectly for me.
I listened to the audiobook, read very well by Raquel Beattie (the older women were fantastic). She sounded maybe a bit old for Rosa, but an adult with adult sensitivity reading a 10 year old has quite a challenge). But I want to reread this in print one day, The lines, descriptions, and dialogue were so much fun and would work even better in print.
Incidentally, while being totally different, the one author who consistently reminds me of Terry Pratchett is "Kingfisher," and again, she did—his YA novels, of course. It is totally different, but there is a kind of perspective and humour that just works for me.
So, I am not saying this is a must read or transformative, but it was just my cup of tea.
September 11, 2023
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Illuminations is a cute story. I enjoy T. Kingfisher and this is one of those books that were supposed to satisfy her middle grade or kids book publishing but just was too adult for that and so it is published under her adult moniker. I guess this also happened with A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, which I also found delightful. I read the book awhile ago but was so excited to listen to the audio that was just released as T. Kingfisher books are so much fun and I wanted to see if a narrator could add to an already great story
Rosa comes from a family of artists. But these are not just any artists they have magic and paint things that are useful to society. Like wards to keep pots from breaking, fire from catching, garbage from stinking. I loved imagining a city where there was all this extra art to help keep things running in order. I enjoyed how each artist in Rosa's family was so different and each had their own way of making art.
Rosa is still young around ten and she wants to help her family any way she can. She is currently in a fight with her bet friend Serena, from a rival Illuminations house, so she has plenty of time to try and find a way to help her family. When she happens upon a mysterious box hidden away in the house, she is intrigued. Especially since it seems that something on the box makes you forget all about it. Well Rosa is determined that whatever is in that box could help her family and be the thing that make then the best artist family in the city again. Oh how wrong she was.
With the help of a crow sometimes distracted by shiny objects, her best friend/sometimes nemesis and the rest of her family Rosa will have to find a way to capture the unusual monster she accidentally let lose before it sucks all the magic out of the paintings in the city.
Totally cute story and I loved hanging out with Rosa and learning that even kids can do amazing things when they don't know they aren't supposed to. I also will never look at a radish quite the same again.
Narration:
Raquel Beattie is a new to me narrator. She captured the fun of this story well in her narration with the exasperation of Rosa and all the big feelings she was having. I really enjoyed how well she conveyed being a little girl with a big problem just trying to help out all the people she loves. All the voices of the characters were distinct and easily identifiable. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 hearts
Illuminations is a cute story. I enjoy T. Kingfisher and this is one of those books that were supposed to satisfy her middle grade or kids book publishing but just was too adult for that and so it is published under her adult moniker. I guess this also happened with A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, which I also found delightful. I read the book awhile ago but was so excited to listen to the audio that was just released as T. Kingfisher books are so much fun and I wanted to see if a narrator could add to an already great story
Rosa comes from a family of artists. But these are not just any artists they have magic and paint things that are useful to society. Like wards to keep pots from breaking, fire from catching, garbage from stinking. I loved imagining a city where there was all this extra art to help keep things running in order. I enjoyed how each artist in Rosa's family was so different and each had their own way of making art.
Aunt Nadia often got a little weird when she was working on a painting, as if most of her brain was involved with art, and the bits that controlled talking were wandering around unsupervised.
Cousin Sergio, who believed that the painting was brilliant up until the moment it was finished, when he suddenly discovered that it was terrible and they had to stop him from setting the canvas on fire.
Rosa is still young around ten and she wants to help her family any way she can. She is currently in a fight with her bet friend Serena, from a rival Illuminations house, so she has plenty of time to try and find a way to help her family. When she happens upon a mysterious box hidden away in the house, she is intrigued. Especially since it seems that something on the box makes you forget all about it. Well Rosa is determined that whatever is in that box could help her family and be the thing that make then the best artist family in the city again. Oh how wrong she was.
“He made an evil monster that’s out to ruin us! Does it really matter how good his technique was?”
“Of course it matters,” said Aunt Nadia with a half-smile. “You’d hate to see the studio destroyed by a mediocre artist, wouldn’t you?”
With the help of a crow sometimes distracted by shiny objects, her best friend/sometimes nemesis and the rest of her family Rosa will have to find a way to capture the unusual monster she accidentally let lose before it sucks all the magic out of the paintings in the city.
Totally cute story and I loved hanging out with Rosa and learning that even kids can do amazing things when they don't know they aren't supposed to. I also will never look at a radish quite the same again.
Narration:
Raquel Beattie is a new to me narrator. She captured the fun of this story well in her narration with the exasperation of Rosa and all the big feelings she was having. I really enjoyed how well she conveyed being a little girl with a big problem just trying to help out all the people she loves. All the voices of the characters were distinct and easily identifiable. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
April 10, 2023
With a simple plot and 10 (almost 11) year old protagonist, this is a children's story. But it's an absolutely charming story about friends and family that are present, caring and helpful. There is just something engaging and special about a vengeful mandrake root that can scribble pesty minions (aka "scribblings") with it's charred arm; fanged radishes; a vocal, painted crow with a penchant for "shiny" things; and Rosa; that makes this something more than just an ordinary kiddies book.
January 8, 2024
No es mi libro favorito de la autora. No pude conectarme con Rosa (quien tiene diez años casi once), y me molestaba todo el rato que no contaba nada para conseguir ayuda. Y hasta me salte unos párrafos para terminarlo.
La idea de la iluminaciones mágicas es lo mejor. También el montón de personajes de la familia Mandolini con todas sus pequeñas excentricidades, su mundillo tan sencillo aunque pareciera que se están simplificando demasiado las cosas usando la magia.
The Mandolinis painted pictures of radishes with wings to ward off sickness, and they painted great droopy-faced hounds with halos to protect against burglars. They painted flaming swords on shingles to keep storms from blowing the roofs off houses, and they painted very strange pictures of men with hummingbird heads to keep venomous snakes out of people’s gardens.
Se lee más como libro para niños que el resto de los que he leído de ella hasta ahora, junto al de la panadería: A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking.
La idea de la iluminaciones mágicas es lo mejor. También el montón de personajes de la familia Mandolini con todas sus pequeñas excentricidades, su mundillo tan sencillo aunque pareciera que se están simplificando demasiado las cosas usando la magia.
The Mandolinis painted pictures of radishes with wings to ward off sickness, and they painted great droopy-faced hounds with halos to protect against burglars. They painted flaming swords on shingles to keep storms from blowing the roofs off houses, and they painted very strange pictures of men with hummingbird heads to keep venomous snakes out of people’s gardens.
Se lee más como libro para niños que el resto de los que he leído de ella hasta ahora, junto al de la panadería: A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking.
January 13, 2025
I love a fun T. Kingfisher book ❤️
May 10, 2023
Rosa Mandolini is part of the famed Mandolini painters, who are known as the greatest painters of magical illuminations in their city. Magical illuminations can do all sorts of things, from keeping mice away from a pantry, to warding off sickness, to purifying water. The family business, Studio Mandolini, is struggling financially, as they're not able to keep up with their peers Studio Magnifico. The youngest member of Studio Magnifico is Rosa's best friend Serena, or she was, until she insulted Rosa and her family.
Rosa does not have her family's skill at illumination; she persistently paints radishes with fangs on them, but they so far have no discernable use, though her family can sense some sort of magic in the paintings.
One day, when a bored Rosa finds and with some difficulty, opens a carefully locked box with a crow illumination painted on it. The painted crow comes to life and squawks that she should never have touched the box as Rosa has unknowing loosed a monster on the city.
Proving Payne the crow right, terrible things start happening, first just at the Mandolini studios: illuminations are defaced and stop working. When the problem grows wider, affecting neighbours and then Serena's home, Rosa knows something has to be done. She and Serena work out their issues, and with Payne advising them, the two end up coming up with a solution to save both illuminations houses.
T.Kingfisher does it again! This was utterly delightful. Rosa is magnificent: she's tough, determined, and kind of the most "normal" in a family of eccentrics. Payne is slow to trust, funny, and too easily distracted by shiny things. I am so glad that Rosa and Serena were able to work through their differences, because a big part of the book was about people working together to solve a big problem. It's a warmhearted story, like Kingfisher's other books with a kid protagonist.
Rosa does not have her family's skill at illumination; she persistently paints radishes with fangs on them, but they so far have no discernable use, though her family can sense some sort of magic in the paintings.
One day, when a bored Rosa finds and with some difficulty, opens a carefully locked box with a crow illumination painted on it. The painted crow comes to life and squawks that she should never have touched the box as Rosa has unknowing loosed a monster on the city.
Proving Payne the crow right, terrible things start happening, first just at the Mandolini studios: illuminations are defaced and stop working. When the problem grows wider, affecting neighbours and then Serena's home, Rosa knows something has to be done. She and Serena work out their issues, and with Payne advising them, the two end up coming up with a solution to save both illuminations houses.
T.Kingfisher does it again! This was utterly delightful. Rosa is magnificent: she's tough, determined, and kind of the most "normal" in a family of eccentrics. Payne is slow to trust, funny, and too easily distracted by shiny things. I am so glad that Rosa and Serena were able to work through their differences, because a big part of the book was about people working together to solve a big problem. It's a warmhearted story, like Kingfisher's other books with a kid protagonist.
March 12, 2024
3.5 stars. I liked the beginning and the last 1/3. I found the rest to be increasingly frustrating for me as a reader, but I think some of that is just that I, an adult reader, am not the target audience for this book. My tolerance for a young main character trying to resolve a terrible problem solo and refusing to tell anyone or ask for help only goes so far. 😂 Once that was out of the way, the rest of the book was enjoyable.
December 20, 2022
Lovely, and just so cozy. Perfect comfort read with not a note out of place. Frankly, every time I felt a twinge of worry that something might be annoying, a twist appeared to correct course. I loved the protagonist, her friendships, her family and the magic system. Reading it was like a gift for the inner child.
July 25, 2025
Somehow fails to hit the spot
Illuminations begins on a typical T. Kingfisher note -- with an eleven-year-old sitting in her room, bored stiff. Rosa belongs to a family of artists, and she herself likes to draw. She is particularly fond of drawing fanged radishes. (Like how do you do that? Where does one put the fangs on a radish?) If you've read a lot of Kingfisher, "fanged radishes" will feel like a very Kingfisher note.
But Rosa has a problem. The art made by her family, the Mandolinis, is magical. Their drawings and paintings have magical properties, like repelling rats or repelling fire. These magical pictures are called Illuminations. Rosa's radishes, however, have no magical properties that anyone can identify. (It turns out that winged radishes ward off sickness, but Rosa just doesn't want to draw winged radishes.) Everyone in the Mandolini family can feel that there is SOMETHING about Rosa's fanged radishes -- they are magic-adjacent, if not quite magical.
At this point, you can probably figure out what the story is going to be. It's going to be a sort of parable celebrating individual artistic expression, and Rosa and her fanged radishes will become some sort of heroes. And it's gonna be one of those books in which an artist (albeit a writer, not a painter) tells her audience how wonderful art is and how wonderful it is to be an artist.
You know, Kingfisher (AKA Ursula Vernon) is one of my favorite authors. She has an off-kilter creativity that really appeals to me, and a great sense of humor. But (you knew there was gonna be a "But") this one just missed for me. It felt like an orgy of self-congratulation that, in the latter half of the book, became tedious.
Blog review.
Illuminations begins on a typical T. Kingfisher note -- with an eleven-year-old sitting in her room, bored stiff. Rosa belongs to a family of artists, and she herself likes to draw. She is particularly fond of drawing fanged radishes. (Like how do you do that? Where does one put the fangs on a radish?) If you've read a lot of Kingfisher, "fanged radishes" will feel like a very Kingfisher note.
But Rosa has a problem. The art made by her family, the Mandolinis, is magical. Their drawings and paintings have magical properties, like repelling rats or repelling fire. These magical pictures are called Illuminations. Rosa's radishes, however, have no magical properties that anyone can identify. (It turns out that winged radishes ward off sickness, but Rosa just doesn't want to draw winged radishes.) Everyone in the Mandolini family can feel that there is SOMETHING about Rosa's fanged radishes -- they are magic-adjacent, if not quite magical.
At this point, you can probably figure out what the story is going to be. It's going to be a sort of parable celebrating individual artistic expression, and Rosa and her fanged radishes will become some sort of heroes. And it's gonna be one of those books in which an artist (albeit a writer, not a painter) tells her audience how wonderful art is and how wonderful it is to be an artist.
You know, Kingfisher (AKA Ursula Vernon) is one of my favorite authors. She has an off-kilter creativity that really appeals to me, and a great sense of humor. But (you knew there was gonna be a "But") this one just missed for me. It felt like an orgy of self-congratulation that, in the latter half of the book, became tedious.
Blog review.
February 18, 2023
Yet another fun Kingfisher fantasy! This feels like it might be in the same "realm" as A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, even if not directly related. Similar in tone with younger protagonists but occasionally darker themes.
Right of the gate, this one gave me strong The Magicians of Caprona vibes, with the magical family all living together in an Italian-ish setting....but the similarities didn't bother me. The magic system also reminded me a little of The Rithmatist, with the drawings that come to life to do battle. Despite similarities to or inspiration from other books, this still had a strong Kingfisher feel to it. The way characters talk, and the delightful details like rampaging radishes....I don't know, there's just something about Kingfisher's books that I just like.
My main criticism of this book would be that I wish we saw a little more of this world beyond the family's house/studio. This particular story takes place almost entirely within their house, with maybe two or three brief visits to other locations. This felt a little claustrophobic to me, and I would have liked to stretch the setting a bit further. It would have been especially interesting to see if this setting IS in fact linked to her other books. I noted a mention of a Bryony Lane (or road?), which might have been a nod to Bryony and Roses.....which just makes me want to go back and reread that one to see if there are any other overlapping details.
Anyway, this was fun. Not earth shattering, but entertaining in that quintessential T. Kingfisher way.
Right of the gate, this one gave me strong The Magicians of Caprona vibes, with the magical family all living together in an Italian-ish setting....but the similarities didn't bother me. The magic system also reminded me a little of The Rithmatist, with the drawings that come to life to do battle. Despite similarities to or inspiration from other books, this still had a strong Kingfisher feel to it. The way characters talk, and the delightful details like rampaging radishes....I don't know, there's just something about Kingfisher's books that I just like.
My main criticism of this book would be that I wish we saw a little more of this world beyond the family's house/studio. This particular story takes place almost entirely within their house, with maybe two or three brief visits to other locations. This felt a little claustrophobic to me, and I would have liked to stretch the setting a bit further. It would have been especially interesting to see if this setting IS in fact linked to her other books. I noted a mention of a Bryony Lane (or road?), which might have been a nod to Bryony and Roses.....which just makes me want to go back and reread that one to see if there are any other overlapping details.
Anyway, this was fun. Not earth shattering, but entertaining in that quintessential T. Kingfisher way.
January 7, 2023
As expected, this was a charming read. Kingfisher once more creates a fascinating world, one where paintings can be made to have magical powers, from the mundane to the extraordinary, and lands us in a family of artists who create such canvases. We follow the youngest member, Rosa, who finds a mysterious box that is guarded by a spell, and who naturally can’t help open it...
It took me a little while to get invested in the plot, but once I was, I whizzed through it, enjoying it immensely. Kingfisher has the knack of creating believable characters, all of them here turned out to be engaging, and putting them in a situation where they grow, while at the same time entertaining you with a funny, and sometimes creepy, narrative.
It took me a little while to get invested in the plot, but once I was, I whizzed through it, enjoying it immensely. Kingfisher has the knack of creating believable characters, all of them here turned out to be engaging, and putting them in a situation where they grow, while at the same time entertaining you with a funny, and sometimes creepy, narrative.
December 10, 2022
This had a bit of a frustrating beginning - frustrating as only a child acting like an actual child can be through an adult reader's eyes - but the rest was sweet, whimsical and original, exactly what I expected and wanted from the author.
June 28, 2023
A quick and fun read, although I was mildly exasperated for how long it took for confessions to be made.
January 16, 2024
A child fantasy protagonist who has a family full of loving, eccentric relatives who HELP her fight the evil magical problems? Why aren't all children's fantasies like this?
I LOVED the family in this book. I loved the thoughts on art and creativity. I loved the humor. I didn't totally follow the rules of the magic system or love every detail but I love this family so much it doesn't matter.
I LOVED the family in this book. I loved the thoughts on art and creativity. I loved the humor. I didn't totally follow the rules of the magic system or love every detail but I love this family so much it doesn't matter.
November 30, 2022
Another strange, hilarious, and thoughtful children’s book by T Kingfisher. I loved the Venice-esque setting (why isn’t Italy used more in historic fantasy books?) and the magic illuminations, which are just as quirky as you might imagine.
If you’ve ever dived into the strange and wonderful world of medieval illustrations, you’d get an idea of just how odd they can be— art that is used to great effect in Illuminations to magically protect milk from spoiling, to clean water, and (most importantly) to protect buildings from pigeon waste. The painting-based magic system is the backbone of this story, and while aspects of it are silly, it provides an emotional gut punch by the end.
The characters are of course terrific, and I especially enjoyed how the story tackles the complexities of young friendship. Serena surprised me by becoming one of my favorite characters and Payne’s backstory is easily the most compelling of the lot. The whole family is worth a mention too, all of them loveable and unique, dedicated to each other and their art.
A wonderful children’s story that has something for everyone! Perfect for artists and art lovers.
If you’ve ever dived into the strange and wonderful world of medieval illustrations, you’d get an idea of just how odd they can be— art that is used to great effect in Illuminations to magically protect milk from spoiling, to clean water, and (most importantly) to protect buildings from pigeon waste. The painting-based magic system is the backbone of this story, and while aspects of it are silly, it provides an emotional gut punch by the end.
The characters are of course terrific, and I especially enjoyed how the story tackles the complexities of young friendship. Serena surprised me by becoming one of my favorite characters and Payne’s backstory is easily the most compelling of the lot. The whole family is worth a mention too, all of them loveable and unique, dedicated to each other and their art.
A wonderful children’s story that has something for everyone! Perfect for artists and art lovers.
November 25, 2022
This is fine.
dnf
September 27, 2023DNF @ 27%
I love T. Kingfisher, but I have to come to terms with the fact that her middle-grades just aren't for me. I tried reading Minor Mage earlier this year, but that was also a DNF.
I think I just prefer Kingfisher's older characters, and, in order to avoid disappointment, I'll only be reading her adult books from now on.
I love T. Kingfisher, but I have to come to terms with the fact that her middle-grades just aren't for me. I tried reading Minor Mage earlier this year, but that was also a DNF.
I think I just prefer Kingfisher's older characters, and, in order to avoid disappointment, I'll only be reading her adult books from now on.
April 5, 2024
HOW? HOW CAN KINGFISHER BE SO GOOD?!
I love a bunch of her books, especially A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, so I figured Illuminations - as a middle grade book - would have the same style. IT DID!
Illuminations is clearly for a slightly younger audience, with the protagonist being eleven years old, bored and fond of playing. There's a lot of dialogues and phrasings though that's easy to appreciate no matter what age you are. It's fun, witty and filled with imagination. And of course some heavier themes that Kingfisher handles in a brilliant way. Definitely buying this for my library!
I love a bunch of her books, especially A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking, so I figured Illuminations - as a middle grade book - would have the same style. IT DID!
Illuminations is clearly for a slightly younger audience, with the protagonist being eleven years old, bored and fond of playing. There's a lot of dialogues and phrasings though that's easy to appreciate no matter what age you are. It's fun, witty and filled with imagination. And of course some heavier themes that Kingfisher handles in a brilliant way. Definitely buying this for my library!
January 19, 2024
Whenever I need a bit of a feel-good pick me-up story, I reach for a T. Kingfisher work—even if it's horror. I just love the originality and eccentricity of her stories and Illuminations is no exception to this rule. Illuminations follows the youngest daughter, Rosa, of one of the most well-known and famous illuminator families. Illuminations are magically imbued drawings that serve specific purposes, like a drawing of a cat with blue eyes to keep mice away, for example.
Ten-year-old Rosa hopes to one day grow up to be an Illuminator herself, but hasn't quite managed to turn her fanged radishes into anything more than art. But Rosa succeeds at opening a magical box hidden away in her basement, which frees a talking crow, and a whole other can of worms. I have to say that the big draw for me picking up this T. Kingfisher book was the talking crow. And I wasn't disappointed, this shiny-obsessed crow is delightful and exactly like what I would imagine an actual loquacious crow to be like.
But the talking crow isn't the only thing going for this story, Rosa and her eccentric family of illuminators are incredibly endearing. Rosa is such a sweet child, who only wants to help her family succeed in their endeavors. Her somewhat contentious relationship with her best friend and daughter of rival illuminator clan, Serena, is also incredibly relatable to anyone who ever grew up with girl friends or older sisters. I also truly adored the rest of her family, especially her coffee-addicted Aunt Nadia, who often had me giggling aloud, and her wise Uncle Alfonso. Though there's plenty of magic to be held in this tale, the true magic is in the relationships that Kingfisher effortlessly weaves between all of her characters, even those who don't have much time on the page. I even found myself choked up and with tears in my eyes at one part in the novel.
My only complaint was that I had a bit of trouble getting into the novel at first. Even though I was interested in the magic system and the characters from the get-go, I just found that things initially unfolded a bit too slowly for my liking. But I'm so glad I stuck with the novel, as once it gets going, it really never stops until the novel comes to a very satisfying and heartwarming conclusion.
Ten-year-old Rosa hopes to one day grow up to be an Illuminator herself, but hasn't quite managed to turn her fanged radishes into anything more than art. But Rosa succeeds at opening a magical box hidden away in her basement, which frees a talking crow, and a whole other can of worms. I have to say that the big draw for me picking up this T. Kingfisher book was the talking crow. And I wasn't disappointed, this shiny-obsessed crow is delightful and exactly like what I would imagine an actual loquacious crow to be like.
“‘Why were you under the bed?’
‘I was…um…doing something….’
‘Did the something involve shiny things?”
‘That is completely irrelevant,’ said Payne. He scowled as well as one could with a beak instead of lips. ‘It is possible that shininess was involved, but I don’t see how it matters.’”
But the talking crow isn't the only thing going for this story, Rosa and her eccentric family of illuminators are incredibly endearing. Rosa is such a sweet child, who only wants to help her family succeed in their endeavors. Her somewhat contentious relationship with her best friend and daughter of rival illuminator clan, Serena, is also incredibly relatable to anyone who ever grew up with girl friends or older sisters. I also truly adored the rest of her family, especially her coffee-addicted Aunt Nadia, who often had me giggling aloud, and her wise Uncle Alfonso. Though there's plenty of magic to be held in this tale, the true magic is in the relationships that Kingfisher effortlessly weaves between all of her characters, even those who don't have much time on the page. I even found myself choked up and with tears in my eyes at one part in the novel.
“Uncle Alfonso smiled. ‘You put your heart into them. That’s what matters. Every illumination takes a piece of the painter’s heart, and that is why the magic works.’”
My only complaint was that I had a bit of trouble getting into the novel at first. Even though I was interested in the magic system and the characters from the get-go, I just found that things initially unfolded a bit too slowly for my liking. But I'm so glad I stuck with the novel, as once it gets going, it really never stops until the novel comes to a very satisfying and heartwarming conclusion.
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September 10, 2023
Cute and charming middle grade read with a fun magic system and interesting concept. I always forget that middle grade reads just don't resonate as much with me lately, so though I enjoyed it, I didn't love it. I was also pretty disappointed in the ending.
August 14, 2024
Beautifully written, entertaining, with likeable characters and interesting story
As usual, when i love a book, it's all hirondelle! Thanks!
As usual, when i love a book, it's all hirondelle! Thanks!
November 6, 2024
4,5.
No entenc per què no es va poder publicar aquesta novel·la signada com a Ursula Vernon, però no deixa de tenir un encant molt propi de la ploma l'autora. Divertida, amb una imaginació desbordant i uns personatges d'allò més vius.
M'ha agradat especialment (i potser més que Guia màgica d'autodefensa amb galetes fins i tot) per les veus tan diferenciades que tenen els seus personatges i el punt entranyable que traspuen tant en relacionar-se entre ells com individualment.
No entenc per què no es va poder publicar aquesta novel·la signada com a Ursula Vernon, però no deixa de tenir un encant molt propi de la ploma l'autora. Divertida, amb una imaginació desbordant i uns personatges d'allò més vius.
M'ha agradat especialment (i potser més que Guia màgica d'autodefensa amb galetes fins i tot) per les veus tan diferenciades que tenen els seus personatges i el punt entranyable que traspuen tant en relacionar-se entre ells com individualment.
Read
December 6, 2022Još jedan Kingfišerkin roman koji nisu pustili u "knjige za decu" mada komotno može 🤷♂️
(Dobar je)
(Dobar je)
September 23, 2025
Maybe even 4.5 stars? This was great!
T. Kingfisher sure loves her root vegetables! First the rutabagas in “Bryony and Roses” and now the radishes in “Illuminations”!
This was so cute! A story about family, friendship and the power of art!
The concept is simple, but wonderfully creative: in this world, art is magic and so called Illuminations are magical helpings. Want to keep mice out of your pantry? Paint a cat with blue eyes! Want to keep the rats of your house? Put a tile with a painted snake on the floor! Want to keep humans from opening the box that contains an evil creature? Paint a crow on it that…oh, or maybe not…(Payn is funny, though, even if he agrees: putting the evil in a fancy looking box might only attract curious people, or bored children like Rosa)
This world has a lot of “Italian renaissance” vibes in my opinion. Could just be the ubiquity of art though.
The characters were all quite excentric (fitting for artists), but written with love and care! Rosa, our main character, is the youngest in a big family of Illuminators and is not yet very talented, but great at drawing fanged radishes. The story mostly gets into motion because she is very bored.
Her family is wonderful and excentric and a little chaotic. Her grandmother is lovingly strict, her cousin Sergio talks fast and sometimes stands on his head to think better (he is a little neurodivergent coded, I’d say), her aunt Nadia is a little prickly, but pretty cool. Rosa says that if her uncle Alphonso has one flaw, it’s that he only ever sees the best in people.
I especially loved the themes of friendship vs envy/jealousy as well as individuality vs working together. Serena, daughter or a rival art studio, is Rosa’s best friend. Or was, since they start the story after a big argument since Serena got her very first art commission and Rosa cannot yet get over her envy of that. The story explores how you can be competitive in a field without becoming hateful of one another and shows how it can be hard to be friends, if you are also rivals in a way.
The plot took a while to really take off in the beginning and there were some instances that felt a little too long, but overall a very entertaining book!
My two favourite quotes, because I actually clipped them in the audiobook while listening:
“That’s one of the hardest parts of being an artist, you know – learning to be patient with yourself when you’re not as good as you want to be. You have to say, ‘I may not be very good today, but I’ll be better tomorrow, and in a year, I’ll be amazing!’” (uncle Alphonso to Rosa, chapter 18)
And then one about grieve:
(chapter 37)
Extra:
“You girls go to bed now!” called Grandmama. “No more giggling or talking about boys or whatever it is you do!”
“Boys!” muttered Serena. “That’s just what we don’t need.”
“I thought you liked boys,” whispered Rosa.
“To look at. Not to do important stuff.”
T. Kingfisher sure loves her root vegetables! First the rutabagas in “Bryony and Roses” and now the radishes in “Illuminations”!
This was so cute! A story about family, friendship and the power of art!
The concept is simple, but wonderfully creative: in this world, art is magic and so called Illuminations are magical helpings. Want to keep mice out of your pantry? Paint a cat with blue eyes! Want to keep the rats of your house? Put a tile with a painted snake on the floor! Want to keep humans from opening the box that contains an evil creature? Paint a crow on it that…oh, or maybe not…(Payn is funny, though, even if he agrees: putting the evil in a fancy looking box might only attract curious people, or bored children like Rosa)
This world has a lot of “Italian renaissance” vibes in my opinion. Could just be the ubiquity of art though.
The characters were all quite excentric (fitting for artists), but written with love and care! Rosa, our main character, is the youngest in a big family of Illuminators and is not yet very talented, but great at drawing fanged radishes. The story mostly gets into motion because she is very bored.
Her family is wonderful and excentric and a little chaotic. Her grandmother is lovingly strict, her cousin Sergio talks fast and sometimes stands on his head to think better (he is a little neurodivergent coded, I’d say), her aunt Nadia is a little prickly, but pretty cool. Rosa says that if her uncle Alphonso has one flaw, it’s that he only ever sees the best in people.
I especially loved the themes of friendship vs envy/jealousy as well as individuality vs working together. Serena, daughter or a rival art studio, is Rosa’s best friend. Or was, since they start the story after a big argument since Serena got her very first art commission and Rosa cannot yet get over her envy of that. The story explores how you can be competitive in a field without becoming hateful of one another and shows how it can be hard to be friends, if you are also rivals in a way.
The plot took a while to really take off in the beginning and there were some instances that felt a little too long, but overall a very entertaining book!
My two favourite quotes, because I actually clipped them in the audiobook while listening:
“That’s one of the hardest parts of being an artist, you know – learning to be patient with yourself when you’re not as good as you want to be. You have to say, ‘I may not be very good today, but I’ll be better tomorrow, and in a year, I’ll be amazing!’” (uncle Alphonso to Rosa, chapter 18)
And then one about grieve:
(chapter 37)
Extra:
“You girls go to bed now!” called Grandmama. “No more giggling or talking about boys or whatever it is you do!”
“Boys!” muttered Serena. “That’s just what we don’t need.”
“I thought you liked boys,” whispered Rosa.
“To look at. Not to do important stuff.”
March 17, 2023
Cute, whimsical, and magical. I loved the magic system in this story, it reminded me of Harold and the Purple Crayon with a slightly darker bent. It was fun to watch Rosa learn confidence in herself and grow into her magic, I loved the themes of friendship and family, too.
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