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Dziewiątka jest sierotą i złodziejką i bardzo chce uciec od swojego życia w Gnieździe Tysiąca Skarbów, gdzie władzę sprawuje gangster Szmal. Kiedy z torebki tajemniczej kobiety kradnie ozdobę w kształcie domu i puka do jego maleńkich drzwiczek, niewinny przedmiot zamienia się w… ogromny dom. Po wejściu do środka Dziewiątka spotyka zabawne magiczne postacie, w tym Mroczysława młodego czarodzieja, mistrza gry w klasy, i trolla kamerdynera bardzo przywiązanego do swojej miotełki do kurzu. Wszyscy utknęli tam za sprawą klątwy, które zdjąć może tylko Dziewiątka. Jeśli zdoła to uczynić, może w zamian zaoferują jej nowe życie…

Pierwszy tom bestsellerowej magicznej serii Amy Sparkes! Jeśli kochacie Alicję w Krainie Czarów, te książkę również pokochacie.

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 7, 2021

444 people are currently reading
9634 people want to read

About the author

Amy Sparkes

38 books139 followers

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5 stars
879 (21%)
4 stars
1,514 (36%)
3 stars
1,406 (33%)
2 stars
299 (7%)
1 star
44 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 688 reviews
Profile Image for Nikola.
795 reviews16.5k followers
dnf
May 28, 2025
Te 100 stron czytałam 4 dni. Zero zainteresowania z mojej strony 😭
Profile Image for Avani ✨.
1,893 reviews445 followers
April 19, 2021
An adventurous journey! But I felt it was abit rushed. Nonetheless, the story and the characters were very sweet.
Profile Image for Romie.
1,197 reviews6 followers
March 23, 2021
This was such a lovely book! It's the perfect story to read in one sitting with a cup of tea and warm plaid around your shoulders. It was so comforting and easy to read! I cannot wait for the sequel! (4.07)
Profile Image for Asha - A Cat, A Book, And A Cup Of Tea.
339 reviews49 followers
December 16, 2020
I was so hopeful for this book to be as Diana Wynne Jones-ish as the blurb sounded, but it's a very different kettle of fish. Where DWJ's books are character-focused and charmingly, dryly British in their humour, The House at the Edge of Magic is a loud, zany book with humour derived from a lot of yelling, bat droppings and trolls in aprons. Characters shout and exclaim almost every line, and the whole thing is suffused with high energy and surprises popping out every which-way, to the point that it actually felt like an effort for me, an introvert, to read. The silly humour and tone were not my cup of tea at all, but it will definitely entertain kids of about 7-10 looking for a riotous read. The oddball cast of characters are amusing caricatures that all have interesting quirks, but they were under-developed and barely seemed to go through any growth.

What frustrated me was that I could see the bones of a clever middle grade fantasy here, but it's all a bit shallow - the plot races along too fast to get invested in and too choppily for any substance to stick to it, so I was left feeling disappointed. I really wasn't expecting to finish this inside 40 minutes! It definitely feels like one for the younger end of middle grade, and I'm very surprised to see other reviewers comparing it to Sophie Anderson's thoughtful, deep books. I think this is just not right for me, since I prefer my MG fantasy smart rather than silly, and character-focused rather than centred on crazy occurrences - but I would recommend to those looking for a lighter, louder read. 3 out of five stars.
Profile Image for Belles Middle Grade Library.
863 reviews
April 14, 2021
This was a such a fun quick read! Read it all almost in 1 sitting. Nine is an orphan pickpocket determined to escape her life in the Nest of a Thousand Treasures. When she steals a house-shaped ornament she knocks on its tiny door & watches it grow into a huge, higgledy-piggeldy house. Inside she finds a host of magical & brilliantly funny characters, including Flabberghast – a young wizard who’s particularly competitive at hopscotch – & a hideous troll housekeeper(Eric)who’s emotionally attached to his feather duster. They’ve all been placed under a curse, & they’re desperate for Nine to break it. If she can, maybe they can offer her something in return. This was such an interesting idea for a story, & I loved the concept & I adored the quirky eccentric characters-but Eric has my heart. Nine annoyed me so much being so mean to him, & hurting his feelings too! Lol I understand why she is the way she is after everything she’s been through at such a young age, but she still makes it hard to like her lol I think I’ll like her more in the next book though! I think the book could have also benefited from being a little longer to help develop the characters & story a bit more. But many of the details really made this so fun-like parts of the curse that are just too horrible for them to bear is not being able to open the tea cabinet w/o being zapped & turned into ridiculous things, so they haven’t had tea for 3 years! Lol I laughed so hard at this, & really enjoyed my time reading it. Will be on the lookout for book 2! STUNNING cover by Ben Mantle too! So amazing!💜
Profile Image for Milou.
367 reviews9 followers
November 25, 2020
It isn’t often that I read a book in a single sitting, even middle grade. But this one did it for me. And sure, it was a shorter book (240 pages). But it was also immensly readable and a whole lot of fun.

We follow Nine, and orphaned thiefling who finds herself inside a magical house, inhabited by Dr Spoon the alchemist, Eric the troll housekeeper, and Flabberghast, High Wizard, Chair of the Tea Tasters Committee, World Hopscotch Champion 1835. The house is cursed… the inhabitants cannot leave it, the toilets moves around, the toad’s tongue is missing so they cannot move around, and worst of all: they cannot open the tea cupboard. And Nine is the only one who can break this curse.

Nine was a great character. She is feisty and has had to learn to fend for her own and never show weakness. So yes she helps out, but only for the reward. She doesn’t say sorry, or thank you. She isn’t nice, but after what she has been through, she shouldn’t be. Seeing her grow and find kindness throughout the story is just wonderful to read. Eric is the cutest and I want to adopt him. Flabberghast is very reminiscent of Howl (though the magical, moving house also adds to this feeling).

I would have liked to have seen more of the house. Sure we see the garden and its bats with acid dung, we see the crypt of the Somtimes-Dead, the skeleton in the closet, the burping sugar-bowl and the growning staircase. And all this made me hungry for more. For example, we never got to see Nine’s room. But it looks like there will be a sequel, so maybe we will see more then.

This book was utterly ridiculous, magical and so much fun! I adored it.
Profile Image for Anubha (BooksFullOfLife, LifeFullOfBooks).
756 reviews85 followers
October 25, 2022
I loved this book!

The story is about this young orphan girl named Nine by the orphanage who finds a magical house while she goes out to steal something to give back to Pocket (orphan incharge). If you have seen Howl's moving castle, imagine that when you picture the house. The wizard is grumpy, but the troll housekeeper is a ray of sunshine. A witch has placed a curse on the castle and whosoever comes knocking to the house is the only one who can break the curse.

It's an amazing book, an introduction to a house full of magic and interesting characters. It made me feel so excited and definitely a fast read. Please pick this up! It's highly underrated and more people need to read it.
Profile Image for Chaitanya Srivastava.
213 reviews126 followers
July 16, 2021
This is was my first ever pick - Book of The Month (April 2021) for the book club that I started and run - Chai N Books Book Club. Here are the details if in case someone is interested: https://chaiwithchaitanya20.wordpress...

I picked this up because apparently in some list this was featured that if you enjoyed The Hosue in The Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, then you should check this out! The moment I saw that, I knew I had to check this book out!

It was good. But not great! Having read a lot of Middle-Grade books, I feel this was unable to hold my attention in the way I had hoped. I believe it was partly due to the fact that I had very different kinds of expectations from the book!

The book had its own moments of intense wonder, joy and excitement and lots of laughs out loud moments. The characters were also cute and interesting! The whole - found family - trope is becoming my favourite with every passing day!

Read this if you're interested in a quick fun-filled and not so heavy read. Since this is for kids, I think the adult lens definitely takes away what a kid would feel.
Profile Image for Marta Demianiuk.
854 reviews602 followers
April 15, 2025
Ja już jestem trochę za stara na tę książkę, ale czytając ją oczami wyobraźni widziałam, co ta historia jest w stanie zrobić z małym umysłem. Wspaniała, barwna pożywka dla dziecięcej wyobraźni! Do tego humor, przygoda, odrobina szaleństwa i uroczych niecodziennych bohaterów.

Może i jestem na nią za stara, nie przeszkadza mi to jednak być ciekawą kolejnych tomów i kolejnych przygód Dziewiątki.
Profile Image for Sina & Ilona Glimmerfee.
1,056 reviews118 followers
November 24, 2021
Ein total verrücktes magisches Abenteuer.

Neun ist eine Taschendiebin. Auf dem Markt entdeckt sie eine Frau in einem roten Kleid, der sie versucht die Handtasche zu stehlen. Der erste Versuch scheitert, doch dann kann sie wenigstens eine kleine Miniatur von einem Haus daraus entwenden. Als ihr das Mini-Haus hinfällt, beginnt es sich vor ihren Augen zu entfalten. Mutig nimmt sie sich ein Herz und klopft an und stolpert so in ein verrücktes Abenteuer.

Die Geschichte ist prall gefüllt mit kreativen Ideen und skurrilen Charakteren. Im Haus erwartet sie ein Troll mit gerüschter Schürze und einer Vorliebe fürs Kochen, der Zauberer Eiderdaus mit Umhang und Pantoffeln, so wie ein lebender Löffel mit Kilt und Schwert. Schnell wird es im Buch spannend, denn es gilt den Fluch einer Hexe zu brechen, damit Eiderdaus wieder guten Tee trinken kann und die Toilette an ihrem Platz bleibt. Es ist ein witziges und spannendes Buch.
Die Kapitel sind relativ kurz, sodass junge Abenteurer ab 10 Jahre., nicht überfordert werden.

Das Buch wurde mir als kostenfreies Rezensionsexemplar zur Verfügung gestellt.
Profile Image for stefiereads.
384 reviews118 followers
September 18, 2021
4.5 stars.
It’s been a long time since I read a book that made me laugh this much.
It’s chaotic. It’s funny and SO fun! ♥
Wizard? Witch? Troll? This book has it all. Including quirky characters that you’ll love!

Now, don’t go read this book expecting a deep, complicated story with a bow wow twist and ending. The wonderful thing about this book is on the journey itself. It will take you on a magical ride, laugh with you, and made you forget your problem a little bit. It’s like a good friend that will cheer you up in an instant. Okay, Imagine going a theme park with a good friend. That’s how I feel!!!

Honestly speaking, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book this chaotic and hilarious! Please pick this one up! I think the younger readers and adult will absolutely love it! :)
Profile Image for Julia.
Author 1 book51 followers
December 19, 2020
A fun middle-grade read.

Nine is an orphan. Her thieving leads her to the house of Dr Spoon the alchemist, Eric the troll housekeeper, and Flabberghast, High Wizard. The house is cursed, the people living inside cannot leave the house. Furthermore, the tea cupboard is cursed, too. It cannot be opened. Flabberghast has had to go without tea for ages now. Of course, Nine is the only one who can break the curse.

The book is full of fun and I enjoyed every page. I'm hoping there will be a sequel which shows some more of the quirky rooms in the House at the Edge of Magic.
Profile Image for Mattie.
447 reviews54 followers
September 30, 2020
This middle grade story is fun, fast-paced and outrageous. I loved the magic of the house and the crazy things going on in it, but I wish the characters and plot were more developed.
Profile Image for Camille.
584 reviews38 followers
March 8, 2024
Un roman qui pioche dans le roman d'aventures, de Fantasy tout en ayant de nombreuses références à Oliver Twist. Pas trop long et bien rythmé
Vraiment bien !
Profile Image for Resh (The Book Satchel).
523 reviews545 followers
November 15, 2020
Nine is a pickpocket who steals an ornament from an old lady. Turns out it is a cursed houses where
a group of eccentric characters live — a talking spoon, a housekeeping troll Eric, a wizard Flabberghast who is a champion at hopscotch. Nine and her new friends must break the spell to escape. There are thrills are surprises — walking toilets, enchanted cupboards and more. I liked the imagination and the wonders (and curses) the house springs up. However the book could've used a better grasp on the plot and characters.

Much thanks to Walker for an e-copy. All opinions are my own.

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Profile Image for Jude (NovelReader13).
420 reviews
October 14, 2022
4.5⭐

A quirky little story with a reluctant heroine at its center. Nine has a giant chip on her shoulder and I love how prickly, moody and not-at-all-impressed by the magical house she is. There's plenty of whimsy, the side characters are lovable, and things go from spooky to silly and back again in no time.
This was an utterly delightful read!
Profile Image for haze_books.
345 reviews21 followers
November 14, 2021
absolutely brilliant so fun and quirky 😊 if you or your child is looking for magical wonder definitely check this out 😍
Profile Image for Amber.
1,184 reviews
January 29, 2023
When a young girl named Nine steals a magical house ornament and knocks on the door, a giant house magically appears and the denizens bring her inside. Can she help the denizens of the house break the curse? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good young adult fantasy novel that gave me Howl's moving castle vibes. If you enjoy stories like this, then be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books and ebooks are sold.
Profile Image for Ellen-Arwen Tristram.
Author 1 book76 followers
June 9, 2025
I picked this up free from Audible because, honestly, I've been feeling so rubbish I just wanted something fun and happy and easy to listen to while I'm finding it hard to read.

And... it was okay, I guess? This is a totally subjective review - aren't all reviews subjective? It just feels like this is moreso - because it wasn't quite I needed. I'm evidently not the intended audience (I reckon this is a YOUNG middle-grade read, more like 8-10, but that's based on my reading tastes at that age), and the silliness was just... too much to be honest.

So, it's about an orphaned pickpocket called Nine (as she was the ninth person to get 'taken in' by Biscuits at their 'Nest') who gets a bit of a surprise when the ornament she steals from an old woman grows into a higgledy-piggledy house full of strange people - and they need her help. They can't leave, and have been waiting THREE YEARS for someone to enter the house to save them... that Someone just happens to be Nine.

It wasn't soothing because of the sheer silliness; here's an idea, going by the house's inhabitants:
- Wizard Flabbergast who lives in a purple robe and slippers and whose true passion is wizarding hopscotch, just really, really wants a cup of tea
- Eric the troll is the housekeeper has an emotional support blanket in the form of a pink feather duster, and can't speak in entire sentences
- Spoon, who spends most of his time locked up in his room doing experiments, is just craving to get back to his creative partner, Dish...

It's all more of the same. All over the place. Probably fine for a hyperactive eight-year-old, but didn't hit the spot as something to let me listen while feeling ill :P
Profile Image for Little Red R..
149 reviews46 followers
October 23, 2020
I haven't read middle grade in a while... what a shame! This book was everything I was looking for! But first, can we stop and admire this wonderful cover? This cover is the very reason I've been wanted to read this book!
The house at the edge of magic is soooo immersive!

I looooved Nine, this little pickpocket so much! The story was really enjoyable! It made me think of a tale we read at bedtime! The story really begins when Nine, while stealing from an old lady, got an enchanted ornament. this ornament happens to be a house. In this house, she meet people who can't get out from the house... because of a curse. Nine will help them breaking the curse. This journey is so fast pasted and addictive! Beside, how wonderful and creative Amy Sparkes is? I really love every characters and the original story!

I'll reread it to review it more before its release and I'll get myself a physical copy for sure!
Profile Image for miss_mandrake.
809 reviews62 followers
February 28, 2022
“All she saw - all she felt - were the books, their words breathing stories, wisdom, and the only escape and freedom she had ever known.“

Was für ein zuckersüßes, spannendes, lustiges und magisches Buch.
Wundervoll geschrieben, für Jung und Alt geeignet und einfach was fürs Herz in dieser doch sehr schwierigen Zeit.
Konnte mich in der aktuellen Situation auf kein Buch einlassen und dafür ist diese locker leichte Geschichte perfekt 💖

Band 2 ist schon bestellt und dieser hier ist sogar auf deutsch im Dragonfly Verlag erhältlich.
Profile Image for Manon.
2,265 reviews33 followers
January 24, 2021
Unfortunately, this book fell a little flat for me. Where the concept really grabbed my attention, the story was okay but I didn't really have a connection with it, nor with the main character. Because of that, I found my thoughts often straying.
Profile Image for Marilisa.
200 reviews18 followers
August 2, 2021
Nine, an orphan thief, finds herself tangled up in a magical adventure with the most unlikely of sidekicks. Just magical
Profile Image for flotrenza.
158 reviews5 followers
October 24, 2020
Okay, so this book was so adorable.

I absolutely loved Eric the troll, I cannot even begin to describe how much my heart just felt for him!!

This book was simply divine.

Nine has a great storyline and so when I put this through CAWPILE, characters came out at 8/10 because they all had a redeemable quality. Nine just wants a family! Flabby wants tea. Eric just wants to clean!! (my heartttt) and Spoon wants to find Dish!

The entire concept was brilliant and from start to finish, you couldn’t help but root for each character.

The quest Nine embarks on is quite simply so ridiculous, you’ll actually laugh your a** off.

I landed at a very high 3 for this book as it’s not one I would read again, but at that moment, it gave me the ultimate enjoyment!

Thank you to Walker Books Ltd and Netgalley for the eARC of this book.
Profile Image for Emanuela.
762 reviews39 followers
February 27, 2024
Nove è un’orfanella che è stata messa in salvo dalla strada da un anziano uomo disilluso che protegge i bambini soli in cambio dei loro doni speciali.
Questi doni sono i frutti dei loro furti. Infatti conosciamo Nove proprio in occasione di un tentativo di borseggio da cui trae un oggetto misterioso: una statuetta di una casa. Ma scopre presto che nasconde un segreto: è magica.
E in compagnia dei suoi strampalati abitanti, Eric il troll, Basito il mago e Cucchiaio lo scienziato, affronta strepitose avventure che sembrano poterle restituire una speranza.

Inizialmente la bambina protagonista mi è risultata un po’ antipatica, sembra brusca e scostante sempre con chiunque incontri, e soprattutto mi urtava quando lo era con il dolcissimo Eric che aveva per lei sempre una para carina e una caramella per risolvere i problemi.
Poi invece facendone la conoscenza pian piano si capisce che la sua scontrosità è una corazza e che nasconde molte emozioni diverse e una grande fragilità.
La sua storia fino a quel momento del resto è stata una prova durissima e le ha insegnato a non fidarsi mai di nessuno, a non essere grata perché poi si finisce per essere debitrice e a non piangere mai per non mostrarsi debole.
Inoltre si nota il suo grande cambiamento quando ha a che fare con i libri, in particolare i gialli, che adora, e il bibliotecario che le permette di prenderli in prestito anche senza tessera.

Tutti i protagonisti sono tutti caratterizzati a meraviglia ed è impossibile non affezionarglisi anche se il mio preferito è stato il domestico troll Eric (se non si era capito prima).
La casa con tutte le sue stranezze è divertentissima e non finisce mai di stupire con nuove particolarità.

Ma la cosa più bella è stato il finale perché la figura della strega e la scoperta legata al suo ruolo e alla motivazione della maledizione che ha lanciato sulla casa sono carichi di significati e insegnano tanto sul rispetto e la tolleranza.

Lettura adatta ai bambini ma che può intrattenere piacevolmente anche un pubblico adulto.
Profile Image for Mag.
486 reviews25 followers
May 5, 2024
4.5⭐
Une aventure magique dans un joyeux chaos qui ne nous laisse aucun répit ! J'ai adoré cette maison capricieuse qui m'a forcément fait penser à l'univers de la Belle et la Bête. Je repartirai volontiers dans de nouvelles aventures aux côtés des personnages. L'écriture est légère, espiègle, et invite les petits lecteurs à se lancer dans cette aventure romanesque à souhait, où l'imagination pétille comme un joyeux feu d'artifice.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 688 reviews

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