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Fowl Blade
Ten-year-old Alex is unwanted and unloved. She spends her days alone, rarely speaking so much a word to anyone else.
A visit to her kindly grandmother’s mansion in the woods promises an escape. A chance to get away from cruel classmates and crueler parents. A chance to be a kid for once.
But Alex receives nothing of the sort. Grandma, caught between her grief for her recently deceased husband and the pain of her own failing body, has no time for her. The only companionship Alex finds comes from a flock of chickens that is suddenly her responsibility to keep alive.
One day, Grandma disappears. Alex goes searching and stumbles into a new world, one that is a dangerous magical reflection of her own, complete with giant, talking, sword-wielding counterparts of her beloved chickens. Only Grandmother knows the way back home. To find her, Alex and her flock must brave hungry night creatures, battle a tyrannical twenty-foot-tall rooster, and face the dark witch in her castle.
A visit to her kindly grandmother’s mansion in the woods promises an escape. A chance to get away from cruel classmates and crueler parents. A chance to be a kid for once.
But Alex receives nothing of the sort. Grandma, caught between her grief for her recently deceased husband and the pain of her own failing body, has no time for her. The only companionship Alex finds comes from a flock of chickens that is suddenly her responsibility to keep alive.
One day, Grandma disappears. Alex goes searching and stumbles into a new world, one that is a dangerous magical reflection of her own, complete with giant, talking, sword-wielding counterparts of her beloved chickens. Only Grandmother knows the way back home. To find her, Alex and her flock must brave hungry night creatures, battle a tyrannical twenty-foot-tall rooster, and face the dark witch in her castle.
237 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 17, 2025
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 30, 2025
When I first heard there was a book about warrior chickens, I was excited to read it.
I really enjoyed Hannah and Gregory (a Hansel and Gretel retelling) by this author, so I thought I would give this one a go - and it didn’t disappoint!
If I had to sum this book up in one word, it would be charming. It really hits you in the feels. It’s a middle-grade book about Alex, who feels isolated in her own world. She stays with her grandma, who is dealing with struggles of her own and, as with many fantasy middle-grade books, it becomes a portal fantasy into another world, one where versions of her grandma’s chickens, sometimes called chickosaurs, are much bigger, can talk and can fight!
What follows is an adventure story: travelling with the chickens, battling unpleasant enemies, developing relationships (my favourite is Alex and Jetta’s friendship) and enjoying the occasional tea break. It’s a Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe mixed with Chicken Run kind of story, with some Salvador Dali thrown in imagery. I loved this.
From a writing point of view, I was impressed with the prose. I really appreciated the author’s ability to move the action forward with a mix of concise, short sentences and longer ones.
I will keep looking out for more from JC Faust!
I really enjoyed Hannah and Gregory (a Hansel and Gretel retelling) by this author, so I thought I would give this one a go - and it didn’t disappoint!
If I had to sum this book up in one word, it would be charming. It really hits you in the feels. It’s a middle-grade book about Alex, who feels isolated in her own world. She stays with her grandma, who is dealing with struggles of her own and, as with many fantasy middle-grade books, it becomes a portal fantasy into another world, one where versions of her grandma’s chickens, sometimes called chickosaurs, are much bigger, can talk and can fight!
What follows is an adventure story: travelling with the chickens, battling unpleasant enemies, developing relationships (my favourite is Alex and Jetta’s friendship) and enjoying the occasional tea break. It’s a Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe mixed with Chicken Run kind of story, with some Salvador Dali thrown in imagery. I loved this.
From a writing point of view, I was impressed with the prose. I really appreciated the author’s ability to move the action forward with a mix of concise, short sentences and longer ones.
I will keep looking out for more from JC Faust!
Displaying 1 of 1 review