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Willomina Tip: Lost in the Imperial City
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June 17, 2026
Thank you to the author for a free copy of the book! A positive review was not required. The following review is my honest opinion.
I’ve internet-known Grace Gidman as a fellow Christian writer for a number of years now and was delighted to see her debut book published. I was always planning to read it, but the free copy meant I got the chance to read it even sooner. :)
“Willomina Tip: Lost in the Imperial City” is a Middle Grade fantasy book set in a steampunk world with floating islands and flying ships. Our main character, 11-year-old Willomina, is the daughter of a man who captains one such flying ship, and a woman who is part of a long line of people who make unique “moss gems” out of the resin of trees on their island. When Willomina and her father take his flying ship to visit the grand Imperial City, Willomina becomes separated from her father and must find her way back despite the chaos of rebellion erupting across the city.
This story was, quite frankly, a delight. Grace has been honing her writing for years, and all that time and practice is evident here in her debut. I was sucked in immediately and found it so easy to read and get emotionally involved in, not the least because I was enjoying it so much, but also because it’s very well written.
The Middle Grade adventure feel is on point here, and the story vibes honestly reminded me of some well-known children’s classics, like “The Tale of Despereaux” by Kate DiCamillo, or “The Thief Lord” by Cornelia Funke, all while being its own unique story, and having the additional depth of faith themes that are missing from those other stories.
Willomina was a likable main character to follow with her kind, helpful, and resilient spirit. She’s being raised by a family who loves her and grounds her and her little brother in truth. And she turns around and shows love to others. But she’s not just nice to be nice, she’s kind because that’s what she believes Ehyeh, the creator of all things, wants her to be. During the story, people and circumstances try to make Willo forget who she is, but she fights to keep her identity as someone who is loved and valuable, and even helps other people realize their value as well.
As Willomina searches for a way back to her father, she comes across quite a few colorful characters whom I enjoyed meeting, ranging from orphan boys to legendary thieves, (I would name them and talk all day about all the ways I loved them, but I’m trying not to spoil too much.) all while trying to dodge rebels causing trouble throughout the city. Things got very exciting at times, and I often had trouble putting down the book to go to do necessary things like sleep!
While I enjoyed all of the side characters, my favorite new of the new friends that Willomina made was Lady Rose who, as I said in my reading updates, is precious and needs to be protected. You’re just going to have to read the book to find out who she is. ;)
It is possible that I got just a little misty-eyed at the end and hugged my ereader with joy.
Overall, this was a fun and charming story, with many likable characters and a classic feel. I truly enjoyed it from beginning to end and am 100% on board for any future adventures in this creative world! Please give yourself a treat and read it!
Content Advisory:
This book is written for Middle Grade audiences and very appropriate for that age range.
Possible spoilers ahead.
Language:
None. One brief mention that some angry prisoners said “filthy words.”
Sexual/Romance:
None.
Violence/Scariness:
Willomina and her father hear gunshots and have to run from people who are fighting each other. (We learn later that people who are rebelling against the Imperials are the ones who started the fighting.) It’s stated that people are fighting with swords and guns, but this is not described in detail. Willomina witnesses some people “fall and not get up” but that’s the extent of any description of death. No blood or wounds and the fighting isn’t lingered upon.
The title of the book refers to the fact that Willomina gets separated from her father because of the fighting, and she has to find her way back home. She gets chased multiple times by different people during the story and witnesses a couple of explosions. (We’re not aware of anyone getting killed, but Willomina sees people rush to fight the resulting fires. Much later on, Willomina hears some rebels talking about setting fires without caring who they might have hurt.)
An older boy talks about the fact that his parents died (no description) and his brother has been taken away to a school that pretty much brainwashes people.
The head of said school treats children poorly, forcing them to take new names and forget their real ones. Sometimes, she lies to children that their family members are dead so they’ll think they have nowhere to run. She punishes any children wh push back against her strict rules of never being able to ask questions, never being able to use their real names, and overall being groomed into “good Imperial citizens” who never think for themselves. The punishments involve things like scrubbing a wall, and other such manual labor, while being guarded by her crazy pet rooster that hates children and will claw them if they try to leave. If they really anger her, she'll lock them in a shed overnight (or longer) and doesn't even always bring them necessities like water.
Willomina sees scars on other children’s hands and arms proving the rooster has attacked before. The rooster does eventually attack another girl in front of Willomina and badly claws the girl’s arm. (Brief mention of blood.) When it won’t stop attacking, Willomina comes to her defense, wrestling the rooster and getting clawed and pecked herself. (Brief mentions of pain.) She ends up grabbing it by the neck and throwing it. It hits a wall and we’re told that it’s dead. No description of the body other than a mention that it wasn’t moving.
When Willomina attempts to escape by climbing a wall, an adult grabs her ankles and tries to forcibly pull her down. She ends up kicking this person in the nose to get away. (Mention of blood streaming from the person’s nose.) Willomina badly sprains her arm and ankle in the process. (Mentions of pain, but someone bandages her up.)
Mention of adult prisoners in a jail fighting each other, but no description. Mention of a bloody nose when a prisoner runs into a wall during the fight.
Willomina, two young teens, and two adults get held at gunpoint by a rebel who ties them up and threatens them (the threats aren’t graphic, he just implies he’s willing to hurt them if they don’t give him the information he wants). They escape, but get chased and shot at. One adult gets shot in the shoulder, but survives. (A scene later on shows that he recovered well.) Brief description of blood on his shirt and his pained expression.
Some trained (and very intelligent) rats sometimes bite human attackers in defense of their owners and friends.
Spiritual/Magic:
Willomina’s father tells her about a creator named “Ehyeh” who made everything and cares about everybody. References to Ehyeh and Christian themes throughout.
No magic. There are fantastical elements like flying ships, floating islands, and mentions of made-up animals, but all of this is a natural part of this steampunk fantasy world. A man has a pet rat that is extremely intelligent but it’s stated that she’s part of a line of very intelligent rats, and the man has trained his rat to do a lot of things.
A legend claims that a notorious thief could be a shape-shifter, but this is disproven. He's just human.
Other:
One adult character is a career thief who inherited his role from a long line of thieves before him. While he initially seems to have no regrets about stealing, he does have compassion for children in need and helps Willomina and her friends at various points. Willomina later tells him that Ehyeh didn't create him to steal, He created him to give good things to others, like how he helped protect Willomina and her friends. The man seems to take this to heart and we see him near the end of the book planning a new life.
A couple brief mentions of adults smoking pipes. Brief mention of an alehouse and drunk adults.
I’ve internet-known Grace Gidman as a fellow Christian writer for a number of years now and was delighted to see her debut book published. I was always planning to read it, but the free copy meant I got the chance to read it even sooner. :)
“Willomina Tip: Lost in the Imperial City” is a Middle Grade fantasy book set in a steampunk world with floating islands and flying ships. Our main character, 11-year-old Willomina, is the daughter of a man who captains one such flying ship, and a woman who is part of a long line of people who make unique “moss gems” out of the resin of trees on their island. When Willomina and her father take his flying ship to visit the grand Imperial City, Willomina becomes separated from her father and must find her way back despite the chaos of rebellion erupting across the city.
This story was, quite frankly, a delight. Grace has been honing her writing for years, and all that time and practice is evident here in her debut. I was sucked in immediately and found it so easy to read and get emotionally involved in, not the least because I was enjoying it so much, but also because it’s very well written.
The Middle Grade adventure feel is on point here, and the story vibes honestly reminded me of some well-known children’s classics, like “The Tale of Despereaux” by Kate DiCamillo, or “The Thief Lord” by Cornelia Funke, all while being its own unique story, and having the additional depth of faith themes that are missing from those other stories.
Willomina was a likable main character to follow with her kind, helpful, and resilient spirit. She’s being raised by a family who loves her and grounds her and her little brother in truth. And she turns around and shows love to others. But she’s not just nice to be nice, she’s kind because that’s what she believes Ehyeh, the creator of all things, wants her to be. During the story, people and circumstances try to make Willo forget who she is, but she fights to keep her identity as someone who is loved and valuable, and even helps other people realize their value as well.
As Willomina searches for a way back to her father, she comes across quite a few colorful characters whom I enjoyed meeting, ranging from orphan boys to legendary thieves, (I would name them and talk all day about all the ways I loved them, but I’m trying not to spoil too much.) all while trying to dodge rebels causing trouble throughout the city. Things got very exciting at times, and I often had trouble putting down the book to go to do necessary things like sleep!
While I enjoyed all of the side characters, my favorite new of the new friends that Willomina made was Lady Rose who, as I said in my reading updates, is precious and needs to be protected. You’re just going to have to read the book to find out who she is. ;)
It is possible that I got just a little misty-eyed at the end and hugged my ereader with joy.
Overall, this was a fun and charming story, with many likable characters and a classic feel. I truly enjoyed it from beginning to end and am 100% on board for any future adventures in this creative world! Please give yourself a treat and read it!
Content Advisory:
This book is written for Middle Grade audiences and very appropriate for that age range.
Possible spoilers ahead.
Language:
None. One brief mention that some angry prisoners said “filthy words.”
Sexual/Romance:
None.
Violence/Scariness:
Willomina and her father hear gunshots and have to run from people who are fighting each other. (We learn later that people who are rebelling against the Imperials are the ones who started the fighting.) It’s stated that people are fighting with swords and guns, but this is not described in detail. Willomina witnesses some people “fall and not get up” but that’s the extent of any description of death. No blood or wounds and the fighting isn’t lingered upon.
The title of the book refers to the fact that Willomina gets separated from her father because of the fighting, and she has to find her way back home. She gets chased multiple times by different people during the story and witnesses a couple of explosions. (We’re not aware of anyone getting killed, but Willomina sees people rush to fight the resulting fires. Much later on, Willomina hears some rebels talking about setting fires without caring who they might have hurt.)
An older boy talks about the fact that his parents died (no description) and his brother has been taken away to a school that pretty much brainwashes people.
The head of said school treats children poorly, forcing them to take new names and forget their real ones. Sometimes, she lies to children that their family members are dead so they’ll think they have nowhere to run. She punishes any children wh push back against her strict rules of never being able to ask questions, never being able to use their real names, and overall being groomed into “good Imperial citizens” who never think for themselves. The punishments involve things like scrubbing a wall, and other such manual labor, while being guarded by her crazy pet rooster that hates children and will claw them if they try to leave. If they really anger her, she'll lock them in a shed overnight (or longer) and doesn't even always bring them necessities like water.
Willomina sees scars on other children’s hands and arms proving the rooster has attacked before. The rooster does eventually attack another girl in front of Willomina and badly claws the girl’s arm. (Brief mention of blood.) When it won’t stop attacking, Willomina comes to her defense, wrestling the rooster and getting clawed and pecked herself. (Brief mentions of pain.) She ends up grabbing it by the neck and throwing it. It hits a wall and we’re told that it’s dead. No description of the body other than a mention that it wasn’t moving.
When Willomina attempts to escape by climbing a wall, an adult grabs her ankles and tries to forcibly pull her down. She ends up kicking this person in the nose to get away. (Mention of blood streaming from the person’s nose.) Willomina badly sprains her arm and ankle in the process. (Mentions of pain, but someone bandages her up.)
Mention of adult prisoners in a jail fighting each other, but no description. Mention of a bloody nose when a prisoner runs into a wall during the fight.
Willomina, two young teens, and two adults get held at gunpoint by a rebel who ties them up and threatens them (the threats aren’t graphic, he just implies he’s willing to hurt them if they don’t give him the information he wants). They escape, but get chased and shot at. One adult gets shot in the shoulder, but survives. (A scene later on shows that he recovered well.) Brief description of blood on his shirt and his pained expression.
Some trained (and very intelligent) rats sometimes bite human attackers in defense of their owners and friends.
Spiritual/Magic:
Willomina’s father tells her about a creator named “Ehyeh” who made everything and cares about everybody. References to Ehyeh and Christian themes throughout.
No magic. There are fantastical elements like flying ships, floating islands, and mentions of made-up animals, but all of this is a natural part of this steampunk fantasy world. A man has a pet rat that is extremely intelligent but it’s stated that she’s part of a line of very intelligent rats, and the man has trained his rat to do a lot of things.
A legend claims that a notorious thief could be a shape-shifter, but this is disproven. He's just human.
Other:
One adult character is a career thief who inherited his role from a long line of thieves before him. While he initially seems to have no regrets about stealing, he does have compassion for children in need and helps Willomina and her friends at various points. Willomina later tells him that Ehyeh didn't create him to steal, He created him to give good things to others, like how he helped protect Willomina and her friends. The man seems to take this to heart and we see him near the end of the book planning a new life.
A couple brief mentions of adults smoking pipes. Brief mention of an alehouse and drunk adults.
Displaying 1 of 1 review