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Snow Spider Trilogy #3
The Chestnut Soldier
The thrilling conclusion to magician Gwyn's epic battle against evil!
Gwyn can feel danger coming in the wind. Somehow he knows the warnings have to do with the broken toy horse that holds the evil spirit of a prince who lived long ago. When Gwyn discovers that the prince's dark soul has escaped from the horse and is seeking revenge Gwyn, Emlyn, and Nia have to figure out how to save the mysterious soldier who claims to be Nia's distant cousin. With the help of the Snow Spider, can they recapture the prince's soul without hurting the Chestnut soldier?
Nimmo's fast-paced page turner fantasies appeal to boys and girls with its magical adventures.
Gwyn can feel danger coming in the wind. Somehow he knows the warnings have to do with the broken toy horse that holds the evil spirit of a prince who lived long ago. When Gwyn discovers that the prince's dark soul has escaped from the horse and is seeking revenge Gwyn, Emlyn, and Nia have to figure out how to save the mysterious soldier who claims to be Nia's distant cousin. With the help of the Snow Spider, can they recapture the prince's soul without hurting the Chestnut soldier?
Nimmo's fast-paced page turner fantasies appeal to boys and girls with its magical adventures.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
7 people are currently reading
700 people want to read
About the author
Jenny Nimmo
135 books962 followersJenny Nimmo was born in Windsor, Berkshire, England and educated at boarding schools in Kent and Surrey from the age of six until the age of sixteen, when she ran away from school to become a drama student/assistant stage manager with Theater South East. She graduated and acted in repertory theater in various towns and cities: Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Hastings, and Bexhill.
She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.
She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
July 27, 2016
I don’t really do half-stars but… this one might be 3.5? I think I overall liked it better than the first two, but I’m not sure if it quite reaches 4 star distinction? I don’t know. The plot was much more interesting to me though, than the first two, with the whole mystery/legend surrounding Evan, the strange distant “cousin” (he’s not actually) of Nia who comes to stay at their village. The fascinating question of who he was, when, and all, kept me quite interested. I did wish that Emlyn had been in it more — he barely showed up, it seemed to me. This one was rather scarier than the first two, perhaps, but it also had more of the Welsh things instead of just the silvery people from the first two. All in all, my favorite of the trilogy. By this time I’d become rather attached, methinks. Anyways, it had its problems, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit and was pretty satisfied, I think, with how it all turned out. :)
For my review of the overall series, see my series review on The Page Dreamer: https://thepagedreamer.wordpress.com/...
For my review of the overall series, see my series review on The Page Dreamer: https://thepagedreamer.wordpress.com/...
October 8, 2015
A disappointing and confusing conclusion to what is referred to, alternately, as either the "Snow Spider" series (trilogy) or "The Magician Trilogy". While I've not read the first book in the series (as it's not currently available via my local library), I read the second one and had no trouble whatsoever understanding the settings, characters, magical world rules, or the plot in it. This third book, however, was a complete mess in terms of plot, settings, use of magic, motivations, and character relationships (which are hopelessly tangled in nonsensical and dysfunctional ways). Most troubling was the level of incestuous relationships (including intense sibling/female rivalries over many incestuous contacts), along with the author's insistence that the female characters in this book consistently disregard their intuitions about the ongoing danger and emotional volatility of cousin Even.
Young female readers of this book may come away from the story believing that they should ignore their intuitions about dangerous, rough, and/or controlling men, just as Kateren kept doing, despite cousin Even forcibly kissing her against her will. Mia's sick infatuation/obsession with cousin Even is just as disturbing, as she refuses to be honest with either herself or anyone else about just how much chaos and destructiveness Even leaves in his wake. She insists on romanticizing him as a perpetual "hero/Prince Charming" character, all the way to the end of the book, which I found positively cloying, (though the grandmother character opted to label it "unusual loyalty"). Preteen girls are so prone toward becoming infatuated with older men that I found it disturbing that the author would give those same readers the blatant message that such relationships are both reasonable and, ultimately, rewarding if one just "sticks by her older man" (in this case, someone old enough to be her father, as well as, being a family member).
All of the adults/parents in this story repeatedly fail to seriously question or thoroughly research the bizarre inconsistencies in Even's stories and actions, all while permitting their children unlimited, isolated contacts with him, even after it becomes quite obvious that a large number of unexplained, threatening,and harmful events have occurred to their families and belongings, since the time of his arrival. Mia's mother does display a rather remarkable level of insight when she admits that having 8 children is too many, since both of the parents in that family appear overwhelmed with their responsibilities and consistently fail to provide any reasonable level of supervision to any of them - thus leading to all sorts of catastrophes (perhaps, they should have realized much earlier in their parenting careers that they were becoming overwhelmed by their brood, so contraceptives and/or sterilizations were called for - former farmers, like they, would know about such practices). When 3 - 4 children of wildly divergent ages and genders are forced to routinely share bedrooms together, that's a good clue that the parents cannot meet the basic needs of their offspring. Taking in a distant relative for an unlimited/extended visit further displays their inherent poor judgment, both about their own needs/abilities and those of their children.
The basic IQ levels of Mia's parents has to be questioned, when their house begins to; 1) throw furniture and other missile objects about, 2) abruptly turns off the TV, 3) later turns off the power throughout the structure and neighborhood, 4) inexplicably shakes wildly and becomes intensely hot, and 5) the entire family is awakened at night all terrified by the bizarre scenarios they are witnessing - yet neither adult has the common sense to evacuate the house to ensure the safety of their entire family! While building evacuations aren't usually necessary during an earthquake, what was happening inside that building clearly exceeded anything like a natural phenomenon and warranted a rapid evacuation by all. However, these two parents are so inept, they just stand and shake with fear, alongside their terrified offspring, despite being completely incapable of either halting any of the preposterous events that were occurring, or being able to anticipate (with any degree of accuracy) what was going to happen next. That level of cognitive sluggishness is usually incompatible with life, since "fight or flight" impulses are innate to humans, even in Welsh rural areas!
So many situations like this made the entire story unbelievable/unrealistic. The author mixes an extraordinarily weird combination of occult practices/beliefs with Welsh mythology/folklore, Christian religiousity, and conventional wizard magic to explain how and why events happen in the book. This odd blend of supernatural explanations ends up creating such a tangled framework for the story that I seriously doubt any reader could possibly unravel why many of the events occurred in the story or why the events unfolded in the sequence they did. Why throwing a wooden human figurine in a pool of water created severe nightmares that cause a house to erupt is never really explained, nor was the "spirit" who did something that led to Mia's younger brother becoming seriously injured at the riverbank, requiring hospitalization. Why was he the only one who ever encountered a "spirit"?
There's no adequate explanation given for why Gawyn's spell using the Snow Spider, near the start of the story, didn't work correctly. In fact, almost any time any form of magic is used or is responsible for events occurring, there are grave inconsistencies and tremendous vagueness surrounding any rationales given for those events. It never made any sense to me why Gawyn was constantly blaming himself for everything going wrong, when, in fact, he very seldom had anything to do with the near-constant stream of catastrophes. Almost always, the person(s) creating the trouble were members of Mia's family. Like most overcrowded, poorly supervised, chaotic households, their lack of appropriate interpersonal boundaries, combined with poor judgment, impulsivity, and poor communication/lies galore, were at the root of most of the problems. In fact, that family best represents this entire book - chaotic, disorganized, poorly edited/supervised, and dysfunctional.
Young female readers of this book may come away from the story believing that they should ignore their intuitions about dangerous, rough, and/or controlling men, just as Kateren kept doing, despite cousin Even forcibly kissing her against her will. Mia's sick infatuation/obsession with cousin Even is just as disturbing, as she refuses to be honest with either herself or anyone else about just how much chaos and destructiveness Even leaves in his wake. She insists on romanticizing him as a perpetual "hero/Prince Charming" character, all the way to the end of the book, which I found positively cloying, (though the grandmother character opted to label it "unusual loyalty"). Preteen girls are so prone toward becoming infatuated with older men that I found it disturbing that the author would give those same readers the blatant message that such relationships are both reasonable and, ultimately, rewarding if one just "sticks by her older man" (in this case, someone old enough to be her father, as well as, being a family member).
All of the adults/parents in this story repeatedly fail to seriously question or thoroughly research the bizarre inconsistencies in Even's stories and actions, all while permitting their children unlimited, isolated contacts with him, even after it becomes quite obvious that a large number of unexplained, threatening,and harmful events have occurred to their families and belongings, since the time of his arrival. Mia's mother does display a rather remarkable level of insight when she admits that having 8 children is too many, since both of the parents in that family appear overwhelmed with their responsibilities and consistently fail to provide any reasonable level of supervision to any of them - thus leading to all sorts of catastrophes (perhaps, they should have realized much earlier in their parenting careers that they were becoming overwhelmed by their brood, so contraceptives and/or sterilizations were called for - former farmers, like they, would know about such practices). When 3 - 4 children of wildly divergent ages and genders are forced to routinely share bedrooms together, that's a good clue that the parents cannot meet the basic needs of their offspring. Taking in a distant relative for an unlimited/extended visit further displays their inherent poor judgment, both about their own needs/abilities and those of their children.
The basic IQ levels of Mia's parents has to be questioned, when their house begins to; 1) throw furniture and other missile objects about, 2) abruptly turns off the TV, 3) later turns off the power throughout the structure and neighborhood, 4) inexplicably shakes wildly and becomes intensely hot, and 5) the entire family is awakened at night all terrified by the bizarre scenarios they are witnessing - yet neither adult has the common sense to evacuate the house to ensure the safety of their entire family! While building evacuations aren't usually necessary during an earthquake, what was happening inside that building clearly exceeded anything like a natural phenomenon and warranted a rapid evacuation by all. However, these two parents are so inept, they just stand and shake with fear, alongside their terrified offspring, despite being completely incapable of either halting any of the preposterous events that were occurring, or being able to anticipate (with any degree of accuracy) what was going to happen next. That level of cognitive sluggishness is usually incompatible with life, since "fight or flight" impulses are innate to humans, even in Welsh rural areas!
So many situations like this made the entire story unbelievable/unrealistic. The author mixes an extraordinarily weird combination of occult practices/beliefs with Welsh mythology/folklore, Christian religiousity, and conventional wizard magic to explain how and why events happen in the book. This odd blend of supernatural explanations ends up creating such a tangled framework for the story that I seriously doubt any reader could possibly unravel why many of the events occurred in the story or why the events unfolded in the sequence they did. Why throwing a wooden human figurine in a pool of water created severe nightmares that cause a house to erupt is never really explained, nor was the "spirit" who did something that led to Mia's younger brother becoming seriously injured at the riverbank, requiring hospitalization. Why was he the only one who ever encountered a "spirit"?
There's no adequate explanation given for why Gawyn's spell using the Snow Spider, near the start of the story, didn't work correctly. In fact, almost any time any form of magic is used or is responsible for events occurring, there are grave inconsistencies and tremendous vagueness surrounding any rationales given for those events. It never made any sense to me why Gawyn was constantly blaming himself for everything going wrong, when, in fact, he very seldom had anything to do with the near-constant stream of catastrophes. Almost always, the person(s) creating the trouble were members of Mia's family. Like most overcrowded, poorly supervised, chaotic households, their lack of appropriate interpersonal boundaries, combined with poor judgment, impulsivity, and poor communication/lies galore, were at the root of most of the problems. In fact, that family best represents this entire book - chaotic, disorganized, poorly edited/supervised, and dysfunctional.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2018
A nice wrap up to the series as the scariest of the gifts is released into the world
June 14, 2017
I was completely entranced by every word in this book, and read it all in one sitting!
This last book in the trilogy is told from the perspectives of both Gwyn and Nia, the story weaving around them like a mystical dance. Nia's long-lost uncle, Evan, is a soldier recovering from being wounded, and he comes to visit her family. But it soon becomes evident that Evan is being used as a pawn in magical warfare, and Gwyn must find a way to convince Nia that something is wrong with her uncle, and get her help in saving Evan from the evil within.
This story is deliciously haunting, unearthly and weird in the magic of myth and legend that comes to life. Every scene is dripping with suspense and hidden meanings, but there's also humor and brightness that stands out against the dark themes. The writing is absolutely genius!
I didn't think the characters of Nia and Gwyn had much more development to go through. They had already grown so much in the first two books, but wow! I was amazed by the struggles and changes in both of them through this book.
Gwyn is tired of his magic being a burden and a secret that haunts him, and he has to come to grips with that and learn to accept his power.
Nia is struggling to find her place within her family and outside the family. She's growing up and learning how to react within the world. I'm a very character-centered reader, so seeing those two beloved characters developing even further was wonderful.
I would definitely recommend reading this trilogy all in one go, or at least within a few days of each other. It works best as a unified story, although each book stands on its own as well and the stories are told years apart.
I adore this entire trilogy!
This last book in the trilogy is told from the perspectives of both Gwyn and Nia, the story weaving around them like a mystical dance. Nia's long-lost uncle, Evan, is a soldier recovering from being wounded, and he comes to visit her family. But it soon becomes evident that Evan is being used as a pawn in magical warfare, and Gwyn must find a way to convince Nia that something is wrong with her uncle, and get her help in saving Evan from the evil within.
This story is deliciously haunting, unearthly and weird in the magic of myth and legend that comes to life. Every scene is dripping with suspense and hidden meanings, but there's also humor and brightness that stands out against the dark themes. The writing is absolutely genius!
I didn't think the characters of Nia and Gwyn had much more development to go through. They had already grown so much in the first two books, but wow! I was amazed by the struggles and changes in both of them through this book.
Gwyn is tired of his magic being a burden and a secret that haunts him, and he has to come to grips with that and learn to accept his power.
Nia is struggling to find her place within her family and outside the family. She's growing up and learning how to react within the world. I'm a very character-centered reader, so seeing those two beloved characters developing even further was wonderful.
I would definitely recommend reading this trilogy all in one go, or at least within a few days of each other. It works best as a unified story, although each book stands on its own as well and the stories are told years apart.
I adore this entire trilogy!
June 23, 2014
This was an excellent, and rather creepy ending to the story. Somehow I forgot to update here when I finished this... it's been a while ago now. It was very good and I'm very glad I read this series. I'm not surprised though, I very much enjoyed the other series that I read with my daughter that was by Jenny Nimmo.
July 29, 2016
I have said my piece in my other two reviews. This series transported me. It may have been just for me and others will not enjoy this trilogy nearly as much as I have but I do recommend these to all lovers of myth, fairy tales, and fantasy.
January 22, 2022
Nia's cousin Evan Lyr comes to visit - a former soldier who somehow walked away unscathed from a bomb blast, he's magnetically handsome and charismatic, and Nia's sister Catrin seems especially drawn to him. But he also carries a darkness that seems connected to the legend of the Welsh prince Efnisien and the tormented figure of the horse that Gwyn still keeps secret.
I like how this dealt with Gwyn and Nia's respective adolescent growing pains, and Nia's siblings too. I especially found it interesting that Gwyn feels frustrated and stunted by his magician's legacy, which seems to manifest itself in an actual inability for him to grow taller. The magic doesn't come easily for him and he feels like he's making mistakes at every turn.
Again I really liked how Nimmo writes magic, mysterious and sinister and surprising. The way the house is disturbed by an earthquake that their neighbours can't feel, Gwyn meeting his ancient ancestor and finding him a bit of a mischief maker himself, Iolo being terrified out of his wits, and Evan's aversion to horses.
Gwyn and Nia break the cycles of history, but the story resists a totally neat ending, ending on a rather open and hopeful note.
It's been interesting re-reading this series. I think Emlyn's Moon is still my favourite but I really do like this style of children's fantasy that isn't seen much anymore. File with Susan Cooper and Alan Garner.
I like how this dealt with Gwyn and Nia's respective adolescent growing pains, and Nia's siblings too. I especially found it interesting that Gwyn feels frustrated and stunted by his magician's legacy, which seems to manifest itself in an actual inability for him to grow taller. The magic doesn't come easily for him and he feels like he's making mistakes at every turn.
Again I really liked how Nimmo writes magic, mysterious and sinister and surprising. The way the house is disturbed by an earthquake that their neighbours can't feel, Gwyn meeting his ancient ancestor and finding him a bit of a mischief maker himself, Iolo being terrified out of his wits, and Evan's aversion to horses.
Gwyn and Nia break the cycles of history, but the story resists a totally neat ending, ending on a rather open and hopeful note.
It's been interesting re-reading this series. I think Emlyn's Moon is still my favourite but I really do like this style of children's fantasy that isn't seen much anymore. File with Susan Cooper and Alan Garner.
October 9, 2018
Over all I enjoyed the three books and the thread of the continued storyline. Book 3 didn't have the conflicting timeline issues that book 2 did, but I felt like the ending was a but meh. There seemed to be something missing, almost as if the ending was rushed or bits cut out, hence the 4 stars and not 5 stars from me.
In book 3 the broken horse story is delved into even more, and tied in with the mysterious cousin who comes to visit with the Lloyd household. The broken horse was one of the gifts Gwyn received from his Nain, on his ninth birthday, and featured in book 1, when the soul trapped within was released. Well in book 3, the soul gets out again but different things happen, and the history of the soul/Prince from centuries gone is revealed. The past gets entwined with the present.
If you have read the previous 2 books it is worth reading the 3rd just to tie up some of the story, (I some of the story, because to me some things don't get explained or covered in book 3,) and get to read more about the children and their families.
In book 3 the broken horse story is delved into even more, and tied in with the mysterious cousin who comes to visit with the Lloyd household. The broken horse was one of the gifts Gwyn received from his Nain, on his ninth birthday, and featured in book 1, when the soul trapped within was released. Well in book 3, the soul gets out again but different things happen, and the history of the soul/Prince from centuries gone is revealed. The past gets entwined with the present.
If you have read the previous 2 books it is worth reading the 3rd just to tie up some of the story, (I some of the story, because to me some things don't get explained or covered in book 3,) and get to read more about the children and their families.
November 24, 2018
Perhaps the most ambitious of the three Snow Spider books, this one finds Gwyn’s extended family trapped in replaying another ancient story. Jenny Nimmo brings to the village suspicion and jealousy as a shell-shocked relative plays out a horrific legend, and reluctantly young wizard Gwyn has to confront the ambiguous and fallible nature of his calling.
Deliberately slow to gather pace, Nimmo builds the rivalry and sexual tensions that the handsome, troubled soldier Evan brings. There is a clever coyness in how the children are just beginning to comprehend what Evan might want with sixteen year old Catrin - part inappropriate relationship, part reliving the ancient tale of Branwen - which allows the author to explore dark themes while staying true to her young audience.
As with the other two books, the climax was exciting and magical but felt a little rushed, but the ending tied up the relationships well, and gave hope to growing Gwyn that adulthood would not require him to have all the answers: a neat message for any reader.
Deliberately slow to gather pace, Nimmo builds the rivalry and sexual tensions that the handsome, troubled soldier Evan brings. There is a clever coyness in how the children are just beginning to comprehend what Evan might want with sixteen year old Catrin - part inappropriate relationship, part reliving the ancient tale of Branwen - which allows the author to explore dark themes while staying true to her young audience.
As with the other two books, the climax was exciting and magical but felt a little rushed, but the ending tied up the relationships well, and gave hope to growing Gwyn that adulthood would not require him to have all the answers: a neat message for any reader.
June 20, 2020
I began reading this trilogy to my daughter a while back. Partway through this final book - The Chestnut Soldier - she told me she thought she was too old to be read to anymore. I finished it for my own pleasure.
Jenny Nimmo’s Magician trilogy is wonderful. I recall watching The Snow Spider on television when I was just a boy myself. There’s a new adaptation now but though both told her story, neither captured the beauty of her language, the subtleness of her mysticism, or the genuinely complex wash of emotional growth and understanding that her child-heroes undergo.
Though less epic in scope, this series sits comfortably alongside Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea books - speaking simply but telling much. They are genuine classics of children’s literature.
Jenny Nimmo’s Magician trilogy is wonderful. I recall watching The Snow Spider on television when I was just a boy myself. There’s a new adaptation now but though both told her story, neither captured the beauty of her language, the subtleness of her mysticism, or the genuinely complex wash of emotional growth and understanding that her child-heroes undergo.
Though less epic in scope, this series sits comfortably alongside Ursula LeGuin’s Earthsea books - speaking simply but telling much. They are genuine classics of children’s literature.
August 9, 2017
The Chestnut Soldier is the third in Jenny Nimmo's Snow Spider series. The books in the trilogy should definitely be read in order. This last deals with one of the gifts Gwyn's grandmother gave him (in the first book)... the trouble it causes, and how Gwyn and Nia work together to overcome the challenges set off by this small (but incredibly powerful) gift.
My grandson and I have been working our way through the trilogy over the last couple of years. While this one was good (and brought Gwyn into a full acceptance of his powers) it was a bit more confusing than the others and we enjoyed the first and second books more.
My grandson and I have been working our way through the trilogy over the last couple of years. While this one was good (and brought Gwyn into a full acceptance of his powers) it was a bit more confusing than the others and we enjoyed the first and second books more.
May 8, 2021
A wrap up to the Snow Spider Trilogy as Gwyn’s most feared gift is released - the broken horse, bringing the arrival of Evan Llyr - and a host of strange and frightening events that only our young magician Gwyn Griffiths can stop.
I struggled a little with this book, the formula was great and Nimmo’s writing was as impeccable as ever, I found that the story dragged more than its predecessors. There was plenty of action and the characters have developed to young teens with angst ridden problems of their own - alongside the deep magic!
Overall a good wrap up to the trilogy, but not as exhilarating as the first two books.
I struggled a little with this book, the formula was great and Nimmo’s writing was as impeccable as ever, I found that the story dragged more than its predecessors. There was plenty of action and the characters have developed to young teens with angst ridden problems of their own - alongside the deep magic!
Overall a good wrap up to the trilogy, but not as exhilarating as the first two books.
August 27, 2019
Wow, the pieces fit exactly into place. As I was reading, every little thing that had been mentioned in the first two books suddenly became very important and it was intriguing to have those details relevant and needed for the story to work. Everything came together so beautifully and it was so fun to see all the hidden meanings and secrets before they were realized by the characters. Once again, Nimmo has created a wonderful story that really captures that sense of magic and myth but still being fully grounded in reality. Love it!
June 17, 2022
This one was a solid finish to the series. It once again focuses on Gwyn instead of Nia and the magic is barely there this time around. The only thing that I didn't like in this book was the ending. It felt rushed and like something was missing. Also, there seemed to be a different translator compared to the last book. There are a lot of jarring differences like completely different names and quite a few grammatical errors like the other two books in the series. It's not the fault of the original but I just thought that I should point that out for anyone reading the Slovenian version.
November 19, 2024
DNF'd about halfway through. I just don't feel the need to continue on when I already know I'm probably gonna rate it two stars. Might come back to it later to finish.
The part that made me stop was the horse being taken. So he removed it from the box and put it on his window? Then sent someone who already stole something of yours to get binoculars, then you comment about how he's been in there for a long time and it's suspicious knowing you have that thing in there out in the open? Silliness, lol.
The part that made me stop was the horse being taken. So he removed it from the box and put it on his window? Then sent someone who already stole something of yours to get binoculars, then you comment about how he's been in there for a long time and it's suspicious knowing you have that thing in there out in the open? Silliness, lol.
January 11, 2025
MG
Fantasy
Set in Wales
The third book in the Magician Trilogy by Jenny Nimmo, starting with The Snow Spider & Emlyn's Moon.
I read The Snow Spider every year of elementary school but they did not have the sequels... but I'm in my 30's now and finally had the chance!
This was a fantastic ending to Gwyn's magical story, with more magic, magicians, and family reverie. It was a wonderful ending.
Fantasy
Set in Wales
The third book in the Magician Trilogy by Jenny Nimmo, starting with The Snow Spider & Emlyn's Moon.
I read The Snow Spider every year of elementary school but they did not have the sequels... but I'm in my 30's now and finally had the chance!
This was a fantastic ending to Gwyn's magical story, with more magic, magicians, and family reverie. It was a wonderful ending.
December 17, 2025
Like the previous two books, the magic was very good in this, but the whole 35-year-old cousin macking on teenage and younger girls was so deeply creepy, and I had difficulty separating which components of his behaviour were the evil influence and which were him being deeply inappropriate. This feels like a situation where 'Throw the whole man away' is appropriate. Not just the part possessed by an evil spirit. The whole thing.
December 8, 2017
The characters in this story are very easy to care about, and the ideas behind the story are great! Unfortunately, there are some pretty big gaps in logic, and an unfortunate lack of depth to many of the best characters. It was definitely written with younger children in mind.
January 17, 2020
Extremely wonderful series for pre-Potter students. Short but challenging, manageable. One of the few to give to advanced younger readers or older ones who need chapter book but aren't quite at grade level. Wonderful little overlooked gem of a series.
December 15, 2017
This book is a wonderful addition to the series, as well as being a beautiful and magical tale in its own right.
March 17, 2018
Wonderful conclusion to the Snow Spider trilogy. Complete magical and definitely worth a read.
June 25, 2018
An interesting series uniting past and present. I need to know more about Scottish, Welsh and Irish lore to understand how deep this tale goes.
April 23, 2019
this is a cute trilogy.
September 30, 2020
A good read. I almost hope there is another.
April 13, 2021
This book was the best of the trilogy, but still had all of the plot holes, unconnected details, and grammatical errors the first two did.
November 15, 2022
I adored this book. Nia has to be one of my favourite characters ever
April 8, 2023
I like the happy ending. But it was kind of a different trilogy. I didn't really care for it.
March 11, 2025
I really enjoyed this book and the series as a whole. A bit more indepth than the other other two in the series which was a surprise to me and in someways a little darker than the others as well.
June 25, 2025
This one went on a bit tbh
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews