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Two Monarchies Sequence #2
Blackfoot
Bad luck is the least of their worries…
Annabel has never wanted a cat. She certainly didn’t want a secretive, sarcastic black cat who takes over her pillow and makes remarks that no one else ever seems to hear. Despite that, Blackfoot manages to slink into her life like a small, furry shadow.
Now Annabel and her friend Peter are being over-run by cats. More and more arrive each day, turning up at the old castle ruins where Annabel and Peter spend most of their time. And some of those cats aren’t as…friendly…as Blackfoot.
When someone tries to kill Annabel and a spell goes very badly wrong, they find themselves trapped in the castle ruins, which are now growing back at an alarming rate. Even more alarming is the fact that the person who tried to kill Annabel is rapidly gaining control over the magical ruins.
Worst of all, Blackfoot knows more than he’s telling, and what he’s not telling could be enough to get them all killed.
Annabel has never wanted a cat. She certainly didn’t want a secretive, sarcastic black cat who takes over her pillow and makes remarks that no one else ever seems to hear. Despite that, Blackfoot manages to slink into her life like a small, furry shadow.
Now Annabel and her friend Peter are being over-run by cats. More and more arrive each day, turning up at the old castle ruins where Annabel and Peter spend most of their time. And some of those cats aren’t as…friendly…as Blackfoot.
When someone tries to kill Annabel and a spell goes very badly wrong, they find themselves trapped in the castle ruins, which are now growing back at an alarming rate. Even more alarming is the fact that the person who tried to kill Annabel is rapidly gaining control over the magical ruins.
Worst of all, Blackfoot knows more than he’s telling, and what he’s not telling could be enough to get them all killed.
113 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2017
54 people are currently reading
453 people want to read
About the author
W.R. Gingell
46 books1,086 followersW.R. Gingell is a Tasmanian author of urban fantasy, fairy-tale retellings, and madcap science fiction who doesn’t seem to be able to write a book without a body suddenly turning up. She solemnly swears that all such bodies are strictly fictional in nature.
W.R. spends her time reading, drinking a truly ridiculous amount of tea, and slouching in front of the fire to write. Like Peter Pan, she never really grew up, and is still occasionally to be found climbing trees.
GOODREADS FRIEND POLICY: I don't tend to friend anyone unless they're a personal friend or someone from my close author circle. I have a limited social battery which needs constant care. If you want to keep up with my reading/writing, you can absolutely follow me here or on pretty much any social media site.
W.R. spends her time reading, drinking a truly ridiculous amount of tea, and slouching in front of the fire to write. Like Peter Pan, she never really grew up, and is still occasionally to be found climbing trees.
GOODREADS FRIEND POLICY: I don't tend to friend anyone unless they're a personal friend or someone from my close author circle. I have a limited social battery which needs constant care. If you want to keep up with my reading/writing, you can absolutely follow me here or on pretty much any social media site.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
May 13, 2018
This is another book I read a few months ago but haven't taken time to sit down and actually review. So this is a quick making-up-for-lost-time review!
If you've been following my reviews for any length of time, you'll know that Gingell is one of my new favorite authors. She writes sort-of fairy tale retellings (as in, you can see the inspiration stemming from the original fairy tale, but the stories she tells are COMPLETELY unique), and she writes them with such a completely one-of-a-kind style that somehow is completely addictive to me. I don't know that everyone would react to her writing the way I do, but . . . if you are at ALL a fan of Diana Wynne Jones, you absolutely should read Gingell. Gingell isn't the same as Jones, but she's got a ineffable je ne sais quoi that reminds of that great Mistress of Fantasy.
As to the story of Blackfoot itself--this is a twisty-turny adventure involving time travel and evil wizards and clever sentient cats (with secrets) and one stubborn little girl. It took me a while to figure out Annabel's age--but I'm pretty sure she's fourteen. She's a very YOUNG fourteen, so she feels like a child a lot of the time. But . . . she's a lot smarter and braver than even she likes to admit, and while it may take a little while for readers to warm to the idea of her as heroine, she totally comes into her own by the end of the story. (Again, very much like a Diana Wynne Jones heroine.)
This story is complicated, for sure . . . and even by the time I got to the end of it, I wasn't ENTIRELY certain I understood everything that took place. But in a weird sort of way, that didn't MATTER to me. I enjoyed every moment of what I was reading, so even if I ended the book a tiny bit confused, who cares? I'm just as addicted to Gingell's style as ever, just as bound to pick up my next Gingell read as soon as I can, just as likely to recommend her work to my friends!
So, yes. Wonderful book by an amazing author. And I compulsively read the sequel immediately after, so watch for that review coming soon!
If you've been following my reviews for any length of time, you'll know that Gingell is one of my new favorite authors. She writes sort-of fairy tale retellings (as in, you can see the inspiration stemming from the original fairy tale, but the stories she tells are COMPLETELY unique), and she writes them with such a completely one-of-a-kind style that somehow is completely addictive to me. I don't know that everyone would react to her writing the way I do, but . . . if you are at ALL a fan of Diana Wynne Jones, you absolutely should read Gingell. Gingell isn't the same as Jones, but she's got a ineffable je ne sais quoi that reminds of that great Mistress of Fantasy.
As to the story of Blackfoot itself--this is a twisty-turny adventure involving time travel and evil wizards and clever sentient cats (with secrets) and one stubborn little girl. It took me a while to figure out Annabel's age--but I'm pretty sure she's fourteen. She's a very YOUNG fourteen, so she feels like a child a lot of the time. But . . . she's a lot smarter and braver than even she likes to admit, and while it may take a little while for readers to warm to the idea of her as heroine, she totally comes into her own by the end of the story. (Again, very much like a Diana Wynne Jones heroine.)
This story is complicated, for sure . . . and even by the time I got to the end of it, I wasn't ENTIRELY certain I understood everything that took place. But in a weird sort of way, that didn't MATTER to me. I enjoyed every moment of what I was reading, so even if I ended the book a tiny bit confused, who cares? I'm just as addicted to Gingell's style as ever, just as bound to pick up my next Gingell read as soon as I can, just as likely to recommend her work to my friends!
So, yes. Wonderful book by an amazing author. And I compulsively read the sequel immediately after, so watch for that review coming soon!
June 4, 2017
One of the things I love about Gingell is she experiments--her characters vary by age, by background, by culture from book to book, so you never quite know what to expect. Blackfoot features a much different age-bracket from the characters we met in Spindle and Masque -- Annabelle and Peter are still kids, on the edge of adulthood but not quite there yet, perhaps thirteen or so? (It probably says in the book, I'm just sleep deprived.)
This story contains another puzzle at its heart, much like Masque and Spindle, and just as different in form as those two are from each other. In an attempt to escape a cold-blooded villain, Annabelle and Peter, along with the eponymous cat Blackfoot, end up in the enchanted remains of a castle that is slowly rebuilding itself. As the villain attempts to get in to them, Annabelle must continuously reconstruct what is happening around her and why, and find a way to keep herself and her friends safe--not an easy task when your mode of survival up till now has been to sit quiet and play dumb. I enjoyed watching Annabelle come into herself, and while I regularly wanted to smack Peter, so did Blackfoot, so at least I had a character to commiserate with.
Overall, a fun read with a great number of twists and turns.
Actual Rating 3.5
This story contains another puzzle at its heart, much like Masque and Spindle, and just as different in form as those two are from each other. In an attempt to escape a cold-blooded villain, Annabelle and Peter, along with the eponymous cat Blackfoot, end up in the enchanted remains of a castle that is slowly rebuilding itself. As the villain attempts to get in to them, Annabelle must continuously reconstruct what is happening around her and why, and find a way to keep herself and her friends safe--not an easy task when your mode of survival up till now has been to sit quiet and play dumb. I enjoyed watching Annabelle come into herself, and while I regularly wanted to smack Peter, so did Blackfoot, so at least I had a character to commiserate with.
Overall, a fun read with a great number of twists and turns.
Actual Rating 3.5
August 6, 2019
It's been a while since I read Book 1 in this series, SPINDLE, so I didn't always have the backstory straight on this one. But I liked it immensely! From other reviews, a lot of readers didn't take to the main characters of this one, but I love prickly flawed protagonists so much. Annabel is a chubby little girl of 14 who has always been used and never loved, and her tactic of looking and behaving as stupid as possible made so much sense as both survival tactic and character flaw. Plus, I couldn't help loving that horrible cocky little Peter. He was so delightfully wrong all the time. Mix this in with a sarcastic telepathic and definitely magical cat, a castle that's coming back from the past, and two wizards one of whom sneers a lot and another of whom loves woolly socks, and you've got a marvellous adventure story for readers of basically every age!
August 20, 2021
This one's more like 4.5 stars than a full 5, but we'll rate it 5 anyway. The half-star off is mostly because the two main characters, Annabel and Peter, are both a bit more frustrating than the leads in the previous books. (Let's be honest, though, no one's ever going to top Isabelle.) That said, Annabel got better (even if Peter remained frustratingly immature), and the story on the whole was interesting and twisty and fascinating. I also like the magic system even more than before; it's actually sort of scientific while still maintaining a highly magical feel.
December 5, 2021
This book.
Annabel is so unique - a heroine of fourteen who doesn’t like to think, or bestir herself; who just eats and draws and puts up with her brat of a best friend Peter and is fond of her sarcastic cat Blackfoot - but not because she likes cats, she doesn’t, because he’s warm and she can hear him talking in her head, and he looks out for her as much as a cat can and he’s rude to Peter (but Peter doesn’t believe Annabel can really hear him)...
Anyway I lost the thread of that run-on sentence, but the point is Annabel is a lovely character. So well written.
And the book, too, is puzzly and clever and elegant. And...and just good. W. R. Gingell works character magic.
And besides the talking cat, there’s a magic pencil (that doesn’t want you to know it’s magic) and a magic castle and a shady wizard and another wizard who’s also kind of shady but he loves fuzzy socks and his eyebrow twitches when he lies (or does it?) and strange tunnels in walls. And CHARACTER GROWTH.
It is...*searches for words* *kisses fingers helplessly* *sniffles because THE ENDING* (all the endings to be precise)
I reread it and I didn’t tear up this time, obviously, but OH I love it so. This kind of book is why I love fantasy. And this kind of dialogue is why I love...dialogue.
Yeah. Really though. It is.
Annabel is so unique - a heroine of fourteen who doesn’t like to think, or bestir herself; who just eats and draws and puts up with her brat of a best friend Peter and is fond of her sarcastic cat Blackfoot - but not because she likes cats, she doesn’t, because he’s warm and she can hear him talking in her head, and he looks out for her as much as a cat can and he’s rude to Peter (but Peter doesn’t believe Annabel can really hear him)...
Anyway I lost the thread of that run-on sentence, but the point is Annabel is a lovely character. So well written.
And the book, too, is puzzly and clever and elegant. And...and just good. W. R. Gingell works character magic.
And besides the talking cat, there’s a magic pencil (that doesn’t want you to know it’s magic) and a magic castle and a shady wizard and another wizard who’s also kind of shady but he loves fuzzy socks and his eyebrow twitches when he lies (or does it?) and strange tunnels in walls. And CHARACTER GROWTH.
It is...*searches for words* *kisses fingers helplessly* *sniffles because THE ENDING* (all the endings to be precise)
I reread it and I didn’t tear up this time, obviously, but OH I love it so. This kind of book is why I love fantasy. And this kind of dialogue is why I love...dialogue.
Yeah. Really though. It is.
October 17, 2018
2.5 stars, but I rounded up, mostly because of how this sets up the third book.
Look, I see what this book is trying to do, and I get why it's doing it. Annabel is seriously hiding/shielding herself in this book, and she needs some serious prodding to knock herself out of the self-deprecating shell she's crafted for herself (with good reason, I might point out - given that she was kidnapped by an evil witch as a child who uses her in spells). But the first half of this book is way too much of everyone insulting Annabel. It's to the extent that originally I thought Blackfoot was the villain of the piece.
I mean, there's a sarcastic personality and then there's just cruelty. And some sarcasm would have been okay, but there's just not enough of anything else, especially given what Annabel's life up until this point has been.
The second half evens out a bit, but I was not so much a fan of this one. I am choosing to think of it as a set-up book for the third one in this series.
Look, I see what this book is trying to do, and I get why it's doing it. Annabel is seriously hiding/shielding herself in this book, and she needs some serious prodding to knock herself out of the self-deprecating shell she's crafted for herself (with good reason, I might point out - given that she was kidnapped by an evil witch as a child who uses her in spells). But the first half of this book is way too much of everyone insulting Annabel. It's to the extent that originally I thought Blackfoot was the villain of the piece.
I mean, there's a sarcastic personality and then there's just cruelty. And some sarcasm would have been okay, but there's just not enough of anything else, especially given what Annabel's life up until this point has been.
The second half evens out a bit, but I was not so much a fan of this one. I am choosing to think of it as a set-up book for the third one in this series.
October 14, 2019
Anything with cats and castles is bound to be fun. And this was very, very fun. So happy to see a plus-sized heroine who doesn’t have to lose weight to save the day. The other characters weren’t always kind to her but she learns her own strength and she is so loveable in a quiet, sneaks-up-on-you way. No romance in this one but friendships galore!
August 12, 2019
3.5/5
So. Turns out my being confused through the vast majority of the first book was not a symptom of it being the introductory book in a new series. That’s just this author’s style, I suppose.
But like the first one, I found I didn’t so much mind not really knowing what was going on!
So. Turns out my being confused through the vast majority of the first book was not a symptom of it being the introductory book in a new series. That’s just this author’s style, I suppose.
But like the first one, I found I didn’t so much mind not really knowing what was going on!
June 2, 2022
I will have a black cat. Its name will be Blackfoot.
That is all.
That is all.
April 24, 2017
Reader thoughts: It wasn't as heart-pounding awesome as some of the other Gingell books, but I still really liked it. With Gingell books, you have to realize you won't understand every detail, not even at the end of the book. Some things just work that way (unmagic? castles that grow? characters that suddenly understand things better than the reader?).
Annabel was such a neat character. I have so many questions, even now! Like, how did she get caught by the witch in the first place? What's the point of the string? She grew so much, too. I loved seeing her go from a timid, stand-offish girl who pretends to be an idiot to a pro-active thinker/planner. I didn't really care about her, though, not the way I did for Poly and Rose and Isabella and Rafiq. Maybe Annabel wasn't in danger enough or surrounded by enough characters for me to really sympathize with her.
Peter and his tickerboxes made me think Peter and Nan were Poly's parents. I thought this for most of the book. Maybe they still are, but I can't remember what Poly's parents' names were, and it never connected that way. I really ought to reread Spindle and see if I can make more connections with it fresher on my mind.
The castle was amazing! It sort of had a mind of its own (like Castle Glower in Tuesdays at the Castle). It wasn't just moving hallways, but growing and revealing things and piggybacking on spells. Some was Rorkin or Mordion, but I like to think the castle itself was thinking.
Favorite quotes:
"Instead, there was only dense, impenetrable darkness, soft and inclined to swallow sound." (This is a great example of some of the what-a-cool-description-but-I'm-not-sure-I-really-know-what-that-means moments in Gingell's books.)
"Thinking was somewhat addictive." (Nan's mind is waking up! I think this, too, irony intended.)
"Then I'll sit here, and I'll just start erasing." (I love magic pencils!)
"I'm always careful," said Peter with greater confidence than accuracy. (This one sentence describes him so well.)
"You're still trying to do it all by yourself and being worried that you won't be able to do it properly because you're not strong enough." (How often we all do this. We try to rely too much on ourselves and then stress out because we just can't do it all.)
Writer thoughts: There were so few characters in this book. How did WRG make it all work?
First, there were basically 2 bad guys, 1 MC, 2 good sidekicks, a mother, and a castle. The last chapter held three more, but they don't really count. All the main pieces are in place. We have a character as antagonist, a character as protagonist, and all the supporting foils to make our MC grow into the hero.
The biggest struggle with a small cast, I think, would finding the right setting. Most places have so many people that authors would have to go out of their way to make the story avoid all those characters. Not so when you plunk the MC in a magically sealed off castle.
The biggest benefit here is that each character means more to the story. Also, Annabel gets to carry on some good conversations with herself since she doesn't have as many people around her to talk to all the time.
The real question should be, why do other books need MORE characters?
Annabel was such a neat character. I have so many questions, even now! Like, how did she get caught by the witch in the first place? What's the point of the string? She grew so much, too. I loved seeing her go from a timid, stand-offish girl who pretends to be an idiot to a pro-active thinker/planner. I didn't really care about her, though, not the way I did for Poly and Rose and Isabella and Rafiq. Maybe Annabel wasn't in danger enough or surrounded by enough characters for me to really sympathize with her.
Peter and his tickerboxes made me think Peter and Nan were Poly's parents. I thought this for most of the book. Maybe they still are, but I can't remember what Poly's parents' names were, and it never connected that way. I really ought to reread Spindle and see if I can make more connections with it fresher on my mind.
The castle was amazing! It sort of had a mind of its own (like Castle Glower in Tuesdays at the Castle). It wasn't just moving hallways, but growing and revealing things and piggybacking on spells. Some was Rorkin or Mordion, but I like to think the castle itself was thinking.
Favorite quotes:
"Instead, there was only dense, impenetrable darkness, soft and inclined to swallow sound." (This is a great example of some of the what-a-cool-description-but-I'm-not-sure-I-really-know-what-that-means moments in Gingell's books.)
"Thinking was somewhat addictive." (Nan's mind is waking up! I think this, too, irony intended.)
"Then I'll sit here, and I'll just start erasing." (I love magic pencils!)
"I'm always careful," said Peter with greater confidence than accuracy. (This one sentence describes him so well.)
"You're still trying to do it all by yourself and being worried that you won't be able to do it properly because you're not strong enough." (How often we all do this. We try to rely too much on ourselves and then stress out because we just can't do it all.)
Writer thoughts: There were so few characters in this book. How did WRG make it all work?
First, there were basically 2 bad guys, 1 MC, 2 good sidekicks, a mother, and a castle. The last chapter held three more, but they don't really count. All the main pieces are in place. We have a character as antagonist, a character as protagonist, and all the supporting foils to make our MC grow into the hero.
The biggest struggle with a small cast, I think, would finding the right setting. Most places have so many people that authors would have to go out of their way to make the story avoid all those characters. Not so when you plunk the MC in a magically sealed off castle.
The biggest benefit here is that each character means more to the story. Also, Annabel gets to carry on some good conversations with herself since she doesn't have as many people around her to talk to all the time.
The real question should be, why do other books need MORE characters?
June 8, 2017
I spent a good portion of this book trying to place the lead characters and figure out how this book was related to the first two books in the series. This book was different from the previous two - the heroine is only 14, incredibly passive, and does a terrifyingly great impression of (in her words) "a stupid cow." It sounds awful but the heroine does redeem herself and find her voice and inner strength before the end. Also, unlike the previous books, there is also no romance in this book (she's 14 and very young mentally). There was several parts of the book (the sections about magic and its nature in particular) that were so convoluted that I still have no idea what happened or how it happened - but overall I liked this book. It was different and I love the author's writing style so it all worked well enough for me.
June 21, 2021
What a fun adventure this was! I enjoyed this much more than Spindle, but I think that might also be because I now how a Gingell book reads.
I was very confused for about the first 20%, and I'm not sure if I just didn't understand or if I was supposed to be confused...
I really liked the concept of the castle starting to rebuild itself from the past, and how different magics affected/didn't have an affect on it. I really don't want to say too much and spoil it, but it was actually pretty cool!
I also think Annabel was a much more fun character than Poly was.
I was very confused for about the first 20%, and I'm not sure if I just didn't understand or if I was supposed to be confused...
I really liked the concept of the castle starting to rebuild itself from the past, and how different magics affected/didn't have an affect on it. I really don't want to say too much and spoil it, but it was actually pretty cool!
I also think Annabel was a much more fun character than Poly was.
April 7, 2024
This was supposed to be a fun read and instead I was dragging my way towards the ending.
Trope I hate #473: Wizardy people who speak garbled nonsense instead of speaking straight and we’re supposed to find it intriguing. A little bit of that goes a long way and this had waaaaaaaaaaaay too much of it.
Trope I hate #473: Wizardy people who speak garbled nonsense instead of speaking straight and we’re supposed to find it intriguing. A little bit of that goes a long way and this had waaaaaaaaaaaay too much of it.
February 18, 2018
I love this book, where to start with my review? I guess I'll start with a short synopsis for speculative readers.
This book takes place roughly 5 years after Spindle. It is important to not only read Spindle first, but to also read the books close together so that you can catch all of the references and whatnot that tie everything together. As a baby, Annabel is fiercely protected by her family. A spell is always wrapped around her wrist to "dampen" the magical (or perhaps unmagical) aura that Annabel gives off that will make her a target to unscrupulous magic users everywhere. Unfortunately, as a toddler, Annabel becomes lost, and then is stolen away by an evil witch who raises her, and I use the term "raise" loosely. The witch is abusive, as most evil witches are, and uses Annabel as an ingredient in her spells. Annabel copes with her unhappy life by playing the idiot. Her only real sources of happiness are her cocksure and rather condescending friend Peter, and her sarcastic talking cat, Blackfoot. When Annabel turns 14 a whole new set of trouble comes up. Cats start appearing around the old castle ruins where she and Peter play, and one particularly nasty non-cat shows up at the evil witch's cottage. Blackfoot, Peter, and Annabel are forced to fight for their lives against an evil leech of a wizard. Along the way they discover more than they want to about queenships, betrayal, and time-travel...
Now, that is a very tame description of this HILARIOUS and clever book. I love Gingell's voice. Her stories have Personality with a capital "P," with the type of wit and depth that reminds me of Terry Pratchett. Half way through this book I realized it had been too long since I read the first book, so I went back and re-read Spindle before finishing and that really helped me put things together. It also reminded me how much I LOVE Spindle. I read a lot of books. Most books I read are pretty good, they make me happy and all that jazz, but Spindle brings me palpable joy. I think, as an author, if you can make someone feel something like that, then you've made it. I'm going to have to write another review of Spindle just because it was SOOOO good this second time around. Better even than the first! Luck and Poly are the best couple. Anyway, this review is supposed to be about Blackfoot, so I'll get back to that.
Blackfoot is just as clever and fun a book as Gingell's others. The character of Blackfoot is wonderfully fun. He and Annabel's growth are particularly interesting. I really felt for Annabel and the way she molded herself to fit the disappointing life she'd been thrust into. I enjoy the fact that all of Gingell's heroins feel reasonable. They "become" rather than just "are." Something else I love about Gingell's books, I always have to highlight sections that make me either laugh out loud or that make me really think. They're not as good out of context, but here are just a few gems from Blackfoot:
-"managing to stretch in an entirely sarcastic manner..."
-"Strong magic isn't necessarily better than crafty magic..."
-"I'm so sorry to have saved your life. It must be very difficult for you to bear."
-"Oh, this is hard," said Blackfoot, "There are so many biting comments to be made here."
-"I suspect you're overestimating my love for sausages," said Blackfoot. "Not to mention underestimating my love of being superior."
-"Also, why are you flirting with me? I'm fourteen. That's disgusting."
-(This was a particularly Terry Pratchett-ish line:
"If it's a pencil, it should be allowed to be sure about it!" "Yes, but it's awefully suspicious for a pencil to be so sure it's a pencil."
-"And tell your cat to stop smirking at me." --"Oh heaven. How dreadful. My face has betrayed me."
-"I'm not clever enough to get distracted by other important things."
And now, after this review, I have a question and a sort-of rant that you SHOULD NOT read if you have not read the book yet because it has major *SPOILERS*
Okay, so who is Poly's mom? I went in thinking that Peter and Annabel were Poly's parents, then, like I mentioned earlier, I got half way through the book and decided to go back and re-read Spindle and I realized that Poly's mom's name is Glenna. Also, when I got to the end of Blackfoot, it became obvious that Poly recognized Peter as her father but not Annabel as her mother. I felt like my whole life was a lie at that point. I'm kind of glad that Peter and Annabel don't end up together because even with the growth that he has here and there he really isn't good enough for her/to her (in my opinion). I kind of want Annabel to end up with Melchoir. He's such a good and interesting character and they mesh nicely, but I'm unsure if that's creepy since he's been around her as she was growing up. Plus, Melchoir totally deserves some true love. Every time he recapped his story with "the love of my life kissing another man" my heart broke a little for him.
Edit: (OMG fangirling moment of happiness!!!!) Masque was the first book I read and it's been SO long that I didn't remember any character connections between it and this series. From a hint given by another reader, I checked back in Masque to find my characters and I am SO happy with how things turn out!)
This book takes place roughly 5 years after Spindle. It is important to not only read Spindle first, but to also read the books close together so that you can catch all of the references and whatnot that tie everything together. As a baby, Annabel is fiercely protected by her family. A spell is always wrapped around her wrist to "dampen" the magical (or perhaps unmagical) aura that Annabel gives off that will make her a target to unscrupulous magic users everywhere. Unfortunately, as a toddler, Annabel becomes lost, and then is stolen away by an evil witch who raises her, and I use the term "raise" loosely. The witch is abusive, as most evil witches are, and uses Annabel as an ingredient in her spells. Annabel copes with her unhappy life by playing the idiot. Her only real sources of happiness are her cocksure and rather condescending friend Peter, and her sarcastic talking cat, Blackfoot. When Annabel turns 14 a whole new set of trouble comes up. Cats start appearing around the old castle ruins where she and Peter play, and one particularly nasty non-cat shows up at the evil witch's cottage. Blackfoot, Peter, and Annabel are forced to fight for their lives against an evil leech of a wizard. Along the way they discover more than they want to about queenships, betrayal, and time-travel...
Now, that is a very tame description of this HILARIOUS and clever book. I love Gingell's voice. Her stories have Personality with a capital "P," with the type of wit and depth that reminds me of Terry Pratchett. Half way through this book I realized it had been too long since I read the first book, so I went back and re-read Spindle before finishing and that really helped me put things together. It also reminded me how much I LOVE Spindle. I read a lot of books. Most books I read are pretty good, they make me happy and all that jazz, but Spindle brings me palpable joy. I think, as an author, if you can make someone feel something like that, then you've made it. I'm going to have to write another review of Spindle just because it was SOOOO good this second time around. Better even than the first! Luck and Poly are the best couple. Anyway, this review is supposed to be about Blackfoot, so I'll get back to that.
Blackfoot is just as clever and fun a book as Gingell's others. The character of Blackfoot is wonderfully fun. He and Annabel's growth are particularly interesting. I really felt for Annabel and the way she molded herself to fit the disappointing life she'd been thrust into. I enjoy the fact that all of Gingell's heroins feel reasonable. They "become" rather than just "are." Something else I love about Gingell's books, I always have to highlight sections that make me either laugh out loud or that make me really think. They're not as good out of context, but here are just a few gems from Blackfoot:
-"managing to stretch in an entirely sarcastic manner..."
-"Strong magic isn't necessarily better than crafty magic..."
-"I'm so sorry to have saved your life. It must be very difficult for you to bear."
-"Oh, this is hard," said Blackfoot, "There are so many biting comments to be made here."
-"I suspect you're overestimating my love for sausages," said Blackfoot. "Not to mention underestimating my love of being superior."
-"Also, why are you flirting with me? I'm fourteen. That's disgusting."
-(This was a particularly Terry Pratchett-ish line:
"If it's a pencil, it should be allowed to be sure about it!" "Yes, but it's awefully suspicious for a pencil to be so sure it's a pencil."
-"And tell your cat to stop smirking at me." --"Oh heaven. How dreadful. My face has betrayed me."
-"I'm not clever enough to get distracted by other important things."
And now, after this review, I have a question and a sort-of rant that you SHOULD NOT read if you have not read the book yet because it has major *SPOILERS*
Okay, so who is Poly's mom? I went in thinking that Peter and Annabel were Poly's parents, then, like I mentioned earlier, I got half way through the book and decided to go back and re-read Spindle and I realized that Poly's mom's name is Glenna. Also, when I got to the end of Blackfoot, it became obvious that Poly recognized Peter as her father but not Annabel as her mother. I felt like my whole life was a lie at that point. I'm kind of glad that Peter and Annabel don't end up together because even with the growth that he has here and there he really isn't good enough for her/to her (in my opinion). I kind of want Annabel to end up with Melchoir. He's such a good and interesting character and they mesh nicely, but I'm unsure if that's creepy since he's been around her as she was growing up. Plus, Melchoir totally deserves some true love. Every time he recapped his story with "the love of my life kissing another man" my heart broke a little for him.
Edit: (OMG fangirling moment of happiness!!!!) Masque was the first book I read and it's been SO long that I didn't remember any character connections between it and this series. From a hint given by another reader, I checked back in Masque to find my characters and I am SO happy with how things turn out!)
October 14, 2020
Delightful
I'm just now re-reading this episode of the Two Monarchies Series... And I didn't remember all of the fun bits. This is even better to reread after Staff and Crown and Clockwork Magician. Hugs self in delightful glee...
I'm just now re-reading this episode of the Two Monarchies Series... And I didn't remember all of the fun bits. This is even better to reread after Staff and Crown and Clockwork Magician. Hugs self in delightful glee...
May 27, 2017
A little confusing, but still entertaining
After spindle, I really liked the aloof style of the writing that took a while before you knew what was happening, not to mention Poly and luck. This story follows Annabel, Blackfoot, and a little bit of Peter. While still am entertaining continuation, it had less magic and I wasn't as into Annabels story. I'm holding higher hopes for the next book in the series as the ending is where everything started happening.
After spindle, I really liked the aloof style of the writing that took a while before you knew what was happening, not to mention Poly and luck. This story follows Annabel, Blackfoot, and a little bit of Peter. While still am entertaining continuation, it had less magic and I wasn't as into Annabels story. I'm holding higher hopes for the next book in the series as the ending is where everything started happening.
April 20, 2021
This book felt geared towards a younger audience. Peter and Annabel are both 13, and act like annoying 13-year-olds through the book. The story is filled with magic and mystery, a castle that disappears and comes back, and lots of snarky conversations. I thought Peter and Annabel got a little too annoying sometimes, but this storyline sets up the next books nicely.
May 11, 2019
Loved it!
Annabel, Peter and Blackfoot are well-written, interesting characters and their personal journey was intriguing. A thoroughly enjoyable book! I hope we will eventually get the further adventures of Annabel. This is Two Monarchies Book 2; be sure to read Spindle first (book 1 in the sequence), then Blackfoot, then Masque (which is an un-numbered book in the series, taking place when Annabel is an adult, although not about Annabel). That way you will know who everyone is.
Annabel, Peter and Blackfoot are well-written, interesting characters and their personal journey was intriguing. A thoroughly enjoyable book! I hope we will eventually get the further adventures of Annabel. This is Two Monarchies Book 2; be sure to read Spindle first (book 1 in the sequence), then Blackfoot, then Masque (which is an un-numbered book in the series, taking place when Annabel is an adult, although not about Annabel). That way you will know who everyone is.
Read
February 25, 2021Didn't feel as drawn into the story as I did with Masque. May return to finish at some point.
October 21, 2019
This is the second book of the Two Monarchies Sequence. ("Masque," which I reviewed earlier, was the first book written but is the last book in the series.) "Blackfoot" starts essentially right where "Spindle" left off, although the actual story starts several years later. The book starts Annabel's story and continues Melchior's story. And while there is no actual fairy tale inspiration for this book, it has all the requisite fantasy elements: an interesting heroine who is smarter than she gives herself credit for; a sarcastic and mysterious hero who is wise but not too wise; and an annoying but lovable best friend. The magic remains complex but internally consistent, and the villain is quite scary.
My only disappointment after I finished this book is that there is only one more unread book in the series for me. (I may just have to re-read "Masque" to get all of the inside baseball references.) I can't wait to see what the author writes next and the rest of her books are on my list to explore.
My only disappointment after I finished this book is that there is only one more unread book in the series for me. (I may just have to re-read "Masque" to get all of the inside baseball references.) I can't wait to see what the author writes next and the rest of her books are on my list to explore.
February 24, 2019
Wit and sarcasm mixed with tender sweetness—if that’s not a contradiction, that’s how I would describe this book. Even if it is a contradiction, that is how I would describe this book. W.R. Gingell once again takes a fairytale—this time Puss in Boots—turns it on its head, rummages through its pockets for loose change, dashes off, then returns with tea and crumpets and lace doilies.
(That made no sense either, but just roll with it.)
The plot:
As mentioned, there’s a bit of Puss in Boots here, but also Hansel and Gretel. You wouldn’t expect that to work, but it does. The two are seamlessly blended with each other and Gingell’s own creativity for an incredibly story I thoroughly enjoyed.
This is 50% fairytale, 50% coming of age, and 100% awesome. Though the magic system is hard to understand even for the characters, that adds to the suspense and uncertainty and nothing is ever a given. There were twists and turns in every chapter!
The characters:
Annabel’s primary flaw is lack of motivation. Sheer laziness that stems from belief that she really is the worthless failure everyone says she is. Not really queen material from the look of things at all. I enjoyed reading about a heroine who has to be pushed (literally) to greatness and doesn’t come with pre-packaged drive. It was a great twist!
Melchior may give Annabel a lot of crap, but it’s all to drive her toward accomplishing what he knows she can. He talks exactly like one would expect a cat to talk and helps her to become more even if it means he has to drag her kicking and screaming.
Peter is a jerk and gets treated as such. For once, the verbally abusive, belittling “love interest” gets told off and I loved it. Seriously, it was both hilarious and vindicating.
We have two/three villains in this story, one of them carrying over from Spindle. While they were unusually resolved, no one gets away with anything. I especially love it when Annabel calls out Rorkin for hitting on a girl a third of his age. You go, girl!
Overall, Gingell does it again. I love everything she writes and order all her books even if I can’t get to them yet, just because I know and expect them to be awesome. She’s the queen of sarcasm and whimsy and I love every word she writes.
(That made no sense either, but just roll with it.)
The plot:
As mentioned, there’s a bit of Puss in Boots here, but also Hansel and Gretel. You wouldn’t expect that to work, but it does. The two are seamlessly blended with each other and Gingell’s own creativity for an incredibly story I thoroughly enjoyed.
This is 50% fairytale, 50% coming of age, and 100% awesome. Though the magic system is hard to understand even for the characters, that adds to the suspense and uncertainty and nothing is ever a given. There were twists and turns in every chapter!
The characters:
Annabel’s primary flaw is lack of motivation. Sheer laziness that stems from belief that she really is the worthless failure everyone says she is. Not really queen material from the look of things at all. I enjoyed reading about a heroine who has to be pushed (literally) to greatness and doesn’t come with pre-packaged drive. It was a great twist!
Melchior may give Annabel a lot of crap, but it’s all to drive her toward accomplishing what he knows she can. He talks exactly like one would expect a cat to talk and helps her to become more even if it means he has to drag her kicking and screaming.
Peter is a jerk and gets treated as such. For once, the verbally abusive, belittling “love interest” gets told off and I loved it. Seriously, it was both hilarious and vindicating.
We have two/three villains in this story, one of them carrying over from Spindle. While they were unusually resolved, no one gets away with anything. I especially love it when Annabel calls out Rorkin for hitting on a girl a third of his age. You go, girl!
Overall, Gingell does it again. I love everything she writes and order all her books even if I can’t get to them yet, just because I know and expect them to be awesome. She’s the queen of sarcasm and whimsy and I love every word she writes.
September 27, 2024
Okay, this one was a bit less fabulous than its predecessor, but it still had magnificence in other areas.
PROS:
-There was an interesting trio of a girl, her best friend, and a cat who kind of pushed and shoved his way into her life. Annabel had a lot of doubts and uncertainties while still managing to, uh, manage the male members of the group. She had a good head on her shoulders, even if she only used it when nudged. There was quite a bit of growth for her. Peter was a character who came off as abrasive, but who deeply cares nonetheless. And Melchior. We got a bit of him in Spindle and now we get to see what happens to him. He was wonderfully sarcastic and mocking and, if it wasn't obvious, my favorite character.
-There was also a castle that was rebuilding itself, a side-effect of time going wonky.
-A wonderful pencil.
CONS:
-Alas, there are some. The storyline confused me a bit. I couldn't understand what exactly was going on. What the driving factors were. That may be partially because I still don't have the magic system figured out. It also dragged a bit in places and, I admit, I skimmed said dragging places.
-There were some plot points I wanted followed, such as Annabel's parents, the witch, and a few others.
But overall, a generally enjoyable book. Still the quirky writing style and world I fell in love with in the first one.
PROS:
-There was an interesting trio of a girl, her best friend, and a cat who kind of pushed and shoved his way into her life. Annabel had a lot of doubts and uncertainties while still managing to, uh, manage the male members of the group. She had a good head on her shoulders, even if she only used it when nudged. There was quite a bit of growth for her. Peter was a character who came off as abrasive, but who deeply cares nonetheless. And Melchior. We got a bit of him in Spindle and now we get to see what happens to him. He was wonderfully sarcastic and mocking and, if it wasn't obvious, my favorite character.
-There was also a castle that was rebuilding itself, a side-effect of time going wonky.
-A wonderful pencil.
CONS:
-Alas, there are some. The storyline confused me a bit. I couldn't understand what exactly was going on. What the driving factors were. That may be partially because I still don't have the magic system figured out. It also dragged a bit in places and, I admit, I skimmed said dragging places.
-There were some plot points I wanted followed, such as Annabel's parents, the witch, and a few others.
But overall, a generally enjoyable book. Still the quirky writing style and world I fell in love with in the first one.
July 27, 2019
I had to come back to this book, as I found it quite boring at first. Everything seemed to take too long - going on and on, over the same stuff.
The story itself was really interesting though. The romance that seemed to be there was far too light to see, so I’m hoping there is some follow up in the next book. I found Peter very annoying and did not like him much as a character, but just as well, or the female protagonist might have had a proper love triangle going on!
The story itself was really interesting though. The romance that seemed to be there was far too light to see, so I’m hoping there is some follow up in the next book. I found Peter very annoying and did not like him much as a character, but just as well, or the female protagonist might have had a proper love triangle going on!
October 16, 2023
I didn’t love this book, and I think a big part of it is because Annabel is 14, and is a particularly annoying 14 year old. Which I guess is probably pretty realistic, lol. But the writing was good, and the story itself was interesting so I am giving it 3 stars. I loved the first book Spindle, and I’ve already started the next. I am really hoping Annabel has matured some.
Added: read the next book, and Annabel does get better!
Added: read the next book, and Annabel does get better!
July 31, 2022
3.5 stars
I have a feeling this won't rank as one of my favorites in the Two Monarchies series, but I still enjoyed it. I LOVED Annabel's character development (and that confrontation scene is so satisfying!), the castle setting was really interesting, the figuring-things-out parts were engaging (even if I wish there had been a LITTLE less confusion there), and overall I am really impressed at the way Gingell pulled everything in this book together while also connecting it to the other book(s) in the series.
One of the weak spots for me was Peter - he is so awful to Annabel most of the time, and I don't feel like he got called on it nearly enough! Blackfoot was often similarly mean, pushy, or disparaging, but there was at least SOMEWHAT of a reason for it since he was trying to push Annabel into being more proactive about their situation. Peter just acted like a bully so often that I didn't really like seeing him and Annabel interact, which is unfortunate considering they're 2 of the 3 main characters and they're also supposed to be friends.
Another weak spot was the really unpleasant fatphobia directed at Annabel throughout the book, especially (once again!!) from Peter. It was really awful to see him be so nasty about her body and interest in food (AT ONE POINT HE MAKES A NASTY COMMENT BECAUSE AFTER REALIZING THEY ARE TRAPPED IN THE CASTLE, ANNABEL HAS THE *AUDACITY* TO BE WORRIED ABOUT WHERE THEY WILL SLEEP AND WHAT THEY WILL EAT), and other characters would sometimes act that way, too - I can't get over one of the characters affectionately (I guess) referring to her as a "blob"?! Annabel didn't seem that upset, probably because she's so used to that treatment, but *I* was on her behalf.
I *think* the fatphobia is the characters' beliefs rather than the author's, but I still think it could have been handled more sympathetically - and I hate that this book falls into the trope of 'Annabel stops thinking about food so much once she starts self-actualizing!' or whatever 😒 Though that could also have been because she was upset about what she had to do next.
So while I don't think the author is herself fatphobic, and it unfortunately is believable that one of the reasons people continually underestimate Annabel is her body, I think that aspect of the book should have been handled with a LOT more thought and care or just left out entirely.
Also even though he was obnoxious at times,
So while I didn't love this entry, I'm very excited to continue the series! and very happy to know that we get another book with Annabel as the main character, and it's a magical boarding school novel!
CW: Kidnapping, abuse (off-page), animal death, fatphobia
I have a feeling this won't rank as one of my favorites in the Two Monarchies series, but I still enjoyed it. I LOVED Annabel's character development (and that confrontation scene is so satisfying!), the castle setting was really interesting, the figuring-things-out parts were engaging (even if I wish there had been a LITTLE less confusion there), and overall I am really impressed at the way Gingell pulled everything in this book together while also connecting it to the other book(s) in the series.
One of the weak spots for me was Peter - he is so awful to Annabel most of the time, and I don't feel like he got called on it nearly enough! Blackfoot was often similarly mean, pushy, or disparaging, but there was at least SOMEWHAT of a reason for it since he was trying to push Annabel into being more proactive about their situation. Peter just acted like a bully so often that I didn't really like seeing him and Annabel interact, which is unfortunate considering they're 2 of the 3 main characters and they're also supposed to be friends.
Another weak spot was the really unpleasant fatphobia directed at Annabel throughout the book, especially (once again!!) from Peter. It was really awful to see him be so nasty about her body and interest in food (AT ONE POINT HE MAKES A NASTY COMMENT BECAUSE AFTER REALIZING THEY ARE TRAPPED IN THE CASTLE, ANNABEL HAS THE *AUDACITY* TO BE WORRIED ABOUT WHERE THEY WILL SLEEP AND WHAT THEY WILL EAT), and other characters would sometimes act that way, too - I can't get over one of the characters affectionately (I guess) referring to her as a "blob"?! Annabel didn't seem that upset, probably because she's so used to that treatment, but *I* was on her behalf.
I *think* the fatphobia is the characters' beliefs rather than the author's, but I still think it could have been handled more sympathetically - and I hate that this book falls into the trope of 'Annabel stops thinking about food so much once she starts self-actualizing!' or whatever 😒 Though that could also have been because she was upset about what she had to do next.
So while I don't think the author is herself fatphobic, and it unfortunately is believable that one of the reasons people continually underestimate Annabel is her body, I think that aspect of the book should have been handled with a LOT more thought and care or just left out entirely.
Also even though he was obnoxious at times,
So while I didn't love this entry, I'm very excited to continue the series! and very happy to know that we get another book with Annabel as the main character, and it's a magical boarding school novel!
CW: Kidnapping, abuse (off-page), animal death, fatphobia
August 27, 2022
Mmmm. I love these books. Dense and complicated underneath while deceptively simple on the surface.
I enjoyed this story, which is primarily dominated by three characters and their interactions. My favorite stories are small groups of well developed characters interacting. So even though these three spent a lot of time aggravating each other…and me! - I found myself nevertheless enjoying the tale and its characters as the story unfolded. It got better and better as it went along, with Annabel, the main character, growing and coming into herself quite a bit.
I finished yesterday and went back and reread the last chapter and a half again today. This book had two climaxes in a way. I’ll call the first a plot climax and the second a character or relationship climax. The first was clever and made me think, and of course it did involve characters interacting and so on. But the second climax was more satisfying, and the one begging to be read again.
There is no romance in this story. I appreciated that. I love a good romance, but I also love a story that can make me feel for characters and root for relationships that aren’t romantic in nature. I also appreciated that Annabel is 14 and there’s no romance, nor does she seem to be in any way interested in one. I know a lot of fourteen year olds are exceedingly or trepidatiously (I may have made up that word) interested in romance, but I was not one of them at that age and I remember looking for books and stories with kids my age that weren’t all about romance, so it’s really nice to get that here.
Annabel is also physically described throughout the book as fat or plump depending on who’s doing the describing and in what context. And Annabel is the main character and heroine of the piece, giving representation to another underrepresented group.
I enjoyed this story, which is primarily dominated by three characters and their interactions. My favorite stories are small groups of well developed characters interacting. So even though these three spent a lot of time aggravating each other…and me! - I found myself nevertheless enjoying the tale and its characters as the story unfolded. It got better and better as it went along, with Annabel, the main character, growing and coming into herself quite a bit.
I finished yesterday and went back and reread the last chapter and a half again today. This book had two climaxes in a way. I’ll call the first a plot climax and the second a character or relationship climax. The first was clever and made me think, and of course it did involve characters interacting and so on. But the second climax was more satisfying, and the one begging to be read again.
There is no romance in this story. I appreciated that. I love a good romance, but I also love a story that can make me feel for characters and root for relationships that aren’t romantic in nature. I also appreciated that Annabel is 14 and there’s no romance, nor does she seem to be in any way interested in one. I know a lot of fourteen year olds are exceedingly or trepidatiously (I may have made up that word) interested in romance, but I was not one of them at that age and I remember looking for books and stories with kids my age that weren’t all about romance, so it’s really nice to get that here.
Annabel is also physically described throughout the book as fat or plump depending on who’s doing the describing and in what context. And Annabel is the main character and heroine of the piece, giving representation to another underrepresented group.
June 22, 2024
Content:
Language: None that I recall.
Violence: Moderate. There is no way to not spoil the books so click at your own risk: There is peril throughout as they're trying to dodge a guy trying to kill them. Nothing is bloody, but it can be violent.
Sexual: Mild to nothing. The main protagonist is 14 and her friend is even younger and the only thing they talk about is running around in their underwear as kids.
TW: Animal death. See the violence section for more possible triggers. Also, there is an unsafe guardian in this using a child and endangering them.
Confusing.
That was my overall feeling about this book.
I know it was done on purpose as a stylistic thing, but since it's been so long since I read the first book, I wasn't remembering hardly anything in that one that was referenced in this one either. Because it too, was incredibly confusing. So, I really muscled my way through this in the hopes that at the end it would all make sense.
It sorta did. But not enough.
There's nothing wrong with the writing or the story, it just simply isn't my kind of book. I find the convoluted nature of the writing to be so frustrating as to not be enjoyable. I'm not going to keep reading the series. Well, I'll read Masque, but that's it because I've heard such good things about it. So unless someone can convince me the other books actually make sense as you read, I'm not going to continue. I wasn't entertained. I got a literal headache trying to piece it all together.
Language: None that I recall.
Violence: Moderate. There is no way to not spoil the books so click at your own risk: There is peril throughout as they're trying to dodge a guy trying to kill them. Nothing is bloody, but it can be violent.
Sexual: Mild to nothing. The main protagonist is 14 and her friend is even younger and the only thing they talk about is running around in their underwear as kids.
TW: Animal death. See the violence section for more possible triggers. Also, there is an unsafe guardian in this using a child and endangering them.
Confusing.
That was my overall feeling about this book.
I know it was done on purpose as a stylistic thing, but since it's been so long since I read the first book, I wasn't remembering hardly anything in that one that was referenced in this one either. Because it too, was incredibly confusing. So, I really muscled my way through this in the hopes that at the end it would all make sense.
It sorta did. But not enough.
There's nothing wrong with the writing or the story, it just simply isn't my kind of book. I find the convoluted nature of the writing to be so frustrating as to not be enjoyable. I'm not going to keep reading the series. Well, I'll read Masque, but that's it because I've heard such good things about it. So unless someone can convince me the other books actually make sense as you read, I'm not going to continue. I wasn't entertained. I got a literal headache trying to piece it all together.
September 22, 2021
I'm trying to figure out how to review this, because I love W. R. Gingell, but I didn't really love this book. And I'm kind of trying to figure out why.
I enjoyed Annabel as our main character better than I did Poly in the first book in the series, and there's a magical cat, which I always enjoy.
But... I can't say I enjoyed the book that much. It kind of dragged on for me. Maybe it's that I don't enjoy bickering banter, and there was a LOT of that. Maybe it's that these books are just longer than the City Between books that I'm used to from Gingell. But I can handle long books. There's just not enough going on plot-wise or character-wise to keep me truly engaged. I will concede, to the book's credit, that our main character does grow and change (which is more than I could really say for Poly), and that leads to a really cool confrontation with the villain, which was a great and beautiful moment. There just wasn't enough struggle getting to that character growth, and after the confrontation with the villain, the character growth didn't seem to matter any more.
Also, and I kind of hate to mention this, but the editing job wasn't great. There were quite a few errors that pulled me out of the story.
So... I'm trying to decide whether to read the next book in the series, Staff & Crown, or just skip to Masque, which I've heard really good things of.
I enjoyed Annabel as our main character better than I did Poly in the first book in the series, and there's a magical cat, which I always enjoy.
But... I can't say I enjoyed the book that much. It kind of dragged on for me. Maybe it's that I don't enjoy bickering banter, and there was a LOT of that. Maybe it's that these books are just longer than the City Between books that I'm used to from Gingell. But I can handle long books. There's just not enough going on plot-wise or character-wise to keep me truly engaged. I will concede, to the book's credit, that our main character does grow and change (which is more than I could really say for Poly), and that leads to a really cool confrontation with the villain, which was a great and beautiful moment. There just wasn't enough struggle getting to that character growth, and after the confrontation with the villain, the character growth didn't seem to matter any more.
Also, and I kind of hate to mention this, but the editing job wasn't great. There were quite a few errors that pulled me out of the story.
So... I'm trying to decide whether to read the next book in the series, Staff & Crown, or just skip to Masque, which I've heard really good things of.
April 23, 2023
Having loved Spindle, the first book in this series, I was thrilled to find this one on Libby. Blackfoot starts out with a bang, has a slow middle, and then one of my favorite endings of 2023. (It's so adorable! Luck and Poly may or may not make a reappearance...) Annabel, Peter, and Blackfoot are such delightful characters and the sarcasm was on point.
While I really enjoyed the beginning and end, this could have been shorter. The pacing is all over the place; I'm surprised it was only just over 100 pages - it felt much longer while reading. But it was consistently gripping and adventurous. You never know quite where the story is going, which is so delightful.
I can't say much about the plot (this is one of those series where you really shouldn't read the blurbs or spoiler reviews). But I loved its twistiness and the science behind the magic - I wish more fantasy featured time travel and inventing and non-magical protagonists. So good.
This was such good setup for the next one and a great follow-up to Spindle. Gingell's worldbuilding genius is shining through, as well as her ability to see the plot on a grand scale. I've already started the next book in this series and I think I'll love grown-up Annabel's adventures even more.
While I really enjoyed the beginning and end, this could have been shorter. The pacing is all over the place; I'm surprised it was only just over 100 pages - it felt much longer while reading. But it was consistently gripping and adventurous. You never know quite where the story is going, which is so delightful.
I can't say much about the plot (this is one of those series where you really shouldn't read the blurbs or spoiler reviews). But I loved its twistiness and the science behind the magic - I wish more fantasy featured time travel and inventing and non-magical protagonists. So good.
This was such good setup for the next one and a great follow-up to Spindle. Gingell's worldbuilding genius is shining through, as well as her ability to see the plot on a grand scale. I've already started the next book in this series and I think I'll love grown-up Annabel's adventures even more.
April 6, 2025
Again, this is definitely Diana Wynne Jones-esque! As I hoped, this is a stronger book than the first, Spindle, and I hope as I carry on the series to see the author further develop.
With the story mainly taking part in one setting, a magical ruined castle, the backdrop felt stronger to this story, rather than covering lots of things with a broad wash. However it still felt the author's sense of setting was quite weak, and lacked description. Unfortunately this is still a significant weakness. Without that the book becomes mainly sassy dialogue, particularly as it takes place in one area in a short period of time. It meant while I did enjoy it, I found it took a while to read despite being short, as it didn't hold my attention that long.
That being said, I miss Diana Wynne Jones's thoughtful magical plots and interesting characters with a spirit, and this does start to fill that hole.
With the story mainly taking part in one setting, a magical ruined castle, the backdrop felt stronger to this story, rather than covering lots of things with a broad wash. However it still felt the author's sense of setting was quite weak, and lacked description. Unfortunately this is still a significant weakness. Without that the book becomes mainly sassy dialogue, particularly as it takes place in one area in a short period of time. It meant while I did enjoy it, I found it took a while to read despite being short, as it didn't hold my attention that long.
That being said, I miss Diana Wynne Jones's thoughtful magical plots and interesting characters with a spirit, and this does start to fill that hole.
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