What do you think?
Rate this book
Penny White #4
The Vengeance of Snails
‘You’ve never told Clyde?’ Morey asked. ‘About what happened to his mother?’
‘How can I?’ My pen drew an outline of a shovel on my notepad. ‘I killed her with a gardening tool.’
Life certainly hasn’t been dull since my first visit to Lloegyr, a magical country which parallels England. My household now includes a family of cat-sized gryphons and a hymn-singing snail shark, and I’m visited regularly by Raven, a darkly beautiful dragon. And I enjoy the excitement of planning our wedding day with Peter, my handsome fiancé.
But Lloegyr offers danger as well as wonder. My brother is recovering after being hunted by a pack of gryphons. I was dismissed from my dream position as minister of a church in Lloegyr. And something non-human seems to be stalking Peter.
Then there’s the mystery of Clyde’s true identity. Is he just a large carnivorous snail who loves beer and children’s TV programmes? Or does his unusual shell point to a far greater destiny, one which could threaten everyone who knows him?
‘How can I?’ My pen drew an outline of a shovel on my notepad. ‘I killed her with a gardening tool.’
Life certainly hasn’t been dull since my first visit to Lloegyr, a magical country which parallels England. My household now includes a family of cat-sized gryphons and a hymn-singing snail shark, and I’m visited regularly by Raven, a darkly beautiful dragon. And I enjoy the excitement of planning our wedding day with Peter, my handsome fiancé.
But Lloegyr offers danger as well as wonder. My brother is recovering after being hunted by a pack of gryphons. I was dismissed from my dream position as minister of a church in Lloegyr. And something non-human seems to be stalking Peter.
Then there’s the mystery of Clyde’s true identity. Is he just a large carnivorous snail who loves beer and children’s TV programmes? Or does his unusual shell point to a far greater destiny, one which could threaten everyone who knows him?
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 18, 2017
49 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Chrys Cymri
25 books283 followersPriest by day, writer at odd times of the day and night, I live with a small green parrot called Tilly because the upkeep for a dragon is beyond my current budget. Plus I’m responsible for making good any flame damage to church property. I love ‘Doctor Who’, landscape photography, single malt whisky, and my job, in no particular order. When I’m not looking after a small parish church in the Midlands (England) I like to go on far flung adventures to places like Peru, New Zealand, and North Korea.
Sign up to my newsletter and receive a subscriber exclusive story for free! Go to my website, www.chryscymri.com
You can read about my travels on www.travellinghopefully.co.uk
Sign up to my newsletter and receive a subscriber exclusive story for free! Go to my website, www.chryscymri.com
You can read about my travels on www.travellinghopefully.co.uk
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 9, 2017
Oh, this is the darkest Penny White yet. It’s compelling and a bit scary in places.
As ever, the author deals with real moral dilemmas through the medium of fantasy.
I can only recommend it wholeheartedly.
As ever, the author deals with real moral dilemmas through the medium of fantasy.
I can only recommend it wholeheartedly.
October 21, 2017
Check out this review, and many more, on my blog https://jessjesinghaus.wordpress.com
This fourth installment of the Penny White series is an absolute treat! Vengeance of Snails opens with Morey and Taryn about to become parents, Clyde eager for his confirmation, James slowly and morosely recovering from his near-fatal heroics, and Penny and Peter starting in on their wedding plans. It’s just life as normal since Penny involved herself with the denizens of Lloegyr. And, as always, there's no smooth sailing for our dauntless Father Penny! Trouble is brewing in the shape of unexplained vandalisms at a number of sites linked to Penny as well as growing issues with snail sharks in both our world and Lloegyr.
James has never been one of my favorite characters, but this book pulled him up quite a bit in my esteem. After some woe-is-me shenanigans, James has something happen (no spoilers!) which leaves someone utterly dependent upon him. Watching James grow into that role was lovely. And his paternal instincts! I might've actually swooned a little.
Peter, Raven and Morey are steadfast, as always. The tension between Penny and Raven, as well as Peter’s trust in the search dragon were delicious.
The biggest character arch in this episode involves, as the title suggests, dear little (or maybe not so little anymore) Clyde. As we learn more and more about snail shark society in Lloegyr and the two factions, Clyde is faced with a temptation few could resist, and a huge decision weighs heavily upon his left-spiraling shell. What will he decide? How will Penny cope with his decisions? And can their mother-child bond survive when Clyde finally learns the truth about what happened to his real mum?
Fans of this series are sure to be delighted by Vengeance of Snails. I know I certainly was!
**I received an electronic ARC of this book from the author which I then chose to voluntarily review**
This fourth installment of the Penny White series is an absolute treat! Vengeance of Snails opens with Morey and Taryn about to become parents, Clyde eager for his confirmation, James slowly and morosely recovering from his near-fatal heroics, and Penny and Peter starting in on their wedding plans. It’s just life as normal since Penny involved herself with the denizens of Lloegyr. And, as always, there's no smooth sailing for our dauntless Father Penny! Trouble is brewing in the shape of unexplained vandalisms at a number of sites linked to Penny as well as growing issues with snail sharks in both our world and Lloegyr.
James has never been one of my favorite characters, but this book pulled him up quite a bit in my esteem. After some woe-is-me shenanigans, James has something happen (no spoilers!) which leaves someone utterly dependent upon him. Watching James grow into that role was lovely. And his paternal instincts! I might've actually swooned a little.
Peter, Raven and Morey are steadfast, as always. The tension between Penny and Raven, as well as Peter’s trust in the search dragon were delicious.
The biggest character arch in this episode involves, as the title suggests, dear little (or maybe not so little anymore) Clyde. As we learn more and more about snail shark society in Lloegyr and the two factions, Clyde is faced with a temptation few could resist, and a huge decision weighs heavily upon his left-spiraling shell. What will he decide? How will Penny cope with his decisions? And can their mother-child bond survive when Clyde finally learns the truth about what happened to his real mum?
Fans of this series are sure to be delighted by Vengeance of Snails. I know I certainly was!
**I received an electronic ARC of this book from the author which I then chose to voluntarily review**
June 22, 2021
This fourth book in the Penny White series finds our intrepid vicar still involved with the village in the alternate realm where she is serving as an interim vicar. Despite being dismissed by the parish council after she criticized the patron of the town for using child labor in his factories, the local bishop is not inclined to send her home. So back she goes to her temporary church, where her land shark is adopted as the leader of a group of land sharks, and revered by lemmings, even though he eats lemmings. This leads to her and her group of friends being sequestered by the land sharks. It's a bit darker than some of the earlier books in the series, but still a rollicking good adventure.
December 19, 2017
Father Penny is back to dealing with her inner demons, her mouthy partner (who happens to be a gryphon), her unhealthy but super sexy dragon crush and her coming-of-age snail shark. These books are a wonderful fresh take on urban fantasy. There was a little more religion in this book than in the others, but still not so much as to take it from a fun read to a church service. The world is well constructed and beautifully written and the characters are a wonderful hot mess that you will love to follow.
November 12, 2017
Well, this one had me blubbing shamelessly by the end. Many of the threads of the previous books in the series are drawn together here as Penny sees more of the dark side of her beloved parallel world and encounters further dangers with her friends. I thought this might be the end of the series but I'm pleased to see there's more to come!
October 24, 2017
This series just keeps getting better! I love how it combines adventure, imagination, and inspiration all in one. Very poignant lessons about what it means to be human and finding your true heart in this one. HIGHLY RECOMMEND the entire series. Enjoy!
December 5, 2017
Penny White and the Vengeance of Snails by Chrys Cymri is the fourth book in the Penny White series. After being dismissed from a church in Lloegyr, Penny is ready to put her failure behind her and return to her church in England, but the Bishop encourages her to finish out her sabbatical and face the archdeacons that wanted her to leave. She's hesitant to return where she isn't wanted. Meanwhile, changes are on the way for Penny as her brother comes home from the hospital, Morey and Taryn are awaiting the hatching of their children, Clyde continues to get bigger, and Penny has started planning her wedding to Peter. But when an otherworldly vandalism hits too close to home, she knows there's more going on than meets the eye.
Changes play a big part in Penny's life with a lot of big things all happening at once. After facing mortality, her brother James is dealing with the consequences of stopping his heart during the gryphon hunt. James is often seen as Penny's slightly immature and partying younger brother, but he shows more of his layers as he bonds with someone that was injured. It's nice to see more of his compassion, dedication, and intelligence, having grown from his introduction in the first book. Chrys Cymri dives even further into the different cultures and viewpoints of Lloegyr, and how those can clash. How Penny views the world isn't how the unicorns or dragons do. Cymri is brilliant at showing the layers to every side of a situation, with the common element that nothing is as simple as good or bad. Even characters that do despicable things are complex and have humanity to them. This is seen in how everyone views snail sharks as vermin, dangerous, and soulless, but thanks to Clyde, Penny knows this isn't true.
Vengeance of Snails shows a whole other side to snail sharks, making it clear they're not as simple as the monsters that everyone thinks they are. They're as layered and emotional as every other character. Clyde shines brightly in every scene he's in as he continues to understand what he is. He experiences prejudices from both Lloegyr and England, for people only see a snail shark as evil, and refuse to see how sweet, caring, and loyal he is. Some new characters will melt your heart. In true Penny White fashion, Vengeance of Snails is charming and emotional, perfectly blending nerdy fun, religion, and different cultures.
Changes play a big part in Penny's life with a lot of big things all happening at once. After facing mortality, her brother James is dealing with the consequences of stopping his heart during the gryphon hunt. James is often seen as Penny's slightly immature and partying younger brother, but he shows more of his layers as he bonds with someone that was injured. It's nice to see more of his compassion, dedication, and intelligence, having grown from his introduction in the first book. Chrys Cymri dives even further into the different cultures and viewpoints of Lloegyr, and how those can clash. How Penny views the world isn't how the unicorns or dragons do. Cymri is brilliant at showing the layers to every side of a situation, with the common element that nothing is as simple as good or bad. Even characters that do despicable things are complex and have humanity to them. This is seen in how everyone views snail sharks as vermin, dangerous, and soulless, but thanks to Clyde, Penny knows this isn't true.
Vengeance of Snails shows a whole other side to snail sharks, making it clear they're not as simple as the monsters that everyone thinks they are. They're as layered and emotional as every other character. Clyde shines brightly in every scene he's in as he continues to understand what he is. He experiences prejudices from both Lloegyr and England, for people only see a snail shark as evil, and refuse to see how sweet, caring, and loyal he is. Some new characters will melt your heart. In true Penny White fashion, Vengeance of Snails is charming and emotional, perfectly blending nerdy fun, religion, and different cultures.
July 26, 2018
Penny's life has certainly not been dull since finding out about the country of Lloegyr where magical creatures live and she is a liaison between her diocese and the country. Her household has expanded to include a family of gryphons, a snail shark (who sing's hymns) and she sees her fried Raven regularly (who is a dragon). She does have one large secret - she is the one who killed the mother of Clyde (the snail shark) with a shovel and has never told him. However the mystical country does have dangers - in Fact Penny's brother James is still recovering from an incident. This book is the story of Clyde, his interaction with the other snail sharks in Lloegyr and what happens.
Wow - this book was very dramatic and contained a large amount of drama and action. There was so much danger in places but Penny was her usual self and her faith helped her to remain fearless. She kept her humanity and determination to make sure that all creatures were treated the same and that there were no underclasses. It was lovely to read some of her conversations with the various creatures that were not behaving the way she thought was right and fair. Peter became her fiance and struck me as a bit of an enigma not having the same values as Penny - so I'm still going to hold out for the home that she will end up with the person who truly loves her - Raven. Great read that will keep you as addicted as I was.
Wow - this book was very dramatic and contained a large amount of drama and action. There was so much danger in places but Penny was her usual self and her faith helped her to remain fearless. She kept her humanity and determination to make sure that all creatures were treated the same and that there were no underclasses. It was lovely to read some of her conversations with the various creatures that were not behaving the way she thought was right and fair. Peter became her fiance and struck me as a bit of an enigma not having the same values as Penny - so I'm still going to hold out for the home that she will end up with the person who truly loves her - Raven. Great read that will keep you as addicted as I was.
October 21, 2017
Penny is at it again, navigating the inspiring, frustrating, and incredible world of Lloegyr. Her recent dismissal from a Lloegyr church and her brother's near-death experience has Penny and James stuck in an emotional holding pattern. The wedding is still on with Peter, though their arrangements keep getting attacked by unknown culprits. And they're about to discover that Clyde is revered by more than the lemmings.
This book is yet another emotional ride on the fantasy train of Lloegyr, and I loved it. Penny has a lot to contend with, and is still avoiding dealing with her feelings for a certain dragon. But she's got a lot on her plate. We also meet a fun new character - a southern praying mantis who can understand more than the average creature and works as a bit of an interpreter. If you haven't started the Penny White series yet, you need to hop on the train!
This book is yet another emotional ride on the fantasy train of Lloegyr, and I loved it. Penny has a lot to contend with, and is still avoiding dealing with her feelings for a certain dragon. But she's got a lot on her plate. We also meet a fun new character - a southern praying mantis who can understand more than the average creature and works as a bit of an interpreter. If you haven't started the Penny White series yet, you need to hop on the train!
November 16, 2017
This book was not always comfortable for me to read, particularly with my absolute adoration for Clyde, one of the titular snails. I have enjoyed this series to the hilt, but this one has effected me the most deeply. The Christian elements are beautiful, complex, and thought-provoking. The presentation of cultures very different from ours in the context of a flawed, very human, and sympathetic protagonist is very well done...and, as I said before, not always comfortable. I feared, I cried tears of sorrow and joy, and I certainly enjoyed the Doctor Who references. Well done, Pastor. Please keep writing and challenging your readers.
July 16, 2019
This is the book with the most impact and Christian themes of the series. Many of the threads built up in the previous 3 books are tied up in this one. And the author has left herself plenty of story fuel for further books.
I am simply a fan. I mean, who couldn't be? Doctor Who fan-girling (less of this than in previous books), mysteries, pre-marital tension, curate problems, salvaging a broken brother, healing a baby griffen, teaching a feudal unicorn about fare trade, and an all-out snail shark war stopped by a major act of sacrifice? No wonder I was a bit breathless after all that!
Wonderful as always, and looking forward to the next book.
I am simply a fan. I mean, who couldn't be? Doctor Who fan-girling (less of this than in previous books), mysteries, pre-marital tension, curate problems, salvaging a broken brother, healing a baby griffen, teaching a feudal unicorn about fare trade, and an all-out snail shark war stopped by a major act of sacrifice? No wonder I was a bit breathless after all that!
Wonderful as always, and looking forward to the next book.
October 30, 2017
I absolutely adore this series.
With every book, you get the same wit, the same beautiful setting and the same feeling of adventure. Only, with each new book a sense of action and urgency develops. Every book is as good as the last, but Cymri manages to build a new tension and stretch emotions to higher peaks.
This book gave me new characters to love, and reminded me why I adore the long-standing ones.
I always highly recommend this series to people who ask what I've recently read, and I can imagine that I will continue to do so for years to come.
With every book, you get the same wit, the same beautiful setting and the same feeling of adventure. Only, with each new book a sense of action and urgency develops. Every book is as good as the last, but Cymri manages to build a new tension and stretch emotions to higher peaks.
This book gave me new characters to love, and reminded me why I adore the long-standing ones.
I always highly recommend this series to people who ask what I've recently read, and I can imagine that I will continue to do so for years to come.
March 24, 2024
Beautiful and moving story
Clyde the snail shark is my favorite character in this series! He is fiercely loyal to his family. He saved Penny from the Archdruid of the unicorns. He helped Morey in the challenges to win the right to wed Taryn. He continues to show such understanding and compassion. His sacrifice in this book brought me to tears. As Penny said he has the most beautiful soul.
Clyde the snail shark is my favorite character in this series! He is fiercely loyal to his family. He saved Penny from the Archdruid of the unicorns. He helped Morey in the challenges to win the right to wed Taryn. He continues to show such understanding and compassion. His sacrifice in this book brought me to tears. As Penny said he has the most beautiful soul.
March 8, 2018
3.5/5.0
“The Vengeance of Snails” is a delightful adventure with a unique array of extraordinary characters, both human and mythical.
Read full review in the 2018 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.
“The Vengeance of Snails” is a delightful adventure with a unique array of extraordinary characters, both human and mythical.
Read full review in the 2018 March issue of InD'tale Magazine.
June 19, 2018
This is the fourth in the Penny White series that I have read and I am as enthralled as I was with the first book. Penny and Peter, James and Morey and Clyde are engaging characters. As usual, I was drawn into their lives and the peril they found themselves in and was only sad to see the story end. I am really looking forward to reading about Penny's next adventure.
January 27, 2019
Clyde is definitely something more than anyone realized.
Between the two Archbishop's, Penny returns to Lloegyr. Because Morey & Taryn's hatching have arrived, everyone except Peter are returning. You find strange things happening places that Peter and Penny have been. Many things to keep you puzzled.
Read and enjoy.
Between the two Archbishop's, Penny returns to Lloegyr. Because Morey & Taryn's hatching have arrived, everyone except Peter are returning. You find strange things happening places that Peter and Penny have been. Many things to keep you puzzled.
Read and enjoy.
November 15, 2017
I really enjoy Chrys Cymri's style of writing and the characters of each book seems to develop more on a personal level in every book. Vengeance of Snails was an amazing adventure into selflessness and sacrifices we willingly make for our loved ones.
January 5, 2018
The Best out of series so far
Loved all the books before this one but I must say I think this one was the best so far. Saw more character development in this book and loved to see the the characters grow. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
Loved all the books before this one but I must say I think this one was the best so far. Saw more character development in this book and loved to see the the characters grow. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.
February 19, 2018
This is a great series.
A vivid and well imagined fantasy world, and a glimpse into an occupation in the real world as a vicar.
A vivid and well imagined fantasy world, and a glimpse into an occupation in the real world as a vicar.
March 16, 2018
Chrys is an excellent author and Penny White was an enjoyable fast-paced series. I was very sorry that the story ended. Keep up the good writing Father(Pastor).
August 28, 2019
Best one yet! 4.5 stars.
September 3, 2020
Loved it
April 23, 2022
Excellent as ever
Clyde is taken by the snail sharks. He finds our that penny killed his mam. Penny and Peter are engaged and morey and taryn hatch 5 eggs
Clyde is taken by the snail sharks. He finds our that penny killed his mam. Penny and Peter are engaged and morey and taryn hatch 5 eggs
January 16, 2023
4.75 stars. Some uncomfortable questions explored in this installment, as well as a stark reminder that Penny is as fallible as the next human, no matter her experiences or goodwill.
October 5, 2021
This is the 4th in the Penny White series. This one had me in tears at the end and anxious to get on to #5. There are engaging characters and moral issues to contemplate in every instalment, but I found this particular one touched me in ways I didn’t expect. ❤️ to Clyde ❤️
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews