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Madilla: the Spirit of U'Katang
From her very first touch of the piano keys, Madilla feels a strange tingle of energy running through her fingers. In defiance of the customs of her people, she connects through the spirit of her music with a wild mountain sparrow that shows her the freedom of wings and an endless blue sky. Her piano becomes Madilla’s only escape from the violent atrocities of an isolated and forgotten mountain village, poisoned by centuries of military occupation. But her family has no escape. Tormented by lust and hatred, her uncle succumbs to the ways of the soldiers, igniting an even greater evil lurking within his spirit. Recognising the confusion of her Mama’s unshakable beliefs, Madilla searches for her own truth. What she learns is that the magic she feels through her piano is only the beginning.
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2018
8 people want to read
About the author
Ian B. Boyd
5 books7 followersIan Boyd is an active member of the South Australian children’s literature community, serving in 2022-23 as Vice President of the Children’s Book Council of Australia SA Branch. Prior to his pursuits in the fiction novel artform, writing had always been an integral part of Ian’s existence, from poetry and songwriting to a brief stint as a journalist for a tourist magazine. He now also produces StorySnorts, an improvised children’s theatre show based upon the principles of story creation. Ian was born in Melbourne, Victoria, before moving to South Australia where he spent his childhood years in the previously small town of Mount Barker, and his adult years in the city of Adelaide. His career has included several small businesses, the most notable being 20 years in landscape gardening and 2 years as a children’s entertainer. He is married with three adult daughters, enjoys playing his acoustic guitar or piano while singing along, and has lived with advanced prostate cancer since being diagnosed early in 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 15, 2018
Actual Rating 3.25/5
I was approached by the author of this book, who gave me a paperback in exchange for a review.
I devour this book in 2 readings…The writing was beautiful and the way author build this world it was so easy to get lost in it…Though I didn’t like the world. Where men treat women so badly and Ram soldiers treat them cruelly.
The first half of the book is so original, everything was there in balance, the family, friends, hardship of life, beliefs, tradition but nothing was overwhelming.
The second half of the book didn’t impress me that much, I found MC too irritating and annoying, I wish if she could just hold her tongue.
Magic in this book is so different from the other books I’ve read, but that wasn’t for me.
I love Madilla’s relationship with piano, her escape from the real world, is defined beautifully.
What is wrong with a goat? why everyone keeps calling each other silly goat or old goat?
Overall I enjoyed the book and maybe I’d like it more if I’d read it a few years back 🙂
I was approached by the author of this book, who gave me a paperback in exchange for a review.
I devour this book in 2 readings…The writing was beautiful and the way author build this world it was so easy to get lost in it…Though I didn’t like the world. Where men treat women so badly and Ram soldiers treat them cruelly.
The first half of the book is so original, everything was there in balance, the family, friends, hardship of life, beliefs, tradition but nothing was overwhelming.
The second half of the book didn’t impress me that much, I found MC too irritating and annoying, I wish if she could just hold her tongue.
Magic in this book is so different from the other books I’ve read, but that wasn’t for me.
I love Madilla’s relationship with piano, her escape from the real world, is defined beautifully.
What is wrong with a goat? why everyone keeps calling each other silly goat or old goat?
Overall I enjoyed the book and maybe I’d like it more if I’d read it a few years back 🙂
August 19, 2018
I obtained Madilla: The Spirit of U'Katang by Ian B. Boyd from Net Galley because the book deals with a girl who plays the piano. I have an interest in female protagonists who are involved in any of the arts.
I don't believe this book was written with a teen audience in mind. There are mature themes and mature content.
At first, I wondered why Boyd didn't situate his book in a known location. The village described is under military occupation. It could have been in a number of different nations, but it occurred to me that Boyd wants us to realize that this type of story could apply to all of them. He shows the impact of occupation on everyone in that village.
Madilla's problem with a ban on women participating in music wasn't imposed by the occupiers. This is a traditional taboo in her own culture which she defies. I consider this a feminist book. Both men and women have hard lives, but there is a strong focus on the problems of women, and it seems to me that the most sympathetic characters are female.
The first ten percent of this novel establishes the character and context. I wasn't bothered by this, and considered the entire novel well-written. Some readers may experience the book as slow-paced.
Madilla has been shelved as fantasy on Goodreads. It isn't epic fantasy. It takes place in our contemporary world yet isn't urban fantasy, so readers may feel genre confusion. Others may identify the book with magic realism. The category to which Madilla belongs isn't obvious at the outset. This may be problematic for those who really want to know what sort of book they're reading.
This is not a book for people who are uncomfortable with uncertainty. Yet if you're willing to deal with fantasy/magical realism and you love protagonists who are musicians, you may enjoy this book as much as I did.
For the longer blog version of this review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
I don't believe this book was written with a teen audience in mind. There are mature themes and mature content.
At first, I wondered why Boyd didn't situate his book in a known location. The village described is under military occupation. It could have been in a number of different nations, but it occurred to me that Boyd wants us to realize that this type of story could apply to all of them. He shows the impact of occupation on everyone in that village.
Madilla's problem with a ban on women participating in music wasn't imposed by the occupiers. This is a traditional taboo in her own culture which she defies. I consider this a feminist book. Both men and women have hard lives, but there is a strong focus on the problems of women, and it seems to me that the most sympathetic characters are female.
The first ten percent of this novel establishes the character and context. I wasn't bothered by this, and considered the entire novel well-written. Some readers may experience the book as slow-paced.
Madilla has been shelved as fantasy on Goodreads. It isn't epic fantasy. It takes place in our contemporary world yet isn't urban fantasy, so readers may feel genre confusion. Others may identify the book with magic realism. The category to which Madilla belongs isn't obvious at the outset. This may be problematic for those who really want to know what sort of book they're reading.
This is not a book for people who are uncomfortable with uncertainty. Yet if you're willing to deal with fantasy/magical realism and you love protagonists who are musicians, you may enjoy this book as much as I did.
For the longer blog version of this review see http://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/20...
July 29, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy.
This was a different sort of read for me but really enoyed it. It straddles the line between fantasy and fiction.
I did enjoy learning about a new culture
This was a different sort of read for me but really enoyed it. It straddles the line between fantasy and fiction.
I did enjoy learning about a new culture
October 29, 2018
Full review on my blog, Storied Adventures
This was an interesting read for me. I honestly haven't read anything like it before. It had a bit of magical realism to it. I liked that Madilla found magic in playing the piano. I myself play the piano so I know the joy she gets from it. I liked that she could "see" through her sparrow. I thought that bit was cool. I don't know if her village is a real place, but it was interesting to read about how she had no idea there was a whole world outside.
It was too easy to put down. It didn't captivate me. I liked it, just didn't love it.
This was an interesting read for me. I honestly haven't read anything like it before. It had a bit of magical realism to it. I liked that Madilla found magic in playing the piano. I myself play the piano so I know the joy she gets from it. I liked that she could "see" through her sparrow. I thought that bit was cool. I don't know if her village is a real place, but it was interesting to read about how she had no idea there was a whole world outside.
It was too easy to put down. It didn't captivate me. I liked it, just didn't love it.
January 27, 2019
Madilla is exquisitely written stories of the self discovery of one girl from a small Himalayan village, whose natural ability on the piano offers her escape from the struggles that surround her, as well as the opportunity to learn the truth about her world.
Before I continue with the, as always, spoiler free review – I would like to take this time to thank Ian Boyd for reaching out to me and giving me the chance to read and review Madilla. This opportunity has in no way influenced my review.
As mentioned, Madilla’s natural ability on the piano is a focal point of the novel, it allows her to connect with not just herself, but the history of her culture and the animals around her. The way Boyd describes the music she plays were some of my favouite parts of the novel and unlike anything I have ever read before. This young child whose life is dictated by archaic rules and social structure is free to soar the mountain skies with Pan and the other sparrows she shares a connection with, seeing sights she could not imagine, seeing history unfold before her eyes. My favourite example of this is as follows:
I played the same pattern again, Pan preening fussily beneath her wings as my sounds became richer and the sun emerged from a passing cloud. But something did not seem as it should. I sensed danger creeping through the undergrowth. Low notes began to pulse from an uncertainty in my spirit that sent a shiver down my spine. A quiet flurry of middle notes captured millions of leaves moving gently in the wind and animals scurrying all around me. The deep, constant rhythm simmered to a sinister uneasy pulse as I sensed a snow leopard approaching the cherry tree. The flurries became disjointed and louder as my tension grew, willing Pan to fly away.
The plot, while slow to begin with, really gains pace after the middle of the book – this I think helps the reader feel the fast pace of events as Madilla would, allowing us to appreciate how scared and confused she must feel. That being said, the end did seem a bit rushed.
Even with the looming presence of her drunk, abusive uncle and the military the scenes of village life are beautifully described – but the hardships are not glossed over in anyway. It acts more for contrast, the village and the city, the repression of the culture and the freedom she has when playing, the happiness she feels at times and the fear of her uncle and the Ram soldiers. While I am on the subject of her uncle, as I mentioned before – he is drunk and abusive towards Madilla’s mother and Madilla, so if you have a nervous disposition or would be effected by reading about sexual violence – please approach with caution.
I really enjoyed reading Madilla, it was a nice to change it up from my usual genre – that being said there are some fantasy elements to the story. Madilla is a beautiful read and a fantastic achievement as a debut novel for Ian Boyd. I look forward to what else he has in store.
For my favourite quotes from the book check out my blog.
Before I continue with the, as always, spoiler free review – I would like to take this time to thank Ian Boyd for reaching out to me and giving me the chance to read and review Madilla. This opportunity has in no way influenced my review.
As mentioned, Madilla’s natural ability on the piano is a focal point of the novel, it allows her to connect with not just herself, but the history of her culture and the animals around her. The way Boyd describes the music she plays were some of my favouite parts of the novel and unlike anything I have ever read before. This young child whose life is dictated by archaic rules and social structure is free to soar the mountain skies with Pan and the other sparrows she shares a connection with, seeing sights she could not imagine, seeing history unfold before her eyes. My favourite example of this is as follows:
I played the same pattern again, Pan preening fussily beneath her wings as my sounds became richer and the sun emerged from a passing cloud. But something did not seem as it should. I sensed danger creeping through the undergrowth. Low notes began to pulse from an uncertainty in my spirit that sent a shiver down my spine. A quiet flurry of middle notes captured millions of leaves moving gently in the wind and animals scurrying all around me. The deep, constant rhythm simmered to a sinister uneasy pulse as I sensed a snow leopard approaching the cherry tree. The flurries became disjointed and louder as my tension grew, willing Pan to fly away.
The plot, while slow to begin with, really gains pace after the middle of the book – this I think helps the reader feel the fast pace of events as Madilla would, allowing us to appreciate how scared and confused she must feel. That being said, the end did seem a bit rushed.
Even with the looming presence of her drunk, abusive uncle and the military the scenes of village life are beautifully described – but the hardships are not glossed over in anyway. It acts more for contrast, the village and the city, the repression of the culture and the freedom she has when playing, the happiness she feels at times and the fear of her uncle and the Ram soldiers. While I am on the subject of her uncle, as I mentioned before – he is drunk and abusive towards Madilla’s mother and Madilla, so if you have a nervous disposition or would be effected by reading about sexual violence – please approach with caution.
I really enjoyed reading Madilla, it was a nice to change it up from my usual genre – that being said there are some fantasy elements to the story. Madilla is a beautiful read and a fantastic achievement as a debut novel for Ian Boyd. I look forward to what else he has in store.
For my favourite quotes from the book check out my blog.
June 5, 2018
review to come...need to process!
UPDATE!!!
Review time!! I was gonna wait to review this book until I had more time to process but I just have to talk about it!
5/5 Stars!
So I typically do not like books written in the perspective of a 13 year old girl but Madilla is definitely no ordinary teenage girl.
In the beginning I was a little unsure of where the story was going and if I was even going to like it.
I like books to be more fantasy driven and I worried that the story was going to be so predictable.
I was definitely wrong on that one, every time I thought I had guessed the ending I was wrong. I questioned every characters motives and actions wondering if and when they were going to turn from good to evil.
Not to mention the magic in this book was so fun to read about and so different from anything I’ve ever read!
Also, there is so much culture in this book and it is so creatively put together. The first few pages are a glossary and phrase guide. Which is not only super helpful but also shows the detail that was put into this book.
What I loved most was that every second of this book is entertaining I couldn’t put it down. I read the majority of it in one and a half days and I stayed up late to finish it. (Yes I am blogging at 2 am again!).
I am really glad I was sent this book because I might of otherwise never even heard of it! So if you are reading this go pick it up! It is 100% worth it!
A big thank you to the author Ian B. Boyd for sending me a copy of this beautiful book!
UPDATE!!!
Review time!! I was gonna wait to review this book until I had more time to process but I just have to talk about it!
5/5 Stars!
So I typically do not like books written in the perspective of a 13 year old girl but Madilla is definitely no ordinary teenage girl.
In the beginning I was a little unsure of where the story was going and if I was even going to like it.
I like books to be more fantasy driven and I worried that the story was going to be so predictable.
I was definitely wrong on that one, every time I thought I had guessed the ending I was wrong. I questioned every characters motives and actions wondering if and when they were going to turn from good to evil.
Not to mention the magic in this book was so fun to read about and so different from anything I’ve ever read!
Also, there is so much culture in this book and it is so creatively put together. The first few pages are a glossary and phrase guide. Which is not only super helpful but also shows the detail that was put into this book.
What I loved most was that every second of this book is entertaining I couldn’t put it down. I read the majority of it in one and a half days and I stayed up late to finish it. (Yes I am blogging at 2 am again!).
I am really glad I was sent this book because I might of otherwise never even heard of it! So if you are reading this go pick it up! It is 100% worth it!
A big thank you to the author Ian B. Boyd for sending me a copy of this beautiful book!
June 14, 2018
Madilla is an intriguing book that straddles the worlds of literary fiction and fantasy. Even now, I'm unsure into which of the two categories I would place it. The author sent me a copy of this book as a thank you when I featured him in my interview series, so I came to it not knowing what to expect. In the end, I enjoyed it. The world building was beautifully done--I got a real sense of the culture in which Madilla lives--and the characters were engaging. It also kept me guessing about the ending right up to the last few chapters. I would recommend this book to those who like a hint of fantasy in their literary fiction, or, indeed, vice versa!
August 16, 2025
Madilla is one of those rare stories that quietly grabs your heart and refuses to let go. The mix of music, culture, and resilience is beautifully written, and Madilla herself is a character you can’t help but root for. The imagery is rich, the themes are powerful, and the connection between spirit, music, and survival makes this book unforgettable. Ian Boyd has created something both unique and deeply moving, I can’t wait to see more from him.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews