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Starfell #2
The Guitar of Mayhem
The second book in the Starfell series by award-winning author, Jessica Renwick
After their escape from Endora’s mansion, Fable Nuthatch and her friends are recovering at Tulip Manor. With Fedilmid and Aunt Moira’s protection spells keeping them safe, the children have settled into a routine life of friendship, studying, and practicing magic.
When odd messages appear in Fable’s book, and a strange light in the forest rouses her dog’s curiosity, the children’s lives are spun back into mayhem. A trip into the magical city of Mistford leads them on a wild chase after a rogue star, a missing astronomer, and an enchanted guitar that holds a secret that will change their lives forever.
With Endora hot on their trail, can Fable and her friends discover the truth before its too late?
After their escape from Endora’s mansion, Fable Nuthatch and her friends are recovering at Tulip Manor. With Fedilmid and Aunt Moira’s protection spells keeping them safe, the children have settled into a routine life of friendship, studying, and practicing magic.
When odd messages appear in Fable’s book, and a strange light in the forest rouses her dog’s curiosity, the children’s lives are spun back into mayhem. A trip into the magical city of Mistford leads them on a wild chase after a rogue star, a missing astronomer, and an enchanted guitar that holds a secret that will change their lives forever.
With Endora hot on their trail, can Fable and her friends discover the truth before its too late?
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2019
86 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Renwick
10 books88 followersJessica Renwick is the author of the award winning The Book of Chaos, the first book in the fantasy series, Starfell, for middle grade children (and adults who love fantasy, magic, and adventure!).
She enjoys a hot cup of tea, gardening, her pets, consuming an entire novel in one sitting, and outdoor adventures. She resides in Alberta, Canada on a cozy urban homestead with her partner, tiny monster dog, four chickens, and an enchanted garden.
She enjoys a hot cup of tea, gardening, her pets, consuming an entire novel in one sitting, and outdoor adventures. She resides in Alberta, Canada on a cozy urban homestead with her partner, tiny monster dog, four chickens, and an enchanted garden.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 16, 2021
What an amazing ride that book number two takes the reader on! Jessica's writing is incredible. She pours her heart and soul into every single page of this series.
I can't wait to read this series with my children. I know that both of them will enjoy the books as much as I did. But I truly cannot wait to see where the rest of the series ends up.
I can't wait to read this series with my children. I know that both of them will enjoy the books as much as I did. But I truly cannot wait to see where the rest of the series ends up.
September 10, 2019
This is a strong follow up to Renwick's first novel, The Book of Chaos. Rich worldbuilding adds to the lore of the first book and we get to visit some new places in Starfell, like the big city Mistford with it's fantastically creepy Parade of the Dead. These are the sorts of little details which make the book a great adventure for me. (Also, Buttertub is still the best pub name ever and someone needs to open a real one.)
Fable, and her friends Brennus and Thorn, are still dealing with the threat of Endora and events are ramping up as Endora schemes to get both Fable and the newly introduced Blood Star. It's just the right mix of creepy details and urgent mysteries to solve. There's plenty of action in this book, alongside bravery and strong friendships. Everything is wrapped up satisfactorily and some answers are found, but there are definite hints of the plot to come.
The first book reminded me of Diana Wynne Jone's inventive magical mayhem, so if you're a fan of Wynne Jones or Neil Gaiman the Guitar of Mayhem is definitely recommended. I can't wait for book three!
Fable, and her friends Brennus and Thorn, are still dealing with the threat of Endora and events are ramping up as Endora schemes to get both Fable and the newly introduced Blood Star. It's just the right mix of creepy details and urgent mysteries to solve. There's plenty of action in this book, alongside bravery and strong friendships. Everything is wrapped up satisfactorily and some answers are found, but there are definite hints of the plot to come.
The first book reminded me of Diana Wynne Jone's inventive magical mayhem, so if you're a fan of Wynne Jones or Neil Gaiman the Guitar of Mayhem is definitely recommended. I can't wait for book three!
August 17, 2019
What an amazing story! With intrigue, suspense, and an emotional roller coaster, the second book in Jessica's Starfell series lives up to, and exceeds the expectations set from her first book. I cannot wait to share this experience with my neices and nephew!
Jessica Renwick pours her heart into her writing. Every part of this book seems to contain bits of her character. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. Write faster!!!
Jessica Renwick pours her heart into her writing. Every part of this book seems to contain bits of her character. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. Write faster!!!
July 25, 2020
'𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙪𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙝𝙚𝙢' is the sequel to 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴 by Jessica Renwick, and it follows Fable Nuthatch and her friends on their continued adventures through the mystical world of Starfell. We're introduced to new characters along the way, and we learn more about the different enchanted items! 🎸📖
"𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕."
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I found this book to be just as magical and engaging as the first one, and I was really excited to be reunited with these characters! (Brennus & Thorn's bickering never fails to make me smile 😂)
We're able to learn more about Fable's friends in this book, but we're also introduced to a lot of new and wonderful characters! (like Alice and Nestor ❤️)
The world building is extremely well thought out, and I loved exploring the new city of Mistford alongside Fable!
I don't want to give too much away since it'd spoil the first book, but I'm really excited to carry on the series and see what happens next! 🤩
If you're a fan of middle grade fantasy and love the grimm fairy tales then this is definitely the series for you!
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🅁🄰🅃🄸🄽🄶: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Middle grade, fantasy, action, mystery
"𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕."
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I found this book to be just as magical and engaging as the first one, and I was really excited to be reunited with these characters! (Brennus & Thorn's bickering never fails to make me smile 😂)
We're able to learn more about Fable's friends in this book, but we're also introduced to a lot of new and wonderful characters! (like Alice and Nestor ❤️)
The world building is extremely well thought out, and I loved exploring the new city of Mistford alongside Fable!
I don't want to give too much away since it'd spoil the first book, but I'm really excited to carry on the series and see what happens next! 🤩
If you're a fan of middle grade fantasy and love the grimm fairy tales then this is definitely the series for you!
___
🅁🄰🅃🄸🄽🄶: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Middle grade, fantasy, action, mystery
July 22, 2020
Title: The Guitar of Mayhem⠀
Author: Jessica Renwick⠀
Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy⠀
My rating: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⠀
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// Received a free copy of the ebook as part of the book tour hosted by @mlc_tour on IG and sponsored by Jessica Renwick. All opinions are my own.⠀
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The Guitar of Mayhem, sequel to Book of Chaos, is full of magic and rich world building. Everything I wanted more of in Book of Chaos is present in this book. Jessica has created a world full of magic and wonder and infinite possibilities. ✨ 💫⠀
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❝ When she practiced magic inside the leady interior of the building, she often felt as if she were in an exotic jungle in another world. ❞⠀
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While reading the book, I almost felt like a preteen myself. It took me back to the times when all I read were adventure and detective stories. 😍 I've always loved a good mystery to solve and an adventure with twists and turns. I also really enjoy reading about a group of friends and seeing how their friendships evolve and get stronger. And Guitar of Mayhem has it all.⠀
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❝ ...your magic is part of you, and a wonderful part at that. ❞⠀
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Did I mention there's also *m a g i c* and mysterious prophecies and portals and magical creatures? If you're a fan of series like Wynne Jone's Howl's Moving Castle or Grimm's Fairy Tales, you will also love this book. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series and what trouble befalls Fable and her friends next. 👀⠀
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❝ While many people say that emotions have no place in magic, I have found the opposite to be true. We merely need to embrace them and guide the energy. ❞⠀
Author: Jessica Renwick⠀
Genre: Middle Grade, Adventure, Fantasy⠀
My rating: 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⠀
↴⠀
⠀
// Received a free copy of the ebook as part of the book tour hosted by @mlc_tour on IG and sponsored by Jessica Renwick. All opinions are my own.⠀
⠀
The Guitar of Mayhem, sequel to Book of Chaos, is full of magic and rich world building. Everything I wanted more of in Book of Chaos is present in this book. Jessica has created a world full of magic and wonder and infinite possibilities. ✨ 💫⠀
⠀
❝ When she practiced magic inside the leady interior of the building, she often felt as if she were in an exotic jungle in another world. ❞⠀
⠀
While reading the book, I almost felt like a preteen myself. It took me back to the times when all I read were adventure and detective stories. 😍 I've always loved a good mystery to solve and an adventure with twists and turns. I also really enjoy reading about a group of friends and seeing how their friendships evolve and get stronger. And Guitar of Mayhem has it all.⠀
⠀
❝ ...your magic is part of you, and a wonderful part at that. ❞⠀
⠀
Did I mention there's also *m a g i c* and mysterious prophecies and portals and magical creatures? If you're a fan of series like Wynne Jone's Howl's Moving Castle or Grimm's Fairy Tales, you will also love this book. I can't wait to see what happens next in this series and what trouble befalls Fable and her friends next. 👀⠀
⠀
❝ While many people say that emotions have no place in magic, I have found the opposite to be true. We merely need to embrace them and guide the energy. ❞⠀
September 10, 2019
The second book in this middle-grade series is even more enthralling than the first. With questions lingering about the book of chaos and the unhelpful fragments of secrets it offers, this tale is another quest for answers for little Fable Nuthatch and her friends. This time, as they travel in the land of Starfell and meet new friends who can help them find their still-missing family members, all while Fable tries to get a grip on her new magic skills, they also discover more missing people, meet strange magical creatures, and are challenged by the mysterious prophesy of the Blood Star and how it involves Fable — it’s falling before than they can gather information about it! With a bit of a dark thread in their endeavors, they’re also still trying to evade the evil hunting them. I found this both a lighthearted and delightful quest with endearing characters that has an essence of an Aesope Fable or Grimm fairy tale, as well as a dark and creative magical fantasy about independence and bravery.
September 10, 2019
I was enchanted by Renwick's second installment in Fable's story! Not only was I introduced to quirky new characters, but I got to see old favorites grow into themselves. New corners of Starfell's map were opened up, along with some of its intriguing history. The final chapters held so many twists, I simply can't wait for the third book to release!
Check out a full review and question guide at the link below:
https://bekahsmith.blog/2019/09/10/gu...
Check out a full review and question guide at the link below:
https://bekahsmith.blog/2019/09/10/gu...
May 12, 2020
I personally liked the second book more than the first! The worldbuilding is phenomenal in this and which I usually find less intriguing to follow with middle-grade books but Jessica has done it again. She has a way of introducing unique characters and creatures that are interesting and make the plot that much more intriguing.
September 4, 2019
I love this series and especially this book. Jessica has created a world that is full of depth and wonder and I can't wait to read this with my kids.
August 2, 2019
Filled with new adventures, an exciting new town with answers to the past, new creatures, old favourite characters, and many delightful hints to what’s in store, “The guitar of Mayhem” was a grand journey to embark on.
After falling in love with all of the characters in book one, this sequel does not disappoint; offering organic development worthy of each of the main characters as they continue on their quests.
Renwick leads her audience on a fantastical journey of bravery and friendship; managing to wrap the story up neatly, while leaving questions deeply embedded in her readers minds.
Bring on book three!
After falling in love with all of the characters in book one, this sequel does not disappoint; offering organic development worthy of each of the main characters as they continue on their quests.
Renwick leads her audience on a fantastical journey of bravery and friendship; managing to wrap the story up neatly, while leaving questions deeply embedded in her readers minds.
Bring on book three!
September 13, 2019
The Guitar of Mayhem was a delight to read. I loved learning more about the world of Starfell and its history. The continued development of Fable and her friends, along with their unique approach to their problems, made for a fun read. Fedilmid and Grimm are particular favourites.
I also enjoyed the mix of cheerful fantasy and creepy baddies. Alas, we are still left wondering about the fate of some characters, so must await the next book. I can’t wait to read these books to my niece, just need to wait until she is old enough.
I also enjoyed the mix of cheerful fantasy and creepy baddies. Alas, we are still left wondering about the fate of some characters, so must await the next book. I can’t wait to read these books to my niece, just need to wait until she is old enough.
January 29, 2020
This book takes me back to feeling like a kid with a big imagination who just wanted to be swept up in a magical world, going on adventures and fighting evil. A great middle grade read! I'll be recommending this one to my friends.
November 26, 2019
Well, this had me right from the first page. Every character is so well illustrated, and the scenes are so well described, it feels like you're right there. I loved it!
August 11, 2022
Having escaped the clutches of Endora, Fable and co. have been shacking up at Fedilmid's mansion. Fable's been practicing her magic eagerly awaiting the blood star's arrival, but when they investigate strange lights that appear in the woods, it sets forth a chain of events that challenges them all. Can they sort out the mystery and still retrieve the blood star before it falls into the wrong hands?
This novel was a solid continuation of the Starfell series, and I had a lot of fun along the way!
Fable continues to have personal growth along this adventure, learning to trust her emotions and abilities, not fight them. I enjoyed her journey this time around. Controlling magic is hard! I also like how her bond with her friends is strengthening and that she retained a rebellious spark when adults tried to boss her around.
Thorn continues to be my favorite supporting character, and I don't think that's going to change. She had some growth as well, and that was nice to see. I also like Brennus's reaction to developments along the way. It made a lot of sense to me given his situation.
The plot was fun and full of magic like last time. I enjoyed learning about this bizarre guitar and what it could do. I also liked the mystery around the blood star. It still intrigues me, and I hope we learn more as things progress. I did have some minor quips plotwise. Fedilmid's actions in Mistford seemed irresponsible, which didn't quite fit given their suspicions about what was going on. I also thought that the build up was a smidge slow for my liking, but it did pick up pretty fast once we got through some slower chapters.
Overall, this was another fun magical episode in Fable's chaotic journey, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
This novel was a solid continuation of the Starfell series, and I had a lot of fun along the way!
Fable continues to have personal growth along this adventure, learning to trust her emotions and abilities, not fight them. I enjoyed her journey this time around. Controlling magic is hard! I also like how her bond with her friends is strengthening and that she retained a rebellious spark when adults tried to boss her around.
Thorn continues to be my favorite supporting character, and I don't think that's going to change. She had some growth as well, and that was nice to see. I also like Brennus's reaction to developments along the way. It made a lot of sense to me given his situation.
The plot was fun and full of magic like last time. I enjoyed learning about this bizarre guitar and what it could do. I also liked the mystery around the blood star. It still intrigues me, and I hope we learn more as things progress. I did have some minor quips plotwise. Fedilmid's actions in Mistford seemed irresponsible, which didn't quite fit given their suspicions about what was going on. I also thought that the build up was a smidge slow for my liking, but it did pick up pretty fast once we got through some slower chapters.
Overall, this was another fun magical episode in Fable's chaotic journey, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
April 24, 2022
Such a good story
I'm probably one of the few readers who's not too crazy about book series. Sometimes they feel overly drawn out or redundant. I was reluctant to start this one because of that.
But this is the second book in this series, and I really enjoyed it.
The first book did a great job setting up the characters and danger. The second book follows the same main characters on a slightly different adventure with the same villain and lots of emotions and personal growth for the characters. But it wasn't the same story at all.
It's another well-written book by this author with effective descriptive writing, beautiful scenes, and characters readers care about.
I wonder if the author drew on some of her own childhood memories, because there were a couple of nostalgic moments for me as a reader... remembering my own childhood memories of sneaking around, getting busted listening to grownups from my bedroom (while I should have been asleep), and being voluntold to help adults with chores.
Anyway, now on to Book 3!
I'm probably one of the few readers who's not too crazy about book series. Sometimes they feel overly drawn out or redundant. I was reluctant to start this one because of that.
But this is the second book in this series, and I really enjoyed it.
The first book did a great job setting up the characters and danger. The second book follows the same main characters on a slightly different adventure with the same villain and lots of emotions and personal growth for the characters. But it wasn't the same story at all.
It's another well-written book by this author with effective descriptive writing, beautiful scenes, and characters readers care about.
I wonder if the author drew on some of her own childhood memories, because there were a couple of nostalgic moments for me as a reader... remembering my own childhood memories of sneaking around, getting busted listening to grownups from my bedroom (while I should have been asleep), and being voluntold to help adults with chores.
Anyway, now on to Book 3!
June 26, 2022
As a busy mom and business owner, I find it hard to find the time to sit and read a novel. Finding the Starfell Series has gifted me the captivation that a good book (series) pulls you into!
Thank you Jessica for providing a series of magical tales and feel good energy that pulls me into a whole new world right alongside Fable, Brennus and Thorn!
I'm excited to pick up book 3 in this captivating series!
Thank you Jessica for providing a series of magical tales and feel good energy that pulls me into a whole new world right alongside Fable, Brennus and Thorn!
I'm excited to pick up book 3 in this captivating series!
January 13, 2021
Great Read
I have read 2 of 3 of Jessica Renwick’s Starfell collection!!!! Love them. I’m reading the 3rd book now. I am a fan!!!
I have read 2 of 3 of Jessica Renwick’s Starfell collection!!!! Love them. I’m reading the 3rd book now. I am a fan!!!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews