What do you think?
Rate this book
The Lost Magician #2
The Frozen Sea
It is 1984 and forty years since Simon, Patricia and Evelyn and Larry first stepped through a magical library door into the enchanted world of Folio. When Patricia's daughter, Jewel, makes a mysterious discovery in an old bookshop, she begins a quest that will make her question everything she thought she knew. Summoned to Folio, she must rescue her missing aunt, helped only by her rude pet hamster Fizz and a malfunctioning robot.
Their mission to the Frozen Sea will bring them face-to-face with a danger both more deadly and more magnificent than they ever imagined.
What Jewel discovers will change not just who she thinks she is, but who we all think we are...
Their mission to the Frozen Sea will bring them face-to-face with a danger both more deadly and more magnificent than they ever imagined.
What Jewel discovers will change not just who she thinks she is, but who we all think we are...
352 pages, hardcover
Published September 5, 2019
14 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Piers Torday
39 books222 followersPiers Torday is an award-winning and best-selling children's writer. Books include The Last Wild, The Dark Wild, The Wild Beyond, The Wild Before, There May Be a Castle, The Lost Magician, and The Frozen Sea, with his latest one, Midnight Treasure, out in September 2024. His work has been translated into 14 languages.
His plays include The Box of Delights (Wilton’s/RSC), Christmas Carol, The Child in the Snow, and The Wind in the Wilton’s (Wilton’s Music Hall). The Little Angel Theatre has adapted his book There May Be a Castle for the stage.
The son of Paul Torday (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), he completed his father’s final unfinished novel, The Death of an Owl and co-founded the Paul Torday Memorial Prize for Debut Novelists over 60.
He has contributed short stories to Winter Magic, Scoop, and Return to Wonderland, nonfiction pieces for The Book of Hopes, The Writer’s Map, and Swallowed by a Whale, reviewed books for The Guardian, The Literary Review, and The Spectator, and judged The Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, The Costa Book Awards, and the British Book Awards.
Piers is also Chair of the Society of Authors Sustainability Steering Committee, a trustee of The Unicorn Theatre, Patron of Shrewsbury Book Fest and an Artistic Associate at Wilton’s Music Hall.
His plays include The Box of Delights (Wilton’s/RSC), Christmas Carol, The Child in the Snow, and The Wind in the Wilton’s (Wilton’s Music Hall). The Little Angel Theatre has adapted his book There May Be a Castle for the stage.
The son of Paul Torday (Salmon Fishing in the Yemen), he completed his father’s final unfinished novel, The Death of an Owl and co-founded the Paul Torday Memorial Prize for Debut Novelists over 60.
He has contributed short stories to Winter Magic, Scoop, and Return to Wonderland, nonfiction pieces for The Book of Hopes, The Writer’s Map, and Swallowed by a Whale, reviewed books for The Guardian, The Literary Review, and The Spectator, and judged The Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, The Costa Book Awards, and the British Book Awards.
Piers is also Chair of the Society of Authors Sustainability Steering Committee, a trustee of The Unicorn Theatre, Patron of Shrewsbury Book Fest and an Artistic Associate at Wilton’s Music Hall.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 19, 2019
Ever since I read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a child I loved the idea of another land waiting to be discovered. To have such a land ruled by Readers...combining the two best things...a recipe for a great story.
Even not having read book one (though it’s part of The Lost Magician series rather than The Lost Wild) this makes sense and captures the imagination perfectly.
Jewel is often singled out for being different to her peers. When we first see her being chased out of school by those bullying her, we know just how desperate she is to find her place in the world. Stumbling into a mysterious bookshop, Jewel finds herself reading an unusual atlas - one that seems to bring the world around her to life. Before we know it, Jewel and her hamster Fizz have been transported to Folio and are assigned a mysterious quest.
The links to book one are explained clearly, which keeps new readers up to date. One of the original four has found their way back to the world of Folio and set in motion a chain of events with potentially dire consequences. Jewel is charged with helping rescue her aunt Evie.
So begins a series of adventures and Jewel’s knowledge of stories stands her in good stead to navigate this scenario. Naturally, we learn some not wholly unexpected news and Jewel learns plenty about herself.
Framing the story of Jewel’s adventure are the mysterious excerpts from official documents suggesting there’s more to come in this story.
Great fun, capturing perfectly the power of imagination. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this prior to publication in exchange for my thoughts.
Even not having read book one (though it’s part of The Lost Magician series rather than The Lost Wild) this makes sense and captures the imagination perfectly.
Jewel is often singled out for being different to her peers. When we first see her being chased out of school by those bullying her, we know just how desperate she is to find her place in the world. Stumbling into a mysterious bookshop, Jewel finds herself reading an unusual atlas - one that seems to bring the world around her to life. Before we know it, Jewel and her hamster Fizz have been transported to Folio and are assigned a mysterious quest.
The links to book one are explained clearly, which keeps new readers up to date. One of the original four has found their way back to the world of Folio and set in motion a chain of events with potentially dire consequences. Jewel is charged with helping rescue her aunt Evie.
So begins a series of adventures and Jewel’s knowledge of stories stands her in good stead to navigate this scenario. Naturally, we learn some not wholly unexpected news and Jewel learns plenty about herself.
Framing the story of Jewel’s adventure are the mysterious excerpts from official documents suggesting there’s more to come in this story.
Great fun, capturing perfectly the power of imagination. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this prior to publication in exchange for my thoughts.
November 27, 2024
Book 2 was better than its predecessor, but it's clear to me now that Piers's books aren't my cup of tea.
It feels as if the world of Narnia has been chanelled better in The Frozen Sea; it had more of its magic feeling, somehow. I also preferred Jewel compared to the four siblings in The Lost Magician, and Fizz was funny as well (although his 'and by X, I mean' started to get old after a while - a running gag only works for a limited time).
But Evie annoyed me to no end - it felt a bit as if she was some kind of megalomaniac - and the way how all the technology works, seemed a bit off to me as well. This story is set in the 1980s, and obviously Evie is smart, but it sounded more as if the tech in Folio (there I almost went writing 'Polio', oops) came straight from the 2010s.
6.6/10
Average rating for the series: 6.3/10
It feels as if the world of Narnia has been chanelled better in The Frozen Sea; it had more of its magic feeling, somehow. I also preferred Jewel compared to the four siblings in The Lost Magician, and Fizz was funny as well (although his 'and by X, I mean' started to get old after a while - a running gag only works for a limited time).
But Evie annoyed me to no end - it felt a bit as if she was some kind of megalomaniac - and the way how all the technology works, seemed a bit off to me as well. This story is set in the 1980s, and obviously Evie is smart, but it sounded more as if the tech in Folio (there I almost went writing 'Polio', oops) came straight from the 2010s.
6.6/10
Average rating for the series: 6.3/10
May 10, 2022
Jewel is sick of being chased and bullied at school for being different. One day whilst running away from them she hides inside a bookshop, but there is noone there. As she looks at the books one falls open and she sees maps of a place she has never heard of. She is drawn into the land of Folio, where 40 years ago her Mum, Aunt and Uncles first became aware of it.
She meets different characters and is sent on a quest to rescue her Aunt and bring her home. For company she has her Hamster, who can talk in the land of Folio, and a robot who may not be all she seems. As the three of them walk through the land of Folio towards the Frozen Sea, they meet characters from all the books ever written. Jewel also discovers what real friendship is and also who she is.
A nice read and one that can teach us all something.
She meets different characters and is sent on a quest to rescue her Aunt and bring her home. For company she has her Hamster, who can talk in the land of Folio, and a robot who may not be all she seems. As the three of them walk through the land of Folio towards the Frozen Sea, they meet characters from all the books ever written. Jewel also discovers what real friendship is and also who she is.
A nice read and one that can teach us all something.
August 8, 2019
This was a whole host of fun. A quest, some familiar story faces, an evil and all powerful being and a young girl trying to find out who she really is. Piers Torday is a magnificent storyteller. I loved Pandora and Fizz - they were magnificent additions to the characters, who kept me chuckling along the way. Ooh also, yay for characters from Newcastle!
December 7, 2020
This was another Polarthon read for me. You'd think with a title like, 'The Frozen Sea', I'd be pretty much guaranteed a polar fantasy. However, despite this being the destination, the book takes place in a variety of places which are not particularly wintery, so once again the book was quite different to what I expected!
With that being said, I enjoyed this book much more than the first. In this story, we follow Jewel Hastings (daughter of Patricia from The Lost Magician) as she and her hamster Fizz find themselves whisked into Folio and sent on a dangerous rescue mission.
My enjoyment in this story came from several areas. First, while the links to Narnia were still present, they were much more subtle and I really loved each little Easter egg the author had included. Second, as this book was set in the 80s, there was a lot of nostalgia for me and the references to pop culture made me smile each time I came across one. Third, Fizz who was just adorable. I loved his dry sense of humour and grumpiness towards the adventure. Finally, Jewel and the emotional journey she goes on. I loved the mysteries surrounding her and the realisations she reached at then end of the story.
With that being said, I enjoyed this book much more than the first. In this story, we follow Jewel Hastings (daughter of Patricia from The Lost Magician) as she and her hamster Fizz find themselves whisked into Folio and sent on a dangerous rescue mission.
My enjoyment in this story came from several areas. First, while the links to Narnia were still present, they were much more subtle and I really loved each little Easter egg the author had included. Second, as this book was set in the 80s, there was a lot of nostalgia for me and the references to pop culture made me smile each time I came across one. Third, Fizz who was just adorable. I loved his dry sense of humour and grumpiness towards the adventure. Finally, Jewel and the emotional journey she goes on. I loved the mysteries surrounding her and the realisations she reached at then end of the story.
April 8, 2020
This was such a great sequel to The Lost Magician! Every little detail was done right, even down to details that went w/the times-which was the 80s. I totally forgot about scratch & sniff stickers! Lol I love attention to detail, sorry😆The message I took away from this one was clear & also just as important as what I took from the 1st book. I think we as a society keep our face in our phones more than in the world around us. We need to LOOK UP. I remember people kept getting hit by cars in NY b/c they wouldn’t look up away from their phone while walking.🙄 Also, I think we depend way too much on computers/technology. When I’m at a business & they are apologizing for the computer being slow/not working, I say the same thing to them, & what if they all stopped working one day? We would be in trouble lol there’s also great messages about finding who you are, being bullied, etc. Fizz has a piece of my heart as well!! That little guy is me in male hamster form. My spirit animal for sure! So along w/ MG cats & rats/mice....add hamsters to what I love in MG!😁Another amazing book!!!! Highly recommend!
August 14, 2021
I didn’t like the beginning because I thought the story would be unoriginal. A girl is running away from bullies will soon realise she’s SPECIAL and that’s a good thing. Her hamster now TALKS and she needs to rescue her aunt on a JOURNEY.
But I should stop acting like that because most books are hard to think of. There is a lot more originality in this book and many plot twists, lies being spread and confusion. I won’t say the plot twists though because that’d just give away the story...
Even though the first book was a rip off of Narnia,
this book had less connections with it and took the originality of the first and expanded it from there.
There was one addition he added which was the message that mobile phones are bad. It slightly annoyed me because everyone knows that, and people go on them anyway as they hate reading books. Authors shouldn’t have the need to spread that message...
But I should stop acting like that because most books are hard to think of. There is a lot more originality in this book and many plot twists, lies being spread and confusion. I won’t say the plot twists though because that’d just give away the story...
Even though the first book was a rip off of Narnia,
this book had less connections with it and took the originality of the first and expanded it from there.
There was one addition he added which was the message that mobile phones are bad. It slightly annoyed me because everyone knows that, and people go on them anyway as they hate reading books. Authors shouldn’t have the need to spread that message...
October 6, 2020
3.5 stars - Firstly....the book has a talking moody hamster in it...that alone is hamsterrific! (yes I just made that word). For any fans of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and wants to add a bit of I Robot....this is a definite read. Taking you into a land of stories with your main character finding herself with her companion.....her hamster. A lovely little story to read and discover for young readers. Easy to read and follow. The only negative would be that in my opinion it was a bit slow moving and I felt like at the beginning I was really intriguing and connected and excited...but from the mid point onwards I started connecting less. Saying that though it is a fun read and would recommend.
Note: Just realised this is the 2nd in the series, but honestly could not tell so could a read alone.....maybe if I read the first 1 this one might turn into a 4 star....we will see.
Note: Just realised this is the 2nd in the series, but honestly could not tell so could a read alone.....maybe if I read the first 1 this one might turn into a 4 star....we will see.
January 3, 2023
Somehow, this book doesnt make me fully immersed in it. I admit the climax is fast paced. Suitable and well written but somehow, i keep reminded by wizard of oz. Haha. And some other childhood stories but i couldnt remember. So it sort of frustrated me enough that i couldn't focus fully on the story
June 16, 2020
This book would be great for fans of C.S. Lewis the lion the witch and the wardrobe and I robot.
This was a fun quick paced adventure story that can capture your imagination in no time and hold it to the very end.
This was a fun quick paced adventure story that can capture your imagination in no time and hold it to the very end.
April 2, 2023
Iets minder sterk en fascinerend dan deel 1, the lost magician, maar nog steeds een fijn jeugdboek. Het begin was heel veelbelovend, maar de plot was soms iets te ver gezocht om geloofwaardig te blijven en op den duur begon onbeleefdheid van de hamster wat tegen te steken.
April 29, 2022
I picked this up at the library without knowing it was the second book in the series. 🫣 it can be read as a stand alone though. It was okay. I guessed the plot twist fairly early on.
March 15, 2025
This amazing book is an intriguing book from start to end.
September 10, 2019
This is a delightfully enjoyable return to the Kingdom of Folio which was visited in the first book in this series, The Lost Magician. Forty years after the return of the Hastings siblings from their adventure in Folio, their young relative, Jewel Hastings, enters an old bookshop to escape the bullies who are chasing her.
Once inside, she finds an old atlas which acts as a portal through which she is pulled into the Land of Folio, a world of the imagination. Once there, she meets the Librarian who sets her on a quest to save her adoptive mother’s younger sister, her Aunt Evelyn, who is now the Empress of Folio.
Jewel’s hamster, Fizz, has entered Folio alongside her. By the way, Fizz can now talk, and what a chatterbox he is! He has an acerbic wit, is rude, fierce and loyal – he has the absolute best one-liners in his own inimitable style and, by his own inimitable style, I mean, he is a comic genius! I truly adored him, and want my own Fizz!
The Librarian takes Jewel to begin her quest in the City of the Unreads where she meets her Aunt Evelyn who has introduced the citizens to the Stampstone, a device which connects them all to a vast store of knowledge, but is it also being used for a much more sinister and dangerous purpose? Just as Evelyn is prepared to return to her own world with Jewel, she is kidnapped.
And, so begins a stupendously riveting, exciting and scary adventure to save her Aunt … and to discover some important truths along the way. With her trusted companions Fizz and her robot assistant Pandora, they adventure through the most amazing lands and meet the most wonderful, if sometimes frightening, characters. Met with many challenges along the way, their quest eventually takes them to the Frozen Sea where truths are tantalisingly exposed amidst breath-taking danger.
The world-building is superb, from the Ideas Jungle where ideas grow from light-bulbs in trees, to the Marsh of Monsters where grotesque swamp monsters reside, to the Mountains of Mythia with its gathering of Gods and mythical beasts.
I think Jewel is a wonderful protagonist, a fantastic role model for all so-called nerds who are trying to find the courage and self-belief to stop hiding, apologising and instead be themselves, celebrating their nerdiness. Jewel is clever, logical, perceptive and not easily fazed by the incredulity she is faced with. Above all, she has the courage to face her fears, protect her loved ones and seek the answers to who she is.
I keep trying to be brave, but it’s just so hard.
I loved the use of the Stampstone as a plot device. It alludes to the power of media and technology to control, distort and manipulate information so gaining power and control over its users. Holders of knowledge, through stories and information, hold power and, if someone can control all knowledge, they can exert vast power.
This is a brilliantly immersive and engrossing story, with both charming and formidable characters, perfect for readers of 8+, or anyone who wants to return to that delightful land of imagination so well-remembered from childhood … and perhaps not lost to us yet!
If you can imagine it, it exists …somewhere!
Once inside, she finds an old atlas which acts as a portal through which she is pulled into the Land of Folio, a world of the imagination. Once there, she meets the Librarian who sets her on a quest to save her adoptive mother’s younger sister, her Aunt Evelyn, who is now the Empress of Folio.
Jewel’s hamster, Fizz, has entered Folio alongside her. By the way, Fizz can now talk, and what a chatterbox he is! He has an acerbic wit, is rude, fierce and loyal – he has the absolute best one-liners in his own inimitable style and, by his own inimitable style, I mean, he is a comic genius! I truly adored him, and want my own Fizz!
The Librarian takes Jewel to begin her quest in the City of the Unreads where she meets her Aunt Evelyn who has introduced the citizens to the Stampstone, a device which connects them all to a vast store of knowledge, but is it also being used for a much more sinister and dangerous purpose? Just as Evelyn is prepared to return to her own world with Jewel, she is kidnapped.
And, so begins a stupendously riveting, exciting and scary adventure to save her Aunt … and to discover some important truths along the way. With her trusted companions Fizz and her robot assistant Pandora, they adventure through the most amazing lands and meet the most wonderful, if sometimes frightening, characters. Met with many challenges along the way, their quest eventually takes them to the Frozen Sea where truths are tantalisingly exposed amidst breath-taking danger.
The world-building is superb, from the Ideas Jungle where ideas grow from light-bulbs in trees, to the Marsh of Monsters where grotesque swamp monsters reside, to the Mountains of Mythia with its gathering of Gods and mythical beasts.
I think Jewel is a wonderful protagonist, a fantastic role model for all so-called nerds who are trying to find the courage and self-belief to stop hiding, apologising and instead be themselves, celebrating their nerdiness. Jewel is clever, logical, perceptive and not easily fazed by the incredulity she is faced with. Above all, she has the courage to face her fears, protect her loved ones and seek the answers to who she is.
I keep trying to be brave, but it’s just so hard.
I loved the use of the Stampstone as a plot device. It alludes to the power of media and technology to control, distort and manipulate information so gaining power and control over its users. Holders of knowledge, through stories and information, hold power and, if someone can control all knowledge, they can exert vast power.
This is a brilliantly immersive and engrossing story, with both charming and formidable characters, perfect for readers of 8+, or anyone who wants to return to that delightful land of imagination so well-remembered from childhood … and perhaps not lost to us yet!
If you can imagine it, it exists …somewhere!
February 26, 2020
The second book I've read from Piers Torday, sequel to The Lost Magician. I thoroughly enjoyed this read,I really did. I read it quicker than I read most books (as I did with The Lost Magician) which is how I know it's a book I've enjoyed. The new characters were great, especially Fizz, hilarious addition! I love how despite the books inspiration from the Narnia series it's still original in its own right. It's themes of imagination, childhood, growth and the complexities of who one really is, highly highly intrigues me. The only reason I have given this book one less star than I gave the one that came before it is 1, due to some confusion I encountered around the climax and 2, it's emotional impact. It lacked something The Lost Magician had but I can't put my finger on what, maybe something to do with the last line? Nevertheless, an incredibly enjoyable sequel!
January 19, 2020
A brilliant sequel to the equally good 'The Lost Magician", building on the themes and events of that book, which, though it reads like a children's classic, are pretty pertinent themes: the power of imagination and story, knowledge and who controls it and communication technology. Importantly, it present interconnected communication technology as an inherently bad but shows the dangers of abusing it and becoming dependent on it.
It ends in a very interesting place (as well as possibly a slightly ominous one) and I look forward to seeing where the seies goes next.
(Plus, it has the most adorably incompetent robot assistant and the best sidekick in the form of the world's rudest hamster, named for fizzgig in The Dark Crystal. What's not to love?)
It ends in a very interesting place (as well as possibly a slightly ominous one) and I look forward to seeing where the seies goes next.
(Plus, it has the most adorably incompetent robot assistant and the best sidekick in the form of the world's rudest hamster, named for fizzgig in The Dark Crystal. What's not to love?)
March 11, 2021
3.5✪'s
This is one of those books I'd love to read with my child when he is middle grade age.
It's a wonderful adventure tale that chidren can relate to regarding overcoming fears and self discovery.
It has a sweet little twist at the end and a good message about relying to much on digital technology.
What I loved:
• The Monster Marsh
• The cute and comically rude hamster named Fizz.
• The ending was delightful.
This is one of those books I'd love to read with my child when he is middle grade age.
It's a wonderful adventure tale that chidren can relate to regarding overcoming fears and self discovery.
It has a sweet little twist at the end and a good message about relying to much on digital technology.
What I loved:
• The Monster Marsh
• The cute and comically rude hamster named Fizz.
• The ending was delightful.
October 14, 2019
This book is beautiful, both inside and out, though perhaps the publisher missed a trick by not including a map. A great adventure, full of magic, hope and humour, which proves that love and stories are all anybody needs to survive.
October 8, 2019
A classic in the making
November 17, 2019
Very good and interesting.
November 30, 2019
Very good book, i've never read anything with the same vibe as it. Interesting story line and a happy ending
September 14, 2022
3,5 stars
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews