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Mrs. Perivale #1
Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal
"People your age belong at home." 73 year old Mrs. Perivale is told when she tries to volunteer. With her son grown and gone, and her community turning their backs on her, the gravity of no longer being needed sinks her spirits deeply. She wonders if she has outlived her usefulness until a mystical little creature sneaks into Alice Perivale's home and begs her to come with him; there is a prophecy about her, and she must help save his world! Finding herself in an extraordinary place she had no idea existed, committed to a dangerous mission far more vital than helping out in her neighborhood, Alice dusts off her courage and bravery, rediscovering the feisty, sassy, powerhouse woman she is deep inside. She is determined to find the stolen Blue Fire Crystal before the imbalance between elements destroys all of the magical land of Corevé. Together with her remarkable family of six cats and her skeptical-yet-devoted butler Henderson, she takes on the tremendous challenge. With time running out and the world falling to pieces, Alice's precious companions are pulled away from her, and she is faced with impossible choices. Does she choose what she wants most of all, does she rescue her family, or does she save the world that will not survive without her? Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal is the first book in the enchanting Mrs. Perivale YA fantasy series. If you're looking to escape reality for a while with a laugh-out-loud, heart-touching adventure, discover the heroine you never knew you needed today! #1 International Best Seller The internationally bestselling and much-beloved Mrs. Perivale series was written specifically for the viral meme @broodingYAhero said, "It's amazing how many prophecies involve teens. You'd think they'd pick more emotionally stable people, with more free time. Like grandmas." To which @Dinuriel replied, "...I would read the hell out of a series of a chosen eighty-five-year-old woman who goes on epic journeys throughout a dangerous and magical land, armed only with a cane and her stab-tastic knitting needles, accompanied by her six cats and a skittish-yet-devoted orderly who makes sure she takes her pills on time. Wish Granted!
* A note about the copyright for this book and all my books. The original copyright, indicating I didn't approve of sharing books, wasn't written by me and it definitely does not reflect my opinions or ideals in the least. Not only do I fervently agree that books should be shared, I regularly donate autographed copies of them to libraries, homeless shelters, schools, kids, hospitals, senior centers, and more, not only in the US, but in other countries as well. Once I realized that the original copyright stated such a horrible position, I changed it myself on ALL of my books. There are of course many copies that were printed with it, but all the newer copies have an updated copyright. I fully support and encourage the sharing and donating of all books, especially mine. Shared books enrich minds, friendships, and lives. Please continue to pass them along as I do, to one and all.
* A note about the copyright for this book and all my books. The original copyright, indicating I didn't approve of sharing books, wasn't written by me and it definitely does not reflect my opinions or ideals in the least. Not only do I fervently agree that books should be shared, I regularly donate autographed copies of them to libraries, homeless shelters, schools, kids, hospitals, senior centers, and more, not only in the US, but in other countries as well. Once I realized that the original copyright stated such a horrible position, I changed it myself on ALL of my books. There are of course many copies that were printed with it, but all the newer copies have an updated copyright. I fully support and encourage the sharing and donating of all books, especially mine. Shared books enrich minds, friendships, and lives. Please continue to pass them along as I do, to one and all.
334 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
1570 people are currently reading
2599 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
November 21, 2023
I like the premise, but it is not well executed. The author provides a lot of description but often with too many words. The sentences are awkward, often run together, and are filled with unnecessary commas. It could definitely use some editing and reworking of the characters, particularly Mrs. P. It is obvious that she is supposed to be whimsical and a character who sticks in your mind after you finish the book but it falls a little flat. I wonder if the author did research into her characters before writing them? The pace of the story picks up about 1/3 of the way through the book and becomes easier to read. However, there are some questionable literary choices that seem to come out of nowhere and don’t make a lot of sense. I can see an elementary or even middle school student getting into this book but it was much harder as an adult, which is not my experience with many other fantasy novels. The chunks of dialogue can be tedious as well because it seems obvious that the author is trying to make profound and thoughtful statements. The characters become more likable as the story goes on and the pace is one that makes it easy to devour, which can be fun in a book like this. Overall, kind of a fun story if you can manage to stop cringing and push all the way through (which I nearly didn’t).
September 26, 2020
I wanted to love this. An elderly protagonist caught up in a prophecy that also involves dragons, cats and other fae creatures in an alternate realm that has her finding herself along the way sounded exactly the bit of fluff needed. However, this bit of fluff had even less substance than candy floss with horrible dialogue that is gaggingly sacharine and simplistic with thoroughly one dimensional characters. It's poorly written with an author obviously lacking a few writing classes and in dire need of an editor or two. I curled my lip once too often before realizing I was only rooting for the katter and skipped to an ending that certainly did not inspire me to go back to discover what I may have missed. Not to mention the way the Inklings spoke drove me absolutely up the wall. I'm so happy this is a book borrowed and not bought.
November 3, 2018
I had mixed feelings about this book.
First, what I liked. I liked that the main character was a senior citizen and a woman. I liked the cats, but question if the author had spent any time with a group of cats. The characters were likable. The pacing of the story was good. I did want to keep reading to find out how it happened.
On the other hand, many of the characters were stereotypical and lacked depth. There were some formatting and fact-checking problems I found distracting. There were so many in the first few pages, I serious considered passing on the rest of the book.
So, in conclusion, three stars: not bad, but not great either.
First, what I liked. I liked that the main character was a senior citizen and a woman. I liked the cats, but question if the author had spent any time with a group of cats. The characters were likable. The pacing of the story was good. I did want to keep reading to find out how it happened.
On the other hand, many of the characters were stereotypical and lacked depth. There were some formatting and fact-checking problems I found distracting. There were so many in the first few pages, I serious considered passing on the rest of the book.
So, in conclusion, three stars: not bad, but not great either.
August 22, 2020
Review by Grace, age 9, 8/22/20 (5 stars)
This book is about Mrs. Perivale. At the beginning of this book, Mrs. Perivale feels kind of left out, because she wanted to join the Widows of War meeting and they told her they wanted younger people. She has 7 cats and Henderson, her butler. She meets and Inkling named Chippa, and finds out that she is the "chosen one." (dun dun Duuum!) So, she has to go find the Blue Fire Crystal or everything will go out of control. By the way, this is no longer on Earth. So they have a long journey over everything, and her 7 cats who followed her become huge, different colors, and learn to talk. Henderson gets caught by something that sounds like "Quiae-birds." They are evil and also captured a dragon. Mrs. Perivale unlocked its cage with her knitting needle! Anyway, they find the Blue Fire Crystal. The end.
I liked this book because it has 7 cats and a dragon and a lady with knitting needles.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The elevator pitch for this book caught my eye: an elderly heroine, accompanied only by her butler and cats, and armed only with her knitting needles, nevertheless fearlessly pursues her heroic destiny in a fantastical world.
Yeah, why not?
Unfortunately, it quite failed to live up to its promise. Plot-wise, this was every "heroic quest for the magical MacGuffin" ever written. Nothing to see here. World-building wise, it was a mash-up of every fantasy novel ever written. Again, done well this is not annoying. Done poorly, it is.
Character-wise is we really break down. The little furry critters with their goofy poor grammar are about 1/2 a step off Ewoks with a splash of Jar-Jar Binks just for extra fun. The human characters are 2 dimensional. The cats are frankly 2 dimensional. The characters they encounter along their quest are 2 dimensional. You get the idea.
Dialog is embarrassingly poor, and many of the events along the way utterly fail to ring true. I'm not talking about narrow escapes or magically modified leaf-boats. I'm talking about suddenly meeting a human on an alien world, having him act like he knew you were coming and immediately set about mixing up what turns out to be magical catnip, being rebuffed at your first attempt to question him, and then simply shrugging your shoulders and letting things happen. This "Lightkeeper's" presence and role is never explained. Aside from one Yoda-like pronouncement, it's never even hinted at. And no-one demands answers. They just take the magical catnip and move on. Once said catnip is activated, still, no-one seems sufficiently awed or curious. This is indicative of the "plot" as a whole. It's as if they're on a Disney ride. They just keep following the tracks with little curiosity or initiative, and when it delivers them safely to the other side, no-one is terribly excited or surprised.
Anyway, as you can tell I didn't care for this book in the least. And yet, before I deleted it, I had a brainstorm: give it to my 9 yo daughter. She loves cats, she loves dragons (Her two favorite series are "Wings of Fire" and "Warriors."), and she hasn't developed a terribly sophisticated appreciation for the nuances of plot and dialog.
So far, she loves it. :) I will add her review here later - without letting her read mine first!
This book is about Mrs. Perivale. At the beginning of this book, Mrs. Perivale feels kind of left out, because she wanted to join the Widows of War meeting and they told her they wanted younger people. She has 7 cats and Henderson, her butler. She meets and Inkling named Chippa, and finds out that she is the "chosen one." (dun dun Duuum!) So, she has to go find the Blue Fire Crystal or everything will go out of control. By the way, this is no longer on Earth. So they have a long journey over everything, and her 7 cats who followed her become huge, different colors, and learn to talk. Henderson gets caught by something that sounds like "Quiae-birds." They are evil and also captured a dragon. Mrs. Perivale unlocked its cage with her knitting needle! Anyway, they find the Blue Fire Crystal. The end.
I liked this book because it has 7 cats and a dragon and a lady with knitting needles.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The elevator pitch for this book caught my eye: an elderly heroine, accompanied only by her butler and cats, and armed only with her knitting needles, nevertheless fearlessly pursues her heroic destiny in a fantastical world.
Yeah, why not?
Unfortunately, it quite failed to live up to its promise. Plot-wise, this was every "heroic quest for the magical MacGuffin" ever written. Nothing to see here. World-building wise, it was a mash-up of every fantasy novel ever written. Again, done well this is not annoying. Done poorly, it is.
Character-wise is we really break down. The little furry critters with their goofy poor grammar are about 1/2 a step off Ewoks with a splash of Jar-Jar Binks just for extra fun. The human characters are 2 dimensional. The cats are frankly 2 dimensional. The characters they encounter along their quest are 2 dimensional. You get the idea.
Dialog is embarrassingly poor, and many of the events along the way utterly fail to ring true. I'm not talking about narrow escapes or magically modified leaf-boats. I'm talking about suddenly meeting a human on an alien world, having him act like he knew you were coming and immediately set about mixing up what turns out to be magical catnip, being rebuffed at your first attempt to question him, and then simply shrugging your shoulders and letting things happen. This "Lightkeeper's" presence and role is never explained. Aside from one Yoda-like pronouncement, it's never even hinted at. And no-one demands answers. They just take the magical catnip and move on. Once said catnip is activated, still, no-one seems sufficiently awed or curious. This is indicative of the "plot" as a whole. It's as if they're on a Disney ride. They just keep following the tracks with little curiosity or initiative, and when it delivers them safely to the other side, no-one is terribly excited or surprised.
Anyway, as you can tell I didn't care for this book in the least. And yet, before I deleted it, I had a brainstorm: give it to my 9 yo daughter. She loves cats, she loves dragons (Her two favorite series are "Wings of Fire" and "Warriors."), and she hasn't developed a terribly sophisticated appreciation for the nuances of plot and dialog.
So far, she loves it. :) I will add her review here later - without letting her read mine first!
August 23, 2020
If you want a fantasy that's cozy and emotionally soothing, read this book. Mrs. Perivale, a widow who lives with seven cats and a butler, falls down the rabbit hole into a fantasyland. She and her little family have to find the Blue Fire Crystal to bring elemental balance back to the land. They meet all kinds of people whom she treats with gentleness and respect, which gets them where they need to go most of the time. She's not a flashy heroine, she's grandmotherly. She's the kind of lady you'd want on your side if you were unsure about what to do. If you're tired of humanity, read this and you'll be refreshed.
October 5, 2020
DNF. Give up at 54%. Two stars because it is not objectionable just boring. Mrs. Perivale is still not having advenures, her cats are. Her role seems to be to believe n people. There is a great deal of description but it often serves to derail the movement of the story. Pace ws just entirely too slow for me.
October 12, 2021
I love the story of how this book came into being. Someone somewhere on the internet posted: "It's amazing how many prophecies involve teens. You'd think they'd pick more emotionally stable people, with more free time. Like grandmas." And someone else responded: "I would read the hell out of a series of a chosen eighty-five-year-old woman who goes on epic journeys throughout a dangerous and magical land, armed only with a cane and her stab-tastic knitting needles, accompanied by her six cats and a skittish-yet-devoted orderly who makes sure she takes her pills on time." And then Hoffman decided he would indeed write said book, which had the potential to be the most delightful thing I'd read all year. Because really, we *do* need more eighty-five-year-old chosen ones who have been around the block a few times and aren't going to get caught up in any nonsense.
Unfortunately, though the premise was fabulous, the execution was terrible. The plot, the characters, the setting, the dialog... everything. I most emphatically do not recommend.
Unfortunately, though the premise was fabulous, the execution was terrible. The plot, the characters, the setting, the dialog... everything. I most emphatically do not recommend.
December 17, 2020
Enjoyable without being too patronising, this is the story of an elderly lady, her manservant and her seven cats, who are asked to help find the blue fire crystal which has been stolen from the Mari village by a young Mari named Chippa, who has somehow recognised her as the saviour of his world. Hurray for a book with an elderly female hero! Should appeal to cat lovers too. This book is aimed at 9+, I think. I gather there is also a sequel.
September 5, 2021
I have been dreading writing this post because I really was looking forward to this book.
Anyone remember the viral tumblr post about a prophesy about grandmas and going on an adventure with her orderly who makes sure she takes her meds on time? If not, swipe to see it.
Well this is the book based on that tumblr prompt.
And I had soooo much hope for it! But unfortunately, the author who picked up this project, or was offered this project, is known for, and quite proud of, being able to pump out a book in 7-10 days. But just because something is done quickly, doesn’t mean it is done well.
Again, if you aren’t familiar with the original post, it suggests a senior citizen being the prophesied savior instead of a teenager. So this is now melding the genres of “cozy story” targeted for seniors and adventure targeted for middle grade and YA readers (12-19). Apart from that, we have a simplistic writing style that suggests the book is actually aimed at the 10-14 age group.
I like all these genres, but separately in their own books. With these conflicting genres and varying age targets, together it doesn’t form as a cohesive novel. It just feels out of place.
Not just that, but the plot seemed like it was barely given thought. Like there was a template for the “prophesied savior goes on an adventure” story and the plot points were filled in but the author didn’t seem to take the time for the background story or the “Why” of the plot points. There was even a point when Mrs Perivale asks, “Why an old lady like me?” and the response was, “I do not know, but it is you.” So that’s just lazy writing.
It got to the point that I would try and read another chapter and just roll my eyes at the cringe factor.
Maybe someday, a different author will try their hand at this prompt, and it will actually be executed properly. Until then, this one isn’t worth the time.
Anyone remember the viral tumblr post about a prophesy about grandmas and going on an adventure with her orderly who makes sure she takes her meds on time? If not, swipe to see it.
Well this is the book based on that tumblr prompt.
And I had soooo much hope for it! But unfortunately, the author who picked up this project, or was offered this project, is known for, and quite proud of, being able to pump out a book in 7-10 days. But just because something is done quickly, doesn’t mean it is done well.
Again, if you aren’t familiar with the original post, it suggests a senior citizen being the prophesied savior instead of a teenager. So this is now melding the genres of “cozy story” targeted for seniors and adventure targeted for middle grade and YA readers (12-19). Apart from that, we have a simplistic writing style that suggests the book is actually aimed at the 10-14 age group.
I like all these genres, but separately in their own books. With these conflicting genres and varying age targets, together it doesn’t form as a cohesive novel. It just feels out of place.
Not just that, but the plot seemed like it was barely given thought. Like there was a template for the “prophesied savior goes on an adventure” story and the plot points were filled in but the author didn’t seem to take the time for the background story or the “Why” of the plot points. There was even a point when Mrs Perivale asks, “Why an old lady like me?” and the response was, “I do not know, but it is you.” So that’s just lazy writing.
It got to the point that I would try and read another chapter and just roll my eyes at the cringe factor.
Maybe someday, a different author will try their hand at this prompt, and it will actually be executed properly. Until then, this one isn’t worth the time.
January 22, 2021
I'm not completely sure how I feel about this one. Perhaps I'll work through it here.
This was originally an online idea posted by someone else on a social media platform. They had stated they were tired of reading about all of these heroes in their early 20's saving the world and they would like to see an elderly lady, with life experience, journey to save the world armed with her stabtastic knitting needles and her young sidekick of an aid who gave our hero her pills on time. When I read this post I seconded the thought. YES! I want this story. Along comes Dash Hoffman, sharing the post and adding "here it is" with a link to his book available in ebook form. I bit. At this point I knew literally nothing of Dash Hoffman.
The story is not what I expected at all. It is a story of an older woman who has lost her husband and is feeling useless in her old age. Everywhere she turns she is confronted with other people's views of just how useless the elderly are, in rude ways. She lives with her cats (several) and her assistant, Henderson, who is rather uptight. In comes a creature wisking her and her ragtag family off to another world to help find the Blue Fire Crystal to save his world, for she is the chosen one. The story has potential but just felt flat/stale. I looked up Dash Hoffman. I'm assuming this is not the writer's real name or they are just really good at keeping a low profile due to the fact you really can't find out too much of anything about them. Other than they/he/she writes their stories in a day. Bingo! Had more time been taken with the story it could have been really good. Instead there was no dimension. Just your stereotypical old lady with her cats hoping to find self worth. The situations the group found themselves in could have been dynamic but utterly felt stale, seen before, or rushed. Interestingly the scenes felt rushed even while they seemed to drag on with over description. The ending is very predictable and yes there is a sequel. I don't see myself making the effort to read book two.
Ultimately I'm glad I read it, now I know. I would love to see someone else's take on this story idea. Someone who would take time with it and make it a fully developed story with a likable, relatable and believable group of characters. I give Dash Hoffman credit for being able to write an over 300 page long book in a day. However, if Hoffman took more time perhaps he could create a great story.
This was originally an online idea posted by someone else on a social media platform. They had stated they were tired of reading about all of these heroes in their early 20's saving the world and they would like to see an elderly lady, with life experience, journey to save the world armed with her stabtastic knitting needles and her young sidekick of an aid who gave our hero her pills on time. When I read this post I seconded the thought. YES! I want this story. Along comes Dash Hoffman, sharing the post and adding "here it is" with a link to his book available in ebook form. I bit. At this point I knew literally nothing of Dash Hoffman.
The story is not what I expected at all. It is a story of an older woman who has lost her husband and is feeling useless in her old age. Everywhere she turns she is confronted with other people's views of just how useless the elderly are, in rude ways. She lives with her cats (several) and her assistant, Henderson, who is rather uptight. In comes a creature wisking her and her ragtag family off to another world to help find the Blue Fire Crystal to save his world, for she is the chosen one. The story has potential but just felt flat/stale. I looked up Dash Hoffman. I'm assuming this is not the writer's real name or they are just really good at keeping a low profile due to the fact you really can't find out too much of anything about them. Other than they/he/she writes their stories in a day. Bingo! Had more time been taken with the story it could have been really good. Instead there was no dimension. Just your stereotypical old lady with her cats hoping to find self worth. The situations the group found themselves in could have been dynamic but utterly felt stale, seen before, or rushed. Interestingly the scenes felt rushed even while they seemed to drag on with over description. The ending is very predictable and yes there is a sequel. I don't see myself making the effort to read book two.
Ultimately I'm glad I read it, now I know. I would love to see someone else's take on this story idea. Someone who would take time with it and make it a fully developed story with a likable, relatable and believable group of characters. I give Dash Hoffman credit for being able to write an over 300 page long book in a day. However, if Hoffman took more time perhaps he could create a great story.
October 1, 2020
A meme makes a great story
I was skeptical when I read the synopsis. A meme that I had shared before about an older lady as the hero, along with her devoted servant, go on an amazing adventure and save the day. This adorable book brought that adventure to life in a way that even my cynical heart could rejoice in. I laughed, chewed my fingernails in anticipation, cried, and cheered. I highly recommend this book.
I was skeptical when I read the synopsis. A meme that I had shared before about an older lady as the hero, along with her devoted servant, go on an amazing adventure and save the day. This adorable book brought that adventure to life in a way that even my cynical heart could rejoice in. I laughed, chewed my fingernails in anticipation, cried, and cheered. I highly recommend this book.
dnf
July 29, 2021I really wanted to like this one because of the great premise, and initially thought the scathing low reviews were too harsh. Actually, even though I gave up on this one, I do kind of think they're too harsh, because it's quite readable, it's just also written like a middle grade novel (the 'just okay' kind, not the kind I end up loving) and I got tired of putting in the effort for a really slow moving story.
November 18, 2020
This was a quick read about which I have mixed feelings. I like the idea of the adventurous old lady. I liked the characters (mostly animals). The writing though was somewhat juvenile and the author seemed to be full of lessons about life that were rather basic. And yet, it was a pretty pleasant story.
December 6, 2020
This book is like a story my fiance and I would write together. Full of cats, silliness, and amazing lands. Really fun to read. I didn't give it 5 stars because there wasn't much of a plot, but reading about the characters and the detailed descriptions was very enjoyable.
February 15, 2021
Good idea, bad execution. Didn't like the writing style, at all.
January 30, 2024
Cute story. Not enough about Mrs Perivale and too much about the character Chipper.
December 15, 2024
Fantastic concept. Weak execution. It would have been better if the author spent less than three pages describing every object.
March 1, 2022
Well, I just spent a good half hour at least typing up the various quotes I had marked from the book, which was about how much time I wanted to spend on this review total.
The story was inspired by the tumblr meme, that a Chosen One should be a wise grandmother with her herd of cats and trusty butler who makes sure she takes her medicine on time. We have that, but a hollow version of what one might have hoped for, in a cozy fantasy format. I didn’t expect it to be a “cozy fantasy” (indeed, didn’t realize that existed), and can safely say it is not my cup of tea. While there is a lot of cool world-building in this portal universe, with familiar and new fantastical creatures, the stakes don’t feel as high as they are made out to be, and it really just meanders along. The cats quickly take center stage as soon as they start talking, and we lose what little POV we had from Alice.
Though admittedly, I felt Alice’s observations about life and how she felt about her position (feeling not wanted/needed by family or even the Widows of War) to be quite basic and simplistic, about on par with what a young writer thinks a grandmotherly person feels. (Now, I’m not saying that it could very well be very accurate for some, but to me, it just felt stereotypical and flat.) Alice and her butler Henderson were both quite two-dimensional, and even the six (!) cats, though given very different personalities, also felt very stereotypical and flat, and did/acted exactly how their stereotypes said they should.
The writing itself isn’t terrible, but I wouldn’t say it’s good or engaging, either. It is far too fluffed out for what does happen, even (especially?) the poignant observations or tidbits of wisdom imparted by various characters. I stopped reading about 60% through to DNF it (stopped at the start of Chapter 11: The Illusionary Palace) – I have better things to read than something I’m so not enjoying, reading that much in three days notwithstanding. That’s just how my reading time while commuting by train worked out. I’m glad this was a book borrowed during a free KU subscription, and while I want authors to get proper due for their writing, in this case, I’m glad it wasn’t coming out of my pocket.
Quotes I liked:
“It is a great feeling for one to know that they are needed.” She added, lifting her teacup for a sip. – page 19 (but also it should really be “[…] are needed,” [Alice] added, […])
[“]You must remember that our truest bravery and courage; our most self-defining moments come when we are faced with our greatest challenges. It is then that we see who we truly are, and this is your time to discover that. When you do discover that, you will see what all of us already know about you. You can do this.” [said Tao] – page 90
[“]We all have an important purpose, though all our purposes are different.” [said Tao]– page 133
[“]If you learn anything from me at all, learn this. Take chances. Take risks. Failure is not the worst that can happen. Regret is much worse than failure, and it doesn’t ever go away.” [said Alice] – page 135
Pausing commas:
I’m starting to think these are a British/Scottish thing, as I think I’ve only really encountered them in books first by Scottish writers, then maybe by British ones.
From the biggest home facing the courtyard, came a deep booming voice. – page 41
Everyone in the boat except Chippa, stared at the brightly glowing worm. – page 64 – either remove the comma or add another one after boat: …boat, except Chippa, stared
Swimming around as far as they could see downward, were fish and other […] – page 68
…his pointed ears which flopped forward at the tips, were bouncing as he went along. – page 116
Continuity/logic issues:
“Now Oscar, we’ve flown enough for one day. We need to rest. It’s been a very long day, and then night is coming. We’ll see what comes tomorrow.” – page 186 – the first day (which started in the evening as it was!) seemed to last forever, but this second day is already done?
“All cats bit another cat’s tail, make a cat chain!” – page 110 – Why don’t they just bite onto the leaves’ stems (or hook their tales around them), as Chippa hooked Alice’s umbrella to the stem of his leaf? If it’s good enough to keep Alice and Chippa together, it should be good enough to keep the cats together, too.
Typos:
“Hello, mother. – page 6 – should be “Hello, Mother.
“Can I help you?” She intoned coolly. – page 12 – this was a consistent thing, unnecessary capitalization of the pronoun in the speech tag after or in between dialog. Not sure if that’s a British English thing which explains it, but it’s not an American English thing that’s used much if ever.
Other examples include:
“Can you say Alice?” She asked kindly. – page 33
“‘Et ‘es you, please!’ He added to the chief’s plea. – page 49 – with a bonus typo: the closing apostrophe should be closing quotation marks.
“Right then!” She cried out to them, “You’ll do nothing here! Clear off! Be gone with you!” She shouted, though her voice was drowned out in the snarls of the cats. – page 86
“Those look like Cypress trees.” She murmured to Chippa and Marlowe, though she didn’t turn to look at them. “Except they’re not like any Cypress trees I’ve ever seen.[”] – page 129 – “Cypress” should be “cypress”
“You listen, she ‘well sing each of you a ‘defferent song. ‘Defferent dreams for everyone.” He wagged one paw at Oscar then. – page 162 – Also, none of those apostrophes are necessary, as no letters were taken off the front of those words. What was changed is initial “i”s became “e” instead.
It reached its front paws up and closed them gently over her hand. […] He spoke in a tender voice not much bigger than he was, with a strange accent. It was immediately clear that English wasn’t its native language. – page 25 – constant shifting from it to he to it in this one paragraph – at this point, it is still an ‘it,’ only after some more dialog and such does ‘it’ become acknowledged as ‘he.’
He was after all, the one who looked for me and found me in the first place. – page 55 – “after all” should be entirely set off by commas: He was, after all, the one…
“‘Thes ‘es your compass. ‘Thes ‘well guide you.[…] – page 59 – Why is there an apostrophe before “Thes”? Thes = This, no letters were taken off the front of the word, so no need for that apostrophe. This happened in several other disparate places as well.
…them were zinging pawful’s of cool water at each other. – page 102 – should be “pawfuls” not “pawful’s” (though even that isn’t coming up in a dictionary)
A few of the cats meowed thinly, crying in dismay. “Jynx?” Oscar’s small voice called out, echoing off of the cave walls right back to him. “It’s too dark!” – page 103 – except cats have excellent night vision, and sense of smell on top of that.
She said quietly as she stared hard the subject of her fascination. – page 128 – should be “hard at the subject”
[“]Fairies ‘well be afraid of cats.” – page 141 – again, the apostrophe is not necessary; it should just be “well” (even though I think it’s supposed to be “will”)
“Montgomery, your majesty.” – page 156 – should be “Montgomery, Your Majesty.”
Sophie glanced back and took it all in once more before she joined the rest of them; looking down at the glowing garland around her neck, and lifting her chin in pure joy. – page 158 – Just strange choices of punctuation in this sentence.
There, in a small cage near the floor, was Henderson. He was sitting, curled with his knees drawn up by his shoulders; his eyes staring off into nothing. It was only a shell of him. – page 180 – Not a typo, but a commentary. It’s only been one or two days, max – so why so down already? Did he think so little of Alice’s consideration of him that she would just leave him, when he takes such good care of her and is such an important person in her life?
…her face in Marlow’s fur, and… - page 201 – should be “Marlowe’s”
The story was inspired by the tumblr meme, that a Chosen One should be a wise grandmother with her herd of cats and trusty butler who makes sure she takes her medicine on time. We have that, but a hollow version of what one might have hoped for, in a cozy fantasy format. I didn’t expect it to be a “cozy fantasy” (indeed, didn’t realize that existed), and can safely say it is not my cup of tea. While there is a lot of cool world-building in this portal universe, with familiar and new fantastical creatures, the stakes don’t feel as high as they are made out to be, and it really just meanders along. The cats quickly take center stage as soon as they start talking, and we lose what little POV we had from Alice.
Though admittedly, I felt Alice’s observations about life and how she felt about her position (feeling not wanted/needed by family or even the Widows of War) to be quite basic and simplistic, about on par with what a young writer thinks a grandmotherly person feels. (Now, I’m not saying that it could very well be very accurate for some, but to me, it just felt stereotypical and flat.) Alice and her butler Henderson were both quite two-dimensional, and even the six (!) cats, though given very different personalities, also felt very stereotypical and flat, and did/acted exactly how their stereotypes said they should.
The writing itself isn’t terrible, but I wouldn’t say it’s good or engaging, either. It is far too fluffed out for what does happen, even (especially?) the poignant observations or tidbits of wisdom imparted by various characters. I stopped reading about 60% through to DNF it (stopped at the start of Chapter 11: The Illusionary Palace) – I have better things to read than something I’m so not enjoying, reading that much in three days notwithstanding. That’s just how my reading time while commuting by train worked out. I’m glad this was a book borrowed during a free KU subscription, and while I want authors to get proper due for their writing, in this case, I’m glad it wasn’t coming out of my pocket.
Quotes I liked:
“It is a great feeling for one to know that they are needed.” She added, lifting her teacup for a sip. – page 19 (but also it should really be “[…] are needed,” [Alice] added, […])
[“]You must remember that our truest bravery and courage; our most self-defining moments come when we are faced with our greatest challenges. It is then that we see who we truly are, and this is your time to discover that. When you do discover that, you will see what all of us already know about you. You can do this.” [said Tao] – page 90
[“]We all have an important purpose, though all our purposes are different.” [said Tao]– page 133
[“]If you learn anything from me at all, learn this. Take chances. Take risks. Failure is not the worst that can happen. Regret is much worse than failure, and it doesn’t ever go away.” [said Alice] – page 135
Pausing commas:
I’m starting to think these are a British/Scottish thing, as I think I’ve only really encountered them in books first by Scottish writers, then maybe by British ones.
From the biggest home facing the courtyard, came a deep booming voice. – page 41
Everyone in the boat except Chippa, stared at the brightly glowing worm. – page 64 – either remove the comma or add another one after boat: …boat, except Chippa, stared
Swimming around as far as they could see downward, were fish and other […] – page 68
…his pointed ears which flopped forward at the tips, were bouncing as he went along. – page 116
Continuity/logic issues:
“Now Oscar, we’ve flown enough for one day. We need to rest. It’s been a very long day, and then night is coming. We’ll see what comes tomorrow.” – page 186 – the first day (which started in the evening as it was!) seemed to last forever, but this second day is already done?
“All cats bit another cat’s tail, make a cat chain!” – page 110 – Why don’t they just bite onto the leaves’ stems (or hook their tales around them), as Chippa hooked Alice’s umbrella to the stem of his leaf? If it’s good enough to keep Alice and Chippa together, it should be good enough to keep the cats together, too.
Typos:
“Hello, mother. – page 6 – should be “Hello, Mother.
“Can I help you?” She intoned coolly. – page 12 – this was a consistent thing, unnecessary capitalization of the pronoun in the speech tag after or in between dialog. Not sure if that’s a British English thing which explains it, but it’s not an American English thing that’s used much if ever.
Other examples include:
“Can you say Alice?” She asked kindly. – page 33
“‘Et ‘es you, please!’ He added to the chief’s plea. – page 49 – with a bonus typo: the closing apostrophe should be closing quotation marks.
“Right then!” She cried out to them, “You’ll do nothing here! Clear off! Be gone with you!” She shouted, though her voice was drowned out in the snarls of the cats. – page 86
“Those look like Cypress trees.” She murmured to Chippa and Marlowe, though she didn’t turn to look at them. “Except they’re not like any Cypress trees I’ve ever seen.[”] – page 129 – “Cypress” should be “cypress”
“You listen, she ‘well sing each of you a ‘defferent song. ‘Defferent dreams for everyone.” He wagged one paw at Oscar then. – page 162 – Also, none of those apostrophes are necessary, as no letters were taken off the front of those words. What was changed is initial “i”s became “e” instead.
It reached its front paws up and closed them gently over her hand. […] He spoke in a tender voice not much bigger than he was, with a strange accent. It was immediately clear that English wasn’t its native language. – page 25 – constant shifting from it to he to it in this one paragraph – at this point, it is still an ‘it,’ only after some more dialog and such does ‘it’ become acknowledged as ‘he.’
He was after all, the one who looked for me and found me in the first place. – page 55 – “after all” should be entirely set off by commas: He was, after all, the one…
“‘Thes ‘es your compass. ‘Thes ‘well guide you.[…] – page 59 – Why is there an apostrophe before “Thes”? Thes = This, no letters were taken off the front of the word, so no need for that apostrophe. This happened in several other disparate places as well.
…them were zinging pawful’s of cool water at each other. – page 102 – should be “pawfuls” not “pawful’s” (though even that isn’t coming up in a dictionary)
A few of the cats meowed thinly, crying in dismay. “Jynx?” Oscar’s small voice called out, echoing off of the cave walls right back to him. “It’s too dark!” – page 103 – except cats have excellent night vision, and sense of smell on top of that.
She said quietly as she stared hard the subject of her fascination. – page 128 – should be “hard at the subject”
[“]Fairies ‘well be afraid of cats.” – page 141 – again, the apostrophe is not necessary; it should just be “well” (even though I think it’s supposed to be “will”)
“Montgomery, your majesty.” – page 156 – should be “Montgomery, Your Majesty.”
Sophie glanced back and took it all in once more before she joined the rest of them; looking down at the glowing garland around her neck, and lifting her chin in pure joy. – page 158 – Just strange choices of punctuation in this sentence.
There, in a small cage near the floor, was Henderson. He was sitting, curled with his knees drawn up by his shoulders; his eyes staring off into nothing. It was only a shell of him. – page 180 – Not a typo, but a commentary. It’s only been one or two days, max – so why so down already? Did he think so little of Alice’s consideration of him that she would just leave him, when he takes such good care of her and is such an important person in her life?
…her face in Marlow’s fur, and… - page 201 – should be “Marlowe’s”
January 1, 2021
I felt like this work was written quickly, with little-to-no thought given to character development or plot. Characters and their dialogue felt flat to me. The world and its magic were interesting but weren't explored much. And though I'm not elderly so I can't 100% say, I'm pretty sure the way this author wrote the elderly woman is not an accurate representation - she felt more like a tween shoved into an elderly body with too many stereotypes attached (wasn't the point of this work to avoid those?). As well as the fact that she relied on her male butler - again, wasn't the author saying the book was about how elderly woman can be independent?
I was not impressed with this work and do not recommend reading it.
I was not impressed with this work and do not recommend reading it.
August 20, 2020
I love this, so,so much...
I was laughing, crying, encouraged, and hooked....and that was chapter 1! This was an emotional and dare I say spiritual treat, giving us a chosen one who could be your grandma (we all should be so lucky!), talking cats with more character than whole novels I've read, fantasy that feels fantastic, and a butler, because darnit, sometimes you just need a butler! I loved it from start to finish and only hope a sequel is on its way!
I was laughing, crying, encouraged, and hooked....and that was chapter 1! This was an emotional and dare I say spiritual treat, giving us a chosen one who could be your grandma (we all should be so lucky!), talking cats with more character than whole novels I've read, fantasy that feels fantastic, and a butler, because darnit, sometimes you just need a butler! I loved it from start to finish and only hope a sequel is on its way!
April 15, 2021
It wasn't very well written, too much fluff, but the idea of a monster fighting granny and her 7 cats and butler is brilliant
January 29, 2022
I first learned about Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal from a Facebook ad. The ad mentioned some sort of social media post wondering why so many fantasy prophecies were made for teenagers, and why they didn’t pick more stable people with more free time, such as grandmas. Another poster had responded indicating they would happily read such a book. So, I presume, Dash Hoffman got inspired and wrote this book.
I too thought a book like this sounded interesting. I figured that unless it was truly horrible, it ought to at least be fun. I like fun books.
Well, it was wonderful. I am an older woman and a grandma myself, and I can totally relate to Alice Perivale’s problems. And I have wanted, since I was younger than a teenager myself, to go to a dangerous and magical land. I think stab-tastic knitting needles would make a great weapon (lightweight, and easier to carry than a sword – although in my younger days I probably would have gone for the sword). And definitely cats. When I wrote my own magical adventures, my sister’s six kittens definitely were along for the trip.
Interestingly, this book is written almost as if it were a children’s book. While not simple enough for beginning readers, it is an easy enough read to be accessible to readers who are ready for chapter books with no problems. Its message of believing in yourself applies to people of all ages, and for most people can’t be repeated enough. Those who are only too convinced of their own worth probably won’t be reading this anyway.
Alice has just had a rough day. Her son and his family don’t have time to come by for dinner any time soon. And Alice is turned down for membership in a community service group because the lady taking registrations thinks she is too old.
Then, that night, she is visited by a small creature that calls himself an Inkling and insists that she needs to come to his home village to help his people locate a Blue Fire Crystal that has been stolen. Without this crystal, the elements will get out of balance and their world will be destroyed.
Not only does Alice herself agree to come, but all seven of her cats insist on coming along too. And when her butler, Henderson, finds out she is going out, he insists she can’t run out like this at night by herself (he is not counting the cats, of course) and has to come too.
As they are proceeding on their adventure, the cats are given some special catnip that causes them to become as big as horses, and also allows them to speak like humans. This comes in handy when Henderson is kidnapped by some evil giant birds and Alice and the cats have to rescue him. When they find Henderson, they also discover an imprisoned dragon and free him as well. The dragon helps them cover the distance to where the missing crystal is being kept much faster than they could have walked to it. Otherwise, they could never recover it in time.
Alice and the cats and Henderson are a family. And Chippa Mari, the Inkling, and Diovalo, the dragon, become part of their family too. As a family, some of them occasionally offend each other, either accidentally or on purpose, but when the going gets rough, they are all there for each other. Also, I like how they are constantly encouraging each other. From time to time, one of them will temporarily get discouraged by the rigors of the quest, but one of the others will step up to talk sense into them right away. Alice encourages Chippa when he feels he is making too many mistakes. The cats encourage Alice when she feels she has done something foolish by coming on this quest and losing Henderson. The cats encourage each other all along the way. Just as in real life, no one gets to the point where they no longer need encouragement, but they all keep encouraging each other over and over as necessary.
And when they come to the most dangerous place, the Illusionist’s castle, they must each recognize the illusion the Illusionist has placed them under for themselves, and Alice and the cats help each other then too by calling out to each other to help them find their way out of the illusions they have got into.
I too thought a book like this sounded interesting. I figured that unless it was truly horrible, it ought to at least be fun. I like fun books.
Well, it was wonderful. I am an older woman and a grandma myself, and I can totally relate to Alice Perivale’s problems. And I have wanted, since I was younger than a teenager myself, to go to a dangerous and magical land. I think stab-tastic knitting needles would make a great weapon (lightweight, and easier to carry than a sword – although in my younger days I probably would have gone for the sword). And definitely cats. When I wrote my own magical adventures, my sister’s six kittens definitely were along for the trip.
Interestingly, this book is written almost as if it were a children’s book. While not simple enough for beginning readers, it is an easy enough read to be accessible to readers who are ready for chapter books with no problems. Its message of believing in yourself applies to people of all ages, and for most people can’t be repeated enough. Those who are only too convinced of their own worth probably won’t be reading this anyway.
Alice has just had a rough day. Her son and his family don’t have time to come by for dinner any time soon. And Alice is turned down for membership in a community service group because the lady taking registrations thinks she is too old.
Then, that night, she is visited by a small creature that calls himself an Inkling and insists that she needs to come to his home village to help his people locate a Blue Fire Crystal that has been stolen. Without this crystal, the elements will get out of balance and their world will be destroyed.
Not only does Alice herself agree to come, but all seven of her cats insist on coming along too. And when her butler, Henderson, finds out she is going out, he insists she can’t run out like this at night by herself (he is not counting the cats, of course) and has to come too.
As they are proceeding on their adventure, the cats are given some special catnip that causes them to become as big as horses, and also allows them to speak like humans. This comes in handy when Henderson is kidnapped by some evil giant birds and Alice and the cats have to rescue him. When they find Henderson, they also discover an imprisoned dragon and free him as well. The dragon helps them cover the distance to where the missing crystal is being kept much faster than they could have walked to it. Otherwise, they could never recover it in time.
Alice and the cats and Henderson are a family. And Chippa Mari, the Inkling, and Diovalo, the dragon, become part of their family too. As a family, some of them occasionally offend each other, either accidentally or on purpose, but when the going gets rough, they are all there for each other. Also, I like how they are constantly encouraging each other. From time to time, one of them will temporarily get discouraged by the rigors of the quest, but one of the others will step up to talk sense into them right away. Alice encourages Chippa when he feels he is making too many mistakes. The cats encourage Alice when she feels she has done something foolish by coming on this quest and losing Henderson. The cats encourage each other all along the way. Just as in real life, no one gets to the point where they no longer need encouragement, but they all keep encouraging each other over and over as necessary.
And when they come to the most dangerous place, the Illusionist’s castle, they must each recognize the illusion the Illusionist has placed them under for themselves, and Alice and the cats help each other then too by calling out to each other to help them find their way out of the illusions they have got into.
Read
April 26, 2021There is a Prophecy…
A 73 year old woman who is told she is too old to be useful to anyone.
A strange creature who has risked everything because he’s certain he’s right.
An element crystal stolen from a temple, throwing the world into chaos.
An unknown country; dangerous, beautiful, wild, magical, unimaginable.
A journey almost no one believes that the old woman can undertake.
The mysterious dark force bent on total destruction.
Seven vastly different cats.
One delicate butler.
Life can’t be over.
There’s a whole world to save and tea is at four.
*As per the viral meme sent out by @yabroodingauthor "It's amazing how many prophecies involve teens. You'd think they'd pick more emotionally stable people, with more free time. Like Grandmas." to which @Dinurial replied, "I would read the hell out of a series of a chosen 85yo woman who goes on epic journeys throughout a dangerous and magical land armed only with a cane and her stab-tastic knitting needles accompanied by her six cats and her skittish-yet-devoted orderly who makes sure she takes her pills on time."
WISH GRANTED.
Mrs. Alice Perivale is finished with her life. At 73 years old she is told that she is useless to the world and she begins to wonder if it’s true, until she meets the most unusual creature she has ever seen, and finds herself in a realm she never could have imagined, on a journey almost no one believes that she can undertake.
Against all odds, she accepts the prophesied challenge and she embarks on an adventure to save the strange realm she is in. She must find her way through a bizarre and wild world to take back the Blue Fire Crystal; a powerful and vital gem stolen by a dark force no one has ever seen, hidden away in a palace no one has ever found.
She does not go alone. She is accompanied by her seven loyal cats; Tao the Siamese, Sophie the Pampered Princess, Montgomery the Old Gentleman, Bailey the Fat Calico, Jynx the Black, Oscar the Orange Kitten in Training, and Marlowe the Devoted Abyssinian whose place is always at Mrs. Perivale's side.
Her delicate butler, Henderson, who has no desire whatsoever for adventure, swallows his fears and chases along after her, obliged to his duty to watch over her, making sure that her pills are taken on time, and tea is served as and when it should be.
It is because no one believes she can, that she takes on the challenge, and she must find out for herself whether her life is really over, or if the best of it may be yet to come.
Heather's Notes
So I saw the original post on Facebook and have been wondering about this book ever since. I finally took a leap and read it. It was good. I worried that I wouldn't like it because I tend to want a bit of romance in my stories. There is no romance, but the story was enjoyable. I felt it dragged at times, and I was very sorry that Montgomery the Old Gentleman was killed, but I like that he is now a guardian of fairies. I didn't really understand why they could not go visit him, but that is how it was written. I was a little surprised they didn't realize that the illusionist was not the final villian, but they figured it out in the end. It also means there is another book. I will probably eventually read it, but for now I am going to get a book with a bit of romance :)
A 73 year old woman who is told she is too old to be useful to anyone.
A strange creature who has risked everything because he’s certain he’s right.
An element crystal stolen from a temple, throwing the world into chaos.
An unknown country; dangerous, beautiful, wild, magical, unimaginable.
A journey almost no one believes that the old woman can undertake.
The mysterious dark force bent on total destruction.
Seven vastly different cats.
One delicate butler.
Life can’t be over.
There’s a whole world to save and tea is at four.
*As per the viral meme sent out by @yabroodingauthor "It's amazing how many prophecies involve teens. You'd think they'd pick more emotionally stable people, with more free time. Like Grandmas." to which @Dinurial replied, "I would read the hell out of a series of a chosen 85yo woman who goes on epic journeys throughout a dangerous and magical land armed only with a cane and her stab-tastic knitting needles accompanied by her six cats and her skittish-yet-devoted orderly who makes sure she takes her pills on time."
WISH GRANTED.
Mrs. Alice Perivale is finished with her life. At 73 years old she is told that she is useless to the world and she begins to wonder if it’s true, until she meets the most unusual creature she has ever seen, and finds herself in a realm she never could have imagined, on a journey almost no one believes that she can undertake.
Against all odds, she accepts the prophesied challenge and she embarks on an adventure to save the strange realm she is in. She must find her way through a bizarre and wild world to take back the Blue Fire Crystal; a powerful and vital gem stolen by a dark force no one has ever seen, hidden away in a palace no one has ever found.
She does not go alone. She is accompanied by her seven loyal cats; Tao the Siamese, Sophie the Pampered Princess, Montgomery the Old Gentleman, Bailey the Fat Calico, Jynx the Black, Oscar the Orange Kitten in Training, and Marlowe the Devoted Abyssinian whose place is always at Mrs. Perivale's side.
Her delicate butler, Henderson, who has no desire whatsoever for adventure, swallows his fears and chases along after her, obliged to his duty to watch over her, making sure that her pills are taken on time, and tea is served as and when it should be.
It is because no one believes she can, that she takes on the challenge, and she must find out for herself whether her life is really over, or if the best of it may be yet to come.
Heather's Notes
So I saw the original post on Facebook and have been wondering about this book ever since. I finally took a leap and read it. It was good. I worried that I wouldn't like it because I tend to want a bit of romance in my stories. There is no romance, but the story was enjoyable. I felt it dragged at times, and I was very sorry that Montgomery the Old Gentleman was killed, but I like that he is now a guardian of fairies. I didn't really understand why they could not go visit him, but that is how it was written. I was a little surprised they didn't realize that the illusionist was not the final villian, but they figured it out in the end. It also means there is another book. I will probably eventually read it, but for now I am going to get a book with a bit of romance :)
July 27, 2023
Once upon a time, in the land of Instagram in the year of 2016(ish), a dweller of the land remarked upon how all stories concerning prophecies are always young folk rather than emotionally stable grandmothers with free time. To this remark, another dweller agreed that they would be most eager to read a series devoted to the travels of an elderly woman, her cats, and her devoted butler who aided in ensuring she took her pills on time. Armed with only her wit and knitting needles, this grandmother would cross a magical and dangerous land in order to fulfill The Prophecy. As with most such remarks, no other dwellers expected anything to come of these comments sent out upon the vast winds of the internet, but one Instagram dweller by the name of Dash Hoffman heard their cries and granted their wish. Thus was the birth of 73 year old Mrs. Perivale in the year of 2017!
No, seriously, that is exactly how this book came about, and I'm proud to say I watched its inception! Less proud of how long it took me to get around to getting a copy.
Mrs. Perivale is a sad, lonely widow whose son no longer has time to visit thanks to the business of their lives. No one seems to believe she has much use any more due to her advancing age, and not even the local church groups seem to want her around. The poor thing is considering whether or not she should take their advice and stay home with her six (7? I lost count) cats to gather dust when a bizarre little creature pops into being and begs her help to save his people, swearing that she is the Chosen One. Once she is assured she is not, in fact, losing her mind, she gathers up her cats, her bag, and her Henderson and sets out on a trip usually reserved for "Someone younger; a teenager or young adult perhaps. Someone with boundless energy and a wanton disregard for imminent danger." I love this book.
Three things I liked about this book: IT IS A YOUNG ADULT BOOK WITH A SENIOR CITIZEN PROTAGONIST!! And I will fight anyone who says otherwise; this is my hill and I will die on it. That by itself is AWESOME!! It is highly self-aware and just the right kind of utter nonsense and ridiculous that had me grinning on just about every page. The world has its elements of "standard fantasy world," and yet even those elements are used in clever ways, twisting and tweaking them just a bit to make everything fresh and unique.
Three things I did not like about this book: The cats did act a lot more like dogs than cats and weren't always very realistic. The dialogue could have definitely been reworked in a few places, and it lacked a certain subtlety and realism at the beginning, giving it the feeling of rushing the reader along through the "boring set-up bits" so they can get to the good bit where she goes to another world. It felt a bit wandering at times, and more like we were on a happy little exploration rather than a world-saving mission.
Just the fact that this book exists is something of a marvel by itself and earns it quite a bit of grace. It's really not that bad of a book even if it does feel a bit amateurish, and I am happy to report that there is at least one other book in the series.
No, seriously, that is exactly how this book came about, and I'm proud to say I watched its inception! Less proud of how long it took me to get around to getting a copy.
Mrs. Perivale is a sad, lonely widow whose son no longer has time to visit thanks to the business of their lives. No one seems to believe she has much use any more due to her advancing age, and not even the local church groups seem to want her around. The poor thing is considering whether or not she should take their advice and stay home with her six (7? I lost count) cats to gather dust when a bizarre little creature pops into being and begs her help to save his people, swearing that she is the Chosen One. Once she is assured she is not, in fact, losing her mind, she gathers up her cats, her bag, and her Henderson and sets out on a trip usually reserved for "Someone younger; a teenager or young adult perhaps. Someone with boundless energy and a wanton disregard for imminent danger." I love this book.
Three things I liked about this book: IT IS A YOUNG ADULT BOOK WITH A SENIOR CITIZEN PROTAGONIST!! And I will fight anyone who says otherwise; this is my hill and I will die on it. That by itself is AWESOME!! It is highly self-aware and just the right kind of utter nonsense and ridiculous that had me grinning on just about every page. The world has its elements of "standard fantasy world," and yet even those elements are used in clever ways, twisting and tweaking them just a bit to make everything fresh and unique.
Three things I did not like about this book: The cats did act a lot more like dogs than cats and weren't always very realistic. The dialogue could have definitely been reworked in a few places, and it lacked a certain subtlety and realism at the beginning, giving it the feeling of rushing the reader along through the "boring set-up bits" so they can get to the good bit where she goes to another world. It felt a bit wandering at times, and more like we were on a happy little exploration rather than a world-saving mission.
Just the fact that this book exists is something of a marvel by itself and earns it quite a bit of grace. It's really not that bad of a book even if it does feel a bit amateurish, and I am happy to report that there is at least one other book in the series.
June 26, 2025
*Read for my book club, Prose and Cons*
At a base level, this book was cute. In the beginning.
Featuring an elderly main character is not done often, and that is something that got my attention immediately. However, from the beginning, it felt like a cartoonish trope of how no one cares about the elderly. One moment in the book that still stays with me though was Alice’s (sorry Henderson) monologue about the mismatched gloves.
As I recovered from the eye rolls, Chippa is introduced, a creature known as Inklings from a different world/universe. He makes it clear that English is not his native language, and has some issues speaking it to be understood. So tell me why, when no humans are around, the inklings still talk like that? And all other species from this world speak and understand English perfectly fine. Which, to also point out, all the species in this realm are just fairy tale creatures. How they behave, the descriptions of the lands, everything felt like a shallow retelling of classic fantasy stories at the most basic level. I partially guessed the ending a third into the book because I couldn’t stop thinking “this is a stereotypical dream of someone wanting more adventure in their life”.
The shallowness unfortunately doesn’t stop at the world building, there’s also no character development (I’m looking at you, Sophie). Each character, including the cats, act the same way throughout the entire book. There’s not really any reflection, learning from mistakes, or general mental growth on this adventure. Even near the end, when they’re all facing their deepest fears (except for Sophie who is just getting pampered?), there’s no time spent really to reflect on what it is that they experienced. Montgomery is the closest exception, who then sacrifices himself on the most boring sounding trap, I guarantee if he didn’t Leroy Jenkins himself they could’ve figured out something to overcome the basic“obstacle”.
The last gripe I have is that despite Montgomery’s sacrifice (that still felt unnecessary), everything felt relatively low-stake. The cats complain about food, but the elderly main character goes on just fine without complaint traveling these far distances in different lands, with little rest. Chippa is always napping every 5 pages, Sophie is being an insufferable brat, and Oscar is.. well, a kitten. Even Henderson getting taken away didn’t feel like a big deal. Of course they were going to find him unharmed. Don’t worry, they also rescue a dragon that just happens to be the only other captive, who is the perfect size to fly everyone away safely.
It was a lot of “right time at the right place” moments that kept the adventure moving along, Sophie causing issues, and Chippa occasionally doing miracles with the elements. It got tiring before halfway into the book, and the abrupt magically happy ending that ends on a cliffhanger to tie it back to the dragons didn’t really help.
At a base level, this book was cute. In the beginning.
Featuring an elderly main character is not done often, and that is something that got my attention immediately. However, from the beginning, it felt like a cartoonish trope of how no one cares about the elderly. One moment in the book that still stays with me though was Alice’s (sorry Henderson) monologue about the mismatched gloves.
As I recovered from the eye rolls, Chippa is introduced, a creature known as Inklings from a different world/universe. He makes it clear that English is not his native language, and has some issues speaking it to be understood. So tell me why, when no humans are around, the inklings still talk like that? And all other species from this world speak and understand English perfectly fine. Which, to also point out, all the species in this realm are just fairy tale creatures. How they behave, the descriptions of the lands, everything felt like a shallow retelling of classic fantasy stories at the most basic level. I partially guessed the ending a third into the book because I couldn’t stop thinking “this is a stereotypical dream of someone wanting more adventure in their life”.
The shallowness unfortunately doesn’t stop at the world building, there’s also no character development (I’m looking at you, Sophie). Each character, including the cats, act the same way throughout the entire book. There’s not really any reflection, learning from mistakes, or general mental growth on this adventure. Even near the end, when they’re all facing their deepest fears (except for Sophie who is just getting pampered?), there’s no time spent really to reflect on what it is that they experienced. Montgomery is the closest exception, who then sacrifices himself on the most boring sounding trap, I guarantee if he didn’t Leroy Jenkins himself they could’ve figured out something to overcome the basic“obstacle”.
The last gripe I have is that despite Montgomery’s sacrifice (that still felt unnecessary), everything felt relatively low-stake. The cats complain about food, but the elderly main character goes on just fine without complaint traveling these far distances in different lands, with little rest. Chippa is always napping every 5 pages, Sophie is being an insufferable brat, and Oscar is.. well, a kitten. Even Henderson getting taken away didn’t feel like a big deal. Of course they were going to find him unharmed. Don’t worry, they also rescue a dragon that just happens to be the only other captive, who is the perfect size to fly everyone away safely.
It was a lot of “right time at the right place” moments that kept the adventure moving along, Sophie causing issues, and Chippa occasionally doing miracles with the elements. It got tiring before halfway into the book, and the abrupt magically happy ending that ends on a cliffhanger to tie it back to the dragons didn’t really help.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2020
DNF.
It takes a LOT for me to just give up on a book. I always try to power through and give the author the benefit of the doubt. But I couldn't do it with this one.
In the first place, I am very much NOT the target audience for this book. It kept showing up in my recommendations, however, so I succumbed and decided to give it a shot. It was too insanely cutesy for my taste. A cute little old lady, a cute magical creature, a herd of cute cats. Too much! And the only characters that had any personality were the cats, which went out the window when they were given the ability to speak.
The other main thing that kept me from completing this book was all the errors! I mentioned in another review that I have started tracking errors when I read a book in my Kindle app for my own edification. I read only about one-third of this book and tracked nearly 150 errors! Most of these are due to the fact that Hoffman has absolutely zero knowledge of how to use a semicolon. Or how to properly format spoken lines. But tracking all those errors made reading this book feel like work I wasn't getting paid for. (But hey, if he wants to pay me, I'll definitely do it.)
This book is trying too hard to be a gimmick instead of just being a readable book. All the characters felt like caricatures. The trope of an older woman who no longer feels useful is more than stale. In the hands of a defter writer, I think this idea could be something. But there's no need to go into a "magical world." I think it would have been much more interesting to have an older character just venture out into HER world and encounter the unknown there. So many books successfully execute the idea of introducing a character to the hidden elements in the world the character already inhabits. Why not do it that way with an older character instead of leaving it all to the young adult teenage heroes?
And, frankly, Mrs. Perivale herself grated on my nerves. She let people talk to her however they wanted (which in and of itself was a pretty unrealistic scenario), did not stand up for herself even a little, and basically, just let life happen to her.
It takes a LOT for me to just give up on a book. I always try to power through and give the author the benefit of the doubt. But I couldn't do it with this one.
In the first place, I am very much NOT the target audience for this book. It kept showing up in my recommendations, however, so I succumbed and decided to give it a shot. It was too insanely cutesy for my taste. A cute little old lady, a cute magical creature, a herd of cute cats. Too much! And the only characters that had any personality were the cats, which went out the window when they were given the ability to speak.
The other main thing that kept me from completing this book was all the errors! I mentioned in another review that I have started tracking errors when I read a book in my Kindle app for my own edification. I read only about one-third of this book and tracked nearly 150 errors! Most of these are due to the fact that Hoffman has absolutely zero knowledge of how to use a semicolon. Or how to properly format spoken lines. But tracking all those errors made reading this book feel like work I wasn't getting paid for. (But hey, if he wants to pay me, I'll definitely do it.)
This book is trying too hard to be a gimmick instead of just being a readable book. All the characters felt like caricatures. The trope of an older woman who no longer feels useful is more than stale. In the hands of a defter writer, I think this idea could be something. But there's no need to go into a "magical world." I think it would have been much more interesting to have an older character just venture out into HER world and encounter the unknown there. So many books successfully execute the idea of introducing a character to the hidden elements in the world the character already inhabits. Why not do it that way with an older character instead of leaving it all to the young adult teenage heroes?
And, frankly, Mrs. Perivale herself grated on my nerves. She let people talk to her however they wanted (which in and of itself was a pretty unrealistic scenario), did not stand up for herself even a little, and basically, just let life happen to her.
June 9, 2022
Mrs. Perivale is an elderly English woman who is searching for a purpose outside of her 7 cats. Purpose finds her in the form of a fantastical creature named Chipper, who informs her that she is the Chosen One who will help save a magical realm called Coreve. An elemental crystal has been stolen, and she will need to find it and return it in order to maintain the balance of the elements. Along with her cats and butler Henderson, she is whisked off to Coreve where their party encounters all manner of strange and wonderful things, including fairies, a dragon, and special catnip that makes the cats able to speak. They'll have to search quickly, though, because they only have until the full moon to find the crystal before the elements tear the world apart.
I'm not sure exactly who the target audience of this book is. The main character is elderly, but the language, plot, and messages are so juvenile that I didn't really enjoy them, and although the book is categorized as YA I think it's way too cheesy for any teenager to actually enjoy. The cats weren't cat-like enough for me (How on earth would a kitten know what a dragon is? Even if they can talk, they're still cats, not people) and literally every chapter Chipper had the exact same ominous warning about the elements being out of balance. The descriptions in this book felt like they were written by someone very hungry - all the creams and honeys and chocolates and strawberries are well and good when you're talking about a baking competition, but not really the adjectives I'd use for a forest. The audiobook narrator actually did a nice job of giving each character an individual voice, but Chipper's was so obnoxious as to be almost un-listenable. Finally, and this is a minor gripe, but still: the Siamese cat being into Zen gardens and meditation felt vaguely racist. Even though this book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, I would not read the sequel.
I'm not sure exactly who the target audience of this book is. The main character is elderly, but the language, plot, and messages are so juvenile that I didn't really enjoy them, and although the book is categorized as YA I think it's way too cheesy for any teenager to actually enjoy. The cats weren't cat-like enough for me (How on earth would a kitten know what a dragon is? Even if they can talk, they're still cats, not people) and literally every chapter Chipper had the exact same ominous warning about the elements being out of balance. The descriptions in this book felt like they were written by someone very hungry - all the creams and honeys and chocolates and strawberries are well and good when you're talking about a baking competition, but not really the adjectives I'd use for a forest. The audiobook narrator actually did a nice job of giving each character an individual voice, but Chipper's was so obnoxious as to be almost un-listenable. Finally, and this is a minor gripe, but still: the Siamese cat being into Zen gardens and meditation felt vaguely racist. Even though this book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, I would not read the sequel.
May 18, 2021
I desperately wanted to enjoy Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal (MPBFC). Like many, I saw the semi-viral post about “more emotionally stable” heroes. It thrilled me to see someone had actually written that story.
Original post content:
Unfortunately, MPBFC should have been titled Mrs. Perivale and the Interminable Story. I kept trying to get through it, and have been reading it for what feels like endless hours, but only managed to get through 37% of the book.
I honestly don’t know if it’s one or more problems with the author’s writing style or my own preferences that make this story seem endless. Somehow, nothing is particularly interesting or impactful. Not journeying to a new world, not a “flight” through star-studded skies that moments before were a lake filled with bioluminescent creatures, not a narrow escape from drowning and a fall over a waterfall, not even one of their party getting carried away by birds.
The lack of emotional involvement makes everything drag. I’ve been trying to get through it for 2 weeks now, but I’m giving up. It’s going in the did not finish “pile,” with an automatic 1 star.
Original post content:
@nightskybooks: It's amazing how many prophecies involve teens. You'd think they'd pick more emotionally stable people, with more free time. Like grandmas.
@dinuriel: ...I would read the hell out of a series of a chosen eighty-five-year-old woman who goes on epic journeys throughout a dangerous and magical land, armed only with a cane and her stab-tastic knitting needles, accompanied by her six cats and a skittish-yet-devoted orderly who makes sure she takes her pills on time.
Unfortunately, MPBFC should have been titled Mrs. Perivale and the Interminable Story. I kept trying to get through it, and have been reading it for what feels like endless hours, but only managed to get through 37% of the book.
I honestly don’t know if it’s one or more problems with the author’s writing style or my own preferences that make this story seem endless. Somehow, nothing is particularly interesting or impactful. Not journeying to a new world, not a “flight” through star-studded skies that moments before were a lake filled with bioluminescent creatures, not a narrow escape from drowning and a fall over a waterfall, not even one of their party getting carried away by birds.
The lack of emotional involvement makes everything drag. I’ve been trying to get through it for 2 weeks now, but I’m giving up. It’s going in the did not finish “pile,” with an automatic 1 star.
October 29, 2020
Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal is the first book of a new fantasy series. The story begins in modern-day London and follows Alice Perivale, a 73 year old widow who lives with her butler Henderson and six cats. Alice is having a rough day, her son is too busy for her and she gets ruefully rebuked as being too old while offering her services as a volunteer. She feels sad and useless until she encounters a strange creature named Chippa, who claims that she is the chosen one and the only one who can save his world. Taking his word, Alice, Henderson, and the cats are all whisked away to Coreve, a fantastic world powered by elemental magic. Learning that one of the items responsible for keeping the elements in balance has been stolen, she sets out to get it back and save the land from destruction.
Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal is an engaging tale filled with fun and heartwarming moments and fantastic peril. Although he can sometimes come off a bit snobby, Henderson is fiercely loyal to Alice and loves the cats. The six cats all have distinct personalities and their interactions with each other and Alice are very sweet. Alice herself starts off feeling quite down about herself, but she realizes that she is stronger and more courageous than she previously thought. She is very kind and caring throughout, even in moments of doubt.
Overall, Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal is very entertaining. It is a sweet and heartwarming story centered around a loving family. Fantasy fans will be sure to enjoy this book.
Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal is an engaging tale filled with fun and heartwarming moments and fantastic peril. Although he can sometimes come off a bit snobby, Henderson is fiercely loyal to Alice and loves the cats. The six cats all have distinct personalities and their interactions with each other and Alice are very sweet. Alice herself starts off feeling quite down about herself, but she realizes that she is stronger and more courageous than she previously thought. She is very kind and caring throughout, even in moments of doubt.
Overall, Mrs. Perivale and the Blue Fire Crystal is very entertaining. It is a sweet and heartwarming story centered around a loving family. Fantasy fans will be sure to enjoy this book.
December 22, 2021
Runaway from the real world into this light-hearted fairytale with actual fairies and a dragon to boot. I fell in love with the Inkling (Chippa), his world, the chosen one (Mrs. Perivale) and her family of cats and faithful butler, Henderson. Together they go on a hero’s quest to save the mystical world inhabited by the Inklings, the dragons, the fairies, the glow worms and all the other life forms in this other world. While much of the plot is quite predictable, it’s kind of like a good, cheesy Christmas movie. You know it’s all going to end (spoiler alert) happily ever after, but the scenes, occasional humor and cats as characters are enjoyable all the same.
The cons:
Reading other reviews, I’m glad I listened to the audio book because the narrator is quite good and must have covered up some of the grammatical errors other reviewers mentioned. Plus, I couldn’t “hear” any of the typos. The narrator also used different voices to make the characters personalities come alive, and her rendition of Chippa, the Inkling, is particularly adorable. I do agree with other critiques that mentioned the overdone and unnecessary descriptions of everyone and everything in the fairytale land. It probably bothered me less because I tend to like descriptive books that help my imagination paint the story’s setting.
Good for: An escape from the everyday for adults who like a bit of the whimsical in a happy-ending guaranteed fantasy - with cats. A read-along family story time with middle grade kids, where everyone gets a chance to do a different character/voice.
The cons:
Reading other reviews, I’m glad I listened to the audio book because the narrator is quite good and must have covered up some of the grammatical errors other reviewers mentioned. Plus, I couldn’t “hear” any of the typos. The narrator also used different voices to make the characters personalities come alive, and her rendition of Chippa, the Inkling, is particularly adorable. I do agree with other critiques that mentioned the overdone and unnecessary descriptions of everyone and everything in the fairytale land. It probably bothered me less because I tend to like descriptive books that help my imagination paint the story’s setting.
Good for: An escape from the everyday for adults who like a bit of the whimsical in a happy-ending guaranteed fantasy - with cats. A read-along family story time with middle grade kids, where everyone gets a chance to do a different character/voice.
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