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The Wingfeather Saga #1
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog Nugget. Janner Igiby, his brother Tink, their crippled sister Leeli are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice and pursue the Igibys who hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.
Andrew Peterson spins a quirky and riveting tale of the Igibys’ extraordinary journey from Glipwood’s Dragon Day Festival and a secret hidden in the Books and Crannies Bookstore, past the terrifying Black Carriage, clutches of the horned hounds and loathsome toothy cows surrounding AnkleJelly Manor, through the Glipwood Forest and mysterious treehouse of Peet the Sock Man (known for a little softshoe and wearing tattered socks on his hands and arms), to the very edge of the Ice Prairies.
Full of characters rich in heart, smarts, and courage, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness presents a world of wonder and a tale children of all ages will cherish, families can read aloud, and readers’ groups are sure to discuss for its layers of meaning about life’s true treasure and tangle of the beautiful and horrible, temporal and eternal, and good and bad.
Andrew Peterson spins a quirky and riveting tale of the Igibys’ extraordinary journey from Glipwood’s Dragon Day Festival and a secret hidden in the Books and Crannies Bookstore, past the terrifying Black Carriage, clutches of the horned hounds and loathsome toothy cows surrounding AnkleJelly Manor, through the Glipwood Forest and mysterious treehouse of Peet the Sock Man (known for a little softshoe and wearing tattered socks on his hands and arms), to the very edge of the Ice Prairies.
Full of characters rich in heart, smarts, and courage, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness presents a world of wonder and a tale children of all ages will cherish, families can read aloud, and readers’ groups are sure to discuss for its layers of meaning about life’s true treasure and tangle of the beautiful and horrible, temporal and eternal, and good and bad.
Paperback
First published March 18, 2008
3242 people are currently reading
34893 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Peterson
20 books4,690 followersHey, folks. If you're just discovering me or any of my work, it can be a little confusing because there are several facets to it. Here’s the rundown:
• I write songs. I also record them to these cool things called CDs and put on concerts around the country. (And beyond! To my great delight, I get to play in Europe every year or so.)
• I write books. I’ve written a four-part fantasy series for young readers called the Wingfeather Saga, along with Pembrick's Creaturepedia and A Ranger's Guide to Glipwood Forest. The Wingfeather Animated Series is wonderful, and you can watch for free over at Angel.com. I've written two memoirs: Adorning the Dark, and The God of the Garden.
• I'm the founder of the Rabbit Room, a community of songwriters, authors, and artists interested in storytelling, faith, and fellowship.
• I'm married to Jamie, and we have three sweet (grown) children, each of whom has a (grown) spouse (who is also sweet), and one very sweet granddaughter. We live in a magical place we call the Warren, just south of Nashville.
The common thread in all this is my love for Christ and his Kingdom, my belief in the power of story and art, and my need for family and community. If I had to boil it all down, I'd say this: I want to use my gifts to tell the truth, and to tell it as beautifully as I can. Andrew-peterson.com
• I write songs. I also record them to these cool things called CDs and put on concerts around the country. (And beyond! To my great delight, I get to play in Europe every year or so.)
• I write books. I’ve written a four-part fantasy series for young readers called the Wingfeather Saga, along with Pembrick's Creaturepedia and A Ranger's Guide to Glipwood Forest. The Wingfeather Animated Series is wonderful, and you can watch for free over at Angel.com. I've written two memoirs: Adorning the Dark, and The God of the Garden.
• I'm the founder of the Rabbit Room, a community of songwriters, authors, and artists interested in storytelling, faith, and fellowship.
• I'm married to Jamie, and we have three sweet (grown) children, each of whom has a (grown) spouse (who is also sweet), and one very sweet granddaughter. We live in a magical place we call the Warren, just south of Nashville.
The common thread in all this is my love for Christ and his Kingdom, my belief in the power of story and art, and my need for family and community. If I had to boil it all down, I'd say this: I want to use my gifts to tell the truth, and to tell it as beautifully as I can. Andrew-peterson.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,378 reviews
March 7, 2016
This is a war story. A compelling, intriguing, sometimes quirky but deeply moral war story. This is the kind of story that helps us believe that we could stand and be counted if called upon to do so. This is a story that feeds the imagination and stretches the soul and it is a beautiful testimony to the power of family. It is a very good story to have in our moral imaginations.
Getting into the early pages is more than a bit disorienting. Like Middle Earth, we have humans and other creatures cohabiting in a war torn land. Unlike Middle Earth, the names are goofy and seem like a long series of smart jokes. It was enormously helpful for me to know that Mr. Peterson intended this to be the "vastness of Lord of the Rings" with the "whimsey of the Princess Bride". I tend to prefer more serious character sketches but once I allowed myself to get into the style, I found that it actually works really well.
"Oh, yes, the people of Skree were quite free, as long as they were in their homes by midnight. And as long as they bore no weapons, and they didn’t complain when their fellow Skreeans were occasionally taken away across the sea, never to be seen again. But other than the cruel Fangs and the constant threat of death and torture, there wasn’t much to fear in Skree."
It is clear from the introduction that we have an oppressed people who are living a shadow of real life. We know right away that this is a story about good versus evil and that the characters we are about to fall in love with are suffering.
The first portion of the book uses humor and quirkiness to reveal this tension. Like any good epic, this home setting is peppered with questions about identity, purpose and intention. The characters are sketched with the promise that they will be filled in as we go - but that they themselves still have much to learn about their history and how that will reveal their future. It is a very good setup and the layers are pulled back slowly.
The quirkiness dissipates when the hero struggle begins to emerge. We still have weird names and strange creatures with goofy tendencies, but those become servants of the text instead of the focus once the children are in jail.
What I found particularly rewarding about this text is that is does not hold back on the need for people to behave in heroic ways even when it may cost them everything. There aren't many cheap saves or easy outs. This is a dark and dangerous culture war and it requires character, love, faith and hope to survive.
The family context is gorgeous. It is so authentic. All of the normal family battles are present but they are met with love and loyalty and faith. Faith in each other and in The Maker and His providence.
An excellent first book in a series that I can't wait to unpack.
I would rate the intensity of this book as being on par with the early Harry Potter books or The Hobbit. More intense and mildly violent than Narnia or The Green Ember but just as moral, wholesome and heroic. In fact, there are a number of things in the text which remind me of the HP books. There is no witchcraft or wizardry but there are mythical creatures who are otherworldly and there are some questions about one character who was human and is now somehow altered. Classic fantasy type of stuff.
Like The Green Ember, a new book with an old soul.
Getting into the early pages is more than a bit disorienting. Like Middle Earth, we have humans and other creatures cohabiting in a war torn land. Unlike Middle Earth, the names are goofy and seem like a long series of smart jokes. It was enormously helpful for me to know that Mr. Peterson intended this to be the "vastness of Lord of the Rings" with the "whimsey of the Princess Bride". I tend to prefer more serious character sketches but once I allowed myself to get into the style, I found that it actually works really well.
"Oh, yes, the people of Skree were quite free, as long as they were in their homes by midnight. And as long as they bore no weapons, and they didn’t complain when their fellow Skreeans were occasionally taken away across the sea, never to be seen again. But other than the cruel Fangs and the constant threat of death and torture, there wasn’t much to fear in Skree."
It is clear from the introduction that we have an oppressed people who are living a shadow of real life. We know right away that this is a story about good versus evil and that the characters we are about to fall in love with are suffering.
The first portion of the book uses humor and quirkiness to reveal this tension. Like any good epic, this home setting is peppered with questions about identity, purpose and intention. The characters are sketched with the promise that they will be filled in as we go - but that they themselves still have much to learn about their history and how that will reveal their future. It is a very good setup and the layers are pulled back slowly.
The quirkiness dissipates when the hero struggle begins to emerge. We still have weird names and strange creatures with goofy tendencies, but those become servants of the text instead of the focus once the children are in jail.
What I found particularly rewarding about this text is that is does not hold back on the need for people to behave in heroic ways even when it may cost them everything. There aren't many cheap saves or easy outs. This is a dark and dangerous culture war and it requires character, love, faith and hope to survive.
The family context is gorgeous. It is so authentic. All of the normal family battles are present but they are met with love and loyalty and faith. Faith in each other and in The Maker and His providence.
An excellent first book in a series that I can't wait to unpack.
I would rate the intensity of this book as being on par with the early Harry Potter books or The Hobbit. More intense and mildly violent than Narnia or The Green Ember but just as moral, wholesome and heroic. In fact, there are a number of things in the text which remind me of the HP books. There is no witchcraft or wizardry but there are mythical creatures who are otherworldly and there are some questions about one character who was human and is now somehow altered. Classic fantasy type of stuff.
Like The Green Ember, a new book with an old soul.
January 27, 2026
5/5⭐!!
(This review was written by my sister, so full creds to Emily!!😘😘😘 My comments will be in these { } <3)
** 𝙒𝘼𝙍𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂: This review may contain spoilers!!! **
୨⎯ 𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔⎯୧
Mia made me read this and I liked it.
{LOL it's true}
୨⎯ 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚⎯୧
Um... Stuff happened.😁 Lots of world building.
୨⎯ 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔⎯୧
Janner.ೃ࿐
The main character. He was cool.
Tink.ೃ࿐
He was... The second main character! :D
Leeli.ೃ࿐
She was the third main character! :D
{🤦♀️🤦♀️}
Podo.ೃ࿐
He was a pirate!😁 (Not Barbie. Inside joke.😏)
Peet the sock man.ೃ࿐
He was the fifth main character! :D (He was also Fishstick!! But that's another inside joke and you're on the outside.😏😏)
{Omgoodness😆}
୨⎯ 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔⎯୧
Violence| Um.. Well.. The fangs died! They killed the fangs and it mentions BLOOD!! >:D Oh, and what's his name... Oskar dies.
Romance| Ew, none!
Language| None! There was no language!! It was literally nothing! Clean as a whistle! Not even any English! It was like blank pages!! Just kidding! But no swearing or anything like that.
୨⎯ 𝑴𝒚 𝑨𝒈𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏⎯୧
Um, 12+ I think?
୨⎯ 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔⎯୧
✧˖°"It's all the wind, lad! There ain't no ghost!" the old man cried.
{So random!😂😭}
୨⎯ 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 ⎯୧
You should read this! It was great!!
-𝐸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓎✧˖°
(This review was written by my sister, so full creds to Emily!!😘😘😘 My comments will be in these { } <3)
** 𝙒𝘼𝙍𝙉𝙄𝙉𝙂: This review may contain spoilers!!! **
୨⎯ 𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔⎯୧
Mia made me read this and I liked it.
{LOL it's true}
୨⎯ 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒚⎯୧
Um... Stuff happened.😁 Lots of world building.
୨⎯ 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔⎯୧
Janner.ೃ࿐
The main character. He was cool.
Tink.ೃ࿐
He was... The second main character! :D
Leeli.ೃ࿐
She was the third main character! :D
{🤦♀️🤦♀️}
Podo.ೃ࿐
He was a pirate!😁 (Not Barbie. Inside joke.😏)
Peet the sock man.ೃ࿐
He was the fifth main character! :D (He was also Fishstick!! But that's another inside joke and you're on the outside.😏😏)
{Omgoodness😆}
୨⎯ 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑾𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔⎯୧
Violence| Um.. Well.. The fangs died! They killed the fangs and it mentions BLOOD!! >:D Oh, and what's his name... Oskar dies.
Romance| Ew, none!
Language| None! There was no language!! It was literally nothing! Clean as a whistle! Not even any English! It was like blank pages!! Just kidding! But no swearing or anything like that.
୨⎯ 𝑴𝒚 𝑨𝒈𝒆 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏⎯୧
Um, 12+ I think?
୨⎯ 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔⎯୧
✧˖°"It's all the wind, lad! There ain't no ghost!" the old man cried.
{So random!😂😭}
୨⎯ 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 ⎯୧
You should read this! It was great!!
-𝐸𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓎✧˖°
March 23, 2020
Andrew Peterson is an amazing story teller. WHOA.
That was epic and riveting and suspenseful and mysterious and awesome and loveable and GAaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I've never seen such wonderful words woven together. It reminds me of the classic fantasies with a magical aura, but so uniquely it's own, with a modern twist.
It's told in a second person POV so I'm amazed I connected with the characters as much as did. 💖
Description ~ It was different and enjoyable. I loved it because Peterson's author voice was gorgeous. No. Cliches. NOTHING in his way of telling the story made me go "Welp. I've seen or heard that before. Lame." It was-- *breathless sigh* I don't know how to convey to you the feeling I received reading this. 💕
Setting ~ High Fantasy!!! LOVE. Creepy old manor, jail, bookshop, cottage, gardens, A SUPER AMAZING CREEPY FOREST, and the land itself gave me the lovely fantasy feels that I live for in books.
Plot ~ THE QUESTIONS. GAH. I'M STILL RECOVERING AND I'M STILL SO CURIOUS! While I did figure a couple things out .... right near the beginning .... the book was so intriguing with its mash of slow/fast paced scenes. It wasn't rushed or hard to understand, everything moved towards one common goal.
Romance ~ Haha. This isn't a romantic book. WAIT. DID YOU SEE WHAT I SAID??!! IT'S HIGH FANTASY WITH NO ROMANCE!! WHAT? *gasp* YES.
Content ~ Fierce Battles with blood--not gore. The oldest MC is 12. I would read it to my siblings and they would love it. But at the same time it's aimed for YA. So like a YA book with a Junior level of content. =)
Characters = LOVE. JUST ALL THE LOVE. Their names though. Janner, Tink, and Leeli. Like what? 😂😂 Gotta love all the names. They were so precious, and the character building was epic. EPIC. ((YES I'M A FANGIRL AND YES THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM CUZ I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!))
Janner ~ The writer. We follow him through the story. He's pressured by the feels of being the oldest. He must watch out for all his siblings with no direction from his father. It's always been like this. He's only got his grandfather and his mother. They don't talk about his father. They don't talk about secrets. They don't talk about Peet.
Tink ~ The artist. The daredevil. The one who fears heights (Right, and why is he the daredevil again?? xD) He's brave. He's touched by Destiny and Janner can see something changing in his brother. ((Ohhh....he also apparently has an itch problem. . . 😂😂))
Leeli ~ The musician. She's sweet with all creatures, but Nugget (her dog) has a special place in her heart. Leeli has an injured leg, so she can't walk well.
But all the children love their grandfather Podo. And is he a character!! XD The X-pirate.
Overall ~ I HAVE FOUND A NEW FAVORITE. This won't be leaving my memory for a long time. *hugs book close* So. Precious.
**FTC DISCLOSURE** I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley (Thanks so much!) in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion, so please don't take it to heart if it causes you offense. Thanks!
That was epic and riveting and suspenseful and mysterious and awesome and loveable and GAaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
I've never seen such wonderful words woven together. It reminds me of the classic fantasies with a magical aura, but so uniquely it's own, with a modern twist.
It's told in a second person POV so I'm amazed I connected with the characters as much as did. 💖
Description ~ It was different and enjoyable. I loved it because Peterson's author voice was gorgeous. No. Cliches. NOTHING in his way of telling the story made me go "Welp. I've seen or heard that before. Lame." It was-- *breathless sigh* I don't know how to convey to you the feeling I received reading this. 💕
Setting ~ High Fantasy!!! LOVE. Creepy old manor, jail, bookshop, cottage, gardens, A SUPER AMAZING CREEPY FOREST, and the land itself gave me the lovely fantasy feels that I live for in books.
Plot ~ THE QUESTIONS. GAH. I'M STILL RECOVERING AND I'M STILL SO CURIOUS! While I did figure a couple things out .... right near the beginning .... the book was so intriguing with its mash of slow/fast paced scenes. It wasn't rushed or hard to understand, everything moved towards one common goal.
Romance ~ Haha. This isn't a romantic book. WAIT. DID YOU SEE WHAT I SAID??!! IT'S HIGH FANTASY WITH NO ROMANCE!! WHAT? *gasp* YES.
Content ~ Fierce Battles with blood--not gore. The oldest MC is 12. I would read it to my siblings and they would love it. But at the same time it's aimed for YA. So like a YA book with a Junior level of content. =)
Characters = LOVE. JUST ALL THE LOVE. Their names though. Janner, Tink, and Leeli. Like what? 😂😂 Gotta love all the names. They were so precious, and the character building was epic. EPIC. ((YES I'M A FANGIRL AND YES THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM CUZ I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!!))
Janner ~ The writer. We follow him through the story. He's pressured by the feels of being the oldest. He must watch out for all his siblings with no direction from his father. It's always been like this. He's only got his grandfather and his mother. They don't talk about his father. They don't talk about secrets. They don't talk about Peet.
Tink ~ The artist. The daredevil. The one who fears heights (Right, and why is he the daredevil again?? xD) He's brave. He's touched by Destiny and Janner can see something changing in his brother. ((Ohhh....he also apparently has an itch problem. . . 😂😂))
Leeli ~ The musician. She's sweet with all creatures, but Nugget (her dog) has a special place in her heart. Leeli has an injured leg, so she can't walk well.
But all the children love their grandfather Podo. And is he a character!! XD The X-pirate.
Overall ~ I HAVE FOUND A NEW FAVORITE. This won't be leaving my memory for a long time. *hugs book close* So. Precious.
**FTC DISCLOSURE** I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley (Thanks so much!) in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion, so please don't take it to heart if it causes you offense. Thanks!
August 23, 2024
*Mini Review*
This book takes a lot of classic tropes and makes them irresistibly fun with a slightly wry, tongue-in-cheek attitude. The plot moves slowly, and the author spends a lot of time ambling through his world-building – but, please, amble away when it’s a world this imaginative! From the evil Fangs of Dang, to singing dragons, and very mysterious book shops – this world is full of delightful layers and details. And then we have the characters. The siblings; reluctant hero Janner, the awkward Tink, and the sweet-natured Leeli. The quirky book shop owner, the noble-hearted mother and, most especially, Podo and Peet the Sock-man – two fierce but altogether different protectors that capture the readers heart. Humorous, exciting and occasionally scary (but in that fun way we enjoyed being frightened as young children!) – this book was nothing short of an adventure.
This book takes a lot of classic tropes and makes them irresistibly fun with a slightly wry, tongue-in-cheek attitude. The plot moves slowly, and the author spends a lot of time ambling through his world-building – but, please, amble away when it’s a world this imaginative! From the evil Fangs of Dang, to singing dragons, and very mysterious book shops – this world is full of delightful layers and details. And then we have the characters. The siblings; reluctant hero Janner, the awkward Tink, and the sweet-natured Leeli. The quirky book shop owner, the noble-hearted mother and, most especially, Podo and Peet the Sock-man – two fierce but altogether different protectors that capture the readers heart. Humorous, exciting and occasionally scary (but in that fun way we enjoyed being frightened as young children!) – this book was nothing short of an adventure.
January 7, 2015
I will not be finishing this book. However, I will also not be criticizing it, since my main takeaway was a feeling of deep, hopeless yearning to be Terry Pratchett, and I won't make fun of someone's dreams.
March 5, 2021
So disappointed. My aunt and cousins are obsessed with this book and begged me to read it. I am dreading discussing with them because I don’t want to crush them but I HATED this book.
The writing style irritated me from the beginning. He is incredibly redundant and is trying SO HARD to be clever. He would say things like, “it was completely safe. Except for all the dangerous things of course.” It was so irritating. Normal boring names were mixed in with made up ones which can sometimes be charming if done well. He did it way too much. The footnotes were the worst. There is a lazy way to write detail into a world. Instead of creating a world where things are explained through the story naturally, there are long passages throughout detailing excruciating explanations of what the world is like- we all know this writing when we see it. He had some of this but also an even more lazy form that I didn’t know existed where he just created made up footnotes with inane facts referenced in the main body. They never added to the story and were at best distracting.
Now to the actual story. Several interesting beginnings that lead NO WHERE. Some ideas in this story could have made a good book, but there was no progression, character individuality, or development. One of the most important (to me) marks of good writing is that the characters are unique from each other. It was clear that the author was trying to make them original with differing strengths and personalities, but they all came off as incredibly flat and similar. The humor was immature, the plot predictable. Overall, just bad. One of the worst things was whenever a character was in an impossible situation he would just write them out using previously unstated or invented means. Totally unrealistic and LAZY. For example, a character is dying and suddenly there is magic healing water to pull him back from the brink of death. Overdone and stupid.
The worst part is, I think I have to read all of them because I love my cousins 🤦🏼♀️
The writing style irritated me from the beginning. He is incredibly redundant and is trying SO HARD to be clever. He would say things like, “it was completely safe. Except for all the dangerous things of course.” It was so irritating. Normal boring names were mixed in with made up ones which can sometimes be charming if done well. He did it way too much. The footnotes were the worst. There is a lazy way to write detail into a world. Instead of creating a world where things are explained through the story naturally, there are long passages throughout detailing excruciating explanations of what the world is like- we all know this writing when we see it. He had some of this but also an even more lazy form that I didn’t know existed where he just created made up footnotes with inane facts referenced in the main body. They never added to the story and were at best distracting.
Now to the actual story. Several interesting beginnings that lead NO WHERE. Some ideas in this story could have made a good book, but there was no progression, character individuality, or development. One of the most important (to me) marks of good writing is that the characters are unique from each other. It was clear that the author was trying to make them original with differing strengths and personalities, but they all came off as incredibly flat and similar. The humor was immature, the plot predictable. Overall, just bad. One of the worst things was whenever a character was in an impossible situation he would just write them out using previously unstated or invented means. Totally unrealistic and LAZY. For example, a character is dying and suddenly there is magic healing water to pull him back from the brink of death. Overdone and stupid.
The worst part is, I think I have to read all of them because I love my cousins 🤦🏼♀️
January 19, 2023
That was absolutely delightful, just as everyone told me it would be! A little ways in, I was like “okay…this is cute and funny but…what is the big deal?!” But about halfway through I couldn’t put it down. And the ENDING! So glad I already have book 2!
Peet and Nugget for life.
Also Leeli is my hero.
Peet and Nugget for life.
Also Leeli is my hero.
Want to read
July 29, 2019Look at that gorgeous cover. You know, I feel like all the middle grade authors steal the great artists of our time. And I'm okay with that.
And yay I got an ARC for a popular middle grade book. I'm so happy!!!
And yay I got an ARC for a popular middle grade book. I'm so happy!!!
June 8, 2023
Updated RTC!
October 2021
Oh, Parents! Your kids, especially your boys, will love this book. Full of crazy creatures, tongue-in-cheek humor, tons of action, mysterious secrets, and revelations of true identity and destiny. The only caveat I would add is that you might have to "push through" the first 1/3 of the book. There is lots of weirdness that Peterson has to introduce you to in this fantasy world, but once that's over and you're adjusted, the enjoyment level of the book improves drastically.
October 2021
Oh, Parents! Your kids, especially your boys, will love this book. Full of crazy creatures, tongue-in-cheek humor, tons of action, mysterious secrets, and revelations of true identity and destiny. The only caveat I would add is that you might have to "push through" the first 1/3 of the book. There is lots of weirdness that Peterson has to introduce you to in this fantasy world, but once that's over and you're adjusted, the enjoyment level of the book improves drastically.
May 5, 2020
My social media exploded with the news: new editions of the Wingfeather Saga, hardback with more illustrations. <3 Eeeek!!! After the cover reveals, I got even more excited and ordered my own copies of the first two with slow shipping to extend the anticipation. :D
They are GORGEOUS. The illustrations are truly beautiful and convey the world so well. <3 Just the inspiration I needed to re-read. ;)
I loved the family dynamic and how protective Nia and Podo are (and encouraging Janner to be). The worldbuilding was hilarious and perfect. (Don’t let the fun but somewhat info-heavy intros scare you off.) I was especially astounded by the realism of people carving out a life under oppression and doing their best to hope and to love. It may be a delightfully silly fantasy world with goofy names for things but the people and the emotions ring truer than true.
Janner will forever be my favorite. His heart and quest to really know his father = <3. He and Tink are a dangerous duo. XD :P Oskar, Leeli, Nugget, really everyone except the smelly Fangs, were wonderful. And Armulyn the Bard… may we all be as bold and carefree in the Maker.
Last time I read this, I was so focused on the hilarity, the heart pounding adventure, and Janner’s character arc, I missed Peet the Sockman. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen more, failed more, something, but I connected with his character more than ever before. <3
Best quotes: "But other than the cruel fangs and the constant threat of death and torture, there wasn't much to fear in Skree."
"There's just something about the way he sings. It makes me think of when it snows outside, and the fire is warm, and Podo is telling us a story while you're cooking, and there's no place I'd rather be--but for some reason I still feel... homesick."
Just a note, there’s some gross humor, children in extreme danger, and violence that is mostly non-graphic.
Altogether, this book was even more fantastic the second time around, and I’m so glad I decided to venture back into these books. On to book two! <3
They are GORGEOUS. The illustrations are truly beautiful and convey the world so well. <3 Just the inspiration I needed to re-read. ;)
I loved the family dynamic and how protective Nia and Podo are (and encouraging Janner to be). The worldbuilding was hilarious and perfect. (Don’t let the fun but somewhat info-heavy intros scare you off.) I was especially astounded by the realism of people carving out a life under oppression and doing their best to hope and to love. It may be a delightfully silly fantasy world with goofy names for things but the people and the emotions ring truer than true.
Janner will forever be my favorite. His heart and quest to really know his father = <3. He and Tink are a dangerous duo. XD :P Oskar, Leeli, Nugget, really everyone except the smelly Fangs, were wonderful. And Armulyn the Bard… may we all be as bold and carefree in the Maker.
Last time I read this, I was so focused on the hilarity, the heart pounding adventure, and Janner’s character arc, I missed Peet the Sockman. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen more, failed more, something, but I connected with his character more than ever before. <3
Best quotes: "But other than the cruel fangs and the constant threat of death and torture, there wasn't much to fear in Skree."
"There's just something about the way he sings. It makes me think of when it snows outside, and the fire is warm, and Podo is telling us a story while you're cooking, and there's no place I'd rather be--but for some reason I still feel... homesick."
Just a note, there’s some gross humor, children in extreme danger, and violence that is mostly non-graphic.
Altogether, this book was even more fantastic the second time around, and I’m so glad I decided to venture back into these books. On to book two! <3
October 29, 2025
Purveyors of the epic, original, exciting, and/or (sometimes slightly) witty — this book is for you....
✏️ Review ✏️ [reread: October 2025]
Love this book a ton! 😍 (I mean, y'all, there's a reason why my username is BooksNCrannies [IYKYK!]). I thoroughly enjoyed my reread experience of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. It was an absolute delight and exponentially enhanced everything about the story: the characters grow deeper, the atmosphere and world building are richer, the plot becomes more poignant and evocative... and, of course, visiting Books and Crannies again was such a treat. 😊
What a gem this story is in the realm of fantasy tales! It's clean, it's adventurous, it's clever, it's witty, it's fascinating. This series is epic. In the words of famed bookseller Oskar N. Reteep, "What are you waiting for? Get reading and prepare yourself for an adventure of a lifetime!"
✏️ Review ✏️ [August 2023]
'On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness' rose high above my expectations. This suspenseful, gripping novel is packed with action and intrigue. Because the novel is written in the genre of fantasy, more depth is given to the story as the reader learns about new places (interesting!) and creatures (yikes!). Helpful footnotes and appendices compliment the book and give the reader even more information about the world of Aerwiar. Peterson's clear, crisp, fresh, and realistic writing style really brings this novel to life. Adventure, peril, lost jewels, and the toothy cows of Skree — this is one of my favorite fantasies. Highly recommended!
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• Pretty much the entire plot — it's full of adventure, suspense, and intrigue.
• The MCs (Janner, Tink, and Leeli) — they're such a varied and lovable trio of siblings and really being heart and emotion to this tale. 🫶🏼
• The minor characters — they're memorably portrayed.
• The world building — in this first book it's enough to intrigue and satisfy without causing overload.
• The writing style — it's descriptive and witty.
• The illustrations (applies to the 2020 illustrated edition) — they're very realistic featuring depth, movement, and dimension; also, the overall black and white pencil sketch style gives the interior a cozy feel.
• The maps (plural) — I love maps!
• The appendices — who doesn't enjoy a few extras in the back matter of books?
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The fact that the story can seem to take a while before taking off — this could be frustrating for some readers.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Of course!*
— To whom? (Note: this recommendation describes the entire Wingfeather Saga, not just book one.) To those who enjoy adventurous, epic, deep, expansive, thematic, and emotionally tugging fantasy stories that feature creative world building, dynamically developed and well-rounded MCs, memorable minor characters, a riveting storyline, a descriptive and rhythmic writing style, and themes of responsibility, brotherly love, courage, sacrifice, and redemption.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 4.75/5 [rounded up to 5 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 4.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 4.5/5
— 👥 Characters: 5/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5
• A few scenes of mild action-adventure violence, including brief sequences of character suffering and some brief descriptions of injuries (mentions blood).
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• Magic content: This first book in The Wingfeather Saga doesn't contain any magic content. Starting in North! or Be Eaten (book two), however, magic does begin to make an appearance in this series. See my reviews of the following books for more details.
• First-time readers of this book will most likely find the first several chapters of this story to be somewhat anticlimactic or boring due to their more witty and seemingly juvenile tone. But to those who persevere: you have an epic, deep, and notably more serious, more thematic, and more mature saga coming in the next three books (in fact you might be grateful for the relief of the humorous tone in book one once you start experiencing the seriousness of the next three books).
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• "[I]t's one thing to be poor in pocket — nothing wrong with that. But poor in heart — that's no good." (p. 30)
• "Part of being a man is taking care of those you love." (p. 113; italicized in the original)
• "It does no good to worry over what's already happened. What matters is now. The past and present are both beyond our reach." (p. 147)
✏️ Review ✏️ [reread: October 2025]
Love this book a ton! 😍 (I mean, y'all, there's a reason why my username is BooksNCrannies [IYKYK!]). I thoroughly enjoyed my reread experience of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. It was an absolute delight and exponentially enhanced everything about the story: the characters grow deeper, the atmosphere and world building are richer, the plot becomes more poignant and evocative... and, of course, visiting Books and Crannies again was such a treat. 😊
What a gem this story is in the realm of fantasy tales! It's clean, it's adventurous, it's clever, it's witty, it's fascinating. This series is epic. In the words of famed bookseller Oskar N. Reteep, "What are you waiting for? Get reading and prepare yourself for an adventure of a lifetime!"
✏️ Review ✏️ [August 2023]
'On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness' rose high above my expectations. This suspenseful, gripping novel is packed with action and intrigue. Because the novel is written in the genre of fantasy, more depth is given to the story as the reader learns about new places (interesting!) and creatures (yikes!). Helpful footnotes and appendices compliment the book and give the reader even more information about the world of Aerwiar. Peterson's clear, crisp, fresh, and realistic writing style really brings this novel to life. Adventure, peril, lost jewels, and the toothy cows of Skree — this is one of my favorite fantasies. Highly recommended!
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• Pretty much the entire plot — it's full of adventure, suspense, and intrigue.
• The MCs (Janner, Tink, and Leeli) — they're such a varied and lovable trio of siblings and really being heart and emotion to this tale. 🫶🏼
• The minor characters — they're memorably portrayed.
• The world building — in this first book it's enough to intrigue and satisfy without causing overload.
• The writing style — it's descriptive and witty.
• The illustrations (applies to the 2020 illustrated edition) — they're very realistic featuring depth, movement, and dimension; also, the overall black and white pencil sketch style gives the interior a cozy feel.
• The maps (plural) — I love maps!
• The appendices — who doesn't enjoy a few extras in the back matter of books?
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The fact that the story can seem to take a while before taking off — this could be frustrating for some readers.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Of course!*
— To whom? (Note: this recommendation describes the entire Wingfeather Saga, not just book one.) To those who enjoy adventurous, epic, deep, expansive, thematic, and emotionally tugging fantasy stories that feature creative world building, dynamically developed and well-rounded MCs, memorable minor characters, a riveting storyline, a descriptive and rhythmic writing style, and themes of responsibility, brotherly love, courage, sacrifice, and redemption.
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 4.75/5 [rounded up to 5 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 4.5/5
— 📝 Writing: 4.5/5
— 👥 Characters: 5/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 0/5
— ⚔️ Violence: 1/5
• A few scenes of mild action-adventure violence, including brief sequences of character suffering and some brief descriptions of injuries (mentions blood).
— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• Magic content: This first book in The Wingfeather Saga doesn't contain any magic content. Starting in North! or Be Eaten (book two), however, magic does begin to make an appearance in this series. See my reviews of the following books for more details.
• First-time readers of this book will most likely find the first several chapters of this story to be somewhat anticlimactic or boring due to their more witty and seemingly juvenile tone. But to those who persevere: you have an epic, deep, and notably more serious, more thematic, and more mature saga coming in the next three books (in fact you might be grateful for the relief of the humorous tone in book one once you start experiencing the seriousness of the next three books).
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• "[I]t's one thing to be poor in pocket — nothing wrong with that. But poor in heart — that's no good." (p. 30)
• "Part of being a man is taking care of those you love." (p. 113; italicized in the original)
• "It does no good to worry over what's already happened. What matters is now. The past and present are both beyond our reach." (p. 147)
July 20, 2018
I wasn't quite expecting to love this book as much as I did. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness was just what I needed, I guess. XD
Can we talk about Janner for a second?? He's such a golden-hearted little adventurer. <3 And he's SO RELATABLE. As an older sister, I could totally relate to the responsibility he felt to take care of his younger siblings. I could see myself reflected in his protectiveness of them, in his hissed protests when Tink did something very, uh, brave. I related to him deeply in other ways as well, and he was just SO CUTE at times.
Podo is AMAZING, I think we can all agree on that. His protectiveness of the family is enough to move me to tears, I tell you. I mean... he's this big, gruff ol' ex-pirate with a peg leg, a special attachment to his little crippled granddaughter, and a heart stuffed full of courage and cunning. I can't effectively put into words just how much I adore and admire him.
Peet. The. Sock. Man. OH MY GOODNESS. Peet the Sock Man held my interest from the very first time he appeared, and his likeability only grew and grew and GREW as the story progressed. The highlight of his character is definitely his strangeness: the socks he wore on his arms, his tendency to switch the first letters of words in his speech, and his overall odd behavior. Also his relationship with Podo was sooooo mysterious - I HAD TO KNOW THE REASON FOR IT ASAP. O_o
Enough about the characters, though I could blab about all of them all day long if I felt so inclined. As for the story world, it was extremely fun to learn about and an incredible place to jump into and explore. The footnotes were HILARIOUS at times, the various fantasy creatures were really creative, and the world as a whole wasn't hard to wrap my mind around yet wasn't so simple that it didn't feel authentic or ill-developed. Which is just how I like it. XD
The plot, though perhaps slower-moving that I initially expected, kept me captivated and COMPLETELY invested from beginning to end. There were so many intriguing questions I neeeeeeded answers too but wasn't getting (not a bad thing at all, at least not in this case XD), and the characters' many close calls with the revolting Fangs of Dang (plus toothy cows and horned hounds and the like, though mostly Fangs) kept me hurriedly flipping pages and DEARLY HOPING that my precious Igibys would be okay. If anything happened to any of them, I might very well jump into the pages with a war cry and slice those Fangs to bits myself.
Which just goes to show how stunning of a job this author did getting me attached to the characters. I feel like so much of book 1 is probably pure set-up for further books. :D And speaking of which, I have heard even more praise for the next books than for this one, so as you can imagine... I'M RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED TO CONTINUE ON.
If I have any complaints at all, they would be the brief scattering of typos and the repetitiveness of those beforementioned close calls with the Fangs. But those things didn't bother me much. I can't not give this beautiful book less than 5 stars - it was too amazing! <3 <3 <3
I saw one of the twists coming from a MILE away, but others I was not expecting at all. O_O Like... DKGJOEJFGLKJFK.
Excuse me while I go scream into a pillow until I can get my hands on book 2.
----
This book was just about PERFECT.
RTC.
Can we talk about Janner for a second?? He's such a golden-hearted little adventurer. <3 And he's SO RELATABLE. As an older sister, I could totally relate to the responsibility he felt to take care of his younger siblings. I could see myself reflected in his protectiveness of them, in his hissed protests when Tink did something very, uh, brave. I related to him deeply in other ways as well, and he was just SO CUTE at times.
Podo is AMAZING, I think we can all agree on that. His protectiveness of the family is enough to move me to tears, I tell you. I mean... he's this big, gruff ol' ex-pirate with a peg leg, a special attachment to his little crippled granddaughter, and a heart stuffed full of courage and cunning. I can't effectively put into words just how much I adore and admire him.
Peet. The. Sock. Man. OH MY GOODNESS. Peet the Sock Man held my interest from the very first time he appeared, and his likeability only grew and grew and GREW as the story progressed. The highlight of his character is definitely his strangeness: the socks he wore on his arms, his tendency to switch the first letters of words in his speech, and his overall odd behavior. Also his relationship with Podo was sooooo mysterious - I HAD TO KNOW THE REASON FOR IT ASAP. O_o
Enough about the characters, though I could blab about all of them all day long if I felt so inclined. As for the story world, it was extremely fun to learn about and an incredible place to jump into and explore. The footnotes were HILARIOUS at times, the various fantasy creatures were really creative, and the world as a whole wasn't hard to wrap my mind around yet wasn't so simple that it didn't feel authentic or ill-developed. Which is just how I like it. XD
The plot, though perhaps slower-moving that I initially expected, kept me captivated and COMPLETELY invested from beginning to end. There were so many intriguing questions I neeeeeeded answers too but wasn't getting (not a bad thing at all, at least not in this case XD), and the characters' many close calls with the revolting Fangs of Dang (plus toothy cows and horned hounds and the like, though mostly Fangs) kept me hurriedly flipping pages and DEARLY HOPING that my precious Igibys would be okay. If anything happened to any of them, I might very well jump into the pages with a war cry and slice those Fangs to bits myself.
Which just goes to show how stunning of a job this author did getting me attached to the characters. I feel like so much of book 1 is probably pure set-up for further books. :D And speaking of which, I have heard even more praise for the next books than for this one, so as you can imagine... I'M RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED TO CONTINUE ON.
If I have any complaints at all, they would be the brief scattering of typos and the repetitiveness of those beforementioned close calls with the Fangs. But those things didn't bother me much. I can't not give this beautiful book less than 5 stars - it was too amazing! <3 <3 <3
I saw one of the twists coming from a MILE away, but others I was not expecting at all. O_O Like... DKGJOEJFGLKJFK.
Excuse me while I go scream into a pillow until I can get my hands on book 2.
----
This book was just about PERFECT.
RTC.
February 21, 2025
(Just as good on the second read through as the first!)
I finally did it, guys. I've started The Wingfeather Saga after hearing about it for years and discovering that I really enjoy the author's music and that there was an animated series coming out for it on Vidangel. I did it.
And I mowed through this middle grade book, so good.
Full review to come!
I've heard so much about the Wingfeather Saga, but I didn't finish the first book when I tried it out years ago, for other reasons than not liking it. I know I really like the author's music, so I wanted to try his writing again. Our library got the new, hardcover editions awhile back, so I finally dipped my toe in.
It was an interesting mix of silly humor and profound thoughts. One minute you want to laugh and the next you're like "Man, that's so true." Its characters captured your heart (except for the bad guys, of course) and drew you in. The beginning was slow, but about half way through the action started, and then these poor characters couldn't catch a break. So don't let the slow beginning fool you, it can be as intense as The Green Ember.
You can't help but like Podo, okay? His deep love for the children and his tall tales <3 And Nia, I have to admire for her grace, her tenacity, in the fact of adversity, even if I didn't appreciate (in the beginning at least) the way she and Podo kept the children from knowledge of their father.
I enjoyed Janner, his thoughts, and I understood him. He still has a lot to learn- but he is learning. Tink and Leeli were adorable too <3
And Peet-! I adore Peet and I want to know what happened to him and give him a hug-! And quite frankly, I felt like slapping Podo up the head a time or two because of the way he treated him (that's the one area that I strongly disliked Podo in). And we mustn't forget Nugget. Because Nugget. But Peet... <3 Oh my word.
And the villians? As much to be hated as the characters are to be loved. Especially
It could be easy to be a little fooled by this book's, ah, silly worldbuilding? And sayings? And people? It's not like other fantasy books. But don't let that fool you, because underneath the surface there is more to it. Much more. Like the idea that the role of Protector is to be honored. And how much family matters.
So in conclusion, I can see why this series is so well beloved, and I will be looking forward to continuing it.
I finally did it, guys. I've started The Wingfeather Saga after hearing about it for years and discovering that I really enjoy the author's music and that there was an animated series coming out for it on Vidangel. I did it.
And I mowed through this middle grade book, so good.
Full review to come!
I've heard so much about the Wingfeather Saga, but I didn't finish the first book when I tried it out years ago, for other reasons than not liking it. I know I really like the author's music, so I wanted to try his writing again. Our library got the new, hardcover editions awhile back, so I finally dipped my toe in.
It was an interesting mix of silly humor and profound thoughts. One minute you want to laugh and the next you're like "Man, that's so true." Its characters captured your heart (except for the bad guys, of course) and drew you in. The beginning was slow, but about half way through the action started, and then these poor characters couldn't catch a break. So don't let the slow beginning fool you, it can be as intense as The Green Ember.
You can't help but like Podo, okay? His deep love for the children and his tall tales <3 And Nia, I have to admire for her grace, her tenacity, in the fact of adversity, even if I didn't appreciate (in the beginning at least) the way she and Podo kept the children from knowledge of their father.
I enjoyed Janner, his thoughts, and I understood him. He still has a lot to learn- but he is learning. Tink and Leeli were adorable too <3
And Peet-! I adore Peet and I want to know what happened to him and give him a hug-! And quite frankly, I felt like slapping Podo up the head a time or two because of the way he treated him (that's the one area that I strongly disliked Podo in). And we mustn't forget Nugget. Because Nugget. But Peet... <3 Oh my word.
And the villians? As much to be hated as the characters are to be loved. Especially
It could be easy to be a little fooled by this book's, ah, silly worldbuilding? And sayings? And people? It's not like other fantasy books. But don't let that fool you, because underneath the surface there is more to it. Much more. Like the idea that the role of Protector is to be honored. And how much family matters.
So in conclusion, I can see why this series is so well beloved, and I will be looking forward to continuing it.
July 25, 2020
That was loads of fun. And now I get to nod and assure everyone who's ever told me to read this book that YES, I HAVE FINALLY DONE SO, and enjoyed myself immensely 🙂
March 23, 2021
So I've been hearing about this book (and this series) for a few years now by a whole lot of people. It came with the highest of recommendations, and finally, I caved and bought the book.
The story starts out kind of slow. The whole time I read the book, I had this...this sense of holding my breath and peeking around the corner. I was just waiting to see how everything would unfold. It honestly held some suspense for me. I was waiting for the shoe to drop since I'd been told how epic the series is, waiting to see what made the story such a big deal and when we'd drop into the deep end. But Peterson told a much smoother, gradual story with this book. I get the feeling he's laying the foundation and this is just the beginning.
I did really enjoy the mystery of this book. I spent most of the book trying to puzzle out what was happening, and even when I did finally start piecing things together, I really appreciated the journey. Everything clicked together and made sense when it was supposed to. Even if I got it before the characters did, it was enjoyable to see how things tied together and watch the characters come to the same realizations I did.
The story has this touch of home to it that was peaceful and lowkey. We follow these three children around in this relatively normal little town, and as the story progresses--albeit slowly--there are strange little occurrences or bumps in the road that just sort of pop up here and there throughout the story. I felt like I needed to be on guard for something to pop out and begin some epic fantasy battle or something but only toward the very end did things start picking up.
But, oddly, that wasn't a necessarily bad thing. The real richness of this read for me was the world and the writing style. The world was so cool and so fun. It had such depth and unique quirks that fascinated me. And the style in which Peterson tells this tale greatly amused me. It had a strong...I don't quite know how to put it. The narrator told a story, much like Lewis's narrator tells the Narnian stories, and seemed a bit of his own character. The little asides and quirky tidbits about seemingly irrelevant information, such as book titles for reference or histories on instruments, and the almost backwards way of describing everything was unlike anything I've ever seen in a novel. I was absolutely enthralled by the stylistic choices Peterson made in this book.
I'm certainly intrigued by the plot, and curious to know where it's all leading. I'm sure I'll be hooked in at some point, and I've heard the first book isn't the fan favorite. But the world and writing really stood out to me personally.
The characters were quite distinct, too. Each one had his own feel and tone and style, which I really enjoyed. I liked how they were easy to tell apart and each played their own role together like pieces on a chess board. I'm curious to learn more about them, and about how the structure of the world works, and what happened in the Great War. This book just left me more curious than anything else, really! XD I don't quite know what to make of it yet.
I think the saga will deepen thematically as I go on, from what I'm told, but I could already feel hints here and there of allegorical themes that could become stronger in subsequent books. It's MG and Christian fiction, so there is no foul language, no romance, and very mild violence. A few fight scenes with a little blood here and there. I'd be comfortable giving this to a middle schooler.
As a note, I also listened to the audio book because that has been conducive to my schedule as of late. And may I just say that the narrator for this book did a fantastic job! He had a rich voice and handled the crazy writing and words excellently! Oh, also, the illustrations in this edition were a really neat addition to the reading experience!
The story starts out kind of slow. The whole time I read the book, I had this...this sense of holding my breath and peeking around the corner. I was just waiting to see how everything would unfold. It honestly held some suspense for me. I was waiting for the shoe to drop since I'd been told how epic the series is, waiting to see what made the story such a big deal and when we'd drop into the deep end. But Peterson told a much smoother, gradual story with this book. I get the feeling he's laying the foundation and this is just the beginning.
I did really enjoy the mystery of this book. I spent most of the book trying to puzzle out what was happening, and even when I did finally start piecing things together, I really appreciated the journey. Everything clicked together and made sense when it was supposed to. Even if I got it before the characters did, it was enjoyable to see how things tied together and watch the characters come to the same realizations I did.
The story has this touch of home to it that was peaceful and lowkey. We follow these three children around in this relatively normal little town, and as the story progresses--albeit slowly--there are strange little occurrences or bumps in the road that just sort of pop up here and there throughout the story. I felt like I needed to be on guard for something to pop out and begin some epic fantasy battle or something but only toward the very end did things start picking up.
But, oddly, that wasn't a necessarily bad thing. The real richness of this read for me was the world and the writing style. The world was so cool and so fun. It had such depth and unique quirks that fascinated me. And the style in which Peterson tells this tale greatly amused me. It had a strong...I don't quite know how to put it. The narrator told a story, much like Lewis's narrator tells the Narnian stories, and seemed a bit of his own character. The little asides and quirky tidbits about seemingly irrelevant information, such as book titles for reference or histories on instruments, and the almost backwards way of describing everything was unlike anything I've ever seen in a novel. I was absolutely enthralled by the stylistic choices Peterson made in this book.
I'm certainly intrigued by the plot, and curious to know where it's all leading. I'm sure I'll be hooked in at some point, and I've heard the first book isn't the fan favorite. But the world and writing really stood out to me personally.
The characters were quite distinct, too. Each one had his own feel and tone and style, which I really enjoyed. I liked how they were easy to tell apart and each played their own role together like pieces on a chess board. I'm curious to learn more about them, and about how the structure of the world works, and what happened in the Great War. This book just left me more curious than anything else, really! XD I don't quite know what to make of it yet.
I think the saga will deepen thematically as I go on, from what I'm told, but I could already feel hints here and there of allegorical themes that could become stronger in subsequent books. It's MG and Christian fiction, so there is no foul language, no romance, and very mild violence. A few fight scenes with a little blood here and there. I'd be comfortable giving this to a middle schooler.
As a note, I also listened to the audio book because that has been conducive to my schedule as of late. And may I just say that the narrator for this book did a fantastic job! He had a rich voice and handled the crazy writing and words excellently! Oh, also, the illustrations in this edition were a really neat addition to the reading experience!
May 8, 2024
2018 read: 3 stars 🌟
How do you explain a book like this? It was so weird and ridiculous! (But at times funny.)
I mean, first of all the names: The Dark Sea of Darkness, Anklejelly Manor, thwaps, flabbits... And of course, the evil that is a nameless evil named Gnag the Nameless.
Then the sports: handyball and zibzy (you won't understand unless you read the book.)
I thought all the footnotes were amusing.
The Fangs of Dang: I think it would have been better had they been more scary instead of disgusting. I could have happily lived out the rest of my days not knowing how to make maggotloaf or booger gruel. *Gagging*🤢 I mean, I seriously wish I hadn't read any of that.
Okay, I figured out who the King was, but how did I not figure out The Jewels of Anniera!?? I mean really.
Anyway, this book was a little TOO weird and gross for me. If it had been a little less so, I would have liked it a lot better. I want to know the rest of the story, but I'm not sure if I really want to read three more books of this or not.😕
~~~~~~~
2024 reread: 4 stars 🌟
Despite me only giving this book 3 stars originally, the story has always stuck with me, and I had only fond memories of it, so it's funny to go back and read my original review.
Not much really happens in this book, but it's a very cute, cozy read. I still love the footnotes and the gross kid humor didn't ruin my enjoyment this time. I've always been told the next books are better, so I'm excited to finally be continuing the series.
How do you explain a book like this? It was so weird and ridiculous! (But at times funny.)
I mean, first of all the names: The Dark Sea of Darkness, Anklejelly Manor, thwaps, flabbits... And of course, the evil that is a nameless evil named Gnag the Nameless.
Then the sports: handyball and zibzy (you won't understand unless you read the book.)
I thought all the footnotes were amusing.
The Fangs of Dang: I think it would have been better had they been more scary instead of disgusting. I could have happily lived out the rest of my days not knowing how to make maggotloaf or booger gruel. *Gagging*🤢 I mean, I seriously wish I hadn't read any of that.
Okay, I figured out who the King was, but how did I not figure out The Jewels of Anniera!?? I mean really.
Anyway, this book was a little TOO weird and gross for me. If it had been a little less so, I would have liked it a lot better. I want to know the rest of the story, but I'm not sure if I really want to read three more books of this or not.😕
~~~~~~~
2024 reread: 4 stars 🌟
Despite me only giving this book 3 stars originally, the story has always stuck with me, and I had only fond memories of it, so it's funny to go back and read my original review.
Not much really happens in this book, but it's a very cute, cozy read. I still love the footnotes and the gross kid humor didn't ruin my enjoyment this time. I've always been told the next books are better, so I'm excited to finally be continuing the series.
December 26, 2022
2022 reread: As of December of this year, Angel Studios launched the first half of season 1 of the new Wingfeather Saga animated TV series. I adore these stories and have supported the TV adaptation from the beginning, so I had to start rereading the books now that the start of the TV show is launched.
The first time I "read" this series, I didn't actually have physical copies of the book. Andrew Peterson was doing a read-along on his social medias and filming himself reading every night for several months in 2020 as a way to help families through the stress of the pandemic lockdown, so I just listened along and got copies of the books later, after I realized I loved the story that much.
Upon rereading, it's funny that I thought I remembered the whole story in book 1 pretty well, and I did remember all the really big plot points, but I'd also forgotten some big details (mostly in the second half of the book) since my first read in 2020. For example, while I remembered the "ridge runners" I had *completely* forgotten the existence of Zouzab and the things he does in this book. This allowed me to be surprised at some things all over again, which was fun. :) I'd also forgotten a lot of details related to the big escape and big reveal of the kids' true identity at the end of the book, so that was exciting all over again, and also nice to finally remember exactly how things were explained to them and remember all the details. I especially enjoyed the letter Janner reads at the very end of the book, because I didn't remember that either. One of my favorite things about this series is the way it has serious things happen, and deep themes, but it doesn't take itself so seriously that there can't be any humor. The letter Janner reads at the end was a really good example of that as it moved me to tears and then made me laugh, too.
Now that I've read the book in physical form, I should retain the details better. I'm really looking forward to rereading the other three books as time allows, rediscovering details, and solidifying my memory of this wonderful saga.
2020 review: Aaaaaah so good! I thought I wouldn't get to read this book until maybe next year, but I found out here that Andrew Peterson started reading it live on his various socials, so I listened along. The story was equal parts charm, humor, and drama and I enjoyed each part, each twist and turn. I'm so glad he's going to read the second book starting tomorrow (Monday, April 13, 2020). Here's the link to YouTube channel if you want to follow along! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu1R...
I will definitely get my own copies of these books when I'm able!
Content Advisory:
This series gets sold in the children's department at Barnes & Noble but I would say that it straddles the line between upper Middle Grade and lower Young Adult. (Janner, whose perspective we read about the most, is about that age, after all. Not a young child anymore, but not quite a teen, either.) That said, individual kids can be SO DIFFERENT in personality and sensitivities, so if I were giving this to a child, I would definitely make sure that they're ready to handle the scarier and more emotional bits first. I was personally really sensitive to scary fantasy things at the ages this book is intended for, and to be super honest, the Fangs of Dang and the violent things they do (especially near the end of the story) *might* have been too intense for me back then. Obviously, none of those things bother me as an adult, but it was interesting to read this and think, "Wow, 10 year-old-me probably wouldn't have enjoyed this the same way." Meanwhile, during the live readings in 2020, Andrew Peterson shared pictures that young fans sent him where they were reading along and creating fan art, and many of them looked to be 10 years old and sometimes a lot younger. There were also plenty of teen and adult fans, too as this series tends to be enjoyed by whole families.
Violence: As for the details, there is actually a fair bit of violence in the second half of this book, and threats of violence throughout. The fangs of Dang are *not* silly, incompetent henchmen. They can do serious damage with their weapons and venomous fangs. The children never get seriously hurt (though they do get shoved and hit by fangs a few of times), but serious harm and death is threatened toward them many times. Janner and Tink also must take up weapons to help defend their family a couple of times, and they kill a couple of fangs themselves. (Podo and another character kill many fangs.) Fang blood is green, and their bodies quickly turn to dust after death, so there aren't any nasty descriptions even though many fangs get killed violently near the end of the book. There is mention of people fighting fangs being covered in fang blood, though.
A dog gets run through with a spear. (No more description than what I just wrote.)
Two adult humans get potentially-fatal wounds. One is described with blood on his clothes from the wound, but the wound isn't described. The other is described with blood on his hands from his wound and later, there's mention of a puddle of blood on the ground, as well as mention that the wound is gaping and nasty enough that a young girl looks away.
Language: No swears written out, but Podo (who is a gruff old pirate) is said to curse at the fangs a number of times when his family is threatened.
Spiritual: The author is a Christian, and while the story isn't completely steeped in faith themes, there are some present. The characters believe in "The Maker" who is equivalent to God in Christianity. He created the world and is a good God who loves His creation and works events out for the ultimate good. Characters are mentioned praying to The Maker and some rather miraculous things do happen.
Near the end of the book, we learn about the "First Well" which some may consider a magical element, but might be better termed "miraculous". It's said to be the first well of water that the Maker gave the very first people, and filled it with water Himself. The water can do miraculous things like healing mortal wounds, and it does heal mortal wounds twice in this first book.
Magic: This series is set in a fantastical world. There isn't a lot of magic in this first book, unless you count the healing water mentioned above, but there are fantasy creatures that don't exist in real life, some of which are magical in nature, like the sea dragons, but many are just plain fictional animals.
Later in the series, we learn about stones called the "holore" which are part of the Maker's creation and have properties to them that some might consider magical.
The first time I "read" this series, I didn't actually have physical copies of the book. Andrew Peterson was doing a read-along on his social medias and filming himself reading every night for several months in 2020 as a way to help families through the stress of the pandemic lockdown, so I just listened along and got copies of the books later, after I realized I loved the story that much.
Upon rereading, it's funny that I thought I remembered the whole story in book 1 pretty well, and I did remember all the really big plot points, but I'd also forgotten some big details (mostly in the second half of the book) since my first read in 2020. For example, while I remembered the "ridge runners" I had *completely* forgotten the existence of Zouzab and the things he does in this book. This allowed me to be surprised at some things all over again, which was fun. :) I'd also forgotten a lot of details related to the big escape and big reveal of the kids' true identity at the end of the book, so that was exciting all over again, and also nice to finally remember exactly how things were explained to them and remember all the details. I especially enjoyed the letter Janner reads at the very end of the book, because I didn't remember that either. One of my favorite things about this series is the way it has serious things happen, and deep themes, but it doesn't take itself so seriously that there can't be any humor. The letter Janner reads at the end was a really good example of that as it moved me to tears and then made me laugh, too.
Now that I've read the book in physical form, I should retain the details better. I'm really looking forward to rereading the other three books as time allows, rediscovering details, and solidifying my memory of this wonderful saga.
2020 review: Aaaaaah so good! I thought I wouldn't get to read this book until maybe next year, but I found out here that Andrew Peterson started reading it live on his various socials, so I listened along. The story was equal parts charm, humor, and drama and I enjoyed each part, each twist and turn. I'm so glad he's going to read the second book starting tomorrow (Monday, April 13, 2020). Here's the link to YouTube channel if you want to follow along! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu1R...
I will definitely get my own copies of these books when I'm able!
Content Advisory:
This series gets sold in the children's department at Barnes & Noble but I would say that it straddles the line between upper Middle Grade and lower Young Adult. (Janner, whose perspective we read about the most, is about that age, after all. Not a young child anymore, but not quite a teen, either.) That said, individual kids can be SO DIFFERENT in personality and sensitivities, so if I were giving this to a child, I would definitely make sure that they're ready to handle the scarier and more emotional bits first. I was personally really sensitive to scary fantasy things at the ages this book is intended for, and to be super honest, the Fangs of Dang and the violent things they do (especially near the end of the story) *might* have been too intense for me back then. Obviously, none of those things bother me as an adult, but it was interesting to read this and think, "Wow, 10 year-old-me probably wouldn't have enjoyed this the same way." Meanwhile, during the live readings in 2020, Andrew Peterson shared pictures that young fans sent him where they were reading along and creating fan art, and many of them looked to be 10 years old and sometimes a lot younger. There were also plenty of teen and adult fans, too as this series tends to be enjoyed by whole families.
Violence: As for the details, there is actually a fair bit of violence in the second half of this book, and threats of violence throughout. The fangs of Dang are *not* silly, incompetent henchmen. They can do serious damage with their weapons and venomous fangs. The children never get seriously hurt (though they do get shoved and hit by fangs a few of times), but serious harm and death is threatened toward them many times. Janner and Tink also must take up weapons to help defend their family a couple of times, and they kill a couple of fangs themselves. (Podo and another character kill many fangs.) Fang blood is green, and their bodies quickly turn to dust after death, so there aren't any nasty descriptions even though many fangs get killed violently near the end of the book. There is mention of people fighting fangs being covered in fang blood, though.
A dog gets run through with a spear. (No more description than what I just wrote.)
Two adult humans get potentially-fatal wounds. One is described with blood on his clothes from the wound, but the wound isn't described. The other is described with blood on his hands from his wound and later, there's mention of a puddle of blood on the ground, as well as mention that the wound is gaping and nasty enough that a young girl looks away.
Language: No swears written out, but Podo (who is a gruff old pirate) is said to curse at the fangs a number of times when his family is threatened.
Spiritual: The author is a Christian, and while the story isn't completely steeped in faith themes, there are some present. The characters believe in "The Maker" who is equivalent to God in Christianity. He created the world and is a good God who loves His creation and works events out for the ultimate good. Characters are mentioned praying to The Maker and some rather miraculous things do happen.
Near the end of the book, we learn about the "First Well" which some may consider a magical element, but might be better termed "miraculous". It's said to be the first well of water that the Maker gave the very first people, and filled it with water Himself. The water can do miraculous things like healing mortal wounds, and it does heal mortal wounds twice in this first book.
Magic: This series is set in a fantastical world. There isn't a lot of magic in this first book, unless you count the healing water mentioned above, but there are fantasy creatures that don't exist in real life, some of which are magical in nature, like the sea dragons, but many are just plain fictional animals.
Later in the series, we learn about stones called the "holore" which are part of the Maker's creation and have properties to them that some might consider magical.
March 22, 2024
What a beautiful story for people of all ages. It was an awesome adventure to read to my little siblings. Full twists and turns and more than a few giggles.
We shall start the next book promptly.
We shall start the next book promptly.
September 29, 2025
3.25 ✨
Hmmm I think this one is gonna be a bit difficult to rate/review… anywho RTC!!!
Hmmm I think this one is gonna be a bit difficult to rate/review… anywho RTC!!!
September 6, 2021
This was terrible. In a normal review, I would not mince my words at all, but I am painfully aware, by all the raving reviews, of the target audience. If you are not an evangelical Christian raised in or near the Bible belt in the US South, you won't get three pages in, because you'll choke and die on the juvenile, derivative steaming pile of manure that it actually is. If you are in that demographic, you'll doubtless be transported, as so many here have been, in delight, having never read anything more recent in fantasy than The Chronicles of Narnia and having a deep-seated fear of the genre unless it's so blatantly ChristianTM that every character is actually quoting the Bible and every name is a barely concealed anagram of one of the twelve apostles.
That being said, I did not get past the introduction and first two chapters. The introduction was crammed full of made-up words and history that no one who wasn't already deeply invested in the characters and world would give two flying fish about. Look, when Tolkien does it, he does it after a whole other book and takes several dozen pages to explain clearly, in the Queen's own English, the history of the Shire. He spends several pages describing his one made-up word. He doesn't fling sixty-three in two pages and wish you luck figuring out which are people and which are places. Even Rowling had some chill and explained her terms without overwhelming you on the first page.
Then the story itself. Each paragraph reads individually, no flow between them, like when you were writing stories as a twelve-year-old kid, handwritten, so you got exhausted by the end of the paragraph and thought you were done with the scene. There is a useless flashback/meandering in the first chapter, followed by what I assume was meant to be humor, in that the protagonist goes from mooning over his fatherless state to planting face-first in fresh horse dung (perhaps this was merely the author being self-aware) and running to wash it off.
Even the quests are unfinished, the girl goes to fetch her grandfather (a figure who is meant to be painted as kindly and wise and loving, but who is an absolute abusive prick, forcing a child with a debilitating fear to repeatedly perform a dangerous task involving said fear with no encouragement or safety guard) and in the end, doesn't even mention that she was sent to fetch him.
The author clearly needed an editor to take this book in hand and make it do something, anything, but I don't think it saw anything higher than spellcheck. This book makes Eragon look like Shakespeare.
The fact that it was written for middle grade seems to be simply because the author's writing skills are middle grade: I mean, as if a Christian homeschooled twelve year old who really, REALLY loved Star Wars and Harry Potter and Narnia wrote it (and hey, no shade to actual Christian homeschooled twelve year old aspiring authors out there, hone that art, baby). If he could write a young adult or adult fantasy that wouldn't get laughed out of the arena, he would. Perhaps that's why he threw in some lazily invented, unnecessary words and a few illustrations, to sell it as a middle grade fantasy.
Anyway, if you're looking for a fun, hilarious, well-written kids fantasy with heart and good life lessons, this isn't it. You're looking for Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series.
That being said, I did not get past the introduction and first two chapters. The introduction was crammed full of made-up words and history that no one who wasn't already deeply invested in the characters and world would give two flying fish about. Look, when Tolkien does it, he does it after a whole other book and takes several dozen pages to explain clearly, in the Queen's own English, the history of the Shire. He spends several pages describing his one made-up word. He doesn't fling sixty-three in two pages and wish you luck figuring out which are people and which are places. Even Rowling had some chill and explained her terms without overwhelming you on the first page.
Then the story itself. Each paragraph reads individually, no flow between them, like when you were writing stories as a twelve-year-old kid, handwritten, so you got exhausted by the end of the paragraph and thought you were done with the scene. There is a useless flashback/meandering in the first chapter, followed by what I assume was meant to be humor, in that the protagonist goes from mooning over his fatherless state to planting face-first in fresh horse dung (perhaps this was merely the author being self-aware) and running to wash it off.
Even the quests are unfinished, the girl goes to fetch her grandfather (a figure who is meant to be painted as kindly and wise and loving, but who is an absolute abusive prick, forcing a child with a debilitating fear to repeatedly perform a dangerous task involving said fear with no encouragement or safety guard) and in the end, doesn't even mention that she was sent to fetch him.
The author clearly needed an editor to take this book in hand and make it do something, anything, but I don't think it saw anything higher than spellcheck. This book makes Eragon look like Shakespeare.
The fact that it was written for middle grade seems to be simply because the author's writing skills are middle grade: I mean, as if a Christian homeschooled twelve year old who really, REALLY loved Star Wars and Harry Potter and Narnia wrote it (and hey, no shade to actual Christian homeschooled twelve year old aspiring authors out there, hone that art, baby). If he could write a young adult or adult fantasy that wouldn't get laughed out of the arena, he would. Perhaps that's why he threw in some lazily invented, unnecessary words and a few illustrations, to sell it as a middle grade fantasy.
Anyway, if you're looking for a fun, hilarious, well-written kids fantasy with heart and good life lessons, this isn't it. You're looking for Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching series.
March 12, 2024
oh my word- i have procrastinated reading this book for quite a while, and finally decided on a whim to listen to the audiobook and see what i thought. i wasn’t expecting to like it this much? but ahhh it was so good. a bit too slow for my liking, but still really enjoyable.
the only thing i didn’t really like was the violence (it triggered me a bit). i…i know i’m overly sensitive to violence, so that’s probably why.
also pete the sock man is autistic and nobody can convince me otherwise.
the only thing i didn’t really like was the violence (it triggered me a bit). i…i know i’m overly sensitive to violence, so that’s probably why.
also pete the sock man is autistic and nobody can convince me otherwise.
June 10, 2025
Wow! Okay, so this isn't the speedest start to a series, but I love this series! It picks up a lot in the second half of the book, and the first half is full of such cool worldbuilding! also, the audiobooks are read by the author...highly recommend!
This is my third or fourth time reading the series, and I love it more and more each time!
Characters:
Janner, as the oldest siblings, is always so relatable for me! I'm not the oldest, I'm actually the 5th kid, but I've always taken looking after my two younger sisters seriously (you don't get nicknamed Second Mommy for nothing.🤣). So I love him!
Tink cracks me up! I love that boy and how perpetually hungry he is.🤣
Leeli is adorable! She's so sweet but also fiesty...go girl! Love her!
Nugget is a cutesy pupper!
Nia and Podo are great, and I love the father/daughter aspect.
Mr. Reteep is the best! Always that Andrew reads him with Oskar's voice from the series is just epic!
Peet! I love Peet! He cracks me up and is just one of my favorite characters!
Themes:
Family and hope are interwoven in the story with a touch of listening to your Elders is generally a good idea...lol...also, not judging others by their appearances.
Language:
The bad guys are from Dang and are called the Fangs of Dang... but other than that, no.
Romance:
N/A
Magic:
Not in this book, but as the series goes on, yes.
Violence/Gore:
minimal in this book, more in others, but this one is very mild. Some scraps, burns, mentions of dead fangs, or killing fangs. A character dies, and others are thought to have died or are seriously injured but not super descriptive of the wounds.
Overall:
It's one of my all-time favorite fantasy series! I can't recommend highly enough!
Recommend ages 9+ solo reads, but would also make a great realoud for the whole family!
This is my third or fourth time reading the series, and I love it more and more each time!
Characters:
Janner, as the oldest siblings, is always so relatable for me! I'm not the oldest, I'm actually the 5th kid, but I've always taken looking after my two younger sisters seriously (you don't get nicknamed Second Mommy for nothing.🤣). So I love him!
Tink cracks me up! I love that boy and how perpetually hungry he is.🤣
Leeli is adorable! She's so sweet but also fiesty...go girl! Love her!
Nugget is a cutesy pupper!
Nia and Podo are great, and I love the father/daughter aspect.
Mr. Reteep is the best! Always that Andrew reads him with Oskar's voice from the series is just epic!
Peet! I love Peet! He cracks me up and is just one of my favorite characters!
Themes:
Family and hope are interwoven in the story with a touch of listening to your Elders is generally a good idea...lol...also, not judging others by their appearances.
Language:
The bad guys are from Dang and are called the Fangs of Dang... but other than that, no.
Romance:
N/A
Magic:
Not in this book, but as the series goes on, yes.
Violence/Gore:
minimal in this book, more in others, but this one is very mild. Some scraps, burns, mentions of dead fangs, or killing fangs. A character dies, and others are thought to have died or are seriously injured but not super descriptive of the wounds.
Overall:
It's one of my all-time favorite fantasy series! I can't recommend highly enough!
Recommend ages 9+ solo reads, but would also make a great realoud for the whole family!
February 16, 2022
I feel a bit bad that I didn’t love this book like a lot of people do, but I did enjoy it enough to give it 3 stars, which for me is a book I enjoyed it just didn’t have an emotional punch of a 4 or 5 star book. I probably also jinxed myself by trying to read too many MG series at one time (as MG I don’t ALWAYS connect with very well anymore), but that’s on me not the book. 😜
Saying that, I did find it whimsical and fun but felt this was a setup book for possibly more action and adventure in the next ones. The characters are good and very enjoyable and the whit throughout was very fun and got a snicker out of me here and there. And toothy cows are the worst. So glad my family’s cow doesn’t have fangs… 😬 I also liked the illustrations in the new HC edition—very cute and fits the story well.
All in all I did enjoy this book and will be continuing on with the series.
Content: violence and blood (nothing over PG); kids and adults are kidnapped, tied up, attacked, and beaten
Saying that, I did find it whimsical and fun but felt this was a setup book for possibly more action and adventure in the next ones. The characters are good and very enjoyable and the whit throughout was very fun and got a snicker out of me here and there. And toothy cows are the worst. So glad my family’s cow doesn’t have fangs… 😬 I also liked the illustrations in the new HC edition—very cute and fits the story well.
All in all I did enjoy this book and will be continuing on with the series.
Content: violence and blood (nothing over PG); kids and adults are kidnapped, tied up, attacked, and beaten
February 16, 2016
A very enjoyable fantasy book. Looking forward to reading the rest in the series. :)
May 16, 2019
This feels like heresy...but 3.5 stars.
January 15, 2020
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. First, I love the cover! Wow, when I saw that I just had to read this!
The book didn't let me down either. I tried to think of what the book reminded me of but it really is in a class by itself. It had a bit of Terry Pratchett, Lord of the Rings, touch of Narnia, and just a bare sprinkle of the Wizard of Oz.
I thought it was going to be just a kid's book but boy was I wrong. This would be great to read to kids but teens, young adults,and adults will find this charming. There is action, great characters, crazy creatures, a great adventure, humor, and a dose of morals.
I almost bought the audible book for the grandkids so they can listen when they want, I still might. This is a series the kids will truly enjoy!
The book didn't let me down either. I tried to think of what the book reminded me of but it really is in a class by itself. It had a bit of Terry Pratchett, Lord of the Rings, touch of Narnia, and just a bare sprinkle of the Wizard of Oz.
I thought it was going to be just a kid's book but boy was I wrong. This would be great to read to kids but teens, young adults,and adults will find this charming. There is action, great characters, crazy creatures, a great adventure, humor, and a dose of morals.
I almost bought the audible book for the grandkids so they can listen when they want, I still might. This is a series the kids will truly enjoy!
November 17, 2020
Really this was more like 3 1/2 than an actual 3, and here's why...
There is a lot to like about this book. A fast-paced story. Lots of action. A family that sticks together. And I really REALLY liked the name Fangs of Dang. That's a brilliant villain classification.
So, why not a full 4 stars? This is a young adult, but frankly, it's quite violent. Not that I don't like me a good action-packed edge-of-the-seat read, but come on, I'm 58, not 12. Don't kids have enough violence in the real world? Plus, as much as I loved the Fangs of Dang, other names got to be a bit too much. Totatoes. Really? Um...no.
So yeah, this wasn't really my cup of tea and I can't say that I'd recommend it to anyone under the age of 14, but then again, anyone 14 and older might take as much issue with it as I did.
There is a lot to like about this book. A fast-paced story. Lots of action. A family that sticks together. And I really REALLY liked the name Fangs of Dang. That's a brilliant villain classification.
So, why not a full 4 stars? This is a young adult, but frankly, it's quite violent. Not that I don't like me a good action-packed edge-of-the-seat read, but come on, I'm 58, not 12. Don't kids have enough violence in the real world? Plus, as much as I loved the Fangs of Dang, other names got to be a bit too much. Totatoes. Really? Um...no.
So yeah, this wasn't really my cup of tea and I can't say that I'd recommend it to anyone under the age of 14, but then again, anyone 14 and older might take as much issue with it as I did.
February 18, 2025
So. CUTE!
I'll admit, I thought the first bit was a little slow, but BOY did it pick up. 👀 The Igiby clan was absolutely darling and the escapades they got into were nothing short of full-blown adventures.
(Also, I totally called that *really big thing* at the end . . . 😇)
Thank you to my bestie for surprising me with a copy of this delightful tale! I'll definitely be looking for the rest of the series. 😎
I'll admit, I thought the first bit was a little slow, but BOY did it pick up. 👀 The Igiby clan was absolutely darling and the escapades they got into were nothing short of full-blown adventures.
(Also, I totally called that *really big thing* at the end . . . 😇)
Thank you to my bestie for surprising me with a copy of this delightful tale! I'll definitely be looking for the rest of the series. 😎
February 5, 2026
Rating - 6 stars
Age Rating - 9+ (no language, no kissing, no spice, no innuendo, mild violence)
Genre - Middle-Grade Christian Fiction Fantasy
*giggles maniacally* *face hurts from smiling* *explodes from happiness*
AHHHH GUYSSSSSS THIS BOOK IS MY FAVORITE THINGS EVERRRRRR OMGGGG *explodes once again*
Every person EVER needs to read this RIGHT THIS INSTANT
Also how dare you accuse me of being dramatic, if anything, I'm being under-dramatic for this amazing wonderfulness of a book.
I honestly don't even know where to start. Everything about this book is absolute perfection.
Characters ~
Leeli: absolutely amazing, sweet adorable girl with a feisty side. what's not to love? Her love for Nugget is so wholesome and sweet and omg I love her smmm 🥹 that's lizardkicker for you (iykyk)
Janner: ahhhhhhhhh Janner he's so amazing. His character development through this series is so good, and he's so lovable, the way he feels drawn to a sense of duty to protect his siblings is actually perfect, even though he tries to fight it
Tink: he's literally sooo amazing. he honestly gets himself into trouble so often it's lwk hilarious lol. I love how when he should be the most afraid, his fears abandon him, he's just so amazing :)))
Nia: I love her so much obviously :))) she's so amazing and her love and care and worry for the children is so sweet. But also how brave and strong she is at the same time is amazing.
Podo: ahhhh Podo. 🥹 We love him, obviously. He's so sweet and hilarious and had me giggling and kicking my feet at his ridiculousness.
Nugget: NUGGETTTTTTTT!!!!!!! that's all I have to say 😝 he (she? I think it's he...) is literally amazing and so yes, I will enthusiastically scream his name for his awesomeness. I love him so much, and his loyalty for Leeli is so freaking adorable. He's the true hero of the story for sureeeeee
I think that's all the characters. lol. But if you haven't read this PLEASE GO DO SO IT WOULD MAKE ME SO FREAKING HAPPYYYYYYYY
The world is just so whimsical with the best vibes and the world building is peak 🔥 and the writing is so good and honestly re-reading it I realized that I think I compare every book I read to this one just because of how amazing it is. It's so nostalgic for me as well, I think this is my fourth read of it (the first two times it was read aloud to me however) and this book feels like the literal embodiment of my childhood. I'm so excited to read the next ones because they just get better and better :)) I couldn't stop myself from giggling maniacally many many times throughout my read of this for literally no reason other than it's amazingness.
So yeah, hopefully that convinced you to read this 😃
Age Rating - 9+ (no language, no kissing, no spice, no innuendo, mild violence)
Genre - Middle-Grade Christian Fiction Fantasy
*giggles maniacally* *face hurts from smiling* *explodes from happiness*
AHHHH GUYSSSSSS THIS BOOK IS MY FAVORITE THINGS EVERRRRRR OMGGGG *explodes once again*
Every person EVER needs to read this RIGHT THIS INSTANT
Also how dare you accuse me of being dramatic, if anything, I'm being under-dramatic for this amazing wonderfulness of a book.
I honestly don't even know where to start. Everything about this book is absolute perfection.
Characters ~
Leeli: absolutely amazing, sweet adorable girl with a feisty side. what's not to love? Her love for Nugget is so wholesome and sweet and omg I love her smmm 🥹 that's lizardkicker for you (iykyk)
Janner: ahhhhhhhhh Janner he's so amazing. His character development through this series is so good, and he's so lovable, the way he feels drawn to a sense of duty to protect his siblings is actually perfect, even though he tries to fight it
Tink: he's literally sooo amazing. he honestly gets himself into trouble so often it's lwk hilarious lol. I love how when he should be the most afraid, his fears abandon him, he's just so amazing :)))
Nia: I love her so much obviously :))) she's so amazing and her love and care and worry for the children is so sweet. But also how brave and strong she is at the same time is amazing.
Podo: ahhhh Podo. 🥹 We love him, obviously. He's so sweet and hilarious and had me giggling and kicking my feet at his ridiculousness.
Nugget: NUGGETTTTTTTT!!!!!!! that's all I have to say 😝 he (she? I think it's he...) is literally amazing and so yes, I will enthusiastically scream his name for his awesomeness. I love him so much, and his loyalty for Leeli is so freaking adorable. He's the true hero of the story for sureeeeee
I think that's all the characters. lol. But if you haven't read this PLEASE GO DO SO IT WOULD MAKE ME SO FREAKING HAPPYYYYYYYY
The world is just so whimsical with the best vibes and the world building is peak 🔥 and the writing is so good and honestly re-reading it I realized that I think I compare every book I read to this one just because of how amazing it is. It's so nostalgic for me as well, I think this is my fourth read of it (the first two times it was read aloud to me however) and this book feels like the literal embodiment of my childhood. I'm so excited to read the next ones because they just get better and better :)) I couldn't stop myself from giggling maniacally many many times throughout my read of this for literally no reason other than it's amazingness.
So yeah, hopefully that convinced you to read this 😃
June 21, 2023
One of the best books I've ever read. Go read it!
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