The Battle for Roar

Roar #3

by Jenny McLachlan, Ben Mantle (Illustrator)

The final book in the thrilling trilogy about a set of twins who journey back into the imaginary land they created as children. Perfect for readers who dream of exploring Narnia and Neverland, this heartwarming and gorgeously illustrated story with a classic feel takes readers on an adventure through a vivid and lush imaginary world. A bestseller in the UK! Arthur and Rose Trout are the heroes of Roar, a magical world they created together when they were little, where anything they imagine can become real. Roar is filled with incredible wonders from their own imaginations. Arthur and Rose are looking forward to exploring beyond the End of Roar, an as-yet unexplored part of the world. When they arrive, they’re greeted by some long-forgotten fairies who are very excited to see them. Maybe too excited… Facing down a new nemesis, Arthur and Rose must team up with friends old and new to save both Roar and the real world beyond it from total destruction.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure, Magic, Childrens, Fiction, Family

336 pages, Paperback

First published June 28, 2022

About the author

I have always loved reading and I studied English at university just so that I could read a bit more. Next I found my way into secondary teaching and discovered that I loved it too: I got to read more books, show off and hang out with very funny teenagers. What a great job!

Teaching English also encouraged me to write. Soon I had planned and started lots of different stories, but they were all abandoned and shoved to the back of a drawer. Then, one day, the plot for Flirty Dancing came together; Bea’s story was so alive it was like a film running in my head and I knew it was a story I would finish.

Over the next few years, various exciting events distracted me from Flirty Dancing: I got married, travelled the world, was chased by an angry elephant (and a pack of dogs) and I had two babies. While I was sitting on trains, swimming in the Outback and raising two crazy girls, I kept thinking about Bea, and her friends, Betty, Kat and Pearl, until I realised I had planned three more books.

In 2013, after attending the Winchester Writers’ Festival, I plucked up the courage to send Flirty Dancing to Julia Churchill, a brilliant children’s fiction agent at A.M. Heath. With dazzling speed I was then signed by Bloomsbury to write the four books in the series.

Reviews

[Jade Ratley · Rating 3 out of 5]

6.14 on CAWPILE

This series is full of fun and imagination, and this final book is no different. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the first two, but it was still a fun time.

[Belles Middle Grade Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the best yet! I’m so in love with this book, & this whole trilogy! This got a big book hug when I finished. So heartwarming & absolutely charming. I am so sad it’s over, but I had such an amazing time with Arthur, Rose, granddad, & all of Roar. And I know I can visit them again whenever I want. These have such a magical feeling to them, & the whole story was a dream of mine when I was a kid-entering a world you created yourself??!! Yes please! The world building & character development through the trilogy is amazing. Each book gets better and better. You just fall more & more in love with these siblings especially. SO much adventure, & danger, & excitement. Plus, there’s dragons, fairies, unicorns, a mermaid, & a scarecrow army..just to name a few. Plus the atmosphere! Such vividly written details of the world we are reading about, & I felt like I had actually traveled to Roar. That’s about all I can say since this is the 3rd, but something that progresses for the last 1/2 of the book all the way up until the way it ended-had me in all kinds of feelings! This was the ending this book deserved. I LOVED the way the author went with it, & it had me smiling ear to ear. HIGHLY recommend this whole series. Plus, they are FULL of stunning illustrations throughout by the amazing Ben Mantle too! Can’t wait to see what Jenny McLachlan writes next!💜

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an outstanding finish to the series, so many surprises,twists and turns. I'm going to really miss these books.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great adventure! It’s full of imagination but action-packed and very suspenseful. Well done in every aspect. It doesn’t condescend to its audience. I find it hilarious that the most dangerous artifact is a T-shirt that says “No Prob-llama.” It was literally hard to put down even with ADHD brain acting up. Cool ending.

While I read the hard copy for the first two, I listened to this last one. I did not realize how British it was before. The first two must have been Americanised for us dummies. I did miss the illustrations, though.



Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Mild
Harm to Animals: None
Harm to Children: endangerment, injuries
Other (Triggers): Betrayal

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

I really enjoyed how this 3rd and finally book in the series ended. It's sad that this is the end of Roar for us humans but it can always be revisited by rereading books 1-3 again.

Definitely recommend this for those who love magic, adventure and an imaginary world of make believe come to life.

This is exactly the kind of middle grade novel I enjoy.

[Anne (ReadEatGameRepeat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally decided to pick this book up. This whole series is one I wish I could've given to my younger self - this book perfectly wraps up the story while also leaving room for some more stories to tell should the author wish to tell them.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really good and I loved it it was so suprising READ IT NOW

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very addictive book. I found it very hard to put down as lots happens and I think it is the best of the series. My favourite character was Crowky because he takes a surprising twist at the end of the book. I also liked the twins. The age recommendation I would give this book is 7+ because there are lots of illustrations and it is easy to read. I hope there are more in the series!

[lily reads and other things · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THESE CHARACTERS SO DAMN MUCH

[Amy Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding finale (I think?!) to this series that my kids and I have enjoyed so much.

[Kara (bookishskippy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK THOUGH AND HOW THE AUTHOR WROTE A SMALL INTERVIEW ON THE QUESTIONS.
REALLY ENJOYED THIS ADVENTURE THE FACT THAT CROWKY WENT TO EARTH WAS FUNNY !

[Siobhan Louise Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars 🌟

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent enough closing book for the trilogy, but it lacked the energy and amazingness of the first two books. I would have made this a duology instead, and just made the first two books a bit longer and left out some of the errata. The magical beasts and ideas were fun, as always, as were the jokes, but the pacing was dismal. Not much happens for most of the book, almost like the author wasn't sure how to bring the entirety of Roar full circle and just threw in a bunch of short scenes of at best minor importance or relevance before deciding to just close up shop. I do think the MG audience will like it - I am quite a bit older than that, to be honest - and the ending is mostly conclusive. Mostly. Though I do hope the author is done with Roar, I think the idea has been fully realized, and anything more would feel redundant and trite.

[Fredrika · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ read via audiobook.

A great final book in a trilogy full of fun and adventure. This last book is no different to the first two, full of creative characters and new twists. I enjoyed the new villain we got in this one and I loved the team up between the twins and on old nemesis - it made for a really lovely ending that wrapped everything up nicely.

Whilst I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first two, this might be down to a change in narrator that I wasn’t as keen on.

[Oliver Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of my favourites to read. It was really well made and the area it was based in was well described. With a good imagination, this book is a must read!

[Melissa (hereforthebooklove) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My classroom was so sad when we finished this book today. They loved it so much! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it to them.

[Rowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. I would say it might be the best in the series. It is very immersive, I could feel my heart pounding near the end in apprehension.

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE BATTLE FOR ROAR returns to a world where an imaginary world becomes real to see a pretty dark take on fairies. No wings and unrealistically thin body types for these fairies, but teeth and powers that Rose really shouldn't have given them. Nor should she have forgotten how to stop them!

I love what happened with Crowky in this book. I can't really say anything about it, because it's all second half spoilers, but it's so warming and right feeling. Plus that sort of arc with an antagonist is one I love if it's done well, and it is here. There's so much character growth in it for both Arthur and Crowky.

The pacing felt a little odd. The synopsis/blurb talks about this danger to Roar, but that doesn't come in until over halfway. The first half is basically Arthur and Rose having a whale of a time on what is essentially a fund cruise with friends. There's a bit of creeping unease over some things niggling in the back of Arthur's head over what's happened before, but nothing else really. He's mostly just really enjoying himself. Then the threat comes in, and the pacing just rockets up a gear, leaving quite an uneven quality.

It is a lot of fun, and I do love spending time in this world, but the first half did feel like it lacked that driving force of a threat. There weren't really any stakes, so there wasn't any tension or reason to push me through (beyond enjoying the world.)

In all though, it's a good ending to the trilogy that makes me want a Roar of my own. The ending is pretty much over, and there are no plans so far as I can for more books, which is sad, but I'd rather a good ending than a series dragged out until it limps to its death.

[Mike Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an absolutely fantastic end to the series. So many loose ends were tied up, stories completed and rounded… plots finalised and the characters ready to move on with their own next chapters.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series from start to finish. My adventures with Rose and Arthur, Win, Mitch and Crowkey have been time well spent. The author has magic in her pen and has used it to great effect in the Roar Trilogy.
If you enjoy a wisecracking adventure featuring Lost Girls, Dragons, wicked fairies, wizard-ninjas and Mer-Witches… then pick up Land of Roar and it won’t be long before you are 3 books in!
It’s just a shame that on page 26 the editor missed the author saying "the cupboard was deep and smelled of spices " twice on the same page, with no context the second time - but maybe I am just picky! 😂

[Mairéad · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely perfect ending to the wonderfully imaginative fantasy triology for readers aged 9+
Thoroughly enjoyable, crammed full of adventures this final installment in the Land of Roar series ends on a satisfyingly open, hopeful note. I can't wait to read more from Jenny McLachlan and wouldn't hesitate to recommend these books to my pupils!

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this whole trilogy. I'm actually pretty sad it is over. Why four stars? Because adult fantasy just strikes a different chord with me. As much as I enjoyed this, middle grade has to do a LOT to live up to those standards. But jeez I can't wait to read this series to my kids one day. If you are in doubt, please pick it up.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant series!!!! The kids and I have really enjoyed Roar! From the first book we have eagerly waiting for the next ones to be released. Although everything wraps up neatly at the end of this book, we hope to go back to Roar again!!!!

[The Endless Unread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic end to the series. So many loose ends were tied up. Have adored this series from start to finish.

[Emily]

Really good book with lots of cool imaginary things that make your mind twist I loved reading it because of the pictures and the exciting experience as sort of another character

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series 😊

[Daisy Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

The battle of Roar is one of my favourite books!

[Mrs Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING!!! I genuinely don’t know what else to say other than beyond AMAZING!!!

[Kate Pendlenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this whole Roar trilogy to my son, now 9, and we have both loved them - they're 'imaginary!' as Win would say.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant third book in the series

[Roanna25 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute ending to the trilogy. But honestly Rose is just so annoying!