I do have a couple middle grade reads this month...just a few, though...and today's read is one of them. This is the first book in The Arcanium series and received wonderful reviews and even a few prizes/recognitions. I think it includes a prophecy, portal and alternate world with magic. Oh, and friendship should be a big theme.
Let's open it up and see what's inside!
RIVER OF CROWS
The Arcanium, Book One
by N.P. Thompson
Inky Cove
Middle Grade Fantasy
334 pages
ages 8 to 12
Mortal peril is twelve-year-old Ty Baxter's new normal when he teams up with the weird girl from school to help an injured bird and suddenly finds himself trapped in a strange, magical world.
Now the target of a brutal tyrant with unfathomable power, Ty grapples with a life-altering revelation about his past and the implications of an ancient prophecy. As he struggles to control his own emerging magical Talent, Ty embroils himself in a desperate gamble to help his new friends save their missing family before the emperor uses his dark sorcery to transform them into birds, enslaving them forever as soldiers in his enchanted avian army.
And if he survives all of that, he's probably still going to get grounded—if he ever finds a way to get back home.
From debut author N.P. Thompson, River of Crows (book 1 of The Arcanium saga), thrusts unsuspecting seventh-grader Ty Baxter into a dangerous new realm of intrigue and magic where he must band together with a group of unlikely friends as they fight to save their families, their worlds, and each other from sinister forces. This witty, action-packed upper middle grade fantasy adventure with a cast of unforgettable characters will appeal to fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Keeper of the Lost Cities, and Wings of Fire.
MY TIDBITS
Two worlds collide in an intriguing tale of magic with a touch of sinister intentions.
Ty doesn't like school and still does fine, but his strict father expects more. Ty's also bullied at school, but when a crow saves the day, he finds the pet his father would never let him have. Well, of sorts. There's something strange about this crow, but even stranger is the weird girl, who decides to talk to him. When they find themselves, trapped in a magical world, Ty's entire life gets flipped upside down as he discovers he has magical talents. But that's only the beginning. An evil emperor is transforming everyone against him into birds, and Ty and the girl seem to be the only ones who can help. Maybe.
This book immediately had me thinking of the German tale, Krabat, with an evil master, which turns assistants into crows. In this tale, it's an emperor, who turns those against him into crows, and this gives the entire thing a dark twist, which draws in. Ty is a bit prickly when the reader first meets him. The bullying and weird girl set the story off with a bit of edge before it takes a true, fantasy dive into the other world. Mixed with many short chapters, the read, especially in the beginning, seems unsettled, which works nicely as it leads into the uncertainty Ty faces with his new, magical abilities and strange world. He has a lot to learn and grows right along with the new friendship he forms.
The is a steady-paced read with moments of tension, action, and a touch of heart. The world building is well done and creates interesting scenes and characters. While some areas slowed a bit, most of the plot moves along with unexpected twists and turns. Plus, the problems Ty faces will have the reader rooting for him the entire way through.
It will be interesting to see where all of this goes next.
And here she is...
N.P. Thompson lives in Ottawa, Canada, with her two awesome kids and a very lazy cat. When she’s not building web things you can either find her wrangling plot bunnies or binge-watching episodes of Doctor Who and Babylon 5. She enjoys talking to the neighbourhood crows (most days), but wishes they would stop nagging her about not having finished their stories yet.
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