The Magic Warble

Author: Victoria Simcox
Publication Date: January 2009
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Copy provided by: Author
Summary (via the Magic Warble Website):

Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and an evil queen – all these and more can be found in The Magic Warble, an enchanting tale of adventure and friendship.

Twelve-year-old Kristina Kingsly feels like the most unpopular girl in her school. The kids all tease her, and she never seems to fit in. But when Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift, she suddenly finds herself magically transported to the land of Bernovem, home of dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, and the evil Queen Sentiz.

In Bernovem, Kristina not only fits in, she’s honored as “the chosen one” the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz’s control. But it’s not as simple as it seems. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous “Magic Warble” in its final resting place. And she must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen’s “zelbocks” before she reaches her destination. Guided by her new fairy friends, Clover and Looper and by Prince Werrien, a teenage boy, as well as an assortment of other characters, Kristina sets off on a perilous journey that not only tests her strength but her heart.

Why I read this: The author asked me to review her book and I saw that my friend Kate from The Neverending Shelf had read and enjoyed it, so I gave it a try. :)

Plot: Definitely has the epic feel of great children's fantasy - like The Chronicles of Narnia. I love the familiarity of the plot and how unique it was at the same time. Definitely wishing I read more fantasy lately after reading this one.

Characters: Kristina is an unlikely hero and one that steps up to the plate without much complaining. She has her faults and isn't perfect, but tries hard enough to continue on that she succeeds.

The fairies - Clover and Looper - were great sidekicks and had bright personalities - what you would expect out of fairies. They definitely added some character spice to this book and had me cracking up more than once.

Prince Werrein - well it's not fantasy without some kind of royalty - although you wouldn't know it at first. He's been in hiding until his mother is restored to the throne until the current queen is defeated. I like that he also is very human, there are traits in him that definitely are not princely, but rather remind you of his age. Definitely fun to watch Kristina and Werrein interact throughout the book.

Relatability: Every girl's dream. It's just one of those books where a regular girl actually goes to another world and becomes strong and important. It truly is a dream come true type book. Brings me back to my days of reading Bruce Coville's Into the Land of Unicorns series.

Cover Commentary: Beautiful. Actually all of the images drawn in the book are out of this world. They look like pencil drawings and are just fantastic. Whoever did the art is a genius with that medium.

Rating: 4/5 Roses

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