Good morning!

I’m catching up on some kids books I’ve read so far this year. I love writing mini reviews, especially when I try and group them together in a theme… these guys are all magic ones!

Fantasy and magic are 2 of my favourite things in books… so there’s loads more of these to come!

I hope you enjoy these reviews!

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Rainbow Grey: Battle for the Skies – Laura Ellen Anderson

Rainbow Grey may be only ten years old but the future of the whole world depends on her! It’s up to Ray to defeat Tornadia Twist – the greatest villain that ever lived…
Ray has to figure out what her ultimate magical gift is and use this power to stop Tornadia before she destroys the Weatherlands and Earth. With epic adventures, magic galore and everything at stake, the battle for the skies is ON!

The final Rainbow Grey adventure and it is jam-packed with friends (old and new), gorgeous weather magic, some brilliant messages about believing in yourself and Laura’s amazing illustrations throughout. I loved this! Sad for this series to be over, but I’ve absolutely adored being part of this world, it’s people and the amazing magic. The next time I see a rainbow, I’ll think of Rainbow Grey!

The Kingdom over the Sea – Zohra Nabi

When twelve-year-old Yara’s mother passes away, she leaves behind a letter and a strange set of instructions. Yara must travel from the home she has always known to a place that is not on any map—Zehaira, a world of sorcerers, alchemists and simmering magic. But Zehaira is not the land it used to be. The practice of magic has been outlawed, the Sultan’s alchemists are plotting a sinister scheme—and the answers Yara is searching for seem to be out of reach. Yara must summon all her courage to discover the truth about her mother’s past and her own identity…and to find her place in this magical new world.

This was brilliant. It was rich. So much magic. A gorgeous bunch of characters. A glorious message about expecting the world to listen, about belonging about believing in yourself. Yara is a wonderful MC. This filled my heart with joy: secrets, family and a world full of magic.

Nic Blake and the Remarkables – Angie Thomas

It’s not easy being a Remarkable in the Unremarkable world. Some things are cool—like getting a pet hellhound for your twelfth birthday. Others, not so much—like not being trusted to learn magic because you might use it to take revenge on an annoying neighbor. All Nic Blake wants is to be a powerful Manifestor like her dad. But before she has a chance to convince him to teach her the gift, a series of shocking revelations and terrifying events launch Nic and two friends on a hunt for a powerful magic tool she’s never heard of…to save her father from imprisonment for a crime she refuses to believe he committed.

My gosh. This was wonderful. Magic, gifts, sassy brilliant Nic, her gorgeous family, her incredible best friend. I loved all the chat about Black History incorporated into this too – it’s so brilliantly done! This is one of those brilliant books that kept me gripped and transported me. I can’t wait to read more… there is going to be more, right?!

Wilder than Midnight – Cerrie Burnell

Silverthorne is a place of secrets. A forest of twisting paths and tangled thorns. A castle with locked towers and whispers of tragedy. A village trapped between terrors known and unknown. But something is stirring in the leaves…
Saffy is a good girl, tired of being told to stick to the forest paths, and always follow the rules.
Aurelia is a hidden girl, locked in a castle tower, dreaming of escaping the fate she’s told awaits her.
Wild Rose is a fierce girl, raised by wolves, full of spells and fearlessness and cunning.
Together, they will change life in Silverthorne forever.

I loved the interwoven stories of these three young ladies. The retellings of fairy tales made this just make my heart so happy! There’s so much to love about this – characters who make you want to root for them; storytelling that makes you want to read on; magic that you can fall in love with and a world of wolves, folk lore and cloaks which tell tales. The forest people were my favourites. I could talk about this forever!

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Thank you so much for stopping by! A massive thanks to the publishers (and my bank balance, ha) for sending me review copies of these books… I thoroughly loved them and my kids have read these and are LOVING them!

Have you read any of these?
Do you like the sound of these?

I’d love to talk books with you!

S x