Hello, all my fellow bookworms and writers!! A very Happy (almost) New Year’s to y’all! If you’ve lurked around my blog for a little while now, you may recall a time when I said I’d try to post a book review of a middle-grade book every Monday or so….
Those of you who’ve lurked around my blog for a while now will also know that I did not, in fact, manage a review of a middle-grade book every Monday. Today, however, I am most glad to say that I am back here again with another middle-grade book review — this one of Lianna and the Hombit by Valinora Troy!!
Oh my gosh, you guys, this book is just so heartwarming and wholesome and magical!!! And I simply adore the hombit! (Which, I actually found out, is nothing like a hobbit) Lianna’s character, the amount of detail put into the world, the gorgeous illustrations throughout, the odd but delightful animals sprinkled throughout… (The bantimouse!! It sounds like such a sweet creature!) It just makes for such a delightful book!!
The blurb reads:
A grieving girl in need of a friend. A magical creature with a secret task. Can they end the ancient curse threatening their new home?
13-year-old Lianna has lost everything: her home, her friends, and most devastatingly, her beloved Papa. Sent to live with her uncle, Lianna is certain he will be cruel and unkind, for why else would Papa have run away when he was young? Robbed on arrival of her precious keepsakes, Lianna receives a worse-than-expected welcome from her uncle. His servants are hostile and even her grandparents seem to glare at her from their portraits over the fire.
When a magical creature resembling a small glass bird bursts into her life in a mix of sparks and fire, Lianna is eager to assist the hombit with its secret mission if it helps her return home. Which leads to Lianna undertaking a risky dive near perilous sea stacks known as ‘living rocks’.
When her dive goes wrong, she awakens a creature that seeks to rob her of her humanity.
To survive, Lianna must uncover the dark secrets of her father’s past. Now she faces a stark decision: does she save herself or the town that rejects both her and her father?
A heart-warming story of the healing power of friendship when all seems lost.
Doesn’t that sound like a fantastic middle-grade book?? Truly, it doesn’t read like any other middle-grade book I’ve ever read (which is wonderful!).
And the hombit.
The hombit!!!!
I simply adored it.
I really do think the hombit may be my favorite character throughout the story. It is such a fascinating creature — a glass bird that has magic and fire that’s sent on a mission — and I loved how kind and caring it was and how it was there for Lianna all throughout the story. I do believe it’s one of the creatures I would very much like to meet in real life!!
Overall, the characters in the story are amazing! They all have such depth and personality, and I loved Lianna’s character so much. Seeing all of her struggles as she dealt with the loss of her father and all the struggles of having to leave her homeland, Robunda, to live in the new, unfamiliar town of Lowdar was more relatable than I can really say. While I don’t have a dark family past (at least, I should hope not!) or a magical hombit following me around, I was dealing with a very difficult move and friendship breakup in late summer, and so I greatly appreciated seeing a heroine with the same struggles.
The writing style of this book was wonderful!! The writing and the plot flowed smoothly, and I loved how well-written the descriptions of Lowdar were!! I really felt like I was right there with Lianna through it all. And the plot twists towards the end….
Wow.
I wasn’t expecting any of them!!! And the Living Rocks were so eerie, yet they’re one of my favorite parts of the book. I must admit, the climax and the ending of Chapter 29 brought me to near tears. I so felt for Lianna and what had happened to her!! And though I can’t say more for fear of spoilers, it was just such a wonderful story!
I also loved the illustrations scattered throughout the story!! There are smaller illustrations of the animals mentioned, as well as gorgeous full page ones that really bring the story to life!!!
Illustrations done by I. Murphy
Lianna and the Hombit is also a prequel to the The Lucky Diamond trilogy (they can each be read separately though!), and I absolutely loved seeing the town of Lowdar as it was back then, as well as getting to see some of the characters from The Lucky Diamond!!!! (I love it whenever we get to see characters during prequels!) We also get to find out a bit more about the magic flute from The Lucky Diamond, which I loved!!
Overall, this book is so magical and heartwarming, and I absolutely love the world, the characters, and all the adventures Lianna went on!! I highly recommend this book for anyone who’s looking for a unique MG fantasy with magical rocks, twists and family secrets! Five out of five stars from me!!
I was actually lucky enough to be sent an ARC of this book (many thanks to Valinora Troy for mailing it all the way from Ireland to Thailand!!), which, to my great surprise, came with a whole bunch of lovely bookish goodies!! (And there was a bookmark! And stickers! And a little hombit!)
Izzy’s still a bit befuddled at the random appearance of this glass bird that’s been nesting atop the books and on her head.
Izzy: A wonderful middle-grade fantasy novel!!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it!!! Especially the later middle part. It was such fun. There’s so much depth to the world!!! And the rocks… I must admit, I rather like the Living Rocks. And the part where Lianna starts–
Isabelle: SPOILERS, IZZY!
Izzy: Right, right, but anyway a fantastic middle-grade book!!!!!!! Charlotte and I had a wonderful time reading it!!!
Charlotte: Indeed. One of my favorite middle-grade novels ever!! And the plot twists… *lets out a panda sob* Poor Liannaaaa!!! Whyever did you have to do that to her, Valinora?? Why?? I mean, all’s fine in the end… But… poor Lianna. Everything she goes through… And the hombit. Yes, yes, we all love the hombit!!!
It appears this book has both Izzy and Charlotte’s approval! This book releases on January 29, 2026, and here are the pre-order links if you’d like to check it out! https://valinoratroy.com/lianna-and-the-hombit/
Till next time, and Happy Almost New Year’s!! ^^
-Isabelle
About the Author:
Valinora Troy is a children’s fantasy writer from Ireland. She has a MA in Creative Writing Specialising in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and has served as a panellist for the CYBILS awards (elementary & middle grade speculative fiction category). Her short stories for adults have been in a number of publications. She is the author of ‘The Lucky Diamond’ trilogy, three middle grade children’s fantasy adventures. She has recently been shortlisted for the Staróg prize, and has served as a Reading Ambassador for Louth County Libraries.
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