*flounces in with a great deal of ARCs and other middle-grade and miscellaneous books spilling out of my arms* Hello, all you wonderful bookworms!! ^^ I do hope ye all have been having a splendid week!! Tis Monday again over at this little blog, which means…
Book reviews!!!!!!
And why, of course I haven’t requested way too many ARCs from NetGalley along with the ARCs sent in by me from authors and now I’m scrambling to schedule all my posts. Of course not. Whyever would you think that?
^^
Anywho, today I am most pleased to be back with a review of this wonderful middle-grade book I was sent recently — Felicity Fire and the Forever Key by Leon Mitchell!! I was sent this middle-grade fantasy a little while ago, and I was able to read it on the plane to Malaysia.
And oh my goodness, I loved this book so much!! It is so fun and whimsical, and Act One is absolutely hilarious!!! (The description of the bullies and the school and the headmaster… For some odd reason, I absolutely loved all of them.)
The blurb reads:
An enchanted adventure awaits. One key. One mysterious door. A world beyond imagination.
When hiding from school bullies in an odd antique shop, Felicity Fire finds a mysterious key and is swept away through an unusual door into an enchanted world shimmering with impossible magic and breathtaking wonder.
Stranded and with danger lurking around every corner, she is soon joined by mischievous and brave new friends, who join her on an unforgettable quest to find a way back home and save the land of forever from the evil dragons of darkness.
And first off, may I just rave about the cover for just a quick second? It is absolutely gorgeous, and whomever illustrated it did a fantastic job!! I especially love the look and color of the title font!!! Very much like fire. Which is quite fitting, seeing as the MC’s last name is Fire.
At any rate, this was such a delightful middle-grade book to read!! Felicity’s character and her determination and her bravery was very admirable, and I loved the world of this book!! The writing style of the author was amazing as well, and I do think that was what drew me into the book at first. The way Creek Manor School is described was hilarious (though rather concerning if it had been a real school!!), and just… it is very much like one of those Absurdly Awful Yet Mildly Amusing to Read About Schools. A bit like Miss Trunchbull’s school from Matilda.
The characters in this book were wonderful!!! Again, I loved Felicity’s character!! She is one of those brave middle-grade protagonists who shall dive bravely right into adventure to save the world. Not to mention her impossibly cool name. The Shroomlings were absolutely adorable!!! They have such cute names, and they’re these cute, talking mushrooms who follow Felicity on her quest!
I liked Fagan’s character as well, though I must admit I was very suspicious of him throughout the novel, just because he had very willingly (too willingly, in my conspiracy theorist brain) agreed to join Felicity on her quest….
The book’s plot is fantastic! It flows smoothly and is quite fast-paced (which I think will definitely hook a lot of younger middle-grade readers) while still managing to weave in all of the magic and wonder and whimsy of this world!!! I loved the backstory of King Analo as well. There was a chapter in this book, basically recounting what’d happened, which I don’t typically enjoy reading (info-dumping and such), but I found it quite intriguing and fun to read in this book!!
I also loved the worldbuilding of this book!! It really has so much lore and backstory and history, and it is just so whimsical and fun, despite the great evil in the story!!! It has Shroomlings, talking trees, evil dragons, and a magical key. What isn’t there to like for a middle-grade reader? ^^
And also the twist at the end….
I was actually informed that there would be a plot twist at the end of the book and so probably spent half the book trying to guess what the plot twist would be (perhaps Fagan would betray them!! Perhaps someone would die! Perhaps this and this and this would happen!).
But oh my goodness.
Never in a million years would I have possibly guessed what it actually was.
I may have also gasped out loud (on the airplane!) when it was revealed.
Just… *shakes head* Wow. Of course, I cannot reveal the plot twist because of Spoilers That No One Really Wants, so you shall merely have to read this book for yourself to find out. The book ends most wonderfully on a cliffhanger, with Felicity about to take on her next adventure!!
Overall, a fantastic middle-grade book that I think is magical, whimsical, and full of wonder and laughter and life!!! I definitely recommend it to any middle-grade reader who loves fun fantasy worlds! 4.5 out of five stars from me!!
And now, of course, we cannot forget about the CFC (the Cute Fluffy Comrades, as they have been dubbed by Iona.) Take it away, you adorable fluffy comrades!!!
Thoughts from Izzy, Charlotte, and Fuzzy Bee:
Charlotte: I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. It has a quest. It has MAGIC!!! It has dragons!!!! It has adventure!!! And magic!!! And magic!!! And so much wonderful whimsy and wonder!!! I loved the friendship between Felicity, Magic, Fagan, and the Shroomlings. They were most wonderful comrades to read about on a quest!! Felicity Fire and the Forever Key is precisely the book I have been looking for to satisfy my cravings for wild fantasy adventures. Five out of five stars from me.
Izzy: A delightful middle-grade fantasy that I enjoyed reading. It was fun, had lots of wild adventures that I think middle-grade readers shall absolutely love, and it hooked me in by the first page! Four out of five stars from me. There are no pandas in this book though, which is a pity.
Fuzzy Bee: (sighs) Oh Isabelle, can you please not put me at the end? Izzy takes forever to read!!! Meanwhile I breeze through books fast as, well, fast as a bee! But at any rate, this is a wonderful book!!! I loved reading it, and I absolutely adored the Shroomlings!! They really are my favorite characters!! And the plot twist at the end…… Oh, it shook me to my wings!! Leon Mitchell, how could you! Now I need book two…….. OH WHEN IS BOOK TWO COMING!!!
Well, it appears this book has successfully made Fuzzy Bee panic over book two. Which is a first! She has never done that before, actually… But it does appear that this book has the CFC’s approval!! Again, a fantastic middle-grade book that I highly recommend for kids 8 to 12!!
And I suppose this wraps up this review. Do let me know down in the comments what y’all thought (and if you’ve read this book!!) and if my review has convinced you to add this book to your TBR! I’d love to hear from you!
Till next time, and here’s to a wonderful book-filled week!
-Isabelle
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