MMGM: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

 

Like Green Ember, this was a book forced into my hand by my younger son. So, it's very appropriate that I'm featuring it today, because today is his 16th birthday.

I started and stopped it several times, for some reason, not being able to finish. But, I am so glad I gave it another go. The ending and the many reveals in the second half of the book are well worth the effort.

This is epic fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It reminds me of Gail Carson Levine’s world building combined with the humor of A Whole Nother Story  and Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place.

And there are footnotes! But these are not the boring ones of your school days.

From the back cover:

Andrew Peterson spins a riveting tale-for-all-ages, following Janner, Tink, and Leeili Igiby and their trusty dog, Nugget, in escape from the vicious Fangs of Dang who seek the lost jewels of Anniera. Quirky characters and their world of wonders—from the edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness to the deadly Glipwood Forest and beyond—set the stage for the epic adventure that includes….

-Original Songs and Silly Poems

-An Ex-Pirate Grandfather

-Toothy Cows and Real Sea Dragons

-Tours of Anklejelly Manor and Peet the Sock Man’s Tree House

--Suspenseful Legend and Fascinating Lore

-Genuine Recipes for Maggotloaf

-Authentic Hand-drawn maps

What I liked:

1.   Relatable kid characters. It’s hard to choose which of the Igiby children is my favorite: Janner struggles to protect his younger siblings and worries that he’s not a good enough leader. Tink is impetuous and runs headfirst into danger. Leeli doesn’t let a crutch stop her from standing up to the Fangs (lizard like creature).

2.    Quirky adult characters: Oh, how I enjoyed Peet the Sock Man (and discovering why he wears socks on his hands!) and Podo, the ex-pirate grandpa. Podo reminded me of my grandpa, who had that same combination of love of fun and the courage to stand up for what was right.

3.    A just right pace. This book doesn’t have the cliffhanger endings at the end of each chapter—although things pick up speed in the second half. But part of the fun is enjoying the creative world Peterson has created, the immense fun of his characters and word play. The story never felt rushed, but always engrossing.

4.    World building with a side of humor! From the footnotes to the replicas of Podo’s requests to dig the earth, to the Maggotloaf chapter (skip if you’re squeamish), to the running joke about Podo’s feud with the thwaps (gopher-like creatures), this book is so entertaining. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten lost in a world so well-built.

5.    Reveals and twists that made sense and enriched the story. As in all good stories, there are characters who turn out to be trustworthy that seemed sketchy at first and vice versa. What I really liked about this story is all these reveals made sense. And even something as simple as Leeli's crutch had backstory and meaning. I also liked how Peterson turned so many fantasy tropes on their head.

6.    Sacrifice: It’s hard to sum up why I liked the characters and the book so much, but it comes down to sacrifice. We not only see adults making great sacrifices to protect these kids, but kids taking the first steps to be leaders who lay down their lives for others. When characters puts others before themselves, you can’t help but be moved.

Minor Quibbles: None

It’s funny, I don’t consider myself much of a fantasy fan, yet when I find a good fantasy, those are my favorite types of books. This book reminded me of why I love fantasy.

What books have you loved lately?

 

Animated 15 minute feature of the Wingfeather Saga. From Youtube.

To read more middle grade reviews or join in on the MMGM fun, check out Greg Pattridge's blog Always in the Middle.