My 9 year old daughter is a bookworm, much like me. More often than not, she can be found with her nose in a book. Her genre of choice lately has been fantasy, so I was thrilled to be asked to review The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox. An adventurous tale that will appeal to anyone who has never really felt like they fit in, The Magic Warble was a delight to read and share with my daughter.
About The Magic Warble:
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.
About the author:
Victoria Simcox was originally born in Canada, but now lives in Washington with her husband and their three children. Her daughter Kristina was the inspiration for the main character in her book series. Besides being a published author, Victoria home-schooled her children for twelve years and taught art in elementary school for eleven years. In her spare time, Victoria manages her oldest two children’s Celtic band and enjoys reading, painting watercolors, hiking, and good movies.
My Thoughts:
The Magic Warble is a story geared towards children aged 9-13, but I found it to be an enjoyable read myself. I immediately identified with the heroine of the story, an awkward girl who never seems to fit in with her class mates. That was me, 30 years ago!
The Magic Warble centers around Kristina, a girl whose only friend seems to be her pet rat, Raymond. She gets picked on mercilessly by the kids at school. (Again I can relate!) After receiving a mysterious gift from her teacher, Kristina is magically transported to a land of dwarves, fairies, and talking animals. All is not rosy in this magical place, however. Kristina discovers she is “the chosen one” destined to bring peace to the land by returning the Magic Warble to its resting place. With an evil queen to vanquish, traitors in her midst, and the nasty zelbocks pursuing her, Kristina is put to the test on the treacherous journey to return the Magic Warble to its rightful perch. This story has a very Chronicles of Narnia feel to it with the magical creatures and the epic quest to set things right in the world.
At its heart, The Magic Warble is a story for every child who has ever despaired about not fitting in with the “in crowd”. I love stories like this one, where the heroine is an average person who finds their inner strength and triumphs against the odds. Initially Kristina is presented as sort of unkempt and scattered. I think we can all relate to a certain extent. I know I certainly felt awkward in my pre-teen years, trying to find my place in the world. I can also see that in my middle daughter. I definitely enjoyed seeing Kristina evolve into the person she was meant to be and ultimately prevail over the evil Queen Sentiz.
All in all, The Magic Warble was an enchanting story that kept me captivated until the very last page. My middle daughter is currently reading it and loves it so far. I think any pre-teen who loves fantasy books will be delighted with this story.
A huge thank you to Victoria Simcox for sharing her book with me! For more information on Victoria’s writing, be sure to check out The Magic Warble Website or Victoria’s blog. You can also keep up with her latest news on Twitter and Facebook.
The author would like to bless one A Heart Full of Love reader with their own copy of The Magic Warble to read and enjoy. The winner may choose from a print copy (US only) or an e-book (available worldwide). Entry is easy through the Rafflecopter form below.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of The Magic Warble to facilitate this review. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions stated are my own.
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