The greatest strength of this novel is its descriptive power. particularly related to world-building. There is a wide diversity of locations that are. richly drawn, it is a shame that transitions from one location to another were rushed and largely superficial.

Characterisation was not a strength. The central characters were not very pleasant and while there was a little personal growth, there is little for the reader to empathise with. They were relatively young children, but their thought processes shifted from childish to. adult-like for no apparent reason.

Secondary characters were well drawn, but often there was little to differentiate between positive and negative roles. It was as though the characters were there to facilitate the storyline and that their personalities were irrelevant.

Baddies were largely recognised as bad because the story emphasised that they were bad. Whilst the story described their wicked acts, when it came to their interaction with the central characters they were easily overcome or avoided. As such there is lots of potential for lighttension, but it is always diffused.

The story is purposeful and the pace is quite fast, which should have made it an easy read, but without affinity for the leads, the story dragged.

The ending was somewhat predictable, but there was a nice little twist associated with a secondary character that helped to tie the story threads together. Sadly the ending was the. most fragmented part of the story and it did not hold together well. There is an opening for further books and so some things remain unclear or unresolved.

It is not clear who the target audience is for the book as its content and style vary. As a first publication, it has potential, but on its own merits, it clearly could have been stronger. Not quite a 3-star

This is the story of two children, both lost. Elizabella's brother has been taken and she is lost without her twin. Benjamiah has been lured into going through a door in the basement, a door which disappears immediately once he is on the other side of it, now he is lost with no way of getting back home. Benjamiah and Elizabella meet and Benjamiah decides to help Elizabella find her twin. This is a really well written book with great world building and wonderful characters- I loved Benjamiah, Elizabella, Emra, Nuisance and Ariadna. I look forward to the second instalment and highly recommend this book to you.

I think this is a great intro to fantasy for the age group it is intended. The characters are all believable (although I did read their names as Benjamin, Elizabeth & Edwin for the first half of the book).

The adventure was very engaging once it got going but I did think the beginning was a bit slow, it took me the same amount of time to read the first 20% as it did to read the rest of the book.

I loved that it handled difficult subjects that children sometimes have to go through (possible parents divorce & grief) and think it handled both of these very well.

This is a book I would have loved as a child.

A great addition to upper MG shelves! Fascinating magic and world building and I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.

Benjemiah is a rational, scientifically inclined boy who has no interest or belief in magic. Living with his family above a bookstore, he is about to learn the error of his ways.

Thrust into the magical surroundings of
Wreathenwold by a series of bizarre events, Benjemiah encounters the fiercely determined Elizabella, who is searching for her brother.

After she finally agrees to accept his help, the duo navigate their unfamiliar surroundings by solving puzzles and somehow staying one step head of the various threats they face. And, if nothing else, all this takes Benjemiah's mind off his parents' looming break up...

This is an imaginative journey into a fantastical dimension that will carry young readers along for the adventure. It is an exciting story, and also fairly thought-provoking. Because though not all problems can be easily solved with determination and bravery, they can certainly be faced up to and dealt with.

And while what's lost may not always be found, sometimes when you find what you weren't looking for, you realise how much you in fact needed it. Recommended for readers in the target age group and beyond.

Benjamiah lives with his family above their bookshop. One night he finds that he has stepped into an unfamiliar world in which he meets Elizabella who is trying to find her missing brother. She reluctantly lets him join her on her quest and they set off through the labyrinth. The combination of her daring and his puzzle solving skills leads them to several narrow escapes from sinister and mysterious characters.
The fantastical plot tackles the theme of different types of grief; Benjamiah is worried about the breakdown of his parents’ marriage whilst Elizabella is struggling to come to terms with her brother being lost.
The early chapters are slow moving as the author spends time building this alternative fantasy world but then the plot and the action gathers pace.

It has magic, a whole new reality, a gripping narrative and some amazing characters to follow, all set in a beautifully crafted world! You feel like you’ve opened a door to a whole new universe along with Benjamiah.

You’ll be entertained, flabbergasted, on the edge of your seat and feeling every victory and close shave with our characters. I loved it!! And this for a debut book too? I had no idea and to breakthrough the writing world with this absolute gem is impressive!

We follow Benjamiah as he finds himself out of his world and into a whole new one, where people have poppets and the ability to use Aether, a type of magic that tethers them to their poppets. It has a real element of His Dark Materials about it and makes for a very good read.

Edwid is missing and his twin sister Elizabella embarks on a quest to find him. But she also finds herself saddled with this mysterious boy, Benjamiah who is hoping to help her and in turn, help himself get home to his family.

The pages dwindled, I was invested and I couldn’t get it less than 5 stars if I tried!!

2023 52 Book Challenge - 12) High Fantasy

Thank you to the publishers for providing an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

This was a really lovely book. The characters were well written and I really liked both Benjamiah and Elizabella as individual characters, and the plot felt like it developed organically and naturally.

I also really liked the theme of coming to terms with different types of grief; Benjamiah with the breakdown of his parents marriage and Elizabella with her brother being stolen away. I thought it was very well written, especially for the intended age group.

What I wasn't a fan of is that the first half of the book felt very slow, and it was a little bit of a slog waiting for the plot to kick in.

I also really didn't like the three children's names. Everytime I read Benjamiah, Elizabella or Edwid, my mental voice tripped over the names and brought me out of the story.