This book is the fourth and final (?) in The House at the Edge of Magic series. This is a fantasy tale set in the World between Worlds, in a house that travels, with the main character Nine, a pickpocket with a troubled past, Eric the Troll, Flabberghast the Wizard and, of course, the Witch. Worth noting that readers who have not read the previous books might find this hard to follow but as we're talking about brilliant and extremely entertaining writing, I would strongly recommend to just go back and start at the beginning.

The story picks up from the end of the last novel, in which Nine's troubles continue when she makes a deal with the witch to locate a magical locket but all does not go quite to plan. The quest is a dangerous one, but can Nine carry out her promise, discover more about her beloved Ma, and finally find out her real name?

Amy sparks does not disappoint, as she once again delivers fast pace, exceptional world-building, wit in spades and, in this last book of the series, a trip back to the mortal world in which Nine’s different lives come together, she has us reading at the edge of our seat. I read this in one afternoon and I can see children Y4 and above massively enjoying this series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

Following on from The House at the Edge of Magic, The Tower at the End of Time and The Bookshop at the Back of Beyond comes the final instalment of this hilarious, zany, joyful series that zings with magic. This is the series I wanted to read as a child - a step up from The Faraway Tree in terms of age and plot but with the same calibre of unique and memorable characters that you'll want to share a pot of strawberry tea with. There's a magical setting which feels like a lovable character in its own right (a house, not a tree) and a maze of magical lands to explore...promising to lead to a whole host of mischievous trouble.

This is a masterclass in fantasy writing. Amy Sparkes' imagination knows no bounds and there are delightful and ingenius surprises on every page. Watch out for a wandering toilet, hidden house guests and password-protected biscuit tins. There's loads of witty banter - probably one of my favourite things about the whole series - and a perfect balance of emotion and humour. If you've followed the series from the beginning then this book is particularly emotional and I will happily admit to shedding tears, sometimes whilst snorting with laughter too!

In terms of the plot, be prepared to have the mysterious and unanswered questions, which have plagued both the reader and the main character Nine, all wrapped up. Without giving away spoilers, the key to the mystery lies with what is the best and most enjoyable villain I have read in a long time. For me, Flabberghast's sister steals the show, although Flabberghast, Eric and all the members of the house are all characters who will stay close to my heart. As for Nine, her emotional journey will tug at your heartstrings while her quest will have you on the edge of your seat. There's stormy seas, a in-between world battle, two batty aunts and an interesting game of bowls.

It's hard to put into words how much I have enjoyed this series and I am a forty-something adult. This is a super-special, magical, totally immersive read which I will be recommending to every young reader I come into contact with it. Hopefully they will find it as entertaining, brilliant and inspiring as I have.

A big thank you to Amy Sparkes and Walker Books for sending me a review copy. The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World is available to buy now.

The Lighthouse at the World’s End is Amy Sparkes fourth and final book in the House at the Edge of Magic series. A lovely set of books following the escapades of Nine, a pickpocket who lives in a bizarre and slightly dysfunctional family.

This book sees Nine made a deal with the witch to find a magical locket. It turns out her quest will allow her to learn more about her mother along the way. There is tons of adventure through attacks by aunts and the lighthouse.

A great way to finish the series with tying up lots of questions from throughout the series and it’s sure to be well received by the children in my class who enjoy the whole series so far!

This final book in a magical series about interesting characters and found family ties up all the loose ends from the previous stories very neatly indeed - not least those pertaining to Nine's mother.

The dialogue is witty, the interactions between the characters warm, and there is plenty of eccentricity and quirkiness on offer. Flabbergast's sister is also a nice addition to the motley crew!

This is creative storytelling, and an enjoyable series worth checking out. It gets 3.5 stars.

THE LIGHTHOUSE AT THE WORLD'S END brings this comic, magical series to a great end. Questions are answered, problems complete, and a family somewhat restored.

The found family of the House hurtle into another magical, amusing adventure. There's all the trademark chaos of the dysfunctional residents, made worse by the addition of Flabberghast's witch sister who has cursed her brother along with the house. No one trusts her and she brings a lot of smug trickery, that was very fun to watch unfold.

They go rattling through an attack by vicious aunts and then need to survive the lighthouse itself, and that's before even trying to solve what they need to do at the lighthouse. There's plenty of action to cap the series off, as well as loss and sacrifice. There's also plenty of heart warming moments between the residents too as they look out for one another - and maybe the witch has a softer side to herself too.

The great thing about series enders is that all the remaining questions are answered and loose threads tied up. The main mystery at the heart of the series about Nine's mother and what happened gets answered here, along with the secondary mysteries that's sprouted along the way. It's very nice to finally know exactly what happened.

In all, it's a very satisfying way for the series to wrap up, perfect for lower MG readers looking to test their reading skills.

I have all the books in the series so far, but admittedly I have only finished reading the first one, the rest are still in the TBR pile. So, there are parts in this book that got me a bit baffled, but that is not a fault of the book. It is a story about a group of misfits who find home in a surprising place and family among themselves. The dialogue between the characters is witty.

I'm going to assume that you've read the previous three in this series if you're reading this review, and I think you would get the most out of it if you had, otherwise you probably won't have a clue what I'm talking about.

I have read the entire series of books from Amy Sparkes. First The House at the Edge of Magic, then The Tower at the End of Time, then The Bookshop at the Back of Beyond, and now finally The Lighthouse at the World's End. The first three I already owned, having bought them for myself some time ago, and then this one I was kindly gifted. Yes I know I'm three times the reading age but I really love them. They're fun and jolly and magical, they're sad and hopeful and friendly. There's a lot in these stories that I think will appeal to adults wanting to rediscover something magical about reading. But then they're also fun and adventurous and age appropriate too.

There are a few new characters in this book but we still get our usual bunch of misfits:

Firstly we have Nine, a pickpocket girl who ends up living in the House at the Edge of Magic. She's not had the easiest childhood for a number of reasons but she seems to have found her place among this unusual family. Then we have Flabbergast the Wizard. He's almost the dad of this little bunch but not what you'd call the most responsible of father figures. He's missing his magic and is a bit forlorn. But I love him. I cared for him, and he's just really fun and witty.

Also in this bizarre family setup, we have Eric the troll, whose heart is in the right place and just wants to help everyone, especially by making pancakes (which I advise you don't eat). He's really sweet and I have loved seeing the way Nine and Eric have become close. Mr Spoon is back in it, a quick-to-anger...well...spoon. He's fun and always up for a fight. Cas is relatively new; she's a gargoyle who escaped with the gang in the third book. She is utterly fabulous. She's quite miserable in a way, complains a lot, but she's an intriguing character and slotted into this family instantly. And finally we have Bonehead, a sarcastic skeleton who gets a bigger role in this book than the others.

Our antagonists are three-fold; we have Flabbergast's sister and their two aunts. For reasons I won't get into, they don't like each other, and they're all hunting for the same thing, which means they don't like each other even more. They are great characters. I generally don't like it when villains stray into pantomime villains, but I think it works in this series. If they were more serious villains, I don't think it would have had the same affect.

As well as the magical world they live in, we also get to visit Nine's mortal world again. I won't say how or why because it's quite a nice change in the story and I want you to experience that yourself, but it was interesting to see her two lives collide.

You would think that stretching the one story over four books would diminish the originality and the surprises and the fantasy but it hasn't. Amy has managed to do it marvellously and this last book is as fabulous and imaginative and wonderous as the first one.

It is more than just a fun adventure for kids. It's about the sense of belonging, about redemption, secrets, about family being what you make of it and not always who you're related to, about friendship, and about embracing your differences.

I'm actually quite sad that the series has come to an end. It's been great fun and really moving. It's been joyous reading these books and I'll definitely be recommending them to the kids in my family.