MG Takes on Thursday

This is my weekly meme celebrating amazing middle-grade books, now with a re-vamped banner!

How to take part:

• Post a picture of the front cover of a middle-grade book which you have read and would recommend to others with details of the author, illustrator and publisher.
• Open the book to page 11 and share your favourite sentence. 
• Write three words to describe the book.
• Either share why you would recommend this book, or link to your review.

This week, I’m celebrating …

Favourite Sentence from Page 11:

The points of the raised spears waver a little in the air, picking out juicy parts of Jori that they might land in.

This book in three words:

ADVENTURE, COURAGE, FRIENDSHIP

Firstly – wow, wow, wow! And, if that isn’t enough to make you instantly want to read the spectacularly stunning Uki and the Ghostburrow, then read on …

This is epic fantasy writing at its pinnacle: a story for anyone who longs to be swept into a richly-drawn world of breath-taking adventure, excitement and danger with heroes to root for, heroes who form heart-warming friendships, and who show great courage and strength to overcome evil. I was absolutely gripped from start to finish, starting it late in the evening, reading until my eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer (the sign of a great book) and then getting up early to finish it. Perfection!

This is the sixth book in the Five Realms series and is Uki’s third adventure. It is a series that has captured my heart, and taken me back to a time when I devoured books like Lord of the Rings and The Belgariad. This is a very popular series in my class, and I know that there will be many eager hands ready to pick this one up when I put it in my class library.

The bard and his friends are taken by a tribe of Arukh rabbits who are fiercely protective of their mountain territory and do not welcome strangers in their midst – in fact, they take the ears of those who encroach on their territory. However, Rue has been poisoned by the Endwatch, and these rabbits are the only ones who can provide the antidote. The bard has a tale to tell them, one that they are keen to hear, and one that may not only save Rue’s life … the tale of Uki and the Ghostburrow.

Uki has captured the spirit Charice, and needs to trap the final, and most dangerous spirit, Mortix, the spirit of death. Uki senses her in the great city of Eisenfell alongside an old enemy who has a connection to him. He soon discovers that Mortix has taken control of the City’s Emperor Ash, and is creating a terrifying army from his citizens.

Determined to stop Mortix before she takes control of the whole Five Realms, he makes his way to the City with his friends, Jori and Kree. With the help of some wonderful new friends, they find themselves beneath the City and in the Ghostburrow, and so begins the most engrossing, exciting and action-packed adventure …

This is an epic battle between good and evil, a fight for survival against tyranny. I was utterly absorbed in the quest, gasping out loud at the revelations and twists, and holding my breath as the danger reached a crescendo. My goodness, I have come to adore Uki, Kree and Jori, who are written with such warmth, depth and heart. Their friendship is so beautifully captured and feels completely natural offering strength, trust and support when most needed.

The illustrations are absolutely wonderful, and complement the scope of this fantastic adventure perfectly.

Finally, I’ll take you back to where I started: wow, wow, wow! This is a phenomenal, unputdownable masterpiece that I cannot recommend highly enough. After that ending, I’m crossing everything that there is another book in this series … I’m nowhere near ready to leave this world behind!

I’d love if anyone who wants to give this meme a go would comment in the comments box and include a link to your post so I can visit, comment and find some great middle-grade recommendations. If you do create a post and are on Twitter, and would like to share your post, please use the hashtag  #MGTakesOnThursday so I can find it, read it and share it!