Review: Podkin and the Singing Spear (Book 7 in The World of Podkin One-Ear)

Well, that was just incredible!  357 pages of epic fantasy perfection that I didn’t want to end, but just couldn’t stop reading!  I’m a huge fan of The World of Podkin One-Ear so absolutely loved joining Podkin again for another breath-taking, thrilling adventure as he battles against an evil he thought he had defeated …

Podkin is now Keeper of the Gifts, looking after nine of the twelve gifts of the Goddess, which are kept on pedestals in a special chamber in Dark Hollow warren.  He is not looking for another adventure, or to be a hero but, when the Godseye mirror shows him a vision of strangers and old friends heading his way, adventure finds him again …

Two young kindred spirits meet as Uki brings Podkin the dreadful news that Scramashank is alive, and he fears that the terrifying Gorm will return.  Podkin reproaches himself for not having carried out his old friend, the witch-rabbit Brigid’s, final instruction to gather all the twelve gifts together.  So, when he finds that she has left him a letter, he knows that he must follow her instructions this time:  he must take the Gifts and travel to the Vale of Estra with his older sister Paz and four-year-old brother, Pook.

And so begins a perilous quest to find the singing spear, one of the last three Gifts of the Goddess, before Scramashank can build his Gorm army and take the gift for himself and his master, Gormalech.  Podkin is reunited with his siblings and friends in this riveting race to reach the fierce Crowskin tribe to convince them to trust him with the spear which has been given to their ancestors by the Goddess.  Along the way, they face great danger, meet both new and old friends and foes, and discover that their enemy is getting stronger and stronger … Will they find the spear before war comes once more?  Can Podkin reunite a broken tribe, defeat a horrifying enemy and prove himself a hero once more?

I really loved being back with Podkin, Paz and Pook and with their friends from previous adventures.  Podkin never set out to be a hero, but finds himself thrust into a dangerous adventure.  Despite his fear, he finds strength in the courage of his friends, and shows himself to be a wonderful leader, prepared to stand up for others and take risks.  I loved the teasing bond that Paz has with her younger brother coupled with her own growth towards leadership.  And of course, there’s Pook – just adorable and so very brave! 

The full- and double-page illustrations are breath-taking and give a wonderful insight into the magnitude of this world and its unforgettable inhabitants.  Each and every one is an absolute masterpiece!

I love the structure of this adventure with its prologue warning of danger, wonderful map (I love following a quest on its map) and dual timeline of events in Podkin’s past and present which kept me utterly engrossed in both narratives, relishing the connections in both.

This really is epic fantasy at its very best:  a daring quest where peril lurks around every corner; where comradeship brings courage and strength; and where a gripping battle between the forces of good and evil unfolds across a richly imagined, fantastical world.  After that ending, I cannot wait to join this world again.

A phenomenal, unmissable return to a world of adventure, friendship and danger with a family of courageous rabbits and their friends who have captured my heart.  Sheer magic through words … a book that transcends age and is sure to become a classic of epic fantasy.

Thank you to the Publisher, Faber Children’s Books, who gifted me a copy which arrived just after I had purchased my own copy which I am taking to my class library.