This is the most incredible, epic adventure which completely captured and entranced me as I joined Ash and the crew of the Frostheart on their daring quest to find Ash’s parents, whilst they strive to avoid the terrors of the Leviathans who relentlessly pursue them on their perilous journey across the Snow Sea.

Ash has been made an outcast from his home amongst the Fira people as it has been revealed that he is a Song Weaver, a people who are feared by others as they have an affinity with the dreaded Leviathans because they can commune with them through song weaving.  After his exile, Ash joins the crew of the Frostheart alongside his rather stern and grumpy, yet well-meaning, yeti guardian, Tobu. 

So begins THE most incredible epic quest which is overflowing with edge-of-your-seat danger, jaw-dropping discoveries, and heart-warming, humour-filled friendships.  The world-building is amazingly immersive from the description of the cold, isolated landscape of the Snow Sea to the places they visit such as Skybridge where the technologically-minded vulpis live in Shade’s Chasm which is an icy escape-route through the mountains to the Isobai Stronghold.  The Frostheart sleigh-ship is also wonderfully described and is like a character itself in the story. 

I’m willing to do anything to find them.  To find out who I am, and where I belong.

Ash is a beautifully sympathetic character.  He feels like he doesn’t belong with the Fira people leading to loneliness and isolation.   Despite knowing that it is against Fira Law, he is so powerfully and irresistibly drawn to his talent as a song weaver that he is compelled to practice and harness it, no matter the consequences.  Ash is impulsive and doesn’t like to follow rules, but he is also courageous and a loyal friend. 

He has a deep need to belong:  the crew aboard the Frostheart become the family he is desperately seeking – and what a crew they are! Captain Nuk is courageous, astute, cheerful and, most importantly, loved by her loyal crew. The young navigator, Lunah, has a boundless flow of curiosity and energy which is infectious.  Both these crew members immediately accept Ash for who he is, so he immediately feels that sense of belonging that he so craves. 

I was completely blown away by the epic scale of Frostheart.  So much magical story-weaving, character and world-building happens that it is hard to adequately express just how extraordinary this story is! And I haven’t even mentioned the gorgeous illustrations which are such an integral part of the story and really help to draw the reader even further into the magic that is this story.  I cannot wait for the continuation of Ash’s quest.         

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

In the depths of Siberia, in the harshest cold, an eleven-year-old girl dressed in grey overalls crossed the assembly square on the way to her prison quarters. She walked alone. She blew on her hands for warmth and left her breath behind her. It made white whirligigs through air laced with ice.

Any ideas?

I’m really looking forward to this one! It sounds like the perfect winter read. The Goodreads synopsis:

A gorgeous, snowy adventure, set in the wilds of Siberia, full of magic and wonder, for junior readers. We used the book as part of our Authorfy writing club. I also have had a copy of the proof to give away to our Writer of the Term closer to Christmas which is a very special treat for him/her. It was very hard to resist reading it, and waiting for publication instead!

Born in a Soviet prison camp, Lina has never seen the world outside until the night she escapes with her best friend, Bogdan. As the pair journey across a snowy wilderness, they are pursued by a vengeful sorceress and her pack of shadow wolves. The children will need every ounce of courage – and a whisper of magic – if they are to survive…

This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.  It asks three questions:

1.      What are you currently reading?

2.      What did you recently finish reading?

3.      What do you think you’ll read next?

I’m currently reading The Book of Three which is my ‘Myths and legends’ prompt for Believathon. This is my fourth book for this readathon.

I’ve finished reading the brilliant Ghouls of Howlfair (a perfect Halloween read) which I absolutely loved: the author’s humour made me laugh out loud. I also finished the first two Amelia Fang books which were loaned to me by a girl in my class. These were just adorable, and I’m definitely borrowing the rest of the series from her. I’ve also finished books 2 and 3 for for Believathon. I read The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club as my friendship prompt. I absolutely adored it, so much so that I’ve immediately bought the second one. I read Potkin & Stubbs as my atmospheric prompt. Oh my! It was definitely that. I loved the use of the rain and the iciness caused by Nedly’s presence to help build the atmosphere. Lil and Abe were brilliantly realised characters.

I received an e-ARC of The Little Mermaid via NetGalley, and hope to read it next. As this weekend is Classics weekend for Believathon, I’ve decided to try to get my 5th and 6th books read: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for my ‘Re-read a childhood favourite’ prompt and The Children of Green Knowe for my ‘Classic children’s story’ prompt.

What have you read this week? Have you read any of these books?

The Last Spell Breather is a truly amazing debut novel with stunning world-building, both horrifying and adorable characters, and sublime story-telling which had me devouring it in one sitting. 

Rayne is a reluctant apprentice spell-breather, training under the tutelage of her mother.  She does not want to be a spell-breather as she doesn’t feel capable of being successful, and neither does she want to be bitten by the Grotesques who protect the Spell Book from which spells are carefully mindread and the words breathed on to pages when needed by the villagers.

This magical system is absorbingly fascinating and weaves a unique enchantment of its own as the reader becomes more familiar with its origins … and the terrifying consequences misuse can lead to.

After seeing a strange figure that deeply unsettles her, Rayne’s mother leaves Penderin to visit the Great Library where spell-breathers once trained.  In her absence, Rayne must take on the role of spell-breather which has disastrous consequences for the village as she makes a dreadful mistake which forces her, and her friend Tom, outside the protective barrier of the village on a dangerous quest to redeem herself and save her village …

Once outside the barrier, the children face terrifying encounters, unveil incredible secrets and deal with heart-breaking betrayals as they fight to trust in spell-breathing and in each other.  The authenticity of the friendship between Tom and Rayne is wonderful.  Both children battle inner feelings of guilt and lash out at each other, but ultimately, they are there to offer support and protection.

I adored Rayne who is a heartachingly sympathetic character as she battles self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy and guilt, yet overcomes these with courage and a willingness to embrace her magical spark … but has this acceptance come too late to save herself and the ones she loves?

A truly gripping, magical story which is perfect for readers of 9+.

The November theme for Six for Sunday, hosted by Steph at A Little But a Lot, is Winter Books and today’s wish is for:  Books with snow/ice in the title. I’ve decided to share six of my favourite reads this year which are set in winter landscapes.

Eye of the North by Sinead O’Hart was one of the first books I read this year, and really re-ignited my passion for reading middle-grade books. Emmeline’s scientist parents go missing and Emmeline, with her friend Thing, find themselves facing incredible dangers in the ice fields of Greenland where a legendary creature is in danger of being reawakened.

Sky Song by Abi Elphinstone is a beautifully magical story set in the snowy kingdom of Erkenwald. Eska and Flint journey through this frozen landscape in search of an ancient song with the power to defeat the evil Ice Queen.

The Way Past Winter by Kiran Millwood Hargrave tells the story of Mila and her sisters who travel through a land frozen in winter in search of their brother Oskar who has been taken by a stranger.

She Wolf by Dan Smith is the powerfully engrossing story of one young, fiercely independent, Danish girl’s fight for survival, and vengeance, in the bleak, wintery landscape of Northumbria in AD 866, following the death of her mother.

Frostheart by Jamie Littler is an epic adventure which follows Ash, a Song Weaver, and the intrepid crew of The Frostheart across the Snow Sea on a treacherous quest to find his missing parents.

The Polar Bear Explorers’ Club by Alex Bell follows the action-packed adventures of four young explorers as they investigate The Icelands after being separated from the adults members of the Expedition.

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

Stella Starflake Pearl rubbed frost from the turret window and scowled out at the snow. She ought to be in the most splendid mood – it was her birthday tomorrow, and the only thing Stella loved more than birthdays was unicorns. But it was hard to be cheerful when Felix was still refusing to take her on his expedition.

Any ideas?

This is my first read for Believathon (a middle-grade readathon taking place this month on twitter @Believathon). It is the book I have chosen for my friendship prompt.

Goodreads synopsis:

It sounded like a respectable and worthy enough death for an explorer – tumbling from an ice bridge to be impaled upon a mammoth tusk – but Stella really, really didn’t want that to happen, just the same.

Join Stella Starflake Pearl and her three fellow explorers as they trek across the snowy Icelands and come face-to-face with frost fairies, snow queens, outlaw hideouts, unicorns, pygmy dinosaurs and carnivorous cabbages . . .

When Stella and three other junior explorers get separated from their expedition can they cross the frozen wilderness and live to tell the tale? 

Open this book – if you dare – and be prepared for the most PERFECT ghoulish tale!  It had me completely engrossed from the opening:  overflowing with eerie happenings and brimming with laugh-out-loud moments and hilarious incidents! 

12-year-old Molly Thompson is Howlfair’s local intrepid historian; she has an insatiable curiosity about the town’s ghoulish past and is determined to investigate any unearthly occurrences.  And boy, are there sinister happenings galore in this wonderfully enjoyable spooktastic mystery.  But there are also moments of sheer comedic genius which are priceless!   These are a perfect foil to some of the more deliciously dark deeds which create just the right amount of edge-of-your-seat tension and scariness to make this perfect for younger readers.  

Unfortunately for Molly, the adults of Howlsfair are not impressed with her sleuthing skills which have a tendency to unearth a few skeletons they’d rather keep firmly locked in the cupboard, so her mother bans her from making any further investigations.  End of story!  Of course not:  Molly doesn’t let a little problem like town petitions and parental annoyance stop her from her mission to protect the citizens of Howlfair …

And that’s exactly what she needs to do when some rather gruesome discoveries are made, when some ghoulish visitors appear and when a mayoral election may not be all it seems. 

Remember, secrets like to hide underneath fears.

Molly, along with help from her friends, is determined to find out more about Howlfair’s ghoulish past in order to solve the mystery of its present. Will she be able to save Howlfair from a spectral disaster?  The plot is awesomely action-packed, incredibly inventive and spookily spectacular.  I loved that the story is set during the summer holidays, when perhaps we might not expect dangers to be lurking … this makes it even creepier. 

I adored Molly who is all sorts of brilliance!  She is endearingly clumsy, quirky, determined and a bookworm whose favourite place is the library.  Yes!  She has two best friends, Lowry and Gabriel:  one who thinks she might be a werewolf and one who is definitely a cat! Together, they make a great team who are supportive and protective of each other.

I loved the ode to libraries:

But it could transport you to anywhere you wanted to go if you stepped inside.

If you step inside this story – and you definitely should – you will be transported into the most fantastically inventive, fun-filled, spooky mystery that will fill you with all the delights that makes reading books such a joy! 

Thank you to Toppsta and Walker Books for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love Autumn as the leaves change colour, the air gets chillier, and I can spend quality time snuggled up on the couch with some fantastic books. However, I don’t like having to defrost my car before work, or working out how to change the time on its clock! Work, as ever, has been busy this month, but I have a wonderful class who are a real delight. I’ve also had half-term, so I’ve been able to catch up on lots of reading.

Books I’ve read:

This has been a good reading month for me. I’ve managed to read 14 books: mostly middle-grade fantasy (my favourite) with one picture book (Greta and the Giants) and one young adult (Jackpot).

I’ve managed to post reviews for Owen and the Soldier, A Most Peculiar Toy Factory, Guardians of Magic and The Great Brain Robbery. I have my trusty notes for the other two, and am hoping to post my reviews soon!

I was approved to read Greta and the Giants and The Impossible Boy via NetGalley. I got Snow Sister from the library. I was sent Jackpot from the publisher . I’ve had Frostheart for a while and wanted to read it during half term (and just before Believathon) as it’s quite a long book – even with the pictures! One of my pupils brought me the Amelia Fang books as she thought I’d enjoy them – and I did! I won The Ghouls of Howlfair and just finished it today – a perfect spooky, but not too spooky, Halloween read!

Books I’ve bought:

This month I’ve bought 10 books.

I’m taking part in the middle-grade Believe in the Impossible Readathon (Twitter: @Believathon) which is taking place during the month of November. These were the books I bought for some prompts. I had the rest on my TBR.

I’ve also bought Wood Angel as I saw it recommended by an author for Believathon and it sounded fantastic: Kate lives in a time afraid of magic … in a place where witches are still burned. I haven’t read any Victoria Schwab books yet, and thought it was about time I did something about that, so I bought two! I love everything Amy Wilson writes so I had to get Shadows of Winterspell as soon as it was released. I wanted to read some fun, spooky books for Halloween so added Picklewitch and Jack and The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery, although I haven’t managed to read them yet!

Library books:

I try to visit the library at least once a month. I found some fantastic books this time.

Other books:

I was approved to read The Little Mermaid and Tiger Heart via NetGalley. I try not to ask for too many books, so I’m managing to keep my approval rating quite high – currently 88%! I’ve also been sent an e-ARC Esme’s Wish from the publisher.

Netflix

I watched Unbelievable which was hard to watch, but an amazing show.

It’s been another busy reading month which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I’m really looking forward to November when I can finally start my Believathon reads – and try to get through some more books on my TBR!

Have you read any of these books? What have you read this month? Are you taking part in Believathon?

Oleg and Emma spend their time inventing new classmates to replace their friend who has moved away and who they really miss.  Just days before Christmas, they create another classmate, Sebastian Cole.  Of course, they aren’t expecting him to turn up in his spaceship, ready and willing to be their new friend!  It’s impossible – isn’t it?

What do you do with an impossible friend?  Why, have him join your class, where he certainly attracts the curiosity of his classmates.  Sebastian is an impossible boy, who should not exist in our world, but does.  He exudes a natural curiosity and friendliness, and is brimming with exuberance and pertinent observations, not to mention a supply of hot ice-cream!  It is no surprise that he soon earns the friendship and loyalty of the children in his class.

Unfortunately, his appearance in the real world has not gone unnoticed and it is not long before he is being targeted by some rather unsavoury characters from the Institute of Unreality who are intent on keeping order in the world by getting rid of Sebastian. 

The appearance of intruders at the children’s school leads to Sebastian’s classmates coming together to protect him in the most ingenious and hilarious fashion which reminded me of the antics in Home Alone.  But, will their help be enough to save Sebastian from the sinister crow-masked people who are relentlessly pursuing him?

The Impossible Boy has a wonderful and rather unique cast of characters from the cowboy gardener to the talking snowwomen to the imprisoned scientist, not to mention the rampaging goat, who all have a role to play in helping Sebastian.  Will they, along with Sebastian’s school friends, be able to keep the impossible boy from being forgotten?

I loved the relationship between Emma and Oleg, and the strength they gain from each other’s friendship.  Neither have perfect home lives with hints of depression and deprivation in their family backgrounds.  However, they have a strong friendship and are always there to support each other.  The children have quite different personalities with Emma being daring, impulsive and full of curiosity whilst Oleg is much more careful and fearful, but together, they make a perfect team.

This is a magical, action-packed adventure brimming with heartfelt moments, oodles of humour and edge-of-your-seat danger.  A perfect read for children of 8+.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette/Quercus Children’s Books for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words.  It asks three questions:

1.      What are you currently reading?

2.      What did you recently finish reading?

3.      What do you think you’ll read next?

I’m currently just starting The Ghouls of Howlfair by debut author Nick Tomlinson. I’m really looking forward to this one as I think it will a perfect spooky Halloween read!

I’m on half term, so I’ve managed to get more reading done than usual in a week. This week I’ve read:

1. The Great Brain Robbery: this is the second book in The Train to Impossible Places Adventures. I loved this magical adventure as the world-building is so imaginative and the characters are incredibly likeable. The author is currently working on the third in the series!
2. Greta and the Giants: I was sent an e-ARC of this via NetGalley. It is a wonderful picture book which is an allegory of Greta Grunberg’s campaign on climate change.
3. The Snow Sister: This was one I got from the library. It is a very short book, but full of atmosphere and wonderful story-telling.
4. Jackpot: I was sent this one by the publisher for inclusion in an online review magazine. I must admit, it isn’t my usual reading material, but I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I think this was because the characters and their relationships felt really authentic.
5. The Impossible Boy: I was sent an e-ARC of this via NetGalley. Publication day is tomorrow, so I will post my review then. This is a really fun book, full of humour and action, with a wonderful Christmas setting.
6. Frostheart: This is the group read for Believathon, and it is the only one that can be read before the start on 1st November, so I just couldn’t resist. It is an incredible, heart-warming adventure with stunning artwork and wonderful characters.

I hope to read some Amelia Fang books as I’ve been assured by the child in my class who gave them to me that I’d enjoy them. I also want to make a start on my Believathon books, so I’m going to read my prompt for an atmospheric book, Potkin & Stubbs and my prompt for a seasonal book, The Velvet Fox. I also hope to read a couple of books that I’ve been sent for upcoming blog tours.