Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog, Nugget.Janner Igiby, his brother, Tink, and their disabled sister, Leeli, are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that they love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of … venomous Fangs of Dang, who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice. The Igibys hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.
Full of characters rich in heart, smarts, and courage, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is a tale children of all ages will cherish, families can read aloud, and readers’ groups are sure to enjoy discussing for its many layers of meaning.
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Three siblings live with their mom and grandfather in a small town where everyone knows everyone. The town, and actually the entire region, is being oppressed by evil, despicable creatures who occasionally throw children into the black carriage where they are taken off, never to be heard of again. Ugh.
This is one of those books that I kept hearing about and it sounded interesting, so I gave it a try. Generally, this is exactly my genre, but I struggled to finish this one. There were a lot of make-believe/unknown types of characters and descriptions that make it difficult to get through and while the kids were the main characters, it didn’t feel like a kids book to me. Maybe it would be better read aloud or as a movie. There is a fun twist at the end and a reminder to not judge others based on their appearances.
I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley and have reviewed it willingly.
Janner, Leeli, and Tink Igby are quite used to a quiet life in the little town of Glipwood. They have a mother, an adorable little dog, and a peg-leg former pirate grandfather. The only real problems in their quiet life is the fact that they don’t know anything about their father and the awful Fangs of Dang prowl everywhere.
However, life that has been boring and uneventful (at least for Janner) turns into a whole lot more at the annual Dragon Day Festival. What on earth does crazy old Peet the sock man, secret maps, and the far off fairy tale land of Anniera have to do with 3 normal children? Well, you’re about to find out!
100% recommend this book to not just kids but teens and adults as well! It’s a WONDERFUL funny, and creative fantasy story. I absolutely adored it and I can’t wait to get my own copies!
On the edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness live the Igiby family–12-year-old Janner and his younger brother Tink, little sister Leeli, and their mom and grandfather, known mostly as Podo. Their land has been conquered by Gnag the Nameless, who hails from Dang, across the sea, and who has sent his Fangs to keep the people in line. Through a series of connected events that all starts with a mischievous dog, the Igibys find themselves on the wrong side of the Fangs of Dang. When the Fangs come to realize that the Igibys have knowledge of the location to the jewels of the late King Wingfeather and the Shining Isle of Anniera, which are said to be the key to restoring Anniera and defating Gnag, the Igibys realize they will always be in danger.
This book was a lot of fun, with characters that are lively and entertaining and a lot of lore and history. The quirky nature of the narrative and even the names of various people and location had me chuckling more than once. Though it’s children’s fiction, it doesn’t pull any punches, and reminds me of The Chronicles of Narnia, as well as Roald Dahl, to a degree.
Right off the bat, the explanation for the name of the world these characters inhabit gives you a sense of the writing style. The first person to exist woke up on the first morning, looked at a rock, and said, “Well, here we are.” Thus, the world’s name came to be known as “Aerwiar.” Though none of the other names for people or places are really explained, and I did actually struggle a little muddling through so many when they came close together, this is a good example of the tone of this book.
Even with the whimsical nature, there is still some real peril. Fortunately, possibly because it’s meant for kids, for the most part, the good guys prevail and the bad guys are defeated, at least in some way. I’m not saying there aren’t some losses, but I won’t say more because of spoilers.
One of my favorite things about the book were the hints that the author dropped throughout the book, giving little nudges about a big secret revealed near the end. Two big secrets, really but they were tied together. While I suspected pretty early on, and then decided I was definitely right still a ways from the reveal, remember that this book is meant for kids. I could imagine kids near my daughter’s age, maybe a bit older, reading this and beginning to catch on, getting excited as they realized the truth.
It was fun and full of adventure, and I cannot wait to continue the series! I recommend this book for folks of all ages who enjoy clean, fun fantasy adventures. Also, you might see it labeled as Christian, and there are some references to a deity that many of the people believe in, but it is not overtly Christian. It may be a bit allegorical, again similar to the Narnia books.
Thank you to Netgalley and WaterBrook & Multnomah for providing me a copy of this book to review.
Andrew Peterson is one of my very favorite recording artists so I was eager to read his first book. At first I found it hard to get into, probably because it was written with young people in mind and my own children are of Andrew’s generation. I forged on into the book and actually found it to be quite entertaining, humorous, and suspenseful – all attributes of a good book. Andrew’s love of writing shines through in this book just as it does in his superior songwriting. I would definitely recommend this book for family story time as well as for anyone who enjoys a good yarn. If I had grandchildren, I would certainly make sure they had their own copies.
I voluntarily reviewed a digital copy of this book provided by Waterbrook Multnomah. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own
I read this book to my 12-year-old son and he rated it four stars, which rarely happens. So it must be a good book. It was part of the Lifeway summer reading challenge. He enjoyed it because he thought it felt like a Lord of the Rings feeling story. He wants us to finish the trilogy together, so here we go. I personally likes the maps and appendices and footnotes along the way. Some of it was pretty funny. Great dry humor. I also enjoyed some of the words, like totatoes.
I read this one aloud to my children, and they loved it. The writing was fun and inventive, though it seemed awkward at points. The narrative was witty with a lot of silly (and sometimes scary) creatures and back stories. The footnotes were distracting at times, but sometimes they were very funny and enhanced the story — so kind of a mixed bag. However, the overall tone made for a great story and, like I said, our kids absolutely loved it and were eagerly anticipating the next reading time.
Check out my book review at http://creationtales.com/blog/162-book-review-on-the-edge-of-the-dark-sea-of-darkness.html
This is probably the most creative fantasy novel I’ve read since the Chronicles of Narnia. The characters are indelible and the story fun while serious. Enjoy this masterpiece. I have three times already and plan to many times over.
This book is just the first of four, but a wonderful read all on its own! Of course you will be dying to know what happens, and continue the saga! It’s a great book for all ages. Definitely one I would recommend to any fantasy fanatic.
Delightful series, mix of the Ring trilogy and the Chronicles of Narnia.