Review: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (The Wingfeather Saga #1)

Author: Andrew Peterson
Started reading: April 27th 2020
Finished the book: May 10th 2020
Pages: 304
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure
Published: March 18th 2008
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads score: 4.30
My score:

Synopsis

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 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. Extra features include new interior illustrations from Joe Sutphin, funny footnotes, a map of the fantastical world, inventive appendices, and fanciful line art in the tradition of the original Frank L. Baum Wizard of Oz storybooks.

My thoughts

I was really happy when Netgalley granted me a copy of this book. It looked awesome and I saw that it's a book that is published for the second time this year. The original book is from 2008. I also noticed right away that it was pretty popular on Goodreads with 8000+ ratings. I had a great time reading this book and I'd recommend anyone who likes Fantasy/Adventure books to pick this up.

Pros

• Illustrations: The book started with a map and I was so excited to see that. It's been way too long since I've read a book with a map. I always love to see how an author sees it, and it doesn't always come across by just describing it with words. When I kept reading I saw that the book also has some illustrations. They are small and are a nice addiction to the great story. In the back of the book are some hilarious forms as well, loved it!
• Use of language: The first two chapters totally captured my attention. The use of language was so great and I felt like being immersed in a fairy tale right away. I loved the little layer of humor. That makes it interesting for adults to read as well.
• Footnotes: The book uses footnotes and I find that a great addition to the already lovely story. It feels much more like a universe on its own, when you get more information about stuff in the footnotes. I had so much fun learning more and I also feel like it's a great way to teach Middle Graders about footnotes, books and literature.

Cons

• Figured out: I love being surprised and that was sadly not the case when the big ending was revealed. I had it figured out pretty quickly. I think the author made it a bit too clear throughout the book and that's also the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars.

Overall

A great Fantasy/Adventure story for Middle Graders, but at times hilarious for adults to read as well. I loved exploring this new world and getting to know the characters. I'd definitely be up to read the other books in this series as well!

Other opinions on this book

"I love all the adventure and the wild inventiveness and, most of all, the heart in Andrew's books. He is a poet and a master storyteller. I want to read anything he writes."

- Sally Lloyd-Jones, NYT Bestselling author

"An experience your family will never forget. I can't recommend these books highly enough!"

- Sarah Mackenzie, author of The Read-Aloud Family

Memorable quotes from this book

"That evil was a nameless evil, an evil whose name was Gnag the Nameless."

"But other than the cruel fangs and the constant threat of death and torture, there wasn't much to fear in Skree."

Thanks for reading!

I'd love to talk books; please let me know what you think about this book review.