Reviews

Guardians by Richard Pritchard, Jordan Gould

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anniesreading's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Guardians is the very first book in the Wylah: The Koorie Warrior series - a middle-grade debut featuring an Indigenous cast and glorious whimsical animal characters as well. With a strong, young, female Indigenous character leading the plot, it is a story of adventure and heroism. It is about finding strength in one's identity, as well as in one's community.

As far as original story-telling goes, this isn't a plot that will blow anyone out of the water. But it is a great journey story for young readers, as well as reluctant readers, with illustrations throughout and engaging storytelling. It is easy to dive into without being shallow. A well worth addition to any children's library or collection.

→ trigger warnings:
Spoiler
animal injury & attack, captivity, death of a grandmother, fire, slavery, dehydration & starvation

Note: Review copy received from Allen&Unwin. This does not impact opinions within this review.

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chippyreads's review

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adventurous emotional inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

A young aboriginal artists home is ruined while her clan is taken by dragons. She wields the power of her clans Guardian to save them. Set 40,000 years ago in Australia.

I loved this book so much. I really hope children pick this up and experience this world

nikkijazzie's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

cyerrappa's review

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adventurous informative fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

edtebay196's review

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adventurous

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A strong entry to the hero's journey fantasy YA genre from a First Nation's perspective.

bel017's review

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adventurous informative slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I'm an adult and therefore not the intended audience. I bought it for my kids then read it for a reading challenge.

The book finishes half way through the mission. The story is 100% preparation for a battle, then there's no battle. I know they want to sell the second book, but even in a series each book should be a complete story. I would wait to give this to a child until the second book is published otherwise they'll be very frustrated.

The themes are as subtle as a sledgehammer, for example, the white man (villain) says: "Our powers are far superior to yours, and our knowledge goes beyond what you could possibly imagine ... There are many benefits of what we bring: knowledge, medicine, tools. All we ask for in return is for you to obey our every command."

Nearly everything happen merely to further the plot. For example, a guardian is severely hurt so they're forced to sit out a battle, then a small child makes medicine for them and then they're almost instantly fixed, ready for the next battle.

I assume both lack of nuance and deus ex machina are common to books for this age group, but as an adult I found it tough going.

As an adult I also found it tough going that an adult who is supposed to be an ally forces Wylah to undergo a test that almost kills her. In fact, all the adults send her into danger instead of themselves.

There are some excellent things about the book including having an Aboriginal girl as a protagonist, lots of important information about Aboriginal lives, and lots of references to various Aboriginal dreamtime narratives, such as the seven sisters and Tiddalick the frog. I loved all those references. This is a starting point, I hope to see many more super hero books with Aboriginal children as the protagonists.

Content Warnings