Reviews

This book sort of haunted me whenever I browsed in a bookstore. Maybe it is the unique title and distinctive cover that was just so noticeable. Or, it has a cult following of sorts and managed to get a more visible spot than just on the fiction shelf under the F's. Whatever it was I finally decided to just buy it and read it. It was right there, in my face at a bookstore and I said, fine, alright already........and walked up to the checkout with book in hand.

I don't know if this is intended to be a children's story but it is certainly what I would categorize as a fairy tale. It was a unique, fast, and easy read. It won't be for everyone but if you want a new take on a world hidden beyond a wardrobe in a dusty attic this might be for you.

erush's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

4.25

sgrace25's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

avabanana's review against another edition

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it wasnt what i expeted, it was giving more like narnia and I wanted more like chasing vermeer or mysterious beenedict society

emowenrn's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

poorlywordedbookreviews's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

𝙸𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙳 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚐𝚎. 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝, 𝚒𝚝 𝚟𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙳𝚑𝚒𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚘'𝚜𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜' 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚝 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚏𝚊𝚜𝚝, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚘𝚊𝚍 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚕 𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚜. 𝚂𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚋𝚘𝚛'𝚜 𝚍𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚘𝚗𝚔𝚎𝚢 𝙳𝚎𝚛𝚋𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚏𝚏. 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚢, 𝙳𝚑𝚒𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚘 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚏𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚘𝚛𝙳𝚘𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝙻𝚊𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚛, 𝙽𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚁𝚘𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚘𝚗. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚜….

A modern update on classic coming of age fairytales and tales such as Naria / Wizard of Oz, this story sees Dhikilo go on an adventure to the land of Liminus, a place filled with strange peoples, ruled by the fearsome Gamp.

…I don’t know who this book is aimed at - it’s shelved as adult in most places, it feels decidedly middle grade in many ways, but there’s lots of nods to things (like Dickens) that a 12yo won’t get. I don’t read middle grade really so I can’t comment on how it stands up against that bracket, but as an adult read it really failed to deliver for me. Which is disappointing as it’s got so much here that could be great. And maybe it is, maybe I just didn’t click with it.

The main character is a young girl from Somaliland given away by her father in an attempt to save her, who has grown up with a family on the English south coast. Liminus is under the thrall of an imbecile dictator, oppressing the population whilst building his house of sand. There’s plenty of subtle, and not so subtle, pertinent commentary, and its representation is much needed (if you can over the one line where she is unnecessarily (to the plot or points being made) referred to as a ‘monkey’ 🙄😬). But this sort of nostalgic book lives and dies by that elusive X factor, and for me it felt too formulaic.

raeleechoins's review against another edition

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4.0

This book is precious. It gave me strong Narnia vibes. I’d hesitate to label this as an adult fantasy; it’s written for adults in much the same way as Alice in Wonderland or the Chronicles of Narnia are.

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