The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox is quite the fun and exciting adventure and one I enjoyed. This book is rated for ages 9-12 but we all know I am way past that and I found it a great tale even for an adult to escape into. It takes you on a journey to another world filled with gnomes, fairies, dwarfs, an evil queen and even animals that can talk.
The story is about Kristina, who when we first meet her, we find that she is a lonely twelve-year old girl who is an outcast at school. The kids tease her and she just can’t seem to fit in no matter how hard she tries. At Christmas time her teacher gives her an old dusty hatbox and tells her that it’s time for it to be passed on. She awakens one night to a strange noise that just won’t go away and she discovers it’s coming from the hatbox. Kristina finally gets into the box and finds a ball inside that when dropped in her hand, turns hot. Next thing she knows, she wakes up in the land of Bernovem and her adventure begins.
The thing is in Bernovem, Kristina is important. It turns out she is ‘the chosen one’. The one who can save Bernovem from the evil Queen Sentiz. All she has to do is get the Magic Warble to it’s final resting place. Thankfully to help her along she has Prince Werrien, a young and handsome boy who is the rightful Prince of Bernovem. His mother has been imprisoned on Treachery Island since Queen Sentiz came to rule over Bernovem.
So begins the journey that Kristina and Werrien embark on. There is also the small matter of three kids from Kristina’s school that have happened to land in Bernovem as well. Even though though these kids have been cruel to Kristina, she just can’t leave them behind to the wiles of Queen Sentiz. Together Kristina and Werrien, with the help of a whole host of other characters, battle zelbocks (the Queen’s army), the weather, and even people they thought they could trust.
The Magic Warble is much more than just your average adventure story. We see Kristina grow stronger in her confidence as the story goes on and we see just how loyal the bonds of friendship can be. There is no offensive language or scenes in the book and would be perfectly readable for the 9-12 age group and maybe younger depending on a child’s reading skill. In the world of exciting adventures and unique characters, The Magic Warble is the perfect reading choice. Spending this magical time in Bernovem was just what I needed right now – a little escape to a magical other world.
I read The Magic Warble for Victoria Simcox’s Blog Tour with Pump Up Your Book. You can visit the website of Victoria Simcox and you can buy The Magic Warble here in the US and here in Canada.
My Thanks…to Dorothy with Pump Up Your Book for my review copy of The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox.