Tag: MG Fantasy

Ultimate Blog Tour Review: The Thief of Farrowfell by Ravena Guron

Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

Hello friends, I hope the dreaded Monday is treating you well! I’m excited to be taking part in the Ultimate Blog Tour hosted by The Write Reads for The Thief of Farrowfell by Ravena Guron.

Special thanks to Faber and Faber Ltd. for providing a digital copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! Be sure to check out the other bloggers on tour! ⇣

The Thief of Farrowfell (The Thief of Farrowfell #1)
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Publication Date: 4 May 2023
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Welcome to a fantasy world where edible magic is the hottest commodity, traded between those who can pay or – in the case of Jude Ripon, the youngest thief in Farrowfell – those who can steal it!

Twelve-year-old Jude Ripon has never been taken seriously by her family of magic-stealing masterminds. To them, she’s just the youngest, only good for keeping watch while they carry out daring heists.

Desperate to prove her worth, Jude decides to steal valuable magic from the fanciest house in town…

But Jude’s stolen prize was protected by a curse which threatens to wreak havoc on the family business.

While attempting to untangle the mess she’s made (and wondering why anyone would want to curse an honest thief trying to earn a living), Jude discovers just how far her family will go to stay at the top of the criminal world.

Suddenly, her quest to become a true Ripon isn’t straightforward any more…

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Kidnapping (recounted), violence, blood (minor), consumption of magic likened to drug use/addiction

📚 BUY A COPY

TL;DR: The Thief of Farrowfell is a solid first book in this new middle-grade fantasy series. With a unique magic system and compelling characters who will easily have you rooting for them, this is an action-packed adventure-filled novel that I think many young readers will find joy reading! While it does get somewhat dark and sinister at times, Jude is a great main character who keeps it real but also, continues to feel hope throughout the read that doesn’t let the story get bogged down. Despite the triumphs, I wouldn’t say this book has a happy ending exactly; however, it was a very hopeful one and I look forward to continuing the series and seeing where Jude’s story goes next.

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Blog Tour Review: The Dragon’s Apprentice by James Riley

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Hi friends, I’m back for another blog tour today! I’m excited to share my thoughts and a ‘book look’ as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours for The Dragon’s Apprentice by James Riley.

Thanks to Labyrinth Road for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!

The Dragon’s Apprentice
Publisher: Labyrinth Road
Publication Date: 1 April 2025
Genre: MG Fantasy

Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

In this hilarious fantasy adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of the Story Thieves series, a girl strikes a deal with the ancient, cranky dragon she accidentally summoned to teach her the forbidden magic she needs to save her mother.

STOP. Don’t read any further. There are magic spells in this book, and the Emperor has forbidden anyone from learning magic, because it’s way too dangerous! If you try one of the spells, any number of terrible things might happen (or so the Emperor says).

Don’t be like Ciara, a twelve-year-old girl living in the tiny village of Skael. When she used a spell from within this book, she ended up summoning a dragon. A DRAGON! Those things breathe fire! From their mouths! She’s obviously doomed.

And don’t listen if Ciara tells you that dragons won’t hurt humans, and that they even once taught us magic, a thousand years ago. Definitely don’t pay any attention to the fact that the dragon she summoned, Scorch, might be willing to help rescue Ciara’s mother and free her village from the Emperor and his Warden, because it’s all obviously a big lie. So put this book down, and forget about it. Magic is just way too dangerous. After all, you wouldn’t want to summon your own dragon, would you?

📚 BUY A COPY

TL;DR: The Dragon’s Apprentice is a fantastical and magical adventure-filled tale. With a feisty and exuberant leading character fighting for justice against evil rulers and trying to uncover what happened to the most powerful mage in the land alongside a grumpy dragon to teach her all about magic, I think this is a story that many middle-grade readers will enjoy!

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Blog Tour Review + Book Look: A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill

Dini @ dinipandareads14 Comments

Hi friends, I’m back for another blog tour today! I’m excited to share my thoughts and a ‘book look’ as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours for A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill.

Thanks to Random House Graphic for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!

A Song for You and I
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Publication Date: 4 March 2025
Genre: MG/YA Fantasy Graphic Novel
Rep: Non-Binary, Trans, LGBT+

Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Being a ranger means adventure, action, and protecting the weak. But who protects the ranger when they lose their way? From the bestselling author of The Moth Keeper and the Tea Dragon Society comes a must read MG graphic novel for fans of soft sweeping fantasy romances. Rowan knows exactly what they to be a ranger, protecting their village alongside their trusted flying horse Kes. But when Rowan’s eagerness to show off their worth gets Kes injured, Rowan is suddenly unsure if they’re capable of being the protector they’ve always dreamed of becoming. With Kes needing to heal, Rowan is assigned a slow and winding expedition across the outlying lands. Paired with a lackadasical sheep hearder Leone, Rowan only finds frustration as they seem to fail even the simplest tasks. But Leone’s own struggles, and endless support brings a new possibility to Rowan. Could their unlikely friendship be something more? And if it is, will Rowan be able to leave Leone behind to pursue being a ranger once Kes is healed?

📚 BUY A COPY

At this point, I will read any story that O’Neill puts down in whatever medium or format they choose. Without fail, their stories are always full of heart, warmth, and kindness. Their stories always include big life lessons told in such a gentle and nurturing way, and their latest graphic novel is no different.

My Book Look for A Song for You and I

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#FirstLinesFriday: 28 July 2023

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are the rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First lines:

“I’m sitting in the principal’s office. Again. In the hallway, on the other side of the glass door, Principal Merritt is getting an earful from Emily Grant’s mom. With all those wild hand gestures, you’d think I did a lot more than give her stuck-up Little Miss Princess daughter a tiny shove. Emily got up in my face, not the other way around. Wasn’t my fault she lost her balance and fell on her butt in front of everybody.”

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#FirstLinesFriday: 12 May 2023

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Happy Friday book lovers! We’re back with another First Lines Friday, a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Here are the rules:

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

First lines:

“Marvelous.
The lucky kids got called that. Praise like honey drizzled on biscuits. But Ella’s family didn’t believe in gassing you up. Clothes ironed? Make your bed? Clean your plate? And most importantly, did you mind your business so nobody was minding you?”

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