SuitabookSeparation and persistence
Bartholomew searches for Hettie after she has been lost in the Old Country, while Hettie and Pikey also face difficult circumstances.
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Book details
Stefan Bachmann - Author
Choose this for a dark, intricate faerie adventure centred on a sibling search, determined young characters and danger to England. Expect substantial world-building, a sometimes backgrounded protagonist and a resolution that may feel prolonged.
The changeling Bartholomew Kettle is still searching for his sister, Hettie, who was swept into the world of faeries after they prevented the sinister Lord Lickerish from opening the door inside Hettie and allowing faeries to invade England. But Hettie has been lost in the Old Country for years, and it will take all of her effort—as well as Bartholomew’s and that of street urchin Pikey—to survive the machinations of the Sly King and save England once again. Bachmann’s follow-up to The Peculiar (2012) has the same dense world building as his first book, though his skills have grown and his writing is much smoother. That said, the characterization still sometimes suffers under the weight of his world building, and the final resolution drags somewhat. Bartholomew often fades to the background in favor of the understandably sullen Hettie and the desperate and destitute Pikey, who has admirable grit. Readers who like their fantasy dark and their faeries sinister will find something to enjoy here. Grades 4-7. --Snow Wildsmith
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Sign in for personalised guidanceChoose this for a dark, intricate faerie adventure centred on a sibling search, determined young characters and danger to England. Expect substantial world-building, a sometimes backgrounded protagonist and a resolution that may feel prolonged.
Bartholomew searches for Hettie after she has been lost in the Old Country, while Hettie and Pikey also face difficult circumstances.
Lord Lickerish and the Sly King are connected with attempts to use faerie power, while the protagonists try to protect England.
Consider whether the dark faerie atmosphere and threatened invasion suit your reader, and whether they enjoy complex settings even when character development and the ending may move unevenly.
This is a grounded book brief while Suitabook strengthens the analysis: the current material supports only a cautious reading; another book-specific source is still needed.
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