 | |
| Author | Sophie Anderson |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Saara Soderlund |
| Genre | Middle grade fiction, fantasy |
| Publisher | Usborne Publishing |
Publication date | October 1, 2020 |
| ISBN | 9781474978491 |
The Castle Of Tangled Magic is a 2020 middle grade fantasy novel by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Saara Soderlund. The story follows 13-year-old Olia as she journeys into a magical land to save her family and home.
The Castle of Tangled Magic centers around Olia, a 13-year-old girl residing with her family in Castle Mila, a whimsical and weathered wooden castle with a rich history spanning 500 years. Although her family has transitioned from royalty to carpentry, Olia holds a deep affection for the castle. However, her world takes a dramatic turn when a storm threatens to destroy the castle. During this crisis, Olia discovers that the castle harbors an abundance of magic that is yearning to break free. To safeguard her family and their beloved home, Olia embarks on a perilous journey alongside Feliks, the castle's fox-like domovoi. Together, they venture into the Land of Forbidden Magic, where they must cut off an evil wizard's beard to restore the equilibrium of magic.
Throughout her adventure, Olia encounters a diverse array of magical beings drawn from Slavic folklore. In this enchanted realm, she learns that appearances can be deceiving, and that mysteries abound at every turn.
In a starred review, Publishers Weekly wrote, "Anderson [...] writes an intimately cadenced adventure, rendering the magically charged setting a character of its own while emphasizing themes of perspective, family legacy, and following one’s gut". [1]
Alison Brumwell, writing for The School Librarian , called Anderson "talented" and highlighted how she "brings a freshness to this memorable coming of age tale about defeating self-doubt and embracing family". Brumwell also praised Söderlund's "sumptuous cover and animated illustrations". [2]
Kirkus Reviews provided a mixed review, noting that "largely unanswered worldbuilding questions [..] may leave readers feeling that key aspects of the plot are underdeveloped and contrived." They added, "The dialogue sometimes feels self-conscious, but Olia’s first-person narration is earnest, and readers will root for her". [3]
The Castle Of Tangled Magic was named one of the best books of 2020 by Waterstones, The Sunday Times , The Times, and the Wales Arts Review. [5] The School Librarian also included it on their August 2021 list of the "Best New Books for Gifted and Talented Readers". [6]
What My Mother Doesn't Know (2001) is a novel in verse by Sonya Sones. The free-verse novel follows ninth-grader Sophie Stein as she struggles through the daily grind of being a freshman in high school, her romantic crushes, and her family life. It has been translated into French, German, Indonesian and Swedish, and published as an audiobook read by Kate Reinders.
Adam Gidwitz is an American author of children's books, best known for A Tale Dark and Grimm (2010), In a Glass Grimmly (2012), and The Grimm Conclusion (2013). He received a 2017 Newbery Honor for The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog (2016). In 2021, his book A Tale Dark and Grimm was adapted into an animated miniseries on Netflix.
Beautiful Creatures is a 2009 American young adult novel written by authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and the first book in the Caster Chronicles series. The book was published on December 1, 2009 by Little, Brown, and Company. In the UK, Beautiful Creatures is published by Penguin Books.
The Heir Chronicles is a young adult fantasy series that was written by Cinda Williams Chima and published through Disney Hyperion. The first book, The Warrior Heir, was published on April 2, 2006, and was named one of YALSA's "Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults" for 2008.
Anna-Marie McLemore is a Mexican-American author of young adult fiction magical realism, best known for their Stonewall Honor-winning novel When the Moon Was Ours, Wild Beauty, and The Weight of Feathers.
The Inquisitor's Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog is a young adult novel written by Adam Gidwitz and illuminated by Hatem Aly, published by Dutton Children's Books in 2016. It is set in medieval France and describes how three magical children meet each other and become outlaws. It was named a Newbery Honor book in 2017.
Morag Hood is a Scottish writer and illustrator of children's books. Her primary medium is lino printing, although she uses a variety of techniques in her work. Her stories rely on interplay between text and illustration, creating space in the narrative for young readers to fill in. Many of her stories concern relationships, inclusion and prejudice. She has an MA in children's book illustration from the Cambridge School of Art. Hood was the winner of the UKLA book awards in the 3–6 category in 2018, for Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea, and in 2019 for I am Bat. Her books have been nominated for several other awards, including the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
The Cygnet and the Firebird is a fantasy novel by Patricia A. McKillip, a sequel to her earlier novel The Sorceress and the Cygnet. Despite a mixed reception, it was nominated for the 1994 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature. It was first published in hardcover by Ace Books in September 1993, with a paperback following from the same publisher in September 1995. The first British edition was published in paperback by Pan Books in July 1994. It was subsequently combined with The Sorceress and the Cygnet into the omnibus collection Cygnet, issued in trade paperback by Ace Books in March 2007. It has also been translated into French.
Julián Is a Mermaid is an American children's picture book by Jessica Love. It tells the story of a boy who wants to become a mermaid and participate in the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. Love first began writing the book in 2014 while she worked as an actress, and it was published in 2018 by Candlewick Press.
The Magic Fish is a semi-autobiographical graphic novel written and illustrated by Trung Le Nguyen. The novel tells the story of Tiến Phong, a second generation American Vietnamese teenager, who helps his mother learn English through fairy tales while struggling to tell her about his sexuality.
Mindy McGinnis is an American writer of young adult fiction. Her most notable works include Be Not Far from Me (2020), Heroine (2019), The Female of the Species (2016), and A Madness So Discreet (2015).
Shout: The True Story of a Survivor Who Refused to be Silenced is a poetic memoir by Laurie Halse Anderson, published March 12, 2019 by Viking Books. The book is a New York Times best seller.
Anna and the Swallow Man is a young adult historical fiction novel by Gavriel Savit, published January 26, 2016 by Knopf. The book is a New York Times best seller and received the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Teen Readers and the Odyssey Award.
The Ogress and the Orphans is a children's book written by Kelly Barnhill and published on March 8, 2022, by Algonquin Books. It counts the events of a small fictional town, where the library is burned down and an orphan goes missing, which leads to its citizen blaming an ogress who had just moved in.
Wendy Anderson Halperin is an American illustrator and author of children's books.
A Snake Falls to Earth is a 2021 speculative novel by Darcie Little Badger marketed to readers aged 12–18. It falls into the distinct genre of "Indigenous futurism," which includes narratives regarding "the process of ‘returning to ourselves,’ which involves discovering how personally one is affected by colonization, discarding the emotional and psychological baggage carried from its impact, and recovering ancestral traditions in order to adapt in [a] post-Native Apocalypse world."
The House With Chicken Legs is a 2018 middle-grade fantasy novel by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli. Inspired by traditional Baba Yaga tales, the novel follows a young girl, Marinka, who lives with her grandmother in a magical, sentient house, traveling the world while her grandmother helps support and guide newly deceased people to the afterlife.
The Girl Who Speaks Bear is a 2019 middle-grade fantasy novel by Sophie Anderson, illustrated by Kathrin Honesta. Drawing on traditional Russian fairy tales, the story follows 12-year-old Yanka on a quest of self-discovery in a forbidden forest after she wakes up one morning with bear legs. The novel was well-received by critics and won the 2020 Indie Book Award for Children's Fiction.
Sophie Anderson is a Welsh author. Among other honors, her books have been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal three times.
The Thief Who Sang Storms is a 2022 middle grade fantasy novel by Sophie Anderson. Inspired by a Russian folk poem about Nightingale the Robber, the novel follows Linnet, a 13-year-old girl who chooses to take a stand against oppressive forces.