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k_lenn's review
3.0
This was really sweet! The love Olia had for her family (+ for her baby sister in particular) was really lovely to read, and I'd be happy to give this to any of the children in my life. Great messages about family, friendship, courage, the importance of people over material items, etc.
Unfortunately, however, I think the book might be too long for the plot, especially if it's trying to capture the attention of young readers.
Unfortunately, however, I think the book might be too long for the plot, especially if it's trying to capture the attention of young readers.
booknerdjo's review
4.0
This was a reread for my school book group, and it was wonderful to immerse myself back into the magical world of Sophie Anderson.
Her books are a wonderful interweaving of fantasy and folklore, and although I still think The House with Chicken Legs and The Girl Who Speaks Bear are her best books, this one is very special.
Olia lives in Castle Mila, but it is being torn apart by strange magical winds. Only she can enter into the magical world beyond one of the castle's domes and save both the castle and the magical spirits who live in the Land of Forbidden Magic.
It's a race against time, and on the way Olia makes new friends, learns about herself and her identity, and discovers that home is not a place as much as the people with whom you share your llfe.
Lovely magical middle grade book.
Her books are a wonderful interweaving of fantasy and folklore, and although I still think The House with Chicken Legs and The Girl Who Speaks Bear are her best books, this one is very special.
Olia lives in Castle Mila, but it is being torn apart by strange magical winds. Only she can enter into the magical world beyond one of the castle's domes and save both the castle and the magical spirits who live in the Land of Forbidden Magic.
It's a race against time, and on the way Olia makes new friends, learns about herself and her identity, and discovers that home is not a place as much as the people with whom you share your llfe.
Lovely magical middle grade book.
verosbookcorner's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I am looking forward to read this story to my children one day
c14_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.75
jamiereybooks's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
jenniferreads2's review
4.0
Loved the connection back to the authors other book- the house with chicken legs.
biamatos_7's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
sanjastajdohar's review
5.0
This book was as magical, innovative and thrilling as I expected, having read Anderson's two previous myths novels. The characters, both human and fantastic, are well developed and endearing, the story is thrilling and unpredictable, the Slavic mythology wonderfully interwoven in the story and important for the plot. Just a gem of a book.
forsidious's review against another edition
Just really didn't find it all that interesting. The world and characters feel like they're supposed to be whimsical but it's just not doing it for me.
jadeyrae's review
5.0
Thank you so much to Usbourne for the Netgalley e-arc of The Castle of Tangled Magic!
The Castle of Tangled Magic follows the adventure of our young heroine, Olia, who's family has lived in Castle Mila for generations, a gorgeous ancestral family castle, holding more magic than one would first assume! As a wild wind story attacks the castle, Olia's grandmother suggests that Olia may be the only one capable of defeating the storm and saving her family's home.
I went into this book with incredibly high expectations, Sophie Anderson is one of my favourite middle-grade authors, with her prior books, The House With Chicken Legs and The Girl Who Speaks Bear, being two of the best MG books I've read. One of my favourite things to read about is Russian folklore-inspired stories, and this is something that Sophie Anderson does so well. With this being one of my most anticipated reads of the year, it's very safe to say that Anderson did not disappoint with this addition to her luscious written world, and I am thrilled to have read this absolute masterpiece.
Olia is a bold and courageous young girl, always putting family first. It was refreshing to see a young sibling relationship in the book that is so wholly built on pure love. Olia's love for her family informs most of the choices she makes, however throughout the course of her journey, she learns much about herself and her family's history that encourages growth in her. Alongside our standout heroine, the cast of side characters Anderson creates is outstanding; something I have loved about Anderson's prior books is the found family aspect, the main character finding their herd, and I adored that about this book too. The characters Olia meets along the way are all so endearing, and as a reader, I cared for each of them individually, Feliks particularly, because he was just stellar!
As always, Anderson delivers a gorgeous and mystical atmosphere in her writing, amplified by the magical settings. Castle Mila is described with such curiosity, you can't help but want to explore every inch of the magical building. But alongside that, the truly magical setting develops more and more each time you turn the page, resulting in a rich and beautiful tapestry of a world.
I found The Castle of Tangled Magic to be an incredibly compelling read, the plot held my interest at every turn, the tension felt real and there was a real sense of danger and the risk-factor throughout were very high. Our characters faced a number of challenges throughout their adventure, keeping the pacing of the plot well driven throughout. It's difficult to put this book down as these characters are moving forward through their journey at such a danger fuelled tempo, you don't want to miss a minute of it.
It would be wrong of me to not also mention the illustrations, which are breathtaking. They add another level to the storytelling, allowing the reader to get a truly fairytale feel.
Overall on CAWPILE this scored 9.57/10 which is an incredibly solid 5-star rating. A Beautiful book that I encourage readers of all ages to pick up.
The Castle of Tangled Magic follows the adventure of our young heroine, Olia, who's family has lived in Castle Mila for generations, a gorgeous ancestral family castle, holding more magic than one would first assume! As a wild wind story attacks the castle, Olia's grandmother suggests that Olia may be the only one capable of defeating the storm and saving her family's home.
I went into this book with incredibly high expectations, Sophie Anderson is one of my favourite middle-grade authors, with her prior books, The House With Chicken Legs and The Girl Who Speaks Bear, being two of the best MG books I've read. One of my favourite things to read about is Russian folklore-inspired stories, and this is something that Sophie Anderson does so well. With this being one of my most anticipated reads of the year, it's very safe to say that Anderson did not disappoint with this addition to her luscious written world, and I am thrilled to have read this absolute masterpiece.
Olia is a bold and courageous young girl, always putting family first. It was refreshing to see a young sibling relationship in the book that is so wholly built on pure love. Olia's love for her family informs most of the choices she makes, however throughout the course of her journey, she learns much about herself and her family's history that encourages growth in her. Alongside our standout heroine, the cast of side characters Anderson creates is outstanding; something I have loved about Anderson's prior books is the found family aspect, the main character finding their herd, and I adored that about this book too. The characters Olia meets along the way are all so endearing, and as a reader, I cared for each of them individually, Feliks particularly, because he was just stellar!
As always, Anderson delivers a gorgeous and mystical atmosphere in her writing, amplified by the magical settings. Castle Mila is described with such curiosity, you can't help but want to explore every inch of the magical building. But alongside that, the truly magical setting develops more and more each time you turn the page, resulting in a rich and beautiful tapestry of a world.
I found The Castle of Tangled Magic to be an incredibly compelling read, the plot held my interest at every turn, the tension felt real and there was a real sense of danger and the risk-factor throughout were very high. Our characters faced a number of challenges throughout their adventure, keeping the pacing of the plot well driven throughout. It's difficult to put this book down as these characters are moving forward through their journey at such a danger fuelled tempo, you don't want to miss a minute of it.
It would be wrong of me to not also mention the illustrations, which are breathtaking. They add another level to the storytelling, allowing the reader to get a truly fairytale feel.
Overall on CAWPILE this scored 9.57/10 which is an incredibly solid 5-star rating. A Beautiful book that I encourage readers of all ages to pick up.