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emeraldletter's review
5.0
I LOVE this series! The combination of fairytale, realistic characters and adventures as well as the proper scary mood-real dangers- and the brilliant writing style is just awesome. And there's a bit of humour in there too! I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to going on another adventure with Max and Anna!
vsteg1's review
4.0
The Troll Heart is a delightful follow-up to The Vampire Knife, and exactly the kind of thing I would have enjoyed reading when I was in primary school. Even as a 23-year-old I enjoy watching Anna and Max caper around the world under the not-so-watchful gaze of the Professor and get into all sorts of trouble.
I read a lot of spooky fairy/fantasy books when I was a kid, so I'm pretty confident in saying that The Witching Hours series stacks up. The story is great and the illustrations compliment it so well. I particularly like that in addition to the usual backbone of spooky, adventure, and supernatural elements, the fact that a girl is doing all the saving is treated as totally normal.
Based on the books I read 10 or 15 years ago, usually girls who got the leading role had to be 'extra special' in some way (maybe they have elven blood, or are secretly witches, ancient curse, whatever) in order to explain why they could step up to the post - whereas boys just got to be kickass purely by the value of being boys, no otherworldly explanation needed.
In The Troll Heart, like in The Vampire Knife, there's no fanfare or hand-wringing over why Anna is so kickass - she just IS. Sure, she has the magic knife from book one, but that's no different to any male hero picking up a magic sword.
I also like the story's treatment of Max's hand - no spoilers, but it feels true to the way the series has been marketed. This isn't your standard rosy fairytale and I love that.
My only wish for The Troll Heart would have been slightly faster pacing, but all in all I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next book when it comes out.
I read a lot of spooky fairy/fantasy books when I was a kid, so I'm pretty confident in saying that The Witching Hours series stacks up. The story is great and the illustrations compliment it so well. I particularly like that in addition to the usual backbone of spooky, adventure, and supernatural elements, the fact that a girl is doing all the saving is treated as totally normal.
Based on the books I read 10 or 15 years ago, usually girls who got the leading role had to be 'extra special' in some way (maybe they have elven blood, or are secretly witches, ancient curse, whatever) in order to explain why they could step up to the post - whereas boys just got to be kickass purely by the value of being boys, no otherworldly explanation needed.
In The Troll Heart, like in The Vampire Knife, there's no fanfare or hand-wringing over why Anna is so kickass - she just IS. Sure, she has the magic knife from book one, but that's no different to any male hero picking up a magic sword.
I also like the story's treatment of Max's hand - no spoilers, but it feels true to the way the series has been marketed. This isn't your standard rosy fairytale and I love that.
My only wish for The Troll Heart would have been slightly faster pacing, but all in all I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to read the next book when it comes out.
rust3d_m0ss's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
pinknantucket's review
4.0
As a diligent aunt I purchased this book at the demand of my niece and nephew, but have not yet had the chance to read it to them. But *I've* read it already and *I* liked it a lot. Anna and Max are joined by a goat as an accomplice in this adventure, which involves a mysterious bridge...
My copy: bought new from Dymocks.
My copy: bought new from Dymocks.
willdrown's review
4.0
Henseleit manages to write a children's horror story with a healthy mix of fun (friendly pet goats!) and genuinely spooky stuff (children with arms bitten off by a troll, caves made out of slime). The writing seems to have improved further after the first book in the series and Henseleit keeps applying new twists to the standard folklore monsters. While it would have been nice to explore the troll's bridge and what it's used for a bit more, it's clear that the series is building up to some bigger picture, which I, for one, am very keen to see. And the art is still gorgeous, even though the artists change with every installment. It's definitely the kind of book I would have chugged down when I was little and it still managed to capture me for half a weekend.
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