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thebookboy's review against another edition
4.0
An enchanting middle grade fantasy book that combines some of the best bits of other fantasy books such as The Borrowers and The Hobbit whilst still adding a delicious, unique core of good characters and fantastic settings.
Set in the wilds of Scotland and featuring a number of real-life locations, the plot follows Anne (Wynn) as she deals not only with trying to break the curse of a miniature village nearby to the tower she calls home, but also the trials of being a girl of noble birth in a time where this means she will effectively be used as a pawn in a game of social currency.
What I loved:
1. The world of Smailholm. The best part of fantasy books are always the settings, and here we are treated to miniature villages, dark volcano caverns, mysterious forests and wild moors - all of which are wonderfully realised. The map in the cover takes this a step further, and it's really lovely to be able to visualise the adventure from the start.
2. The characters (mostly). The majority of the cast of characters in Smailholm are fun, engaging and bring a lot of colour and fun to the story. Wynn is feisty without being cliche (though I do worry that she believes girls and boys can't just be friends), Jimmy is a suitable match to her, Vargo is adorable and I think the devious Uncle was a great possible future villain (let's see how the sequel pans out!). Plus, Jenny is a great warrior woman who i think was my favourite of all.
3. The creatures! Quogs, moon people, miniature personages of tiny villages, ailing spirits and long-haired witch grandmothers - there's a real Tolkien/ Alice in wonderland feel to the more colourful inhabitants of Smailholm, and I loved finding out about them all!
4. The descriptive writing. Williams has a real knack for description, which really helps to bring the world to life.
There were a couple of things I wasn't so fond of:
1. Some of the characters needed to be fleshed out more and given more to do. For every awesome bow wielding Jenny, there was a mother who felt like a bit of a nothing character, and there needs to be a slightly better balance. This is obviously something that can easily happen in the sequel, though.
2. I wanted to know more about the fantastic beings who populate this story. Like, what are quogs? Why do they mine? Tell me some more details about the lives of others! This is just me wanting more knowledge, but I think these are questions I will want answered in the future.
3. Language consistency. Smailholm is written in a beautiful old style, though this occasionally becomes more modern. It's mostly not a problem but there are a couple of parts here and there which would benefit from being a bit more consistent. I also think the olden style of the Deablin chapters may be a problem for some younger readers, but I personally really liked them!
4. Boys and girls can be friends! haha.
Overall, it's a fab fantasy debut that leaves a lot open for a sequel. By weaving together elements of well-loved fantasy series and adding a unique voice, Smailholm conjures a beautiful world of adventure that I enjoyed exploring. I'm just hoping the next instalment journeys even deeper!
4 stars.
Set in the wilds of Scotland and featuring a number of real-life locations, the plot follows Anne (Wynn) as she deals not only with trying to break the curse of a miniature village nearby to the tower she calls home, but also the trials of being a girl of noble birth in a time where this means she will effectively be used as a pawn in a game of social currency.
What I loved:
1. The world of Smailholm. The best part of fantasy books are always the settings, and here we are treated to miniature villages, dark volcano caverns, mysterious forests and wild moors - all of which are wonderfully realised. The map in the cover takes this a step further, and it's really lovely to be able to visualise the adventure from the start.
2. The characters (mostly). The majority of the cast of characters in Smailholm are fun, engaging and bring a lot of colour and fun to the story. Wynn is feisty without being cliche (though I do worry that she believes girls and boys can't just be friends), Jimmy is a suitable match to her, Vargo is adorable and I think the devious Uncle was a great possible future villain (let's see how the sequel pans out!). Plus, Jenny is a great warrior woman who i think was my favourite of all.
3. The creatures! Quogs, moon people, miniature personages of tiny villages, ailing spirits and long-haired witch grandmothers - there's a real Tolkien/ Alice in wonderland feel to the more colourful inhabitants of Smailholm, and I loved finding out about them all!
4. The descriptive writing. Williams has a real knack for description, which really helps to bring the world to life.
There were a couple of things I wasn't so fond of:
1. Some of the characters needed to be fleshed out more and given more to do. For every awesome bow wielding Jenny, there was a mother who felt like a bit of a nothing character, and there needs to be a slightly better balance. This is obviously something that can easily happen in the sequel, though.
2. I wanted to know more about the fantastic beings who populate this story. Like, what are quogs? Why do they mine? Tell me some more details about the lives of others! This is just me wanting more knowledge, but I think these are questions I will want answered in the future.
3. Language consistency. Smailholm is written in a beautiful old style, though this occasionally becomes more modern. It's mostly not a problem but there are a couple of parts here and there which would benefit from being a bit more consistent. I also think the olden style of the Deablin chapters may be a problem for some younger readers, but I personally really liked them!
4. Boys and girls can be friends! haha.
Overall, it's a fab fantasy debut that leaves a lot open for a sequel. By weaving together elements of well-loved fantasy series and adding a unique voice, Smailholm conjures a beautiful world of adventure that I enjoyed exploring. I'm just hoping the next instalment journeys even deeper!
4 stars.
womanon's review against another edition
4.0
This was so enjoyable. The only thing that bothered me were some very random events. And I missed a hell lot of commas.
kylielovesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
This was a really fun first book. I really enjoyed the whole idea of the quest Wynn, Jimmy, Jenny, Fie and Vargo went on. It was neat to kind of imagine the world being a tiny person. It reminded me of The Borrowers.
There weren't any characters I disliked. I loved Wynn's free spirit and dedication to her friends. I think she was my favorite character (aside from Vargo, but who doesn't like the dog the best). I also really liked Jenny. Her strength and determination were so great.
I think the thing that tripped me up the most was the writing style. I didn't find myself not enjoying it, and it wasn't hard to read. But at times it felt like this happened, then this happened, then this happened. Almost like it wasn't a fluid story. I was also a little bit confused by the Deablin parts. They were a page and a half long at most (mostly shorter) in between the story chapters and I just didn't know what they were for until much later in the book. Which I know is the point and I understand the significance of them, but they just felt like a strange addition to me. I almost wished that she had a separate point of view rather than just a page here and there of her ramblings because I thought her story was interesting too.
Overall, I did enjoy this story. I am positive I would have enjoyed it more as a middle grade reader when I was younger, but I still would absolutely love to read the second book. I need to know what happens!
This was a really fun first book. I really enjoyed the whole idea of the quest Wynn, Jimmy, Jenny, Fie and Vargo went on. It was neat to kind of imagine the world being a tiny person. It reminded me of The Borrowers.
There weren't any characters I disliked. I loved Wynn's free spirit and dedication to her friends. I think she was my favorite character (aside from Vargo, but who doesn't like the dog the best). I also really liked Jenny. Her strength and determination were so great.
I think the thing that tripped me up the most was the writing style. I didn't find myself not enjoying it, and it wasn't hard to read. But at times it felt like this happened, then this happened, then this happened. Almost like it wasn't a fluid story. I was also a little bit confused by the Deablin parts. They were a page and a half long at most (mostly shorter) in between the story chapters and I just didn't know what they were for until much later in the book. Which I know is the point and I understand the significance of them, but they just felt like a strange addition to me. I almost wished that she had a separate point of view rather than just a page here and there of her ramblings because I thought her story was interesting too.
Overall, I did enjoy this story. I am positive I would have enjoyed it more as a middle grade reader when I was younger, but I still would absolutely love to read the second book. I need to know what happens!
frasergirl's review against another edition
5.0
I won this book on an Instagram giveaway and I am so happy I did! I gave up on fantasy books a long time ago because I thought new ideas and forms of keeping me reading non-stop were over but then, I read Smailholm.
First of all, I would have loved to read this story when I was little but now, I find it so sweet and with so many realistic things (when there are no fantastic creatures) that I was sharing all little Wynn emotions while reading them.
Second of all, I love where and when this story takes place, the mystic elements that lies on everything is just so perfectly written!
And, last of all, the characters, the narration and the little historical things were my favorite part and made me connect with the story so much that now, I love this book.
A must read for fans of The Hobbit, Narnia and Anne of Green Gables.
First of all, I would have loved to read this story when I was little but now, I find it so sweet and with so many realistic things (when there are no fantastic creatures) that I was sharing all little Wynn emotions while reading them.
Second of all, I love where and when this story takes place, the mystic elements that lies on everything is just so perfectly written!
And, last of all, the characters, the narration and the little historical things were my favorite part and made me connect with the story so much that now, I love this book.
A must read for fans of The Hobbit, Narnia and Anne of Green Gables.
jennyfer's review against another edition
5.0
Gullivers Travels meets the Borrowers meets Alice in Wonderland meets The Hobbit
13-yo Anne-Wynn Hoppringle (otherwise known as Wynn) is the middle child to the Laird of Smailholm Tower. Adventurous and independent, she discovers a miniature village hidden in the brambles and bracken away from the tower, descendants of a forgotten curse against the clans of Smailholm. When border raiders discover the existence of the tiny folk, a small band of heroes must brave the wider world to revoke the curse and save their people. With the help of the enigmatic Moon Folk, Wynn, herself about to be shipped off to the Queen's court, and her dog Vargo join them on their adventurous quest to the fire mountain Rubers Law. But will the King of the Quogs grant their wish and release them from the curse?
Told through the eyes of Wynn and interspersed with the ramblings of lost soul Deablin, Smailholm is a lavish tale of adventure and magic. Aimed at middle grades, this has everything I would have wanted in a story as a child: Adventure, magic, strong female lead characters, friendship, mystery, moors, and the merest hints of romance. The huntress from the tiny village, Jenny, is Arrietty for the middle ages, bold as brass and strong and capable. Wynn is an every-girl that the young reader can imagine herself as: slightly awkward, a little bit clueless in her tiny form, not always brave but journeying forth regardless.
As an Aussie, it blew my mind that this is set in real places that still exist today, and it puts into perspective just how far the tiny folk have to go to save their kin.
This was a fun adventure with a slightly bittersweet open ending, that tells of tales still to come. Can't wait!
**I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Troubador publishing in exchange for an honest review.**
13-yo Anne-Wynn Hoppringle (otherwise known as Wynn) is the middle child to the Laird of Smailholm Tower. Adventurous and independent, she discovers a miniature village hidden in the brambles and bracken away from the tower, descendants of a forgotten curse against the clans of Smailholm. When border raiders discover the existence of the tiny folk, a small band of heroes must brave the wider world to revoke the curse and save their people. With the help of the enigmatic Moon Folk, Wynn, herself about to be shipped off to the Queen's court, and her dog Vargo join them on their adventurous quest to the fire mountain Rubers Law. But will the King of the Quogs grant their wish and release them from the curse?
Told through the eyes of Wynn and interspersed with the ramblings of lost soul Deablin, Smailholm is a lavish tale of adventure and magic. Aimed at middle grades, this has everything I would have wanted in a story as a child: Adventure, magic, strong female lead characters, friendship, mystery, moors, and the merest hints of romance. The huntress from the tiny village, Jenny, is Arrietty for the middle ages, bold as brass and strong and capable. Wynn is an every-girl that the young reader can imagine herself as: slightly awkward, a little bit clueless in her tiny form, not always brave but journeying forth regardless.
As an Aussie, it blew my mind that this is set in real places that still exist today, and it puts into perspective just how far the tiny folk have to go to save their kin.
This was a fun adventure with a slightly bittersweet open ending, that tells of tales still to come. Can't wait!
**I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and Troubador publishing in exchange for an honest review.**
we_defy_augury's review against another edition
1.0
Full disclosure, I haven’t quite finished this yet, but the last 60 pages aren’t going to change my thoughts on it. I bought it because I grew up in Smailholm (a tiny village that even a lot of Borderers don’t really know exists), so obviously had to have a book named for it. The premise could have made for a fun historical fantasy for older kids/young teens, and I love a good kids book so have no problem with reading something aimed at that age bracket. But this is not a good kids book – it reads more like dodgy fan fiction than publishable material, and clearly has never been near a decent editor. The attempts at Olde Worlde language sometimes work, but are often too self-conscious and grating, and there are a lot of missing commas and clumsy sentence structures. The most significant problem is with the sections narrated by (and the dialogue for) Deablin, where Williams uses the thou/thine etc form, presumably in an attempt to make the character sound even more old fashioned. Except she doesn’t use “thou” – she doesn’t even seem to know it exists, exclusively using the word “thee”. Yes, the two words both mean “you”, but “thou” is the subject and “thee” is the object and they are not interchangeable (think “thee have, thee say” etc rather than “thou hast, thou say’st”. I have to assume she’s never seen a Shakespeare play or read anything in Early Modern English, because to anyone even vaguely familiar with this language it sticks out so dramatically and sounds so obviously wrong. I have a strong personal connection to Traquair where the sequel is supposedly going to be set, but honestly wish I hadn’t wasted my time on this, never mind another one. This is one of those books that just made me wonder how the hell, in the desperately competitive world of publishing, a) this author got published, and b) this editor ever got hired.
bookphenomena_micky's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 - 4 stars
Smailholm was an engaging middle-grade fantasy that was easy to read and fun to enjoy. It is a historical fantasy with olde-worlde language in small parts. I enjoyed the setting of Scotland, the differences between the haves and the have-nots and of course the Lilliput/Borrowers context of little people in a little land.
There were two protagonists in this story, a 13-year old girl called Wynn who was noblewomen-to-be living in Smailholm Tower and then short chapter interludes from Deablin. Who or what Deablin is, is revealed during the story but it was a clever connection, even though her short interjections were sometimes a little confusing. That said, the confusion was part of the story and it did build up to answers eventually.
Wynn had found the little village, hidden under the brambles, where she was a giant and they were very small. Wynn had been getting to know these folks for a few years and they had become trusted friends. At the fore of the village people were Jimmy and Jenny. Vargo, Wynn’s dog was also a key character and a sweet addition to the story.
What starts off as an interesting story becomes one of adventure, fantastical beings and unsavoury creatures. It all made for a rather fast-paced story. There were moments of reading confusion with some of the fantasy elements but the world building came and caught me up on most questions. I found the eventual Deablin answers a bit confusing and some of the beings or spirits connected to that difficult to get into. The rest of the story kept me engaged, however.
The story finished rather openly and with some elements I want to know more about and some characters I need to know about. This was a solid debut from CL Williams and I would definitely read her work again.
I need to mention what a glorious physical creation this book is. It is a small hardback clothbound book with gorgeous illustrations that really helped with the visualisation of beings in this world. The book itself is beautiful to read and own and it stands out amongst other books.
Thank you to the author for a review copy in return for an honest review.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog.
Smailholm was an engaging middle-grade fantasy that was easy to read and fun to enjoy. It is a historical fantasy with olde-worlde language in small parts. I enjoyed the setting of Scotland, the differences between the haves and the have-nots and of course the Lilliput/Borrowers context of little people in a little land.
There were two protagonists in this story, a 13-year old girl called Wynn who was noblewomen-to-be living in Smailholm Tower and then short chapter interludes from Deablin. Who or what Deablin is, is revealed during the story but it was a clever connection, even though her short interjections were sometimes a little confusing. That said, the confusion was part of the story and it did build up to answers eventually.
Wynn had found the little village, hidden under the brambles, where she was a giant and they were very small. Wynn had been getting to know these folks for a few years and they had become trusted friends. At the fore of the village people were Jimmy and Jenny. Vargo, Wynn’s dog was also a key character and a sweet addition to the story.
What starts off as an interesting story becomes one of adventure, fantastical beings and unsavoury creatures. It all made for a rather fast-paced story. There were moments of reading confusion with some of the fantasy elements but the world building came and caught me up on most questions. I found the eventual Deablin answers a bit confusing and some of the beings or spirits connected to that difficult to get into. The rest of the story kept me engaged, however.
The story finished rather openly and with some elements I want to know more about and some characters I need to know about. This was a solid debut from CL Williams and I would definitely read her work again.
I need to mention what a glorious physical creation this book is. It is a small hardback clothbound book with gorgeous illustrations that really helped with the visualisation of beings in this world. The book itself is beautiful to read and own and it stands out amongst other books.
Thank you to the author for a review copy in return for an honest review.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Blog.
ifmend's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
This was such a fun middle grade story. It reminds me of old school fantasy and the adventure stories I read when I was younger. I loved the plot, the journey type of narrative is one of my favourites. However, I had some issues with the language used as sometimes I was a bit lost. The characters fell a bit flat for me too. But, overall, it was a really enjoyable read that I binged in two days.
*I received an advanced reading copy in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
This was such a fun middle grade story. It reminds me of old school fantasy and the adventure stories I read when I was younger. I loved the plot, the journey type of narrative is one of my favourites. However, I had some issues with the language used as sometimes I was a bit lost. The characters fell a bit flat for me too. But, overall, it was a really enjoyable read that I binged in two days.
*I received an advanced reading copy in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
visibletouch's review against another edition
3.0
I had high hopes for this book and enjoyed the premise and setting but the story itself drags at times and would have benefited from further editing. This is a good start to a series but not one that I’m dying to continue, so I’m likely to pursue other books first. The pictures are gorgeous, the characters are like able (mostly, there’s some sexist remarks that make some of the plot awkward). The lore created with the small folk, moon folk, and quags is the most interesting aspect of this story, but some of the things that happen between this lore being examined slow the story down.
anjana's review against another edition
3.0
This is probably the first historical fiction aimed at young teens that I have read. I would not say children because of the concentration of the storyline on the romantic prospects and emotions of the lead cast of characters. If targetting children, I would assume it would focus more on the task at hand and the rescue being carried out, but that could just be me.
The story is of a girl who is the middle sister and not resigned to the life her family possibly has mapped out for her. She also harbours a secret. In the shadow of her tower, there is a miniature village cursed to be that way by her own relative. Now she finds out that the clock is ticking for their safety and she sets out with three others and temporary shrinking to find the resolution. They have trials on the way, and they do not really survive intact. There are deals to be made and family to be borne. It was a pretty good story, and although the series continues, I may not go with it. This can even serve as an individual tale. I would recommend this to anyone on the lookout for a different genre to read.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
The story is of a girl who is the middle sister and not resigned to the life her family possibly has mapped out for her. She also harbours a secret. In the shadow of her tower, there is a miniature village cursed to be that way by her own relative. Now she finds out that the clock is ticking for their safety and she sets out with three others and temporary shrinking to find the resolution. They have trials on the way, and they do not really survive intact. There are deals to be made and family to be borne. It was a pretty good story, and although the series continues, I may not go with it. This can even serve as an individual tale. I would recommend this to anyone on the lookout for a different genre to read.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
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