Reviews

Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart, Chris Riddell

obr's review against another edition

5.0

I remember feeling too old for the Edge Chronicles when I was given the Twig trilogy as a gift, and wasn't sure if a book with pictures was still worth my time. Thankfully I gave up this snobbish idea and started reading, not least in part because of those beautiful illustrations by [a:Chris Riddell|59749|Chris Riddell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1276920548p2/59749.jpg].

Protagonist Twig is an instantly likable kid who embarks on a quest to find out who he truly is. It is sweet, touching, funny, bizarre and sometimes really quite dark given that it's a pre-teen read. However the story flows beautifully, carefully touching on the darkness of the Edge world without dwelling on doom and gloom. Friendships, family, love, loss and discovery all tie in to the fantastical setting that is so well described it makes you (almost) wish it were real. A wonderful adventure to start off the series.

bhrfletcher's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

The very first of the Edge Chronicles books, it is quite strange to read after the prequels as it becomes quite clear how much work was done to flesh out characters that feature in passing in this book especially. Unlike the prequels, this mainly focusses on the Deepwoods and Twig's attempt to escape them. Twig's narrative is episodic but keeps the attention but the links to the prequels don't quiet work.

_kiers_'s review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

izsyhh80's review against another edition

4.0

Oooooh it is nice to get back into some children's fantasy! I loved the unique obscure characters and that something new and exciting was always happening... And the illustrations, oh the illustrations :)

hedgefruit's review against another edition

4.0

so eternally charming

zdm720's review against another edition

5.0

Got this book as a gift when I was younger. I remember absolutely loving it but never reading the rest of the series. Decided to pick it back up and loved it just as much! A very fun book with all sorts of characters and adventures!

ashleyliautaud's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

This was a favorite for me growing up so I wanted to reread it with fresh eyes. I still love the world building aspect and the fantasy. Twig has many sticky situations he finds himself in, and with every chapter, Twig finds himself in a new predicament. my only issue was there were a lot of moments I had to reread because it wasn’t making sense to me. While yes a lot of the species of animals and plants were made up, I found myself getting lost from the story telling rather than from the words. Overall though still a good read

koram_fantasy_reviews's review against another edition

3.5

Kaum ein Buch hat mich so sehr beeinflusst, weswegen für mich viel Nostalgie dazu gehört. Die Geschichte ist in diesem ersten Band noch sehr einfach, aber das wird durch die Welt wett gemacht. Und es ist eine der besten Fantasywelten überhaupt. So viel Spannung entsteht durch die verrücktesten Wesen, die man sich vorstellen kann.

(+)
 - Unglaublich spaßige Geschichte
 - So viele kleine Geschichten, die Twig erlebt, die der Hammer sind
 - Wunderschöne Illustrationen

(-)
 - Erzählstil sehr einfach gehalten
 - Plot nicht der Fokus

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gofid_letterkerl's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

It is a good read for children, who like adventure stories

vreads3's review against another edition

5.0

I read this book with a few friends and we all loved it! Occasionally slow, but never enough that you couldn't forgive the author and continue. Great fantasy adventure!