Reviews

The Curse of the Gloamglozer by Paul Stewart, Chris Riddell

ailsaod's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.0

 Reread. This was one of my favourite series when I was younger but I have never particularly liked this book. If you are starting this series people usually advise starting here but I would argue that 'Beyond the deepwoods' (book 1 of the Twig trilogy and the actual first book written in this universe) or 'The last of the sky pirates' (book 1 of the Rook trilogy) as better alternatives. I personally started on Stormchaser (Twig trilogy book 2) and I read them all horribly out of order and it was still great - though I would say that from 'The Immortals' and after you should maybe read them in order.

If you aren't familiar with the edge chronicles then this is a story taking place over hundreds of years following Quint Verginix (the protagonist of this book) and his descendants through the ages. This sounds potentially quite dry but the world of the edge is full of floating rocks and trees (and as a result ships and cities), fantastical creatures, hostile environments and many different peoples, all of which is illustrated in great detail by Chris Riddell. The worldbuilding is great and changes as time passes.

'The curse of the gloamglozer' is fine as an opening book of a trilogy but I would argue that the whole Quint trilogy feels a lot like prequels to the rest of the series. The deepwoods are such an integral part of the Edge Chronicles but they are only mentioned in this book, this book is focused exclusively on the floating city of Sanctaphrax and in particular on the Most High Academe, Linius Pallitax. Linius has been acting strangely and it is up to Quint (his new apprentice) and Maris (his neglected daughter) to figure what he's up to. This is all well and good but all the characters are so mean to each other? For the whole first half Maris and Quint are at odds (

Maris makes fun of Quint for being scared of fire when she KNOWS he almost burned to death when he was small and lost most his family. Are you laughing because I'm not?!

) and only join forces out of necessity and their fathers are both flaming disasters and this is before I get to the majority of the population of Sanctaphrax!

I'm not sure if Stewart & Riddell set out to create a Frankenstein retelling but they kind of did? I wasn't too keen on this part but it sets up for stuff much later in the series. 

franflo's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

friedatweehuysen's review against another edition

4.0

Power, absolute power can be your downfall in life and so too in this book...

It is also surprising just what we will do to aid someone we care about and how fear blocks us.

This is a splendid start to what looks like it will be a staggering tale.

thatreadhead's review against another edition

5.0

No idea why I only rated this 3 stars on my last review! Because this was just as amazing as I remember! It was amazing being transported back to the land of the Edge, Sanctaphrax and everything that entails. I love the fantasy in it: the different creatures, professions and ways of life.

No romance, which was awesome!

And the little pictures throughout really helped my imagination, rather than hinder it. I read it really quickly. Once I started, I basically couldn't put it down. 45% in the first sitting, and the remainder in the second. It was crazy! No regrets though. This was just awesome.

lokenstein's review against another edition

4.0

I felt like reading some light hearted fantasy during the holidays, and this was a bit darker than expected, but still quite nice! I like the world building, supported by strange names and crooked drawings. I’m curious to see where the story will go from there.

readingisadoingword's review against another edition

4.0

A great intro to the Edge. I mostly loved the illustrations though.

ssgcedits's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious fast-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

5.0

I love The Edge Chronicles and this title does not disappoint. What's better than a quest to keep a city from floating away? It is an awesome adventure where we get to know the Edge World a little better. Persnoally, I loved to learn more about the academes of Sanctaphrax. It's great to see how these narratives connect and build up a wonderful fantasy.

kittyg's review against another edition

3.0

This was a really fun book which revolved around Maris (the daughter of the Most High Academe) and Quint (son of Wind Jackal who is the Captain Sky Pirate on the Galerider ship). These two characters are both intelligent, resourceful and full of life and fun which makes for an enjoyable storyline as their paths cross when Quint is Apprenticed to Maris' father.

This story has a lot of really cool things in it such as glass creatures (Tweezle), Gloamglozers (demon shape-shifters), Professors, Sky Pirates and much more. There are all sorts of peculiar creatures from all over the world, and the whole book is filled with unique quirks and funny characters. Also, a huge bonus of this book and series is that it's illustrated by Chris Riddell which is a LOT of fun and his artworks really bring the entire story to life and give a very fun feeling to the book.

This is a light-hearted adventure story which shows some wonderful moments between young friends and enemies. I think there were some very wonderful teaching moments (as this is a children's book) but equally it was a very fun read and the moments of investigation and mystery were both exciting and intriguing.

This book was by no means totally care-free and there were some darker and more sinister moments which really helped to set the tone and mood, overall it was whimsical and enchanting to read. It seems as though it's a great start to a fun series and I will probably pick up the next one sometime soon :) Recommended for anyone who likes a fun children's read with fantasy elements! It didn't blow me away, but it was fun, and that's key to a great children's story!