A review by bookishends
Dwarf Story by W.W. Marplot

3.0

"Maybe all the little accidents in our lives, the bad unlucky things, or small lucky chances, are actually being controlled in secret and from another world. Each event is matched to a folktale being, and it is all real."

I think Dwarf Story is great for kids and teens who love a good story, especially one with great description of the different beings, events, and history. For a story this long, I needed more action than description for me to stay engaged, but I think this is perfect for people who love to really get into the setting of a book.

I enjoyed seeing the interactions between the characters and the folktale beings, and Tryst the Magnificent was definitely my favorite. I thought the story of why the creatures were appearing was strongly developed, and I liked the way it was slowly introduced as Arty, Emma, and Cry go on adventures to find more information about their creatures and what's occurring. I also liked the format of the friends co-writing the story together and interrupting each other's chapters to talk about what they think is important to knowing the story. I think younger readers will love that aspect as it makes it feel more personal or conversational.

It did feel like it was dragging half way through though especially when Emma keeps mentioning that nothing is happening. It's funny for a bit but it added a lot of filler that I don't think was needed.

Overall, this was a fun story, and I think a lot of young readers will enjoy getting lost in Arty's world as they try to figure out what's growing in Arty's yard and what Tryst is searching for.

*Thank you to Books Forward for the free copy. All opinions are my own*