The kingdom of Cornucopia was once the happiest in the world. It had plenty of gold, a king with the finest moustaches you could possibly imagine, and butchers, bakers and cheesemongers whose exquisite foods made a person dance with delight when they ate them.

Everything was perfect – except for the misty Marshlands to the north which, according to legend, were home to the monstrous Ickabog. Anyone sensible knew that the Ickabog was just a myth, to scare children into behaving. But the funny thing about myths is that sometimes they take on a life of their own.

Could a myth unseat a beloved king? Could a myth bring a once happy country to its knees? Could a myth thrust two children into an adventure they didn’t ask for and never expected?
If you’re feeling brave, step into the pages of this book to find out…

It’s another new year, so of course, there is a new set of graphics for the blog. I like to change up the theme each year – otherwise I get bored! Creative people will understand the urge 😉

So, The Ickabog has become my first read of 2021, and this year you’ll see a focus on me enjoying the experience of reading and not trying to one up myself with added finery and accessories.

Reading The Ickabog was a great escape for me. As some of you know, I’ve been unwell this Christmas period and while reading this was on some pretty strong antibiotics which came with a ton of nasty common side effects (of which I had all!), so being able to escape into this fantasy land was a welcomed experience.

I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to discover between the pages of this book. I knew I wanted to read it as it was Rowling’s Harry Potter that got me into reading in the first place. I don’t know what I was expecting by I was very surprised by the tone of the narrators voice because it was so different from the HP books. Of course, it would be, they’re completely different books but it just didn’t dawn on me when I started to read.

I think it’s wonderful that Rowling has written again for children, I imagine she was quite daunted by the prospect after the success of HP – I know I would be!

The Ickabog was such an interesting piece of fiction to read and I felt like it was a story that could have been dreamed up by any parent to entice the ears of children. The story was different, it managed to tell an entire story using many perspectives to paint a full picture instead of focusing on one or two characters povs.

The pictures that accompanied the story were so imaginative and awe inspiring. I could only wish to have had the talent for art that those young children currently possess. It was very interesting to see all their different takes on what they thought the characters looked like.

I did find it a little disbelieving that a King could be so far removed from what was going on in his Kingdom. I know the book is aimed at 7-11 year olds but really, there were windows in that castle he could have looked out of and I’m sure, though weak and selfish he was, he could have separated himself from Spittleworth and Flapoon if he so wanted. However, I concede that is the joyous possibility of children’s fiction, it is not supposed to be dissected by an adult mind but simply enjoyed by a childhood mind.

I give this book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟