The Magic Warble by Victoria Simcox

A social misfit finds her self in another world where she can save a kingdom and make new friends. Kristina Kingsley is a girl who doesn’t quite fit in. Her best friend is her pet rat, Raymond. Through magic she finds herself in Bernovem, a kingdom under the sway of an evil Queen. Her adventures there comprise the story.

All kids, at some point, feel like they don’t belong. This book will appeal to anyone who has felt like they may be slightly out of step with their peers. Kristina meets a wide variety of beings and shows no discomfort in accepting them. I’ve mentioned in past review how much I enjoy anthropomorphism. All the animals talk in the book and provide a different perspective. The story is a somewhat simplistic magic quest to save a kingdom. Simcox does a nice job in keeping the action coming while building her characterizations. I suspect this book will do well in the 4th to 6th grade reading groups.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Victoria Simcox

Review


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Wizard for Hire by Jim Butcher

This is an omnibus which includes Storm Front, Fool Moon and Grave Peril.
Harry Dresden is a wizard for hire, thus the title. As the only wizard listed in Chicago’s yellow pages, Harry gets a lot of crank calls. The stories evolve around a somewhat inept wizard with a good heart and a Don Quito complex. Harry never seems to accurately calculate the odds and therefore ends up in deep doodoo with great frequency. His relationships with authorities, both mundane in the Police Department and arcane in the White Council are consistently strained. I am fond of the entire genre of the hard boiled detective with a heart of gold and I delight in the exploits of wizardry. I enjoyed all three books and will be seeking out more from the same author.

Body of work of Jim Butcher

Review: http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/004275.html

Web Site: http://www.jim-butcher.com/