BY DAVID GLENN

Fellowship & Fairydust staff member David Glenn shares his reviews of young adult novels, many nominated for the Thomas Newberry Award. In this final post in the series, Glenn reviews fantasy novels.

A Song of Emrys by Ian Wilson

Self-published, 2021. Paperback, 83 pages.

In the days before Arthur Pendragon ruled, Camelot had a king named Emrys. He and his brother Uther stand firm against the Saxons, but the land has far more ancient enemies to worry about. A foe called Arawn seeks to return England to the old gods, and will destroy Camelot to make it happen.

Meanwhile, the bard Taliesin is meeting strange figures who claim to know him. His strange gifts appear to be key for the coming conflict, but can he unravel the mystery and help save his king? Or will Camelot fall before the greatest legend can come to pass?

I enjoyed reading a story that takes place before the time of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. It adds something new to the legends that have been a staple of fantasy for centuries. The story moves a little fast, but for many that would be a positive. Overall, this is a fine prequel to the Arthurian lore and worth reading.

I will warn that this book has general fantasy peril. Characters are attacked by monsters several times, but that’s to be expected and symbolizes the challenges we must face in life. One character stumbles upon a woman at a river but quickly turns away until she tells him it’s safe. Villages are mentioned as having been destroyed, but these actions are not seen.

Parents and teachers can use this book to help teach that we can use our gifts to benefit others. Another great lesson to use this book to teach is we should be loyal and patriotic to our nations. There are also lessons on how our friends can help us get through our challenges.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle (Time Quintet #1)

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1962. Hardcover, 202 pages.

Margaret “Meg” Murry is a girl who lives with her mother and three siblings. Out of all of them she is closest to her mother and youngest brother Charles Wallace (who pretends to be stupid at school even though he is a genius). They still wait for Mr. Murry to return home, but one night they are visited by a strange woman called Mrs. Whatsit who tells them some strange things. Before she knows it Meg finds herself on an adventure with her brother and one of her schoolmates across the universe to save her father from a foe that threatens everything.

I was surprised at this story. It seems to combine elements of fantasy with science, which makes a nice change of pace from what I normally read. I was also surprised by the nods and connections to religion in this adventure because I’ve grown too used to them not being there. The inclusion helps build up the story instead of hold it back, and helps illustrate the danger the characters face. It was hard for me to start because of the science stuff, but eventually I was able to get over it. Even though I can’t explain it I understand why this book has won the hearts of people over the world, and highly recommend that everyone read it at least once.

I will caution that characters are constantly traveling through a thing that feels overwhelming, and people are possessed by a demonic entity. However, I think it helps emphasis that life will not be an easy thing to experience, and that there are those out there trying to control our very thoughts. So I say more people should definitely read this book.

Parents can use this book to illustrate how we are all engaged in a war against evil, but good will triumph in the end. This one’s a little cliche, but love is one of the strongest forces in existence.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1977. Hardcover, 128 pages.

Jess Aarons is living a normal life on his family’s farm. He likes to draw, but previous disapproval from people has forced him to only do art in secret. Then, one day, a new family moves onto the farm next to his family’s, and Jess meets Leslie Burke. Eventually the two of them become friends, and she helps Jess unlock the power of imagination as they create their own special kingdom, Terabithia. Their antics fill Jess’s life with light, but when reality hits will the special magic that was found survive?

Okay, when I first read the book I expected to see them actually find a portal to a real fantasy realm. While this isn’t that story, it’s still delightful and shows how we can find magic in the world around us. I was genuinely saddened by the tragedy, but that illustrates how beautifully written the characters were. It’s easy to see why this has won a Newberry award, and why this story is highly recommended as a must-read.

There is some light profanity in a few uses of “hell” and “damn”. Siblings get on each other’s nerves, but that’s pretty common. A girl is mentioned as smoking, but is never seen doing it. It’s revealed someone gets beaten by a parent, but never shown as this is meant to help build sympathy for the character. A student believes they’re in love with their teacher, which I’m going to admit still creeps me out.

This book has a few great takeaways, like we have a wonderful world that has so much to offer us. Life means sometimes we have to say goodbye to those we love, and often those goodbyes are painful and hard to bear. We can use our gifts to create wonderful things, whether it be books, illustrations, videos, machines, or whatever we feel driven to build.

Katie McCory and Destiny’s Diamond by C.L. Collar (The McCory Chronicles #1)

Independently published 2019. Paperback, 199 pages.

Katie McCory, her brother Billy, and their friends Donnie and Ariel all have a secret: they’ve all been to a world where fairies live and saved it from evil. While learning about the mystical, Katie’s grandmother is cursed by dark magic, so the band of four must return to the world of Fey. There they learn that a powerful relic has been stolen, and if it’s not recovered it could alter the fate of Fey forever. Will the four friends be able to recover the item and save the world? Or will destiny be altered for the worst?

It was pleasing to return to Fey, and I regret taking so long to do so. It was a step up from the first story, as they’re trying to learn and train themselves to be prepared for the future. I enjoyed seeing more mystical elements that draw not just from the tales of fairies, but from Arthurian legend and even Greek mythology. I admit the start was a little difficult, and jumping between characters got a bit confusing, but everything blended together and everyone contributed meaningfully to the story and the quest. The ending, however, blew my mind and caught me by surprise. Definitely worth reading for fans of fantasy.

Caution wise, there are a couple of moments with blood, but it’s not graphic or gory. There are some moments where the kids are in peril, as is to be expected in these stories.

People who want to have a discussion could use this story to talk about having to grow up and face the world. In a way it can also be used to illustrate reasons why it’s important to learn about our heritage. Kids would benefit from learning that sometimes we can help those we care about by doing something different from what we planned, that sometimes life requires us to take a different course than what we’d like.

The High King by Lloyd Alexander (The Chronicles of Prydain #5)

Taran returns to Caer Dallben after his travels chronicled in the previous book, but unfortunately rejoicing is cut short. Through deception Arawn has stolen the sword Dyrnwyn from Prince Gwydion, and is gathering his forces to wage war on the land. Defeat will mean an era of darkness for Prydain unless the Death-Lord is stopped once and for all. Armies shall assemble, oaths shall be tested, and none shall escape from this conflict unscathed.

Lloyd Alexander did a fantastic job closing out the Chronicles of Prydain in this novel. No plot threads are left open, and there’s a bittersweet joy to the ending. Over five books we’ve seen Taran grow from an impatient youth to a caring man. Eilonwy has also grown from the first book, but is still as fun as ever to read about. There were moments in describing the passing from scenes where my mind wandered, but overall the book is well-written and while I’m sad this is the last adventure in Prydain I’m happy with the ending we got.

I will warn that as this book is about a terrible war in which many characters are killed in violent ways. There are some terrifying descriptions, but no swearing or sexual content. Still, some parents and teachers might want to preview this book before deciding if it’s something they want kids to read.

Parents of religious backgrounds can use this book to discuss with children how in the days to come there will be a final battle between good and evil. One lesson that everyone can get behind is we are free to choose our own destinies.