North! Or Be Eaten: The Wingfeather Saga Book 2
The Igiby/Wingfeather family was secluded in a tree house in the woods until a friend (Oskar) warns them to flee – the Fangs of Dang were in hot pursuit of them. The family, heirs to the kingdom of Anniera, consists of Tink the King, Janner the Throne Warden, Leeli the musical sister, and Nia the mom. Along with their Uncle Peet and Grandpa Podo the family must move quickly to journey north where they will find safety from the viscous Fangs.
The trip is a treacherous one. Along with the Fangs, throw in some cranky trolls, tough terrain, deadly rockroaches, horned hounds, and toothy cows and you get the idea what sort of ride the children are in for.
Wow! What a fanciful adventure. The creatures and characters are inventive. Imagine such things as cave blats, quill diggles, and dagger fish to name a few more. This book is a creative wonder. But, it will require your undivided attention. This is not a book to be skimmed. Blink and you'll miss an important element to the story. There are scattered footnotes and appendices that help the reader understand aspects of the detailed realm that has been created. Besides the breathless adventure, there are numerous selfless acts of bravery by all members of the family, even their dog Nugget.
Here is an excerpt:
Oskar laughed and turned his tired eyes on Janner. "Miller's bridge, my boy! Can you believe it? A legend proved true. A lot of that going on these days, it seems. Lost jewels, heroic deeds. I tell you, seeing the way you Igibys- Wingfeathers, rather – manage to survive makes me dare to believe the old stories are true after all. All those epics about mighty victories and brave kings. If I live long enough to sit at a desk again with a quill and parchment, I'll tell about this day. I'll put it down so that a thousand years hence some lad will read of the day Janner Wingfeather charged the Fangs of Dang beside his stout grandfather or how young King Kalmar's (Janner) skill with the bow drove and army of Fangs to retreat."
Be aware it does have some harshness. There is a factory run by child labor, and the children there are mistreated and physically abused. Those with sensitive hearts will find their blood pressure elevating when they read those scenes! In fact the journey is so perilous for each member of the family you will wonder how they will every get north in one piece, or as one unit. Despite the grim circumstances, the family ties remain strong, forgiveness abounds, and hope stays alive. I enjoyed this truly unique world, and think in particular fans of Narnia or the Tolkien books will find The Wingfeather Saga a delight.
Besides writing books, the author keeps busy in Nashville as a Christian folk singer/songwriter. Here you can read an in depth bio: http://andrew-peterson.com/index.php?s=au&nid=77799
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