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My boys are avid readers, and being the homeschool mom that I am, I thought it would be great for them to share some of their favorite books here in this space! I hope that by bringing you some book summaries/reviews, it could help you get new ideas for books and help you to discern whether or not these books are a good choice for your family.
Enjoy my 15 year old son’s review of The Wingfeather Saga!
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
The world of Aerwiar is a world full of mythical creatures, quirky personalities, and legends of old. But for twelve-year-old Janner Igiby, it is a world of fear. Living in a small village house with his siblings, Tink and Leeli, his mom, Nia, and his grandfather, Podo, he is constantly avoiding the Fangs, the ghastly monsters who terrorize the town and occasionally take someone away, never to be seen again.
When Janner and his siblings go to the Glipwood Dragon Festival, the only fun event of the year, Janner is excited. But while there, they are kidnapped by Fangs! Nia manages to bribe the Fangs to free them, but now they must be extra wary.
And this is only the beginning. The rest of the book is filled with action, suspense, and questions about their heritage. Finally, at the end, the secret is revealed: Tink, the second-oldest, is the rightful heir to Esben Wingfeather, former king of the long-abandoned Shining Isle of Anneria. And Janner, the oldest, is the Throne Warden, whose life’s duty is to protect his brother.
While the first book, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, is all right, it is really just the setup for three amazing books. The second one, North! Or be Eaten, follows the Igibys traveling north to the Ice Prairies, where a band of people gathering to rebel against the Fangs are hiding. However, they are constantly getting sidetracked, and Janner and Tink are struggling with their identities as protector and king. Finally, it becomes too hard for Tink to cope and he runs away. On top of that, Janner is taken away to a factory where kids are enslaved and forced to make weapons for the Fangs. Janner finds a way to escape, but he now must make the journey to the Ice Prairies alone. After a long, hard journey, he is reunited with his family – except for Tink.
In the end, there is a battle of rebels and Fangs, and Tink is saved – but there is a huge price. Tink has been turned into a half human, half wolf.
In the third book, The Monster in the Hollows, the Igibys try to settle in at the Green Hollows, a village where Nia grew up. Janner, Tink, and Leeli attend school there. But Janner isn’t sure how he feels about Tink having fur, pointy ears, and claws. Sometimes it feels like he’s the same old Tink. But other times he can’t help staying away from him.
Tink is having a much harder time adjusting to his new form. Townsfolk jeer at him when he passes. Some call for him to be put down. He tries his best to be as nice as he can, but sometimes his new wolf instincts get the best of him. More and more often, he wakes up with feathers in his fur and blood on his lips, not remembering where he’s been.
Janner and Tink start bonding like never before through the Durgan Guild, a type of intense warrior training that they’ve decided to try. One day, Tink takes Janner to a cave he’s found. Inside is a cloven, a beast said to hunt people down and kill them. Janner is flabbergasted, but Tink believes it means no harm.
In an exciting climax, Tink is taken away by the townspeople to be executed, only to be saved by the cloven. However, the cloven, mistaken again for a fearsome beast, is killed by one of their own.
In the final book, The Warden and the Wolf King, the Fangs invade the Green Hollows. All throughout the night, the Hollish must fight the evil monsters. Leeli is up all night, fending off the Fangs with the magic of her songs. It seems to be an endless battle, exhausting everyone down to their last bits of energy.
But Janner and Tink aren’t anywhere near the action. They are off on their own, seeking to defeat Gnag the Nameless, the evil one who leads the Fangs. They must endure the Deeps of Throg, a horrible place where people are locked up forever. They must fight for their own identity as Gnag tries to turn them to his side. And they must convince Gnag himself that he doesn’t have to give himself over to evil and darkness.
The ending of the Wingfeather Saga is not by any means a perfect ending. But Janner, Tink, and Leeli will always be united through the power of love.
Personal Opinion: This is a great series for a variety of ages (my 9 year old brother loved this). To me, there is no better book series. There are so many great characters, and the plot will keep you reading for days straight. But the thing is: it’s the kind of book that almost doesn’t matter what the plot is, because the characters have so much passion for each other and they just feel so real – that’s what makes this series so good. I couldn’t ask for more from a series.
Rating: 100/100
Content Warning: Obviously, there are themes of war and some violence. There are also occasional dark themes and sadness/grief.