The Warble - Book Review & Giveaway!!!

As a busy mom of three, writer and devoted wife, I've sadly left my hobby of voracious reading behind for a few years. But when I get the opportunity to review a book for my blog, I don't pass it up! It's a great excuse for leisure reading. Even so, I generally prefer books that will benefit me in some way (like Get Famous on the left side-bar) or that I can read along with my girls, ages 5 and nearly 7 (like this one!).

Victoria Simcox authors The Warble with a delightful mixed essence of timeless stories like "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "Lord of the Rings." Because I'm raising two daughters, I so enjoyed reading a book with a strong female lead. Kristina, a 12-year-old girl who isn't exactly part of the popular crowd, is "the chosen one."

I'll tell you more about the story in a moment, but first I'd like to extrapolate a bit on the character of Kristina. She isn't just unpopular, she's actually regarded as a misfit and frequently teased. She doesn't understand why, but what I liked was that she doesn't dwell on it either. On one hand, she dreads school because of the way the other kids treat her, but on the other she gets along very well with her teachers and is a decent student. As a mom, I liked her natural confidence and ability to observe that the behavior of the other kids was more related to them and not her. Simcox doesn't spell this out, but it is easily, if not consciously, inferred by the reader.

Now, onto the story. It's a magical adventure where, through a gift given to Kristina by her favorite teacher, she is transported to another world! Animals speak and dwarfs, fairies, gnomes and scary zelbocks roam the land ruled by an evil queen. It's Kristina's job as the chosen one to return the "Warble" to its resting place, thereby breaking the spell set by evil Queen Sentiz, which keeps the land of Bernovem in her terrible control. There's a prince, of course, a few surprises and plenty of action perfectly appropriate for any school-aged child, though 8+ is my recommended age for an independent reader; I read it aloud with my girls each night at bedtime (and didn't have to worry about nightmares, even with the zelbocks!).

The Warble is an adventure story that left my girls and me satisfied, yet yearning for more! We can't wait to read the sequel! The good news is YOU CAN WIN a copy for yourself (or your children, if you prefer to share)! A hardcopy is up for grabs to US Residents and 3 ebooks will go to lucky winners around the world!

Good luck!

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