Children's Writer, Book Reviewer, Teacher, Artist
I'm thrilled that it's my day on the Blogger Tour for 'Feast of the Evernight'. As an added bonus, here is a short feature from Ross Mackenzie as he explains the process of writing for children. Below is my review...
Feast of the Evernight' by Ross Mackenzie is the brilliant sequel to the Carnegie-nominated 'Evernight'. With memorable characters and vivid, rich settings, the world of the Silver Kingdom is completely immersive and compelling. Mackenzie is a magician.
Larabelle Fox and her friends Joe and Double Eight have defeated the wicked Mrs Hester and stopped the Evernight from destroying the Evernight. But a year on, and new dangers are emerging across the Silver Kingdom. Strange murders have taken place beyond the Veil; the dangerous forests in the south. Joe is sent on a secret mission to Lake End, where the King plans a celebration to mark the end of the Evernight, while Lara, accompanied by a new mentor, investigate the spate of killings. Is Double Eight involved?
From the opening chapters, I was completely gripped. This a story brimming with dark moments and menace, which makes for a mysterious and thrilling read. While 'Evernight' was almost an introduction to this extraordinary world, 'Feast of the Evernight' plunges us straight in and we're swept off across the Silver Kingdom in such an absorbing and spellbinding way. Mackenzie is a world-building master. From dragon-breath lanterns, to the waft of smells on the streets and in sewers, to the crackle of magic in the air, everything is rendered in sumptuous, brilliant detail. This is four-dimensional reading of the highest calibre. Lake End makes for an especially exciting new setting , a sort-of Wild West town on the edge of a knife. There's the whiff of murder and suspicion, and a sense that magic here could be wilder and more frightening than what we've seen before. It's a great place for the action to reach it's climax.
But it's Mackenzie's wonderful evocation of his characters which really makes 'Feast of the Evernight' shine. From Lara to Joe to Sam to Rob to Ginny and the horrible Karl Younger, everyone is uniquely realised and steals the scene they're in. Even minor characters are given interior life, helping to raise the drama and stakes throughout. There are twists and surprises, all reaching a thrilling end.
Please, please, let there be a third, fourth or fifth book to this series. The world of the 'Evernight' is just too brilliant, too immersive not to want more.
Thank you to Andersen Press for inviting me on this blog tour and for my copy to review.
https://www.waterstones.com/book/feast-of-the-evernight/ross-mackenzie/9781839130472