Last week when I posted my review of The Tiltersmith I was evidently overly enthusiastic about sharing this book with you, which is far better than admitting that lately I seem to have become calendar-challenged. As part of Algonquin’s book tour, my post was/is supposed to appear today. So, here we go with déjà vu all over again!
Amy Herrick
April 5, 2022
Algonquin Young Readers
Blurb:
Myths and monsters collide with climate chaos in a thrilling fantasy adventure.
Spring has arrived in Brooklyn, New York, but winter refuses to let go. Sleet, snow, and even a tornado batter the city. Mr. Ross, the science teacher, believes climate change is the cause, but classmates Edward, Feenix, Danton, and Brigit suspect older, magical forces are at work. When a peculiar character calling himself Superintendent Tiltersmith appears with a keen interest in the foursome, their suspicions are confirmed, and they’re swept up in a battle of wits and courage.
The friends must protect a set of mysterious tools belonging to the Lady of Spring. If they can free her from her underground prison, winter will end. But if the Tiltersmith steals the tools, he will keep the Lady in his power and upset the balance of nature forever.
Purchase Links:
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What if someone imprisoned the Lady of Spring and winter never ended? Amy Herrick’s The Tiltersmith takes the reader on an adventure as best friends, Edward, Feenix, Danton, and Brigit begin an unknowing battle with magic and obtain items that would help their fight–that is, if they could remember them.
Amy Herrick has created an amazing world that I thoroughly enjoyed with magic, wisdom, and unforgettable characters. Throughout the pages, the readers learns some interesting facts, such as, did you know that mushrooms eat plastics, or that carnivorous plants, like the Venus fly trap needs to be activated twice before closing so that it doesn’t waste precious energy? These interesting bits as well as some mythology are interwoven throughout the adventure of Edward, Feenix, Danton, and Brigit.
The characters of Edward, Feenix, Danton, and Brigit are well-layered and diverse with each providing a necessary element to understanding or dealing with their predicament. Some of the adults seem to understand the situation that the teens find themselves in and sometimes provide resources as though this battle has been fought before.
Edward’s Aunt Kit, a baker with a penchant for what her nephew deems to be weird philosophy, believes in the interconnectedness of the world and that even the kneaded dough can pick up vibes and misbehave depending on how the would-be baker deals with their emotions.
One of the most exquisitely described characters is the title character, the Tiltersmith. I envisioned him as a weirder and certainly more malicious Johnny Depp-Willy Wonka-type meshed with Snidely Whiplash.
While this is definitely a book for Middle Grade readers, I enjoyed it very much and found the ideas and story intriguing, educational, and, well, magical. The educational aspect because it’s presented in a fun manner should not in any way be off-putting.
I hope that adventures in The Tiltersmith continue.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
