For anyone who loves fairy tales with a twist, the Rondo series is the perfect way to escape to a world of magic and mystery. Rodda creates a new layer to the classic formula, drawing from familiar characters such as evil queens, talking animals and mythical creatures, but the addition of two protagonists from the modern world adds a new and exciting flavour. Rodda has invented an enthralling world where all of our beloved fairy tale characters exist at once, and the fate of these characters are dependent on heroes from our world.
Rodda’s enchanting writing style describes the settings so vividly that it’s easy to picture them as you read along; the way the landscapes are described could easily be illustrations from a book of fables. This makes it easy to envision the delightful town square, the enchanted forest, the troll’s bridge and the queen’s castle, making it a nostalgic and comforting read. The characters are charming and easy to love with their conveniently fitting names, and the mechanisms of the world make the reader wish it was real. The book offer plenty of twists and turns throughout as the unlikely heroes try to figure out who they can trust in this strange world that follows a different set of rules than their own. While the characters may seem one-dimensional at first, you can’t help but come to love them as the story progresses and reveals more about their lives.
A classic fantasy adventure, Key to Rondo has plenty of action, chases and peril involving magic and legendary weapons. Rodda also entwines secrets and mysteries that are slowly unravelled one-by-one, keeping you guessing and theorising when you’re not worrying whether the heroes will escape whatever danger they’re currently in. This book is truly an enjoyable piece of escapism with a deeply engaging world that will make you rethink all the fairy tales that you’ve read as a child. This is only the first book in a wonderful and thrilling trilogy; it will be difficult to walk past the sequels after you’ve read this one.
Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda is available for sale here!
Skulduggery Pleasant – Playing with Fire is the second novel in Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant series. Following on from the events of the first novel (if you have not read the first novel, or do not want spoilers, please STOP reading right now), the novel picks up a few months after Skulduggery and Valkyrie defeated …
Eleni Hale’s Stone Girl is an incredibly powerful and honest story about the Australian foster care system. Drawing on elements of Hale’s own childhood, the novel is a confronting look into the troubling conditions faced by the children most in need of care. When twelve-year-old Sophie is moved to a foster home after the death …
April Genevieve Tucholke’s high fantasy novel, The Boneless Mercies, sweeps the reader into a deeply evocative world that grants a feminist take on classic tales inspired by Norse mythology. A retelling of Beowulf, the story follows a band of young women called the Boneless Mercies as they abandon the life they knew and travel the …
Melina Marchetta’s coming-of-age novel is a refreshingly mature young adult adventure that captures the feeling on the crux of growing up and watching all that was familiar with the world shift into something new. On the Jellicoe Road transports the reader to a world caught between the dreams of childhood and the horrors of reality, …
If you’re a fan of the recent film version, Riggs’ debut novel is a must-read. His engaging writing transports you into his gothic and fantastical world, combining imagery and expression to make it difficult to put down. The voice of the protagonist, 16-year-old Jacob Portman, is full of personality and is relatable to anyone who …
Contagion by Teri Terry is a ticking time bomb of a novel, each chapter bringing the reader closer to the point of impact. This pre-apocalyptic dystopian novel set in Scotland follows two unique and compelling viewpoints; Shay, whose world is about to be changed forever, and Callie, who has seen everything but can communicate nothing. …
Book Review – Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda
Rodda’s enchanting writing style describes the settings so vividly that it’s easy to picture them as you read along; the way the landscapes are described could easily be illustrations from a book of fables. This makes it easy to envision the delightful town square, the enchanted forest, the troll’s bridge and the queen’s castle, making it a nostalgic and comforting read. The characters are charming and easy to love with their conveniently fitting names, and the mechanisms of the world make the reader wish it was real. The book offer plenty of twists and turns throughout as the unlikely heroes try to figure out who they can trust in this strange world that follows a different set of rules than their own. While the characters may seem one-dimensional at first, you can’t help but come to love them as the story progresses and reveals more about their lives.
A classic fantasy adventure, Key to Rondo has plenty of action, chases and peril involving magic and legendary weapons. Rodda also entwines secrets and mysteries that are slowly unravelled one-by-one, keeping you guessing and theorising when you’re not worrying whether the heroes will escape whatever danger they’re currently in. This book is truly an enjoyable piece of escapism with a deeply engaging world that will make you rethink all the fairy tales that you’ve read as a child. This is only the first book in a wonderful and thrilling trilogy; it will be difficult to walk past the sequels after you’ve read this one.
Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda is available for sale here!
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Skulduggery Pleasant – Playing with Fire is the second novel in Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant series. Following on from the events of the first novel (if you have not read the first novel, or do not want spoilers, please STOP reading right now), the novel picks up a few months after Skulduggery and Valkyrie defeated …
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