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!
Courtney Summers’ well-written murder mystery is a modern take on the genre. Following the sister of a missing girl and the journalist trying to find her, Sadie’s format is unique, if a little confusing at times. The chapters written from Sadie’s perspective are in first person, but every second chapter is written as a script …
Jakob Wegelius’ middle-grade novel The Murderer’s Ape tells the story of Sally Jones, an anthropomorphic gorilla working closely with a man known as ‘The Chief.’ Together, the two journey all around the coastlines and rivers of Europe and its surrounding areas aboard a grand sailing ship known as the Hudson Queen. When a midnight expedition …
In the first book of a fantastic new middle-grade series ‘Tilly and the Boookwanderers‘ we follow Matilda ‘Tilly’ Pages, an eleven-year-old book lover who is cared for by her loving grandfather and grandmother in the five-storey London bookshop Pages & Co. Tilly has lived with her grandparents for as long as she could remember, since …
In 1984, one of modern literature’s most celebrated works, readers are introduced to Winston Smith, who lives in a dystopian society in which everything–from actions, movements, careers, and, even in some cases, thoughts–are monitored and recorded tirelessly. In this society, all individuals are governed by organisations who mandate conformity and allegiance, and who will cause …
Elizabeth Murmur is moving with her unusual friend Zenobia to Witheringe House, the place where her dad grew up with his sister Tourmaline. Zenobia loves it and is convinced that there is a Spirit Presence in the East Wing, where they are forbidden to go. She tries to contact it using a book on clairvoyance, …
DRAGON RIDER follows the tale of Firedrake, a young dragon who sets off on a quest to find the acclaimed Rim of Heaven after learning that his home–and all the dragons that live in it–are in grave danger of a man-induced flood that will destroy their riparian home. Along the way, he will be joined …
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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