This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

I'll start by saying this novel is a little out of my usual reading tastes. For me, this was a children's book - listed as a 'middle-grade' read, ages 9-13. If the chapters were short and more episodic, it could have been suitable for those 3-9 year olds that have a good attention span for listening to things being read aloud.

It reminded me of Enid Blyton's 'The Faraway Tree' which I have been reading recently. It had a good storyline, and its very child friendly (with the exception perhaps of the Queen and the blood). There are 1-2 pictures per chapter, which add a nice counter-note to the text. I enjoyed them, even though they were simple.

For me, the plot points and turning and excitement were completely transparent but for younger readers this would not be the case. Basically, any time that something went smoothly, there was a spanner in the works!

I made the mistake of forgetting to write the review for this for a little while, and then wondering what there was that I liked about - when I knew I did like it, and thought it was appropriate for its intended age group.

Something I will say - the ending was not very happy. The rat! Oh the rat! And the various betrayals and not really knowing what was going to happen irritated me a little, but I guess that's because I wanted more depth there and some concrete finishing parts. There is a second book in this series, so if your son or daughter (or you) enjoys this kind of thing, then go for it and get it at the same time, because they'll want to read the second right afterwards.

I received a free copy of this book after I won it in a giveaway, and then offered to do a review and another giveaway for the author. This has in no way influenced the review I have given. ( )

Kristina is an unpopular grade school girl that can't seem to find anyone to like her, except for her pet rat. She is the recepient of a very special gift from her teacher, but it doesn't seem like much to begin with. A small ball that seems to make a funny little noise. But this is no oridinary trinket. Getting this to the right place could mean the life or death of all the magical creatures in the fairy tale world Kristina finds herself in.

The reader is introduced to gnomes, dwarves, fairies, and talking animals. There is betrayal, intrigue, sabatoge, and new friendship. This is an amazing book for young readers (my daughter is currently reading through it at 8 yrs old and loves it).

4/5 ( )

This review was originally posted on my review blog : Falling Off The Shelf.

Kristina Kingsley has never really fit in with all of the students in her school, and always happens to be the butt of every joke. She looks forward to a day when everyone is nice to her for a change, and she's not judged by what she wears or how she looks. When she receives a mysterious Christmas present, she finds herself magically dropped, literally, into a world full of creatures thought to be fictional.

In Bernovem, Kristina is known as the "chosen one", because she holds the key to their freedom. Her mysterious Christmas present is none other than a magical item known as The Magic Warble. Kristina is no longer made fun of, but is accepted for who and what she is, and is honored as the holder of The Magic Warble. Using The Magic Warble, Kristina needs to find a way to release the people of Bernovem from the evil grip of their Queen Sentiz. She will find help along the way from dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, and even talking animals.

I'm not going to say that I loved The Magic Warble, because unfortunately I didn't. I thought it was an okay novel, especially since this was Victoria Simcox's debut. It was a little juvenile for my opinion, but the story was quite interesting. While this story didn't grip me the way I had hoped it would, it did hold my interest enough to finish the story, because I wanted to find out what would become of Kristina, and Bernovem.

The characters in The Magic Warble were very well described, and it was easy to picture the characters in my mind. The description of Kristina alone makes me think of my time in school, and how the children that didn't have the coolest things were made fun of. I liked seeing one of these unfortunate children step forward and be the center of attention, and prove that she was special in her own way.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of Victoria Simcox's work in the future, and curious to see how her writing develops further in her career. ( )

When I was first contacted by the author to review this book, I was, honestly, not sure how I would like this book. But I believe every author deserves a fair chance at having their book reviewed and the word spread about good books, so I happily agreed to review it for her. I am glad that I did!

This book is a wonderful and exciting new book for young readers. It is filled with entertaining fantasy and wonderful, dear characters that is sure to capture the young reader's heart. Kristina was such a dear character that I felt like I met a new friend. My heart went out to her with her struggles of not fitting in at her school, but I loved how she over came that when she was transported to the magical land. Kristina felt as if she belonged there, had friends there when she met the dwarfs, animals and fairies.Truly a sweet story.

I have never really been a big fan of the fantasy styled writing, but the talent of Victoria Simcox is one that I enjoyed and will happily spread the word about. This is a 4 star book!

You can purchase a copy of this book by visiting here.

*This book was provided for review by the author* ( )

The Magic Warble is marketed for ages 9-12, or for young adults, but book lovers of any age can appreciate this tale of adventure and dreamy fantasy.

Author Victoria Simcox creates a wonderful character in Kristina, a girl that other children (and even adults) can easily relate to. I was happy to have a heroine that wasn't the most popular and acted age appropriate. Don't worry that having a female lead character will put off any male readers - - my 13 year old son read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. As additional praise for Ms. Simcox, my son read this in a day and, not being a voracious reader like his mom, is very particular about what he reads.

What attracted me most about this book, other than the lovely and vibrant cover, was the description of gnomes, fairies, talking animals and an evil witch. The Magic Warble reminded me, at times, of both The Chronicles of Narnia and Harry Potter series of books but it most definitely stands strongly on its own.

I found it an enjoyable read and one that would be absolutely appropriate as a family read due to no objectionable language or situations, and with undeniably good underlying messages about friendships and perseverance. The fantasy and adventure elements are top notch and the best part of the book, in my opinion. Reading the descriptions of Bernovem and its varied residents created vivid images in my mind, which were helped by the black and white illustrations throughout.

I was happy to spend a few magical days in Bernovem with Kristina and Raymond, and all the wonderful people, dwarves, gnomes, fairies and talking animals they encountered, particularly Werrien, Rumalock, Clover and Looper.

I only hope, based on the ending, that Ms. Simcox possibly has a sequel up her sleeve.

Recommended for adventure and fantasy lovers of all ages who want to celebrate their youth or reclaim it. ( )