I was initally really excited for these books. They sound fantastic and a bit quirky which I love, but for some reason I had a really really difficult time getting into this in the beginning. I'm not sure if it was getting used to the writing style or the pointless cliffnotes that kept feeling like a waste of time to read but then I finally figured out just ignore the cliffnotes until the end of the chapter instead of going back and forth and that helped me to get into the book MUCH better.

Once I was in the story, it really took off. I loved the characters and their amazing family filled with such unique people like grandpa Podo the old peg leg pirate. And their mother with all of her secrets and strength that held the family together. And I loved how no matter what happened they always were there for each other fighting there way out of whatever tried to come between them.

For me the book really took a turn for the better when they quit playing by the rules and decide to take matters into their own hands and defeat the evil Fangs of Dang that were trying to force them into the black carriage. From here there is action and adventure at every turn of the page and it keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering how they can possibly get away.

I also loved Peet and knew that he had a bigger role to play than what we were initially led to believe. He ended up being one of my FAVORITE characters by the end. And I really hope he has a larger role in the next book in this series. I also hope that there are less cliff notes in the next book as well because as much as I think the author wanted them to be funny and interesting... they were really just distracting and somewhat annoying.

All in all this was a really fun read and I can't wait to get into the next book to find out what happens to the Igibys!

This is a really great novel. The story is about the adventures of three Igiby siblings- Janner, Tink and Leeli in a war-strewn world. I love the world-building of this book. The book was adventurous, fun, interesting and unique. The writing style reminded me of JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis. In fact I like the writing style in this book more than the writing styles of both of them (I am not a fan of JRR Tolkien or CS Lewis). Overall, this is a really great book which has the capability to be loved by both adults and children alike. The conclusion was very nice. I started reading the next book in this series (thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher) as soon as I finished this book because I was not able to contain my curiosity of what will happen next.
I sincerely thank the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this wonderful opportunity. Above all, I would like to thank the author, Andrew Peterson, for writing such a great book.

I was nervous going into this series because I dont do middle grade too often, but its my husbands favorite series so I had to give it a go! I will say it is such a great little series, the first book does a tad bit of a slower start, but I love the sibling connection we get to see. The feels of going on an adventure is so lord of the rings like but for our beginning fantasy fans! I'm really happy to see these books get picked up for some renewal feels and hope it gets the attention it deserves

Read! And be delighted!

When I began the book , I literally laughed out loud just reading the introduction. Then I found myself immersed in the saga of the Wingfeather children. The method of storytelling bordered on ridiculous at times, in the way that only a fanciful tale can do, and for me personally that creativity is what made the book so delightful. I could imagine my own grandfather narrating such a story. Peterson’s storytelling and creativity truly shine creating these delightful tales for youth and adults alike. I highly recommend both On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and its sequel North! or Be Eaten. (Books three and four will be released in the autumn and they wrap up this series with a beautiful depth of truth and love that makes these stories a true gift.)

An amazing and interesting book! I very much enjoyed it! I would recommend to all fantasy lovers. Characters are interesting and well developed and I had no problems to emerge myself in this world! Thank you for enabling me to read this amazing work!

This book hooked me from the first page. I told my husband that the writing reminded me of the Princess Bride (the book) with its footnotes and humor. That was just the first page. As the book progressed, I knew it was one that needed to be read to my kids. My two older boys (tweens) had already read Narnia and Lord of the Rings. I knew they’d love this, too. And they did. Passionately.

This book and the 4-book Saga as a whole, are in my personal top 5 books/series of all time. In fact, both my husband and I stole the book from the “read aloud” area so we could devour it faster. The journey is a beautiful, amazing, captivating, and heart-rending story of love, courage, redemption, family, and hope.

I love the new hardcover editions. The pictures help the book feel less intimidating to my 5th grader who doesn't typically pick up a "fat" (ie: regular-sized) novel on his own.

I will admit I had a hard time with On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. There was much about the book that didn’t really appeal to me personally. As I tried to read this book through the eyes of my students, I realized that On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness has much that will appeal to older elementary and middle school students – including a huge “grossness factor.” Andrew Peterson shows that he knows his audience, what they are like and what they like. I can see Janner and Tink in some of the boys I work with. Peterson incorporates many elements of a good fantasy – mythical creatures, made up world, adventure, a journey, danger, and even new words. The book is well-written and everything “makes sense” within the plot line Peterson crafted. I do look forward to reading other titles in the Wingfeather Saga.

I will be adding On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and other titles in the Wingfeather Saga to my K-12 Christian School library.

I received an advanced copy as a member of the launch team. This is my honest review.

Amazing work. Enjoyed this story to the fullest. The character development was amazing. The story line was interesting and entertaining.

I read "The Hobbit" in 1983 when I was in 3rd grade, and Disney's "The Sword in the Stone" has long been one of my favorite animated films. I am (obviously) a fantasy story fan. I grew up with Narnia, King Arthur, and Dragonlance, and have since found great stories in thrillers, horror novels, epic fantasy, and even narrative fiction that reads like non-fiction. Tell me a good story, and I'll be happy. Make me feel something.

I'll admit that it's easier being a fan of these books if you are already a fan of the author's main gig - which is as a singer/songwriter. Andrew has a quirky sense of humor, and a tremendous way with words. These books are no different. It's been fun to watch him read this book live recently on Facebook - now that his kids are all but grown - and hear him chuckle (and them laugh in the background) as he reads through some of the silly names of people, places, activities, and such. This is an adventure story wrought with peril, but Andrew definitely doesn't take himself too seriously. He wrote these for children (he has 3), and doesn't lose sight of the fact that children love silliness as much as they love adventure, danger, rescue, and the like.

This first book in the series is a fast-paced introduction to the world, the storyline, the histories, and the adventure to come. It's written for kids, but I found myself enjoying more the further I read. It really has heart, and there are deeper stories underneath the main narrative. I've read this book twice, and enjoyed all of it.

*Disclaimer* - this is NOT Narnia or Lord of the Rings. It wasn't meant to be. There is plenty of fun originality with the setting, etc., but it is a simple story. It has action, peril, escape, all on repeat. Just like every story we loved as kids. It follows a very familiar formula, so don't expect to find the re-invention of the children's fantasy genre.

With that out of the way, I love the family aspect of this story, I love the heart that is in the characters. I love the silliness (kids are resilient, and often find laughter and silliness even in the midst of sorrow, loss, or fear). And while there are aspects of the story that follow a prescribed formula, there are also some surprises thrown in. I'm an adult, so sure I figured out a lot of the nuanced "mysteries" early on that kids might be surprised with as they read further into the story. That's ok with me - I don't read for the "whodunnit", I read for the stories. The journey. This new hardback edition also has wonderful illustrations of many people and various creatures - bringing a uniqueness in the story to a deeper level for me. There are also "footnotes" throughout that give fun descriptions of various things - giving the reader a deeper glimpse into the world of Aerwiar.

This journey has so far been enjoyable. My kids are grown now, but I still want them to read these books. And one day, I'll be the old storyteller reading them to my grandchildren. Five stars from me - the book is everything it is meant to be, and it definitely makes me FEEL. Thank you, Andrew, for bringing your way with words to the novel as well as the song.

I had never heard of The Wingfeather Saga before January 2020. I've listened to andrew Petersons songs and enjoy his writing in them, so I was anxious for the launch of these books! I was completely unaware this was a relaunch.
I have so completely enjoyed this book and reading it to my littles, anticipating everyday the next chapter and its descriptive details! I had no clue when we began that the smallest scene would cause a lump in my throat.

The 3 children, their mother and grandfather are instantly lovable, endearing and relatable. Peterson's description of being homesick was so exactly right I found myself trying not to cry. Leelis' song, even though I have no idea what tune she was singing to, made us feel as thoug we could hear it!

Podo (grandpa) made all my children and I instantly think of Mr. Edward's with a peg left, an eye patch, and tattoos!

Please grab these books. They are so sweet.

I remember seeing the Amazon short film for this story years ago, which was my first introduction to this series. Since then I have seen several of my favorite authors praise this series to the sky. When sign-ups for the launch team came up, I had to sign up.

The story world that Peterson has created is whimsical and full of colorful and fun characters. The "historical notes" and appendices are also very amusing, though at times were a bit distracting. I loved the gorgeous new illustrations and the songs and poems throughout the story. I love the bond between the Igiby siblings as well. While the story moves a bit slowly, the world and the characters are very intriguing. This would be a great book for a family read-aloud or an independent middle-reader who loves Fantasy.

I barely managed to get through this book despite loving the story and the characters. The writing was good, but there were times when it failed to hold my attention and it just made it so hard to finish.

Adventure, suspense, humor and bravery. These are all found on the pages of Book 1 of the Wingfeather Saga.
Oftentimes stories written today are fraught with interpersonal drama and riddled with cultural talking points and agenda. Where children are looking for an adventure and a place for their imaginations to grow, they are instead often offered up a paltry plate of everyday life mixed with some bathroom humor.
From the first page, I knew this story was different. There is artistry and imagination in the words found on each page and I was especially delighted by the footnotes. Footnotes you might wonder?!? Yes, the footnotes were detailed, delightful and where I seemed to find a story within the story.
The Wingfeather Saga doesn’t shy away from addressing the battle of good versus evil, or even addressing the battles the characters have within themselves and amongst each other. I was pleased to notice that I thought about the story and the characters even when I wasn’t reading the book (the best stories do this!) and that I stayed up late to read just.a.few.more.pages.
Relevant for a time such as this: a story that not only acknowledges that there are evils to face, but also gives an inside look into what bravery looks like (it doesn’t always mean you don’t feel fear!), and reinforces the truth that no matter how dark the battle seems, the sun will rise and tomorrow always comes.

This book by Andrew Peterson is incredible. Not only is it funny but it also has a strong message. It teaches readers about trust and hope when circumstances feel hopeless.

This was an interesting read. For the age group of Middle Grade readers, I would say this book is perfect. It teaches valuable lessons, has some giggles and goofiness thrown in, and has moments of being insanely intense. The book gives me all the vibes of <i>The Hobbit</i> in terms of how Tolkien--and Peterson in this--references locations, people, and places as though they have always existed and always will. There's an air of agelessness and antiquity to a lot of this story that made me really appreciate it.

But, other than Podo, I had difficulty connecting to the characters. I understand they're children, but in a world where they have been raised to live in hardship and enemy occupation, you would think they would understand staying safe and out of the way. The main three kids in this gave me the vibes of children from today dropped into a fantasy world with absolutely no clue on what they should and shouldn't do. None of the siblings seemed to have any sense of fear or repercussion for their actions despite living in a dangerous place. While the reader is repeatedly told it's a better town and life than most in this kingdom, it's also repeatedly mentioned that children are snatched without warning and people injured/flogged simply because they looked at a soldier wrong.

And yet there are many moments throughout this story where the main children do the DUMBEST things ever and literally if they had just stayed put or not gone somewhere, the majority of the drama in this story wouldn't have happened.

Also, I couldn't stand the dog. I love dogs. Usually the pets are my favorite in stories, but I could not stand Nugget because it felt like Nugget was the reason for a majority of problems and there was no reason for that.

The ending dragged on an insanely long time, and I was bored through the entire last quarter of the book. <spoiler>The main family group was kidnapped and escaped at LEAST three times that I remember--it was so anticlimactic and you knew by the second time it happened that either they would get caught with no consequences other than useless threats or they would get away with no repercussions to begin with.</spoiler> The big reveals at the end of the story were very unsatisfying after the constant back and forth of the conclusion of the story, and despite having access to the second book, I have no desire to continue on.

Again, this is definitely a story that would appeal more to younger audiences, but I do wonder if kids and teens themselves may be just as bored as me by the end.

Glipwood, a pleasant little town where three children are growing up. They live on a small farm and have daily chores around the farm like baling hay and cleaning out the hogpig pen. They are home-schooled but occasionally get to go into town to help the owner of the bookstore. Their town has been taken over by the Fangs of Dang, cruel gator-like creatures that ruled for Gnag the Nameless.
The children are in town and Leeli and Nugett (her dog get into trouble when a Fang named Slarb tries to hurt Nugget and Nugget tries to bite him and Leeli hits Slarb with her crutch. The Fangs gather the children up and throw them in the jail. Non- stop adventure ensues from here with secrets and treasures and dangers galore. This is a rollicking fun read. Often humorous and very often edge of your seat exciting. There are so many characters and backstories that the author has added footnotes to explain some things. In the e-book version I read these were randomly placed and often did more to interrupt the story but in a hardback version I'm sure they are at the bottom of the page. The ebook version also loses most of the adorable illustrations or cuts them in half which is disappointing.

As part of the launch team, Waterbrook Multnomah and Penguin Random House sent me this complimentary paperback to review and I’d say: a great fantasy-adventure series for a family read aloud or for kids ages 10ish and up to read on their own. The story’s enemies, known as the Fangs, could be a tad scary for younger kids who may be more sensitive to harsh scenes and fighting sequences. I have a 5yo who would probably not like these monsters. 😬 Though, the bravery of the siblings in the story would encourage any young (or slightly older 🙋🏻‍♀️) reader. I really enjoyed this first book (giving it 4.5 stars), would say my favorite place in the book is the local bookstore, Books and Crannies, and can't wait to read the rest!

I have absolutely loved this book! Andrew Peterson has crafted a world unlike any other within the pages of this book. As I read I can almost feel the mists of the Dark Sea on my face. He both compliments and rivals the works of Tolkien and Lewis. I cannot recommend this book enough!

Middle grade fantasy is not my usual genre of choice, but I still found myself enjoying this adventure story of three siblings in the town of Glipwood. There is much to delight readers in the way of plot, but the values of sacrificial love, bravery, and strength are also woven throughout the tale. With the allegorical style of Narnia, the tenacity of the Vanderbeekers, and the silliness of Rhold Dahl, this is a must read for fans of adventure and imagination.

Last night, on time-change evening, I had a heavy heart and hamster-wheel thoughts. With an advance copy of <i>On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness</i> freshly loaded on my e-reader.

I’ll be honest: I was most interested in sharing this series with my nine-year-old nephew. Happy that the new illustrations were likely to pull him into the books I’d enjoyed for the first time in their original form, now four years ago.

But good fiction is good medicine, I say, and soon I was sucked into the story, chuckling and laughing out loud at the toothy cows and other silly, slapstick creatures inhabiting Aeriwar – as well as the three very true-to-life children – fears and longings, squabbles, insatiable stomachs and all –who inhabit the pages of this book.

Some of my very favorite books are middle-grade fiction, and this one is joyously whimsical with a dash of teary-eyed. It’s silly and serious and suspenseful, and best of all, while it acknowledges sorrow as real, there are moments of wonder as well. Best scene of all for me last night: standing on a mind-bogglingly tall cliff at the very edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, hearing music from such an unexpected source. And remembering (balm to my sore heart) that God sings over me.

In a podcast, Andrew Peterson described how whenever he got stuck in the writing process, he’d read the latest chapters to his own three children – and it shows. This isn’t a story written for how someone imagines children to be; it’s written for real people – some of whom happen to be kids.

Andrew also said he’d ask himself what his 12-year-old self would want in a book: and it’s there: sometimes slightly gross humor, sometimes silly, sometimes epic, and sometimes downright scary. This series might not be the best choice for more sensitive kids – but it’s just right for kids who want to become a little more brave.

Janner, Tink and Leeli wrestle with child-size sorrows: Leeli’s lameness and the loss of their father, whom they don’t remember. They also move towards adult understanding of their own foibles, the nature of trust and bravery, and how to respond to the occupation under which they live.

But this is not a navel-gazing book: it’s crammed with near-escapes and rash escapades, and there are plenty of questions to answer. How can Tink keep up with his ever-growling stomach? Why are siblings so annoying? What is the mysterious manor they’ve been warned against visiting? Why won’t their mother and grandfather talk about their father? Can they really be trusted? Who is Peet the Sock Man, really? And most of all – what are the Jewels of Anniera?

Like few authors I know, Andrew Peterson “gets” the paradox of living with joy and sorrow all jumbled together. He expresses the homesickness we have for something beautiful, mysterious, and yet familiar. And even – perhaps especially – in a book for children, he communicates a sense of hope.

Good fiction really is good medicine.

Thanks to Netgalley for the digital ARC.