Sparkes has brought together such a wonderful cast of quirky and unique characters that I absolutely fell in love with. I loved The Tower at the End of Time even more than The House at the Edge of Magic (which was also fantastic) and I cannot wait for the next book in the series. The chapters as well as the book itself are short and easily consumable with its fun fast paced adventure around every corner. This is a series that will be loved for generations. A book that will stand up to the test of… time, as it were.

** “It’s good to be home.” **

Step back into the fun and magical world created by Amy Sparkes in “The Tower at the End of Time.”

Former pickpocket Nine has helped release the House at the Edge of Magic from having to remain in one location for three long years, but she and her friends have hit a hiccup — a literal one. The house has developed a case of hiccups and is traveling through space and time haphazardly.

Wizard Flabberghast hopes to get to the hopscotching championship where he can get a chance to visit the Tower at the End of Time, where he can ask how to cure his house from hiccups. And Dr. Spoon, a kilt-wearing wooden spoon scientist, hopes to ask the location of Professor Dish, his partner in alchemy.

But when other strange occurrences begin to happen, they know their quest isn’t going to be an easy one.

Sparkes again creates a fun and sweet story that’s filled with humor, drama and mystery. She develops quirky and zany characters, including a sweet troll, a living spoon with a daredevil spirit and a spit-fire gargoyle. She also includes some good themes, like the impact of sacrificing to help others; a sense of home; friendship and loyalty; and doing what’s right, even when it’s not easy.

Fans of books like “The Extraordinary Curiosities of Ixworth and Maddox” by J.D. Grolic, “Field Guide to the Supernatural Universe” by Alyson Noel and “The International House of Dereliction” by Jacqueline Davies will love “The Tower at the End of Time,” which is due out June 17.

Five stars out of five.

Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster’s Children’s Publishing Division, provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

As I had not read the first book in this series, I worried I would be underwhelmed….but I was SO WRONG. This book immediately flings you into the action, and it is unrelenting until the last page. Nonstop, full throttle the whole time.
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It’s just so darn immersive. I felt like I was reading Harry Potter for the first time again (minus the problematic bits). I was especially fond of the magical food descriptions, but from literal (talking) skeletons in a closet to dragons and zombie arms…I never knew what was coming next.
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Actually, more than HP, I was endlessly reminded of Doctor Who. I felt I was thrust right into the (semi-functional) TARDIS with this mysterious and slightly manic wizard. There was chaotic world hopping, peculiar species both inside and outside of the house (including a talking spoon in a kilt), a big climatic build up, working with sarcastic enemies, and philosophical considerations of time itself. Of course, all of this was on a middle grade level that was easy to follow.
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I think kids intimidated by reading or who get bored easily would definitely love it best. Kids might need to read the first book for context (unless they are well-versed in Victorian workhouse narrative norms) but I’m sure it’s just as fun. The author has created an incredibly unique fantasy world and given it a story that’s just a RIOT of joy.

This book was cute and endearing, with charming characters and a very clever and creative premise! You love the characters as much as you do in the first title, and you’re rooting for them every step of the way. I am looking forward to learning the background of the inhabitants of the house beyond just Nine’

Outlandishly quirky, in a charming sort of way. Fast paced. Tons of action. And plenty of whimsy.

If you enjoy over-the-top antics, quirky characters, plot-based books, anthropomorphic houses, and magical adventures, then this is the book for you.

This was a wonderful follow up to it's companion novel. I will most definitly be adding this book to my classroom library. It's silly and fun and students will finish reading it before they realise they're reading :)

The Tower at the End of Time is the sequel to the House at the Edge of Magic which was most certainly magical! The second book, while definitely still entertaining is not as fresh and unexpected as the first book. Now that Nine and her new found family are free, they are traveling to the Hopscotch Championship where the winner gets to ask the Tower a question. Nine hopes to find out what happened to her mother and why she was left with just her music box. Of course, they all encounter many obstacles along the way. Although this was a good story, I felt like the unexpected was starting to be expected and did not,like the ending at all. I still look forward to the next in the series, with hopes that it will be as entertaining as the first book. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this advanced copy of the book for my honest opinion.

“The Tower at the End of Time” is the sequel of “The House at the Edge of Magic” by Amy Sparkes and Ben Mantle.

It is a charming story filled with humor and adventure as Nine and her friends travel the worlds again. Off they go to the Wizarding Hopscotch Championships. But they encountered a problem, whenever they travel they get the hiccups. As Nine finds a cure for their hiccups, she eventually unravels some mysteries about herself.

This is a perfect read for young middle-graders to enjoy. It is filled with magic and mystery that will keep the reader engaged. I definitely recommend this read.

Thank you Net galley for this advanced copy. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

Nine loves her new room in the House at the End of Magic, including the skeleton in her closet. When their house hiccups, Nine and her family end up going through the World Between Worlds. To fix it, they must enter the annual Wizard Hopscotch Championships and ask the Tower at the End of Time how to a cure their house’s hiccups. Will they win the championships? Will they find a way to cure their house?

The plot is magical, full of adventure, and is well written. The characters are funny, authentic, and well suited for the story. The word building continues to be well done and brings Nine’s world to life. Readers who like fantasy, magic, and adventure will want to pick this one up. Recommended for most library collections. Grades 4 to 8, 4 stars

What a cute story! Nine and her friends have finally broken the curse on their magical house and are able to travel the world again!

Will the new location be the place the cure the houses hiccups? What a whimsical story! I love how fast paced it was. Truly a magical story!

Thank you NetGalley, Amy and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the eARC!

Rating: ✨✨✨✨
Publication Date: June 17th 2025

My daughter really enjoyed this 💗 She loved the story line and the characters. The cover really daughter her attention. She gave it 5 stars!

I loved this book as much as I loved the first one, and I didn't think that would be possible. It felt just as put together and fleshed out and just as much fun! I loved seeing more of the characters and being introduced to more new and interesting people. I can't wait to read more about this world and seeing the old and new characters introduced.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Tower at the End of Time by Amy Sparkes is the third person-POV Middle Grade fantasy sequel to The House at the Edge of Magic. After choosing to go with Eric, Flabberghast, and Dr. Spoon, Nine is expecting a life of adventure, but the House gets the hiccups and Flabberghast is invited to a hopscotch championship to defend his former title. Things never run smoothly for this newly formed family.

The House becomes even more of a character in this book. There were glimmers of the House in the vein of ‘setting as character’ in the first one, but here the House is always capitalized and it getting the hiccups and getting personified adds to the characterization. The hiccups are similar to human hiccups with an MG fantasy spin: the hiccups cause the house to hop between worlds. It’s a fun addition to an already whimsical story.

Nine’s sarcastic and exhausted voice returns as does Flabberghast’s over the top tendencies and Eric’s attempts at being helpful. Dr. Spoon is still determined to find Dish and still butting heads with Nine. What’s nice about this is that Tower essentially picks up right where House left off so that the character change and growth is all on page for the reader to see and the things that they loved and kept them reading and asking questions are still present. I’m excited to see what will be resolved in the third book, which I believe is the end of the trilogy and to finally meet Dish.

This is on the shorter side and fairly fast-paced with easy to understand language, which makes it a great choice for younger Middle Grade readers. The use of hopscotch and hiccups feels like it’s perfect for about the 8-10 crowd as it’s not talking to readers or preaching a life lesson, but is instead following a cohesive story that has a few lessons along the way.

I would recommend this to younger readers of Middle Grade, fans of MG fantasy that love a lot of whimsy, and those looking for a voice MG that has a more jaded child protagonist

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC! This was a great sequel. I really loved seeing g the characters again and seeing them grow. This was a great adventure, I really liked the puzzles they went through. As with the first, it's an absolutely ridiculous world, but its a great story.