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hazeyjane_2's review
4.0
Thanks to Flux and Netgalley for an ARC.
The Fantastical Exploits of Gwendolyn Gray is a children’s book, so it wouldn’t be accurate to say that I enjoyed it in quite the same way I’d enjoy a book for adults. Besides, I’m not the biggest fan of books where the protagonist has apparently limitless powers.
What I liked:
The wonderful writing, the fast pace and Gwendolyn’s sheer glee at having adventures.
The world Gwendolyn visits and the people she encounters there are all skilfully and vividly drawn, from Cyria Kytain’s weird steampunky lab to Faeoria to Gwendolyn’s own dystopian City, which she’s trying to save from the mysterious Mister Men. Gwendolyn suffers setbacks and the odds seem legitimately against her. The eventual mastermind behind the plot wasn’t who I expected it to be at all.
The book features two powerful female characters (three, if you count the faerie queen Titania).
I liked the nods to Shakespeare, particularly genderfluid Puck. The protag’s mental health also features prominently. Like others, I’m reminded of The Neverending Story and, as a matter of fact, The Giver as well. There were probably other allusions I didn’t catch.
What I didn’t like (aka: Nitpicking):
Fantastical Exploits is the second in a series (which, predictably, I forgot to check for before ordering). Lacking a clear idea of the events of the previous books affected my understanding of what was going on in this one.
The phrase “It was a very specific sort of___” was repeated at least eight times. I was also slightly annoyed at Cyria Kytain’s way of talking at first, but that’s really scraping the barrel for complaints.
This is not so much a dislike as a nitpick, a matter of personal taste. It’s probably a result of my reading this as an adult, but it felt a tiny bit paint-by-numbers to me. Like ‘plug in your adventure and off you go’. I can’t explain how or why, because everything should have worked. This is probably to do with the protagonist being overpowered, or the central premise of her being the only one who’s able to provide her fellow Citizens with imagination. I know that imagination, ideas and creativity are the entire premise of the story, but there were points when I couldn’t suspend my disbelief when Gwendolyn fought enemies by conjuring up, say, vines from her imagination alone. It seemed a bit too direct a channel between the protagonist’s mind and the worlds she inhabits. I have read The Neverending Story as an adult, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I can’t quite put my finger on what it was about Gwendolyn Gray that niggled at me.
The Fantastical Exploits of Gwendolyn Gray is a children’s book, so it wouldn’t be accurate to say that I enjoyed it in quite the same way I’d enjoy a book for adults. Besides, I’m not the biggest fan of books where the protagonist has apparently limitless powers.
What I liked:
The wonderful writing, the fast pace and Gwendolyn’s sheer glee at having adventures.
The world Gwendolyn visits and the people she encounters there are all skilfully and vividly drawn, from Cyria Kytain’s weird steampunky lab to Faeoria to Gwendolyn’s own dystopian City, which she’s trying to save from the mysterious Mister Men. Gwendolyn suffers setbacks and the odds seem legitimately against her. The eventual mastermind behind the plot wasn’t who I expected it to be at all.
The book features two powerful female characters (three, if you count the faerie queen Titania).
I liked the nods to Shakespeare, particularly genderfluid Puck. The protag’s mental health also features prominently. Like others, I’m reminded of The Neverending Story and, as a matter of fact, The Giver as well. There were probably other allusions I didn’t catch.
What I didn’t like (aka: Nitpicking):
Fantastical Exploits is the second in a series (which, predictably, I forgot to check for before ordering). Lacking a clear idea of the events of the previous books affected my understanding of what was going on in this one.
The phrase “It was a very specific sort of___” was repeated at least eight times. I was also slightly annoyed at Cyria Kytain’s way of talking at first, but that’s really scraping the barrel for complaints.
This is not so much a dislike as a nitpick, a matter of personal taste. It’s probably a result of my reading this as an adult, but it felt a tiny bit paint-by-numbers to me. Like ‘plug in your adventure and off you go’. I can’t explain how or why, because everything should have worked. This is probably to do with the protagonist being overpowered, or the central premise of her being the only one who’s able to provide her fellow Citizens with imagination. I know that imagination, ideas and creativity are the entire premise of the story, but there were points when I couldn’t suspend my disbelief when Gwendolyn fought enemies by conjuring up, say, vines from her imagination alone. It seemed a bit too direct a channel between the protagonist’s mind and the worlds she inhabits. I have read The Neverending Story as an adult, and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I can’t quite put my finger on what it was about Gwendolyn Gray that niggled at me.
filmingpages's review
3.0
The second book featuring Gwendolyn Gray, and I was so excited to read it, considering I loved the first one!
This time, the story takes us to Faeoria and even darker places, as the Mister Men get out of hand and Gwendolyn has to try even harder to save her world and her friends!
I will be honest, I didn't like this book as much as the first one, mainly because faeries aren't really my thing. I enjoyed the steampunk world of Tok way more, but in this book, I really enjoyed seeing Gwendolyn grow, physically and emotionally.
Old characters and new, all come together to create a compelling story that I'm sure every middle grader, or even adult, would enjoy!
This time, the story takes us to Faeoria and even darker places, as the Mister Men get out of hand and Gwendolyn has to try even harder to save her world and her friends!
I will be honest, I didn't like this book as much as the first one, mainly because faeries aren't really my thing. I enjoyed the steampunk world of Tok way more, but in this book, I really enjoyed seeing Gwendolyn grow, physically and emotionally.
Old characters and new, all come together to create a compelling story that I'm sure every middle grader, or even adult, would enjoy!
scostner's review
4.0
"After saving the world, Gwendolyn might have expected some kind of "happily ever after." But...things seemed to be worse than ever. It was not the end to her story that she'd expected." Gwendolyn returns home and finds that her efforts are being undermined and that the Faceless Men are after her once again. She sets off on another round of adventure that lands her in the realm of Oberon and Titania, in the company of the legendary inventor, Cyria Kytain. (It turns out that the legends were a bit wrong on a few details.) Gwendolyn must find her missing friends, Sparrow and Starling, deal with the mischievous faerie Robin, and try to find a weapon to defeat the power behind the Faceless Men.
But there are some really fun parts, too. Discovering the Library of All Wonder is a treat, with its rows and rows of shelves and book carts that can move themselves and even climb stairs. There are the beautiful faerie parties and clothing, battles with pirates, clockwork gadgets, spells... So I suppose the good and the bad balance out, enough that Gwendolyn can get on with saving the world again, anyway.
Titania's realm is a completely different setting than Tohk, and the library itself is a truly wondrous place. Gwendolyn and the other characters have done some growing and maturing, so there are shifts in the relationships from the previous book. The typical angst of moving into the teenage years and wondering about whether one is liked, or loved, is mixed into the struggle with the powers that hold the city in such a grey dreary state.
A word of warning to those whose patrons are uncomfortable with characters who behave outside strictly hetero-normative bounds. Robin is a gender fluid faerie who presents as either Puck Robin (feminine) or Robin Goodfellow (masculine), as they choose. And Cyria Kytain laughs at being referred to as a man in the legends. "Of course, the tales of my many wives may have had something to do with it..." she says.
Those who read Gwendolyn's first book will be delighted to see her back in action and having new experiences as she continues in her efforts to liberate her home. If you haven't read The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray yet, try to find a copy. I know they have one in the Library of All Wonder, but they may also be found closer to home.
I read an e-book provided for review purposes by the publisher.
P.S. I love the cover art showing Gwendolyn with one foot in the Library and one in the realm of Faeoria.
But there are some really fun parts, too. Discovering the Library of All Wonder is a treat, with its rows and rows of shelves and book carts that can move themselves and even climb stairs. There are the beautiful faerie parties and clothing, battles with pirates, clockwork gadgets, spells... So I suppose the good and the bad balance out, enough that Gwendolyn can get on with saving the world again, anyway.
Titania's realm is a completely different setting than Tohk, and the library itself is a truly wondrous place. Gwendolyn and the other characters have done some growing and maturing, so there are shifts in the relationships from the previous book. The typical angst of moving into the teenage years and wondering about whether one is liked, or loved, is mixed into the struggle with the powers that hold the city in such a grey dreary state.
A word of warning to those whose patrons are uncomfortable with characters who behave outside strictly hetero-normative bounds. Robin is a gender fluid faerie who presents as either Puck Robin (feminine) or Robin Goodfellow (masculine), as they choose. And Cyria Kytain laughs at being referred to as a man in the legends. "Of course, the tales of my many wives may have had something to do with it..." she says.
Those who read Gwendolyn's first book will be delighted to see her back in action and having new experiences as she continues in her efforts to liberate her home. If you haven't read The Marvelous Adventures of Gwendolyn Gray yet, try to find a copy. I know they have one in the Library of All Wonder, but they may also be found closer to home.
I read an e-book provided for review purposes by the publisher.
P.S. I love the cover art showing Gwendolyn with one foot in the Library and one in the realm of Faeoria.
annarella's review
5.0
This is one of those books I would have liked to read when I was a child.
Gwendolyn is a great and strong willed character and I couldn't help rooting for her.
The plot is engrossing and entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Gwendolyn is a great and strong willed character and I couldn't help rooting for her.
The plot is engrossing and entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
alexwhimsypages's review
3.0
The best features of middle-grade books, for me, are (1) friendship and (2) adventure. Gwendolyn Gray series definitely has both, with some magic and deep character study sprinkled on top.
Gwendolyn Gray lives in a dystopian world that has no imagination or color. People who live in the City are bleak and uninterested. They are kept from exploring their creativity and imagination by the authorities. Of course, Gwendolyn Gray with her wild red hair and mind that creates world of its own won’t be a “good” citizen.
In the first book, we saw Gwendolyn’s first adventure and her attempt to help the citizens of the City. Both books read very easily of their own, each one has that sense of conclusion at the end as most middle-grade stories do. However, I wouldn’t advise reading them out of order, as the first book introduces very important characters and events that carry on into the next installment.
«The Fantastical Exploits of Gwendolyn Gray» had many interesting elements. But sadly, I didn’t like it as much as the first book. And I feel like it will be the case of whether you like or dislike stories about Fae.
I don’t dislike Fae in books, but I’m a little bit tired of them and want something else. I had a big dose of faeries and Fae worlds with Sarah J. Maas and Cassandra Clare, that I tend to stay away from fae-focused books at the moment.
At no point did I expect for B.A. Williamson to also explore the Fae world. It was still very interesting and very well done, but once again, the trope of beautiful but cunning Faes didn’t really appeal to me.
In the second book, Gwendolyn is also a little bit older and we see that transition from middle-grade to YA. There is a big focus on her mental state and how she deals with it. While I liked the use of magic to emphasize her mental struggles and angry outbursts, I didn’t like the mopping around and everyone staying on their tip-toes around her.
As you can see, this book had a lot of elements I loved [friendship, magic, inventions, different worlds], but also had elements that put me off [Fae, Gwendolyn’s character path].
Overall, it was a very solid middle-grade to YA transitional book. If you love Fae and their tricks, you will enjoy this book way more than I did. The next book in this series will probably be even more YA than this one, and I don’t think that I will be continuing with this series.
Gwendolyn Gray lives in a dystopian world that has no imagination or color. People who live in the City are bleak and uninterested. They are kept from exploring their creativity and imagination by the authorities. Of course, Gwendolyn Gray with her wild red hair and mind that creates world of its own won’t be a “good” citizen.
In the first book, we saw Gwendolyn’s first adventure and her attempt to help the citizens of the City. Both books read very easily of their own, each one has that sense of conclusion at the end as most middle-grade stories do. However, I wouldn’t advise reading them out of order, as the first book introduces very important characters and events that carry on into the next installment.
«The Fantastical Exploits of Gwendolyn Gray» had many interesting elements. But sadly, I didn’t like it as much as the first book. And I feel like it will be the case of whether you like or dislike stories about Fae.
I don’t dislike Fae in books, but I’m a little bit tired of them and want something else. I had a big dose of faeries and Fae worlds with Sarah J. Maas and Cassandra Clare, that I tend to stay away from fae-focused books at the moment.
At no point did I expect for B.A. Williamson to also explore the Fae world. It was still very interesting and very well done, but once again, the trope of beautiful but cunning Faes didn’t really appeal to me.
In the second book, Gwendolyn is also a little bit older and we see that transition from middle-grade to YA. There is a big focus on her mental state and how she deals with it. While I liked the use of magic to emphasize her mental struggles and angry outbursts, I didn’t like the mopping around and everyone staying on their tip-toes around her.
As you can see, this book had a lot of elements I loved [friendship, magic, inventions, different worlds], but also had elements that put me off [Fae, Gwendolyn’s character path].
Overall, it was a very solid middle-grade to YA transitional book. If you love Fae and their tricks, you will enjoy this book way more than I did. The next book in this series will probably be even more YA than this one, and I don’t think that I will be continuing with this series.
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