A great book. Trust me.

I am not one who enjoys fantasy literature. Sue me. I’ve just never been a fan of fake worlds or fake people. Except the ones in my mind that give me advice, but that’s a totally different thing.

When I picked up Andrew Peterson’s novel, On The Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, I was skeptical. The first few chapters introduced me to characters I could not understand, worlds that I had never known, and creatures that I’ve never seen.

And before I could stop myself, I loved it.

I already liked Andrew Peterson as a songwriter. His skills that are so beautifully displayed in his songs are seen here as well- his descriptive language, the creativity, the emotion, all of it. And the HUMOR. Y’all, I laughed out loud multiple times- and this is a young adult book! Genius. The whole thing. Sometimes I would read a chapter and then set the book in my lap just to rethink the chapter and the story. Dorky, but true. Good writing will do that to you.

Here’s the official summary (much better said than I could ever do):

In the quiet land of Skree, the Igiby children—Janner, his younger brother Tink, and their crippled sister Leeli—stumble upon the lost jewels of Anniera and determine to return them. Unfortunately, the scary-bad Gnag the Nameless seeks the jewels for his own evil ends… and so our band of friends, accompanied by their trust dog Nugget, must escape with the help of their mom and grandfather (who happens to be an ex-pirate).

Their journey takes them through an inventively fantastical world of wonders, complete with memorable characters (like Gnag’s evil minions the Fangs and Peet the Sock Man), fanciful creatures (like sea dragons, snickbuzzards, toothy cows, flabbits, and bomnubbles), and captivating places (like the Books & Crannies bookstore, Shaggy Tavern, the Dark Sea of Darkness that divides the land of Skree from Anniera, the Glipwood Forest, Ice Prairies, and the Stony Mountains).

Through fast-paced storytelling, little ditties, songs, and poems, side-splitting asides, sensory descriptions of time and place, and characters rich in heart, courage, and smarts, Andrew Peterson has created a wondrous tale you’ll enjoy and treasure—just like those lost jewels.

Sounds fun, doesn’t it? I haven’t read a book that was so purely enjoyable in a long time. It had its moments of humor, its moments of sadness, and often moments of page-turning suspense that literally kept me awake for the entire flight home from California. Yes, Andrew Peterson, I blame you for my severe jet lag.

Buy a copy for yourself. Buy a copy for a teen in your life. Buy a copy for a stranger and make their day. You can buy a copy HERE.

Lucky for someone, I have a copy to GIVEAWAY! So leave a comment if you’d like a free book!! The giveaway will close Monday at 4pm. GOOD LUCK!!

Well done, I say to you, Andrew Peterson. Thanks for another great collection of words. Don’t quit yet.

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