I can’t actually believe this is my first book by Sophie Anderson! It will certainly not be my last. It was a delight to read from start to finish.The cover is beautiful and very inviting, as are the illustrations throughout. I loved the characters, especially the heroine, Olia, her grandmother and Felix. I loved the vivid descriptions, the fantastic magical adventure and the themes running through the book. Definitely one to share at school!

Full of family, magic and kindness, The Castle of Tangled Magic is an extraordinary story which is not to be missed.

Olia lives in a beautiful castle filled with secret passageways and unreachable domes. When her beloved home is attacked by a magical storm, she must venture into a hidden world of magic to face her family's dark history and risk everything she loves for a brighter, fairer future.

The Castle of Tangles Magic is a fantastic exploration of troubling histories and the way we can deal with pasts that make us uncomfortable, tearing down monuments to past atrocities, but never forgetting the need to do better.

Olia is a wonderful protagonist who understands that it is people (or magical spirits!) who are important, not places or objects, no matter how much we might love them, and learns that home is about the people you love, not where you live. She is generous and kind, always striving to help as much as she can, but she also shows that it is okay to make mistakes. Olia is a hero who doesn't always get things right, but that's okay, because life is about learning and growing. She is a protagonist children will be able to see themselves in, sometimes afraid and insecure, but desperate to do what is right.

Olia's world is full of magic and wonder, and her home - and this incredible story - will set readers' imaginations soaring.

Thank you, Usborne for sending me an advanced copy to review on NetGalley.

The Castle of Tangled Magic is an enchanting and beautifully-told fairytale, packed with peril and magic and legend and characters you can't help but fall in love with. It's deeply atmospheric and events unfold before the reader's eyes as if in a movie. It really is just what I needed to take me away. And one of the many things I love about Sophie's writing is that it is classic storytelling. I'm transported to another world, sitting at the storyteller's feet, waiting for more.

Saara Söderlund's artwork is so charming too and a perfect match for this story. 5 stars from me.

Absolutely amazing book. Contains so many important life lessons such as the importance of family and friends over material things and how to he grave and face your fears. Beautiful quotes that I can't wait to share with my class.

The Castle of Tangled Magic is the highly-anticipated next novel from Sophie Anderson who brought us the wonders that are The House With Chicken Legs and The Girl Who Speaks Bear. It doesn't come out until October but already the Edu Twitter world is alight with 5 star reviews and a buzz of anticipation for this new release.

The Castle of Tangled Magic revolves around our protagonist, Olia, a thirteen-year old girl, who lives in Castle Mila along with her family, including her newborn sister and wise old grandma, Babusya. The castle has been part of the family for years and passed down through generations from a home for royalty to the loving family home it has become. Olia loves exploring the castle and is desperate to unearth all of its secrets, particularly those which hide underneath the huge castle domes.

However, Olia's exploration of the castle is put on hold, when Babusya tells of a magical storm which threatens to destroy Castle Mila unless it is stopped. And so begins our heroine's journey of magic, bravery and friendship - all in a desperate attempt to save the people and the place she loves the most.

Magic is weaved in effortlessly by Sophie Anderson through Olia's travels as she discovers what true friendship is as well as uncovering the history of her ancestors. At many points the friendship between characters reminded me of the innocence and desperation of The Wizard of Oz and I enjoyed the way that each new character contributed something new to the friendship dynamics within the book.

I can't review The Castle of Tangled Magic without also mentioning the richness of Sophie Anderson's description throughout the whole novel. I don't know how she sustains it but I'm ever so glad she does. From the first chapter I was hooked in by her vivid descriptions which just add to the magic of the action and help tell the tales of the Castle and of Olia.

The Castle of Tangled Magic does not disappoint and is yet another triumph to add to my pupils' bookshelves. Perfect for lovers of folk tales, magic, and adventure.

A traditional tale of friendship, bravery and family.

What a wonderful story!

This tale has everything - a strong central character, magical creatures that are unique and original, and a fabulously crafted castle leading the reader on a journey through a magic land. The over-arching messages of the story will serve as starting points for some great discussions in the classroom. The story is accompanied throughout by Sara Soderland’s outstanding illustrations, which for me are an integral part of the book’s success.

Look out for Sophie Anderson’s usual clever details - one in particular, which I won’t spoil, made me grin with delight. Some, such as her descriptions of the different clocks which mark the passing of each hour, had me looking forward to seeing what the next one would be, and wanting to draw them for myself.

It was a privilege to be able to read this in advance of publication, and I am certain Sophie’s fans, old and new, will love this title as much as I do.

Sophie Anderson weaves a wonderful story of self-belief, magic and adventure in The Castle of Tangled Magic.

Be whisked along on Olia's adventure as she finds her inner strength, a host of amazing spirits and learns to listen to her heart.

Anderson has a wonderful way with words, whisking her readers into her Olia's journey with delicious descriptions and vivid imagery.
I loved this, can you tell?!

Reviewed by Emma Perry: Picture Book Author [I Don't Like Books. Never. Ever. The End & This Book Has Alpacas and Bears] & founder of MyBookCorner

Another superb novel from Sophie Anderson. The Castle of Tangled Magic weaves slavic folklore, magic and adventure into a wonderful story that I read in one sitting.
Olia learns all about herself, her hidden abilities, her perceived limitations and how to overcome them as well as more about her ancestors and the rest of her family.


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3490732226

I really enjoyed this beautifully written adventure story from Sophie Andersen but I've come to expect nothing less from her.
Olia has grown up with her family in a huge castle although, since the revolution, the riches have gone and her family live a simple life. Olia loves to explore Castle Mila and longs to find her way into the domes whose hidden entrances have eluded her. When a magical storm leaves the castle damaged, Olia finds her way into one of these domes leading her to embark on a dangerous quest to save the castle from further destruction and protect her family. Olia proves a worthy heroine: brave, determined, kind. However, another standout character is her sidekick and protector Feliks. There is a delightful range of magical characters and, although they are based on Slavic mythology, Andersen has really made them her own. It was great to see references to charcters from her other books here too!
This is a story full of magic with family and friendship at the heart. If you enjoyed The House With Chicken Legs or The Girl Who Speaks Bear I am sure you will enjoy this too but it works just as well as a standalone book. I am looking forward to sharing this wonderful adventure story with the children at school as I know they will love it.

This book is absolutely incredible. The imagery and description were beautiful and I really could see myself in the scene. I fell in love with every single character and thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the Slavic mythology. This was such a warm cosy book to read that was also full of excitement, I will definitely be ensuring a copy makes it way into my library!

A beautiful and heart warming book. Superbly written with twists and turn, adventure, mystery and wonder. Yet, through the book are woven strands of hope, love, family and what it means to be at home.

Another stunning offering from Sophie Anderson. This book is full of beautiful description that paints the most vivid images in your mind. Our heroine, Olia, is a kind and sweet girl who I loved instantly. You feel everything she feels, the highs and the lows, the love for her family. The story is laden with magic and it’s just an absolute triumph. Read it now!

Sophie Anderson has done it again! What a fantastic book! I couldn’t put it down. She is a master storyteller and each of her books just gets better! I can’t recommend this book enough. Without giving anything away, this book is destined to become a classic!

Another amazing book from this author. She creates such colourful and creative worlds full of imagination and feeling. Once again old traditions/myths/ folklore play a part and the magic is everywhere. It is an tangled adventure that slowly but slowly, begins to unwind and lead Olia in a new direction with a new perspective.

Olia is a likeable character who has many faults and needs to listen to her new found friends as well as deciding what it truly right. She makes lots of discoveries during her adventure and not all are as she expected.. Her compassion for her new friends and her longing to get back to her family and home are often at odds and she needs to dig deep and make some hard. Hooves.

You will be swept along with this adventure and if you have read Sophie Anderson’s other books may even recognise a character or two.

Absolutely loved this! Yet another wonderful fantasy novel inspired by Russian fairy stories and legends, which starts as a straightforward adventure but soon develops into a more complex story. As Olia enters the land of tangled magic she soon finds her plan to save her home complicated by the past actions of her ancestors and this becomes a clever tale about accepting and dealing with the wrongdoing in our past and putting things right regardless of the possible cost. I found this both meaningful and magical, a hard trick to pull off. Truly wonderful writing!

Another stunning book from Sophie Anderson. Olia is a princess, living in a castle - but forget the usual fantasy tropes! There was a revolution years ago and now her family, though still living in the castle, devote themselves to keeping it maintained, and work and celebrate alongside the villagers. There was a really interesting theme of reparation and earning your place in the world in this story, which I loved - it really felt like a modern and worthwhile take on the princess/castle/ chosen one story. It fits within the universe created by Sophie Anderson in "The House with Chicken Legs", and there is even another Baba Yaga house.

The plot is thrilling, with elements of so many traditional stories from Russia and across Europe. There are water spirits and flying horses, giants, wizards and domovoi (hearth spirits) that are linked to the castle. A magical storm threatens the castle (and worse, Olia's family, including her grandma and new baby sister). Olia has to slip through into a magical realm and save the spirits she finds there, and try to save her castle. It was also a refreshing change to have a book where both parents are alive and survive to the end of the book!

In short, this is a future classic.

It was a pleasure to return to the ‘tangled’ magic of another one of Sophie Anderson’s stories. The golden threads of magic weave through each and every one of her books, casting a spell over her readers and The Castle of Tangled Magic is no exception.

Olia lives in a much-loved castle. When the winds of change threaten to destroy everything she holds dear, she must embark on a magical adventure in a quest to save the castle home of her past, her present and her future.

I loved entering Olia’s world and being immersed in another one of Anderson’s Slavic fairytales. The story feels like a modern classic, like the traditional tales and fairy stories of my childhood. The style of writing is beautiful: the descriptions are evocative and the characters become real people.

The themes of family, friendship and the power of love are all evident within this book and the reader learns some important lessons alongside the protagonist. I know it will be enjoyed by my Year 5 class. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a pre-release copy of this book to review.

The Castle of Tangled Magic
Rating *****

This is the third book from the author who wrote the house with chicken legs and the girl who speaks bear, Sophie Anderson come with the castle of tangled magic. This book follows a girl called Olia who lives in a castle from the royal family. Olia has royal blood in her but her family are no longer royalty, when a storm comes to threaten her home, Olia realises that she is the key to saving her home and her family as well as magic.

Sophie Anderson has a way of writing a variety of characters who you care about like no other the group of characters in this book made me cry and laugh and cheer. The magic comes creeping through all the words and the research that Sophie Anderson has done is so intricate that it makes me want to look more into Slavic mythology.

The cameos in the book made me feel really nostalgic for the other books and the pacing of the book made me feel the tension of how much was at stake throughout the book. I felt every emotion Olia had and the need to protect everyone who she met along her journey as well as her family and when she feels there is only one choice, she begins to look from it from other angles.

This book I could not put down and every time I got up and took a drink, I went back into it. I was ready to delve back in this makes me feel that it marks a good book and when it comes out I am sure I will be recommending this to everyone that I see including my students and my nieces.

I cannot wait for another book from Sophie Anderson because she is able to weave her own narrative into the folklore which makes it accessible and sparks interest to know more. The illustrations in the book are stunning and I cannot wait until October where I will have my hand on this physical copy of this book.

Sophie weaves a world of magic and imagination that is sure to imprint young minds with important life lessons

Olia, the hero in our story, is the chosen one to save her castle, the beloved home of her family for five hundred years, the only problem she hasn't got a clue how she's going to do it? As the story progresses, we learn how the simplistic solution suggested to save her land, helps Olia ask more important questions and see beyond her own pressing concern of saving her Castle Mila.
"You must cut off the beard of the Wizard Chernomor to save your land, says the cat." A large part of The Castle of Tangled magic reminded me of old American classic- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as Olia, our 13-year old protagonist lands in the Land of Forbidden Magic, in the midst of a storm with a fox spirit. An increasing number of curious magical spirits join the party, who travel through a series of hazards, to find the wizard who holds the answers to all their problems. This is a story that leaves the best to the last, and that's why it took me quite some time to warm up to it. But I loved how in the second half , Sophie brings it all together and Olia learns what home really is? It's not the walls or the grand rooms even if you lived in them for five hundred years, it's something more precious.
The story also brings to life the Indian belief of 'Vasudhaiv kutumbkam' - a Sanskrit phrase found in Hindu scriptures to introduce to the world a concept which means 'The World is One Family.' Imagery and visually descriptive language with similes and metaphors are used in abundance to paint the characters inspired from the Slavic folk lore. The Castle of Tangled Magic will be loved by teachers teaching students of 9-11 years of age. Teachers may explore the themes of importance of accepting change, learning from mistakes and failures, doing the best you can and remembering what's really important. The Castle of Tangled Magic, also has many beautiful quotes worth remembering and my favourite one is- ‘Belief is one the few things more powerful than magic.’
The reason the book does not get five stars from me:
First 8 chapters are dedicated to the setting and introduction of the characters, the story flows well with lots in anticipation but real action doesn’t build until Chapter 9 or even beyond. I would have very much enjoyed a prologue with a big bang edge of the seat action scene giving us a peek into the perils that were set to befall the castle or those that happened five hundred years ago, before getting into the setting and character descriptions.
The chapters move linearly with characters explaining what happened in the past. I think use of flashback chapters, going back to five hundred years before, to actually live through the events and meet the evil character of Ludmila rather than simple narration of what happened would have made for a stronger first half. It would have made the story a lot more intriguing, riveting and exciting from the beginning to the end.
I read an advance copy that I believe has not been completely edited for text and illustrations. I think once this is done it will help bring the landscapes and the characters especially those of Felix and the Land of Forbidden Magic to life.The above review is now also available on the Browzly app and blog. A self-marking multimedia quiz will also automatically pop up when the readers will mark this book as read on Browzly.
This review is written by Bhavna Mishra, founder of Browzly, a reading for pleasure focused teaching and learning technology.

I LOVED this magical, fairytale story about a young girl Olia who lives in a 500 year old castle with her family. Descended from a long line of royals, Olia loves her family and her home but on the eve of the party, things take a turn for the worse and only Olia can save everything. Travelling through a magical land beyond the castle, she meets spirits trapped here and with their help, magic, belief in herself, resolves to put right the mistakes of her ancestors. She has to make courageous decisions in order to save her family, her home, her friends and her new spirit friends. Who can she trust? How to make the right decision? How to move forward for a better future, instead of living in the past?

The story had me gripped from the start. The wonderful flowing fairytale writing intertwined with Russian folktales, the depth of the characters, combined with loads of magic creates this a wonderfully rich story of bravery, family, friendship and moving forward to live a better life. When I started reading I immediately was brought back to my childhood reading of "The Magic Faraway Tree." The brilliant link to "The House with Chicken Legs" was just a fantastic icing on the cake moment. It reminded my of Roald Dahl's links in his books too.

I would recommend this book for the cover alone! It's just stunning! Anyone who loves a bit of magic and adventure will just love this!