Book Review: Greenwild: The City Beyond the Sea by Pari Thomson

Greenwild: The City Beyond the Sea is a captivating sequel that continues the magical journey of Daisy Thistledown and the Five O’Clock Club. In this installment, they embark on a quest to find the legendary city of Iffenwild, hidden beyond the sea and lost to time. The narrative is rich with vivid descriptions and introduces a host of new characters, each adding depth and intrigue to the story. The concept of blue magic, intertwined with the existing green magic, adds a fresh and exciting dimension to the plot. The book masterfully balances action, emotion, and wit, making it an immersive read. The illustrations are stunning, complementing the narrative beautifully and bringing the magical world to life. Overall, Greenwild: The City Beyond the Sea is a spellbinding continuation of Daisy’s adventure, leaving readers eagerly anticipating the next chapter in this enchanting series. 

Absolutely loved Pari’s world building and this series is fast becoming one of my favourites. Engaging story and characters that grab the imagination. Cannot wait to see what Daisy and the crew do next!

"Daisy and the Five O'Clock Club embark on a perilous quest to locate the legendary Iffenwild in the enthralling and wildly imaginative sequel to the bestselling Greenwild."

The first Greenwild book was a surprisingly good read, and so I was excited to read the sequel.
In this book, Daisy and her friends leave Mallowmarsh and hit the high seas. This is an exciting, fun but non without peril read, perfect for UKS2. I love how the world and magic system have the natural world at its core.
A great read.

A wonderfully imagined fantasy which continues on from the first instalment but side-steps into the realm of the ocean. Beautiful and visual writing with bright and colourful world-building and a twisty plot. Thought-provoking eco themes but with a strong storyline at its core, there were some surprises in the narrative as it reached its climax. I just love the whole concept of plant magic and water magic and this, for me, was the highlight of the story, although Daisy is a great MC. Really looking forward to where it goes next.

Oh, what a joy this has been to read. Pari goes from strength to strength with each new book she writes. Second books in a series usually disappoint me, but this one exceeded my expectations. Dare I say I prefer this one to the first!

In this book, Daisy's newfound world expands even further, taking us to Iffenwild, a sea kingdom with a whole new set of magic, thanks to a travelling theatre troupe (which I secretly wish I could join). The highlight of the book however has to be the addition of the new character (who I will not name so as to avoid any spoilers). The ways in which his story intertwines with Daisy's is utterly brilliant, and some of his moments shattered my heart into a million pieces.

I also love how every puzzle piece was brought together towards the action-packed finale - nothing was left untied, we got some pretty jaw-dropping revelations and twists, but most importantly each character has somehow grown and moved forward compared to where they started. Ten out of ten for me, and I cannot wait for book 3.

I have fallen utterly in love with the world building in the Greenwild series. Pari Thomson has created a world that is incredibly immersive and concocts spectacular scenery in the imagination. Brought to life through the intricate and beautiful artwork by Elisa Paganelli this fantasy world feels both fantastical and rooted in the most beautiful parts of the real natural world.

But like in reality, those natural spaces face dark and dangerous threats from humans who wish to capitalise from, exploit, damage and destroy it with no care of consequences.

a brilliant follow up to what's becoming absolutely one of my favourite series.

It stays true to the middle grade genre but has so much complexity, emotion and nuance throughout that it's a joy for anyone to read. picking up where the first book left off, daisy and her friends quickly find themselves in more mischief as they leave greenwild in an attempt to recruit help in saving daisy's mother.

I found myself laughing and crying and falling infinitely more in love with this world that Pari Thomson has created. As always, my soft spot is for Napoleon the cat who I just adore through and through.

A brilliant sequel to one of my favourite children's novels from last year. I loved returning to my favourite characters from the first book, and meeting a host of new ones too. The superb world building continued with the introduction of Iffenwild and the magical plants and creatures that could be found there. This review took me a while, as I was reading this as a bedtime story with my nine-year-old, but it was worth taking my time to finish because she absolutely loved it too.

I absolutely loved this second book in the Greenwild series; it was just as good as the first book!

Daisy is determined to rescue her mother and so smuggles herself aboard one of the boats going to Amazon for an expedition. However, things don't go entirely to plan and she ends up on an adventure to find Iffenwild; a place that no one is sure still exists and very few people know how to find. Along with her friends, she is swept up into a dramatic and exciting adventure, full of magic and mystery as she tries to find out what is really going on.

Daisy is such a brilliant character - headstrong and not always likeable but so brave and determined to do what she thinks is right. Her friends are brilliant companions, sometimes challenging her and sometimes supporting her. The introduction of the mysterious Max also adds a new dynamic to their group and further complicates their mission.

I loved the story and the beautiful illustrations by Elisa Paganelli complimented the story so beautifully. Pari Thomson creates incredible imaginary worlds - the different parts of Iffenwild were so fascinating - and these were brought to life by the illustrations.

A really highly recommended book - adventure, friendship, bravery, magic and conservation all work together brilliantly to make a fascinating and very enjoyable read.

The City Beyond the Sea was incredible, even more so than I'd hope for! Thompson’s #parithomson world building is extraordinary. Daisy and friends were brilliantly imagined and there were plenty of new and wonderful characters to fall in love with. The City Beyond the Sea is a fantastical, on the edge of the seat eco-adventure written with skill and daring. I’m bereft that I will have to wait yet another year for the adventure to continue.

This is a wonderfully vibrant children’s book. Full of plots, villains, friends and adventures. A book for young readers to lose themselves in. I absolutely loved the first book in the series and loved this one too. Read them in order to fully understand the story. Which is a really good thing because you get double the quiet time, as once a child delves into these pages they are not surfacing until the very last page. (Prepare to be ignored!) Thank you to MacMillan Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given”

I was sent this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, for my full review see my Amazon and Goodreads pages.

I really enjoyed the first book and so did my daughter and so we were excited to read the second one, we will definitely be reading more by this author

When we first read Greenwild last year, we were instantly hooked and could not put it down. When it ended, we were rather bereft at the thought of having to leave this amazing world which Pari Thomson had cleverly woven out of vines and creepers in front of the very eyes of our imagination. It has felt like an extremely long wait for Greenwild: The City Beyond The Sea but finally, here it is, in our greenfingers! We will try to write this review without any major spoilers for Greenwild: The World Behind The Door and we strongly advise you to read that first if you haven’t already.

Picking up almost immediately after where the first novel left us, Artemis is readying a search party to go off to the Amazon in search of the missing botanists. Daisy is impatient and struggling to control her newly discovered green magic. The Five O’ Clock Club, plus its feathered and furred friends are preparing for their impending exams whilst reeling from recent events when Daisy receives a letter which changes everything and forces them into action. In another part of the world, Max is being held prisoner and must secretly build his strength in order to attempt a daring escape from his captors.

When Daisy and her friends hear about a place called Iffenwild where Blue Magic reigns supreme, they must embark on a mission to call the Iffenwilders to arms and try to unite Blue and Green Magic to rise up and defeat the evermore powerful Grim Reapers, intent on destruction of Greenwild in order to take its valuable power and use it for their own evil gain. Max and Daisy must overcome their differences (which are based in their many similarities!) and work together to try to save Greenwild, Iffenwild and even the Greyside from this dark, sinister threat. But who can they trust……

Absolutely amazing and perfect for anyone over the age of 8.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for sending up this eBook for review consideration. All opinons are our own.

Thomson really is on a roll! The first book in this series took a ‘chosen one with no parents enters a magical school’ trope and gave it a really school plant based spin, and the second book shows no signs of lacking in imagination or invention. Thomson does a great job of expanding the scope of the world while still being faithful to the characters already established.

I can’t wait to see what comes next!

WOW! Another triumph for Pari Thomson. I loved being whisked back into the world of Daisy and her friends as they endeavour to get to the bottom of a mystery. Is it linked to the previous situation affecting the Greenwild or is it a whole new problem? Last time I wanted to learn green magic but now I'm intrigued by the prospect of blue magic and what this would enable you to do. As in the previous book, the characters are engaging and realistic and the descriptions of the different settings are enhanced by the fabulous illustrations. It's wonderful to see many of the original characters returning and the addition of some new ones to delight and intrigue.
Bring on book 3 please!

A great follow-up to the first book in the series - while the general gist is similar enough, there is an entirely new setting and a whole new cast (literally) of characters, so it feels fresh and different, keeping things exciting for younger readers. I'm already discussing this with customers when trying to sell the first book in the series.

This is a terrific sequel, the gang is back and ready for another adventure. Greenwild: The City Beyond the Sea, is action packed, emotional, witty and so immersive. I liked that Daisy wasn’t the only central character, this felt like Max’s tale, as much as hers. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the chance to read this ARC, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This series is a brilliant way of encouraging children to think about and understand the value of the natural world and the importance of environmental conservation, but without being in the least preachy.

In this second book, Daisy's adventures alongside her friends Indigo, The Prof, Acorn and Napoleon the cat, as well as new cast member Max, continue.

Botanists are showing up dead in the Amazon and Daisy is understandably worried about her mother, who has been taken captive in that region.

But she knows that going directly to rescue her will be hopeless against the villainous Grim Reapers, unless Daisy can do as her mother begs and recruit help from the legendary - some say mythical - Kingdom of Iffenwild.

But that is easier said than done. Not only do most people believe that the place doesn't exist, it turns out Iffenwild has problems of its own...

Packed with adventure, creative worldbuilding and a terrific cast of characters, this one is well worth a read. It gets 3.5 stars.

Back with the 5 o’clock club! The first book in this series was so enjoyable and the fantastical world it’s set in is immersive and a fab place to disappear into. Book 2 was a fantastic follow up!

Daisy Thistledown has been navigating a whole new world and this time, they follow the myths and whisperings of Iffenwild. Has this mysterious place cut themselves off from the world or is it a pocket restricted to children’s make believe and bedtime stories?

Great writing, wonderful (seriously amazing) illustrations and a cast of characters you’ll love. It really is a great book for younger (and older *cough* me *cough* readers) and before you know it, the book has disappeared into nothing and you’re on the end page.

I loved the plot of this one and like the first, was super addicting. Daisy is on a quest to find her mother, there’s evil Reapers to uncover and defeat and pockets to save. What more could keep you reading?! I was turning pages (/flicking kindle ebook buttons) with relish to uncover more of the mystery and magic. Absolutely love these books and they deserve every bit of love and acclaim they get.

I loved the first book and this sequel did not disappoint. Another spectacular, sweeping fantasy filled with intrigue - secret cities, magic, and mystery and a book bursting with heart and courage. What more can you want?