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This fantasy adventure is aimed at middle grade readers to young teens, but I would say that adults would get as much enjoyment from the story too. The writing is rich with atmosphere and the quirky characters come alive with the wealth of descriptions and unusual names given to the inhabitants of the World of Mortales.

It might not be obvious to younger readers but some of the character names and places derive from the world of writing such as Nib and the Quill sisters, and there’s Blotting’s Academy, Fullspot Island, and Bookend Isles to name but a few.

I found The Nemesis Charm had a darker feel compared with the first book, The Rise of the Shadow Stealers, where the two apprentices are finding their feet in their new world at school. The second book finds the stacks raised with physical dangers close at hand as well as psychological and spiritual mind games. Dramatic elements are balanced with humour by way of Grizelda – I love an old hag – one of my favourite characters. She brought both light and shade to the story.

Daniel Ingram-Brown has a way of setting the scene so that the reader becomes immersed in the world of the characters, and if you get a little lost there’s a map in the front of the book. I was gripped by the writing and the quest of Fletcher and Scoop. Would they make it to the Un-crossable Boundary? Would they cross the Threshold? You’ll have to read the book to find out. Needless to say, when I got to the last page I was left bereft as I wanted to read on, but I guess I’ll have to wait for the next book.

Fans of the Narnia books or Inkheart will love this read. I would rate this book 9/10.

Jo | My Little Library In the Attic
Okay, so I’m not normally a fan of fantasy fiction and, this being the second book in ‘The Firebird Chronicles’, of which I haven’t read the first, I was a little bit hesitant when I started this book. I really shouldn’t have been. I loved this book!

The world created by Ingram-Brown is so creative and whimsical. The characters live on Fullstop Island, which is surrounded by the Oceans of Rhyme, and is home to the Tall Tale Trees, Puddles of Plot, Creativity Craters and neighboured by the North and South Bookend Isles. If that’s not enough to invite you in, the characters drink tankards of Noveltwist, toss Punctuation Pucks rather than frisbees, and run in The Hyphen-Dash rather than a mundane fun run. In all honesty, I haven’t wanted to enter another world so much since I first read Harry Potter.

Thankfully the characters live up to the world created for them. Fletcher and Scoop are really likeable characters, and whilst there were hints at their previous adventures in the first book of the chronicles – ‘The Shadow Stealers’ – I didn’t feel like I had missed so much that I was lost. This brother and sister duo are given equal status by Ingram-Brown, as they strive to save their mother, and as events unfold, other inhabitants of the island.

The plot is thoroughly engaging, to the point where I was finished quicker than I would have liked, and this would be my only criticism of the book. Would I recommend ‘The Nemesis Charm’ to a teen? Most definitely (I’ve already recommended it to several pupils I teach). Would I recommend it to an adult? Without a doubt. I cannot wait for the next installment!

My rating: 5 stars