The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse

by Brian Farrey

In the centre of the verdant Monarchy lies Dreadwillow Carse, a desolate bog the people of the land do their best to ignore. Little is known about it except an ominous warning: If any monarch enters Dreadwillow Carse, then the Monarchy will fall. Twelve-year-old Princess Jeniah yearns to know what the marsh could conceal that might topple her family's thousand-year reign. After a chance meeting, Princess Jeniah strikes a secret deal with Aon, a girl from a nearby village: Aon will explore the Carse on the princess's behalf, and Jeniah will locate Aon's missing father. But when Aon doesn't return from the Carse, a guilt-stricken Jeniah must try and rescue her friend - even if it means risking the entire Monarchy. In this thrilling modern fairytale, Brian Farrey has created an exciting new world where friendship is more powerful than fate and the most important thing is to question everything.

• ISBN10: 1616205059
• ISBN13: 9781616205058
• Publish Date: 19 April 2016 (first published 23 February 2016)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 10 August 2022
• Imprint: Algonquin Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[Silvara]

Check out my other reviews, discussions and link ups at Fantasy of the Silver Dragon.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


I can honestly say, this book wasn't what I was expecting. It was better! I went in thinking it would be a fairytale story about friendship and magic. And while it was, it was also so much more.

Princess Jeniah and Aon were very well-developed. We got to see not only how they became friends, but also hopes and fears. Jeniah is afraid she won't be as good a Queen as her mother was. Aon thinks she's a failure because she isn't happy all the time.

The mystery surrounding the Carse was more complex than I had expected. I loved learning all the twists the book throws at you, and the way the mystery was revealed to the reader as well as Aon and then Jeniah was perfect.

The decision Jeniah has to make at the end wasn't an easy one. And while you hope for one choice, you don't know which way she will actually choose until it happens. That, along with many other things through the book makes the story believable. It's engrossing, and you are easily able to connect with both main characters.

All ages will like this book I think. It's more complex than what I'm used to in middle grade books, without being confusing or boring. If you haven't added this to your to buy list, you should!

This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon