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Walker Books, 6th January 2022
One of the most anticipated books of 2022 was fortunately released right at the start of the year! The Tower at the End of Time is the magnificent sequel to The House at the Edge of Magic, which was one of my favourite reads of 2021. As January is such a gloomy month, I made sure I got hold of The Tower at the End of Time as soon as it was published. It is every bit as amazing as expected.
Even though it follows on from the events of the previous novel, this works really well as a stand-alone story too, so don't worry if you're not familiar with the first book. I would recommend reading it though as just like this latest instalment, it's incredibly funny as well as action-packed and just a tiny bit scary. All of the main characters from Book One return in The Tower at the End of Time and we are also introduced to some fantastic new ones.
One of the things I love about these stories is how imaginative they are and how they also mix the enchanting elements with the slightly sinister. The witches and wizards, as well as the objects they charm (not to mention the peculiar plants), are volatile and unpredictable and can be as menacing as they are magical.
Amy Sparkes is a master at writing engaging and entertaining dialogue. The banter between the protagonists is priceless, especially any conversations that involve Dr Spoon. Cat's interior monologue is also wonderful. I didn't think it was possible for Eric the troll to become any more lovable but he has!
We embark on a seemingly impossible quest and travel through worlds in a hiccuping house. There is plenty of intrigue and lots of danger and not everything is quite what it seems. The wizarding hopscotch championship is so much fun and the tower and its trials are utter genius. While some light is shed on the puzzles of the previous adventure, so much more remains a mystery. I look forward to exploring these further in future instalments and can't wait for the return of this extraordinary house and its unique inhabitants.
See this book on the publisher's website Read a review of The House at the Edge of Magic Click on each cover to read reviews of these picture books by Amy Sparkes:
