Book Review: Cecil Moves Home @lilmissmorfett#bookreview

I’m delighted to be on the blog tour for Cecil Moves Home, written and illustrated by Suzanne Stephenson.

Blurb

Cecil’s web is about to be swept away and he is scared.

Then he meets Mr Perkins the cat who decides to help him, taking him to the house across the road. This belongs to Mr Tizard who likes all creatures and who offers Cecil a place to stay.

There Cecil meets Flo another spider and is able to find a home.

About The Author

Living in the English countryside I already had a couple of careers before I became an author. Having been a Family Lawyer and Family Mediator I became a District Judge in the year 2000 and officially retired from judging in early 2021. Sitting on complex family cases did not leave me much time for my interests of writing and sketching but when I had free-time I tried to visit interesting places. I hope my ancestors helped provide some inspiration as well. My father was a Holocaust survivor and my maternal grandfather a gynaecologist and composer. The people and countryside of Eastern England also are embedded in my psyche.

Book Review

Cecil Moves Home is one of the books I’ve read from Suzanne Stephenson, all of which I’ve enjoyed. If you like gentle books about animals with sketches this will be for you! There are little touches of humour, such as the benefits of spiders, (keeping flies from your home,) and giving them a human quality such as courting and marrying! The prose is written in a poetic rhyming style which I enjoyed.

There is a new character, Mr Tizard, and you get to hear about a black cat called Mr Perkins, and the kitties, rooks and crows. All lovingly illustrated throughout.

My recommendation: This is for readers who are interested in the delights of animals and would like a book to make them smile.

My rating 4 stars

Signature

My Kyrosmagica Review of The Book of Shadows by Ruth Hatfield

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Goodreads Synopsis:

The thrilling conclusion to The Book of Storms trilogy

Strange shadows are appearing over Danny’s town. Where they land, people are drained of all colour and hope. Cars crash; people stand, directionless.

Fleeing from the shadows, Danny knows Sammael is behind this horror. Danny knows the world must be saved; he knows that to do that, Sammael must be destroyed. Once again, Danny must overcome his belief that he’s not brave, and face his greatest fears. Danny needs Cath. But first he must rescue her from underneath the shadows.

Their only hope might be the mysterious Book of Shadows – but they will have to make it first. And is Danny doing the right thing? Can Sammael really be destroyed?

My review:

The final book in The Book of Storms trilogy – the conclusion was great. Loved this, Ruth Hatfield.

The first half of the book built up the shadows in a slow, grey progression to the conclusion. The title: The Book of Shadows implied that shadows would play a part, and this in itself attracted me to the story as I write about shadows too, but I was left wondering, is that it?  Halfway through I had actually said to my eldest daughter that I wasn’t too sure where Ruth was going with this. How wrong I was, (this often happens to me.) I get restless and then I turn a page and wow… My whole reading experience changes! I  was missing Cath, the feisty girl in the series. As soon as Cath, and Barshin, the hare came back into the story the action cranked up a notch of intensity and the final half of the book had me enthralled. There were revelations, colours, dreams, – all was not as it seems. And the at times frustratingly, uncourageous main protagonist Danny didn’t disappoint. He has heart! Enough to fill an ocean…. But no spoilers, no more about that, as this is one book I could really spoil if I said too much!

Ruth Hatfield’s powers of imagination are excellent. She truly breathes life into her animal characters making them almost human at times. Ori the dog, Danny’s new friend was fantastic, as was Shimny, the horse. Apparently, local Cambridge author  Ruth Hatfield loves horses and you can really experience her love of animals and nature in her writing. So bear that in mind if you like books about nature, animals, and the earth.

I’d highly recommend this middle-grade series for those of you who love adventure, animals, deliberations about courage, storms, a  courageous female character, shadows, and a thoughtful contemplation about the earth’s elements: earth, air, fire and water.

My rating:

The highest rating of all three books, 4.5 stars.

Have you read The Book of Storms Trilogy?  I do hope you do, and then we can chat about it!

Find out more about Ruth Hatfield, and her journey to publishing here in this illuminating talk : Ruth Hatfield Talks About Her Books

Next I will be reading Colleen Chesebro’s recent release – Author Colleen Chesebro The Heart Stone Chronicles – Book 1 – The Swamp Fairy can’t wait! Review to follow…

Happy reading!!

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