Some Very Messy Medieval Magic

McKenzie, C.L. (2018). Some Very Messy Medieval Magic (Pete and Weasel Series, #3). Pikeville, NC. Dancing Lemur Press, LLC.

Middle Grade / Fantasy / Adventure

Print ISBN 9781939844460
EBook ISBN 9781939844477
Page Count: 178
Price: $13.95 print
Publish Date: 5-15-18
6x9 Trade paperback

Book Blurb: Pete must take the place of a medieval page or history will be forever altered. Sent to 1173 England with his best friend and alligator familiar, he needs to act when the critical event occurs. Pete soon realizes he’s in over his young wizard head. 

“A gripping adventure back in time, with action around every corner.” - Stephanie Robinson, author of The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow

“A great addition to middle school classrooms and libraries, as well as your own private library.” - Beverly Stowe McClure, award-winning author of stories for children and teens

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Also available from: Ingram, Follett Library Solutions, Publish Drive, and publisher direct. 

HALL WAYS REVIEW: Confession. I love reading books intended for the tween/middle grade audience.  It’s a safe place to read and a great place to experience all the feels, thrills, and chills that get young readers hooked on reading. My gut feeling has told me for a while now that C. Lee McKenzie is a writer who nails the middle grade book, but Some Very Messy Medieval Magic is the first book of hers I have read. I love when my instincts are correct.

Some Very Messy Medieval Magic is the third book in the Adventures of Pete and Weasel series, and it was non-stop fun and action. The book stands alone, and McKenzie does a great job of getting readers new to the series up-to-speed but also telling just enough to make us want to read the prior books to find out the details. CLEVER.

In addition to a fairly intricate plot, there are a lot of underlying themes going on to which readers of any age will relate, including friendship, loyalty, family, self-confidence, belonging, and grief. There are lessons to be learned here, subtly delivered without beating kids over the head to be kind, do the right thing, step-up, give that hug.

Included in Some Very Messy Medieval Magic is a rich cast of characters who bring the story to life – both in modern and historical times. The majority of the book takes place in the 1100s, and McKenzie weaves-in lots of details to give readers a peek into the times and again, subtly, teach a lesson or two. From the eccentric Dr. Wraith (I envisioned a Doc Brown/Back to the Future kinda guy), to the sneaky Egbert, each character is uniquely defined and memorable.

As Pete, Weasel, and a covey of witches and wizards work against the clock to save the world, there is also an element of mystery and some downright SPOOKY business going on around the Druids and Samhain. McKenzie’s descriptions put readers right in the middle of the place and time and will likely encourage kids to dig a little deeper and research on their own.

The writing is well-done with dialogue, both internal and between characters, that is natural and useful in moving the story along. The word choices are perfect with a mix of both easy and challenging words, most of which can be figured out contextually. There are scattered typos, which is to be expected in an ARC but also which I expect will be cleaned-up for the final copy.

I fully intend to go back and get caught up on this series – I am interested in learning more especially about what happened with Pete’s parents and how he came to know he had wizarding powers. I highly recommend librarians and teachers get this series on their shelves.  Some Very Messy Medieval Magic comes out May 15^th, 2018, so it’s perfect timing for kids to fill that end of the school year lull or to put on that summer reading rotation.

Thank you to the author and Dancing Lemur Press for providing me a print ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. 

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: I’m C. Lee McKenzie, a native Californian who grew up in a lot of different places. I returned to my home state where I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains with my family. I write most of the time, garden, hike, and practice yoga. I travel a lot because that’s how I learn new stuff, and it’s my way to jump-start stories.

In my young adult writing, I take on modern issues that today's teens face. My first young adult novel, Sliding on the Edge (2009) deals with cutting and suicide. My second, The Princess of Las Pulgas (2010), is a story about a family that loses everything and has to rebuild their lives. Double Negative (2014) focuses on literacy, and Sudden Secrets (2014) tackles bigotry and intolerance.

When I want to have fun, I write middle grade books. Alligators Overhead is my first published book for readers age 8-12. Book 2, The Great Time Lock Disaster, followed and now I have Book 3 Some Very Messy Medieval Magic. Writing the adventures of Pete and Weasel has entertained me no end. I enjoyed them so much that I came up with Sign of the Green Dragon—another adventure fantasy.  

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Ballad of the Beanstalk ~ Blog Tour Review, Audio Clip, & Giveaway!

Author: Amy McNulty

Narrator: Kaitlin Descutner

Length: 5 hours 50 minutes

Publisher: Patchwork Press

Released: Jul. 18, 2017

Genre:  YA Fantasy

As her fingers move across the strings of her family's heirloom harp, 16-year-old Clarion can forget. She doesn't dwell on the recent passing of her beloved father or the fact that her mother has just sold everything they owned, including that very same instrument that gives Clarion life. She doesn't think about how her friends treat her like a feeble, brittle thing to be protected. She doesn't worry about how to tell the elegant Elena, her best friend and first love, that she doesn't want to be her sweetheart anymore. She becomes the melody and loses herself in the song.

When Mack, a lord's dashing young son, rides into town so his father and Elena's can arrange a marriage between the two youth, Clarion finds herself falling in love with a boy for the first time. Drawn to Clarion's music, Mack puts Clarion and Elena's relationship to the test, but he soon vanishes by climbing up a giant beanstalk that only Clarion has seen. When even the town witch won't help, Clarion is determined to rescue Mack herself and prove once and for all that she doesn't need protecting. But while she fancied herself a savior, she couldn't have imagined the enormous world of danger that awaits her in the kingdom of the clouds.

A prequel to the fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk that reveals the true story behind the magical singing harp.

HALL WAYS REVIEW: Author Amy McNulty has created an imaginative rendering of the story before the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. She introduces a lot of characters quickly, and some are not as well fleshed-out as others, so as an audiobook, it is a little hard to keep-up initially. But soon enough, each role is clarified and McNulty gets snaps for coming up with the most novel love triangle (square?) I have seen. I found it interesting and refreshing that the characters being homosexual and bisexual aren’t scandalous in any way. What is scandalous is a young female going out in public without a bonnet on her head and the admonishment of “Do you want the village to think you’re a harlot?” from a concerned adult.

A surprising element to the story is that it is quite violent.  McNulty is fond of describing the “bent necks” and odd angles of the bodies of the deceased -- and there is a high body count, so don’t get too attached to anyone. I have mixed feelings about the necessity and frequency of the violence, but I suppose the story is in keeping with the tradition of many fairy tales in that regard. There are some confusing parts to the various story lines and more than a few unanswered questions, but Ballad of the Beanstalk definitely entertains. Be warned: if you're looking for a happily ever after story, this isn't it.  

The narration by Kaitlin Descutner is mostly well-done, but there are a few things that caught my attention. First, the pacing is a little inconsistent and fluctuated between too fast and just right at 1x speed. Also, and especially as the action increased towards the end of the book, the narrator starts pronouncing main character Clarion’s name (three syllables) as Claron (two syllables). Descutner excels at keeping the (many) characters’ voices distinct from one another – not an easy feat! She does a great job of conveying the ever-changing emotions in each character from sadness to happiness, and even channeling a very (Disney) Ursula-like voice as Jacosa is teetering on madness.

I imagine this one might work a little better for me if I had read it with my eyes instead of my ears, but it’s worth a look either way. It’s short and engaging and the premise is unique, which in itself is enough to keep a reader listening these days.

Thank you to Audiobookworm Promotions for providing me a free download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give. 

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Amy McNulty is a freelance writer and editor from Wisconsin with an honors degree in English. She was first published in a national scholarly journal (The Concord Review) while in high school and currently writes professionally about everything from business marketing to anime. In her down time, you can find her crafting stories with dastardly villains and antiheroes set in fantastical medieval settings.

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In 2010, I graduated from California University....of Pennsylvania (yes, you read that correctly) with a BA in Theatre and Dance. I have been a professional actress for 7 years in Columbus, OH working in both Musical Theatre shows and Dramatic plays ranging from Classic, Rock & Roll, Modern, British, American Southern, etc. I work as a Children's Theatre teacher as well as a Commercial Actress where I specialize in voice acting, photo, commercial and tutorial video work. I am interested in new projects and pursuing new opportunities.

I am a big, avid reader, and listen to audio books more than the radio in my car. My favorite genres are historical fiction, fiction, nonfiction and biographies/ memoirs. This is a new endeavor for me, and I am thrilled to explore different characters through storytelling. Reading is a big passion of mine. Bring on the books!

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Ballad of the Beanstalk Giveaway: $10 Amazon Gift Card




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