Title: The Nethergrim
Author: Matthew Jobin
Publisher: Puffin Books
Publication date: April 08, 2014
Genre(s): Fantasy
Source: Publicist
Publisher: Puffin Books
Publication date: April 08, 2014
Genre(s): Fantasy
Source: Publicist
Pages: 361
The people of Moorvale put their faith in the legend: The knight Tristan and the wizard Vithric, in an epic battle, had defeated the evil Nethergrim.
That faith is shaken when livestock go missing, only to turn up as piles of bones. But it’s when a group of children disappear that they know for sure: The Nethergrim has returned.
Edmund’s brother is one of the missing, and Edmund knows he must do something to save his life. But what? Though a student of magic, he struggles to cast even the simplest spell.
Still, he and his friends swallow their fear and set out to battle an ancient evil whose powers none of them can imagine.
That faith is shaken when livestock go missing, only to turn up as piles of bones. But it’s when a group of children disappear that they know for sure: The Nethergrim has returned.
Edmund’s brother is one of the missing, and Edmund knows he must do something to save his life. But what? Though a student of magic, he struggles to cast even the simplest spell.
Still, he and his friends swallow their fear and set out to battle an ancient evil whose powers none of them can imagine.
I'm not sure why there aren't more people discussing this book. If you're looking for a middle grade novel reminiscent of Harry Potter, loaded with action, friendship, and fantastic life lessons, The Nethergrim is the one you want to pick up next. I listened to parts of the audiobook along with reading my copy and even the narrator reminded me of the amazing narrator for the Harry Potter books. The accents were on point, each character was easily distinguished and the story flowed perfectly.
Every single character was a delight to read about, even the villains. The three main characters, Katherine, Edmund, and Tom all bring their own unique touch to the story. Katherine is a boss. She takes the lead when necessary, isn't afraid to tell people when they're being silly, and she always stands up for the people she loves. As for Edmund, he had a lot of growing up to do in a short amount of time and I'm happy to say that you can definitely see the character growth by the end of the novel. All that aside, I think Tom was my favorite. He is just such a sensitive soul and an absolute sweetheart, but he fights for his friends like he was made for it.
The story itself is an interesting one. Basically the past and the present intertwine to provide two pieces of a puzzle. I think I loved the story from the past more than the current one and I am very eager to see if the author delves more into the characters from the legend in the second book. Although there was magic within this world I felt like there could have been more done with it, which from the way it ended, I also think will happen in the sequel. There were some twists that I didn't expect and some that I totally saw coming. I would say even though it's middle grade, adults will enjoy is just as much even if they guess the huge twist like I did. All I have to say now is thank God I won't have to wait at all since the sequel came out May 10th!
Here is the trailer for the second book:
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