Kristina receives an unusual Christmas gift that transports her to the land of Bernovem. In Bernovem, she is honored as “the chosen one” the only one who can release the land from Queen Sentiz’s control. To save Bernovem, she must place the gift she was given, the famous “Warble” in its resting place. She must travel through the deep forest, climb a treacherous mountain, and risk capture by the queen’s “zelbocks” before reaching her destination. Dwarfs, gnomes, fairies, talking animals, a prince, and an evil queen; all these and more can be found in The Warble, an enchanting tale of intrigue and adventure.
My Take:
Kristina is a shy and bullied girl whose only friend seems to be a pet rat named Raymond. Her teacher gives her a Christmas present in a strange hatbox. A hatbox some of the bullies on the bus try to steal from her. Inside the locked hatbox is a small tarnished silver ball called a Warble - one that transports her, and anyone who touched the hatbox, into another land called Bernovem - a land under a spell by Queen Sentiz. And only the Chosen One can take the Warble and place it in its rightful place, an act that will end the evil queen's reign on Bernovem. But of course the powerful queen will do anything to prevent that from happening.
Content:
Drug Content:
PG - There's a bit of drinking in this, mainly by the bad people. One of the antagonists is a drunkard and his stupor causes hilarious mistakes.
Violence:
G - The violence in here, while significant, is reminiscent of Narnia or Disney movies. The bad monsters are killed and turn conveniently to dust. The queen is completely without pity, and pushes a servant who is sick to the point of death, then wonders why he is not moving to obey her whim.
Language:
G - The language in this book is squeaky clean.
Adult Content:
G - This is, again, on a level with a Disney movie. There is a little childhood romance, but not even a kiss.
Christian content:
None. There is however the admonishment to have faith, and the story does revolve around being chosen for a great purpose, and to be true to that purpose against insurmountable odds. Friendship and loyalty play a big part in this novel, as do betrayal and evil.
Final analysis:
The Warble is an exciting read, filled with adventure and fantasy. Dwarves, monsters, fairies, magic, evil queens, and talking animals make for a page turner of a fantasy with a solid amount of world-building. Five Stars!
About the Author
I was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother, and a Dutch immigrant father. I now lives in Western Washington with my husband, Russ and our three children, Toby, Kristina, and William. Beside being a writer, I am a home-schooling mother of thirteen years and an elementary school art teacher of twelve years.
Website: victoriasimcox.blogspot.com
