Jed Greenleaf by Kieran Larwood illustrated by David Wyatt

Feather, Bone, Claw, Fire, Leaf and Iron - the Guilds - who will gain power this year?

About this book: Albion city is governed by a puppet queen, secretly controlled by Lord Cromwell, and strange magic is afoot as six Guilds all compete to rule it. Although the Leaf Guild is the weakest, no one has reckoned with newcomer Jed Greenleaf’s extraordinary ability to transform into a half-tree, covered over with bark . . . he just needs to learn how to harness that power. Could he be the hero that the Guild needs to win at the tournament? It just might be that this year Jed can turn over a new leaf in the history books,and bring glory to the decaying Guild and peace to Albion.  Books Up North

Here are some children's book tropes that apply to this book:

• The chosen one – A character who is destined to save the world or defeat a great evil.

In this book his name is Jed.

• A magic school – A school for magical arts exists where the character goes to study and train.

Jed is taken to Yggdrsail House which is actually a house inside a giant tree and the home of Guild of Leaf. There he begins his training for the Arthanfest competition.

• The wise old mentor – A powerful mentor figure helps train/guide the hero.

Madame Stump and her husband are in charge of training for the Guild but Jed's mentor or inspiration is actually the dead hero Jack Greenleaf

• The dark lord – An ultimate evil or antagonist that stirs up trouble in the world

Cromwell and Lady Ireton have been drugging Queen Jane. The are totally corrupt and the Arthanfest competition has been rigged so either Iron or Fire always win.

• A magic sword – The hero wields an enchanted blade with magical properties and powers.

Jed does not have a sword but he has his armour in the form of very thick tree bark and he has the power to manipulate trees and bushes.

• A magical creature sidekick – A unicorn, dragon, sprite, etc. joins the hero on the journey

There are levels of power for Guild members. Jed has no idea he is able to reach level three until he meets a tree dryad.

• A quest – The hero must journey to obtain some object or defeat some evil.

Jed is attacked while competing at Arthanfest. His new family are all captured. Working with his new friends Phoebe (Claw Guild) and Nxy (Bone Guild) they have just two days to save his family and expose the crimes of the Iron and Fire Guilds. The queen needs to know the truth and Cromwell must be defeated. There were times in this story that I simply gasped out loud at the treachery and danger. 

• A magical world – The story is set in a world where magic is real and commonplace.

Each of the Guild champions can transform into their specific gift for example bark for Jed who is from the Leaf Guild. There are historical references in this setting to with names like Oliver Cromwell; Dick Turpin; and Samuel Johnson. 

• A magical object – The use of a magic ring, wand, amulet, chalice, or similar item.

Every guild has an amulet which is the source of their power. At Arthanfest the Guilds complete for to collect magickal globes.

• Magical creatures – Appearance of elves, dwarves, goblins, orcs, trolls, etc.

Jed has his tree dryad. I loved his way of speaking. "Larkspur and lavender, that be good work ye did last night, laddie ... We sozzled them redjackets like a gaggle of dumplings."

• The outcast hero – The hero is a misfit in some way and doesn’t fit in.

Jed is an orphan. As a young boy he was very unwell and so he is small and seemingly quite weak. He has been badly bullied by one of the young farm workers with the awful name of Sam Gigglemug. 

• Nature magic – Magic tied to the elements or forces of nature.

Members of the Guild of Leaf gain power from trees especially oak trees.

• Evil queen/king – A tyrannical monarch that needs to be overthrown.

Cromwell is not a monarch but he is evil and must be overthrown.

• Discovery of powers – The hero finds they have magical abilities they didn’t know about before.

When Jed is taken to Yggdrsail House it is obvious he has reached level one and can transform his skin into bark. On his first day Mr Stump discovers Jed can also perform at level two because he can talk to plants and as the danger increases when he is on the run from the soldiers is it clear he has reached level three and has the help of the tree dryad.

This self-contained story is a wonderful adventure and feels as though it has sprung from ancient folktales particular to our green and pleasant land. As fresh as the brightest green shoots and as sturdy as the oldest oak, this is a wonderful piece of storytelling. Love Reading4Kids

Jed is such a fabulous character. Sickly and bullied by those around him, he is full of self-doubt, worried about his abilities and his newfound role as part of a Guild which is far from flourishing. Yet, as the story progresses, his courage and determination lead him to achieve things he would never have thought possible, overturning corruption and righting wrongs along the way. Despite all the cruelty he has experienced, Jed shows unfailing kindness and loyalty to those he cares for, an instinctive sense of right and wrong guiding him in the choices he makes.  Through the Bookshelf

I spied this book in a local bookshop (Three Sparrows) and saw the detail on the cover that this book was by the author of Podkin One-ear which is a book series I loved.

Jed Greenleaf has 433 pages but I gobbled up over 250 pages today because it is so fast paced. This is one of those stories that you know will end in a mammoth battle of good versus evil. And yes it does. I also hoped the ending of this book would have a satisfying conclusion - and yes it does and great news this is a standalone book. Readers aged 10+ who enjoy stories of good and evil with heroes and quests are sure to enjoy this richly told story. 

Look for other books by Kieran Larwood:

The Legend of Podkin One-Ear

The Beasts of Grimheart by Kieran Larwood illustrated by David Wyatt

When I saw this book, number 3, from the Five Realms series in a brand new book shop here in Sydney (Three Sparrows) I was excited to buy it. I adored The Legend of Podkin one ear when I read it in 2018 and a short time later I read the second book - The Gift of Dark Hollow.  

All through this third book I kept hoping this would be the final book in the series. Of course it cannot be the final instalment because there are Five Realms and twelve gifts of the Goddess. Today I finished The Beasts of Grimheart which ends with a huge battle and then I dared to look and see if there are more books. Yes there are - here is a list and I just read that there will eventually be nine books in total. Oddly though Kirkus (this review does contain a spoiler) also thought this book was the final one. 

Here's the list so far:

• The Legend of Podkin One-Ear (2016)
• The Gift of Dark Hollow (2017)
• The Beasts of Grimheart (2018)
• Uki and the Outcasts (2019)
• Uki and the Swamp Spirit (2020)
• Uki and the Ghostburrow (2021)
• Podkin and the Singing Spear (2023)

I had not looked at the back of The Beasts of Grimheart prior to reading The Beasts of Grimheart and so I was pleased to discover Kieran Larwood has provided readers with a character list and a list of the twelve gifts.  I do wish I had seen the character list before I read The Beasts of Grimheart because it is now five years since I read the first book and I have really lost track of many of the important but more minor characters.

In this third book, the Grom have made a huge machine and it is destroying the forest which is home to all the different groups of rabbits. 

"At the front of their line, half hidden by the forest itself, were ten contraptions built from the same rusted, jagged iron as the Gorm's armour. Like some kind of hellish insects, they had an array of blades, spinning teeth and crushing jaws at the front. At the back they had a massive wheel, taller than five rabbits, which spun steadily round powering the cutting equipment before them. ... The blades torn through trunks and roots, iron mandibles crushed and chomped branches into pieces, and teeth crunched wood into splinters. ... the devastation was awful."

Podkin along with his sister Paz and little brother Pook have been collecting the gifts of the goddess. Even though they are children it seems that their destiny is to defeat Scramashank the Gorm Lord and thus stop the terrible destruction of their precious forest. Of course this is not going to be easy. There will be battles, the constant threat of danger, betrayal by someone who they thought was a friend, and sadly the death of a loved member of the Dark Hollow Warren. 

As with the first instalment this book has a parallel story where the bard is actually telling the tale. I won't spoil this but the identity of the bard is sure to both surprise and delight you. Meanwhile, though, the bard has to really tell the best story of his life because if he doesn't do this the bonedancers will take his life.

"We wish to hear this story that has earned you a contract on your life. You will tell it to use as exactly as you told it to the Golden Brook rabbits. We will judge whether it is offensive enough for you to die, and it the Goddess Nixha demands it, then die you shall."

And there is an extra threat:

'Bonedancers have to kill something every day ... it's part of their tradition. They carry pouches of bugs around with them, so it doesn't always have to be a rabbit.'

Bookseller blurb: The bard is captured by the bonedancers and taken to their temple where he has to retell the tale that earned him a contract on his life. The story of Podkin continues . . . The Gorm have started to attack the forest, trying to flush out the Darkhollow rabbits. Podkin and the others leave for Sparrowfast warren, on the other side of the forest, to ask his uncle for help and for the use of his magic bow (one of the 12 Gifts). As they make their way through the forest, Vetch turns traitor and tries to seize the Gifts Podkin and Paz own for his masters, the Gorm. The young rabbits flee into the forest depths, where they discover a lost tribe of rabbits and a another of the sacred Gifts - a crown which lets the wearer speak to animals. With their new allies, Podkin, Paz and Pook emerge, meeting up with the others at Silver Rock warren. His uncle and the Sparrowfast rabbits are already there, as the Gorm have marched round the forest edge and taken their warren. When the two sides meet in battle, who will win? And will the bonedancers let the bard live?

Here is the web site of the illustrator David Wyatt.

You do need to read the five Realms books in order so you can follow all the twists and turns of plot and character connections. Fans of the Redwall series by Brian Jacques will adore these books. OR if you and your young reading companion love The Five Realms be sure to hunt out Redwall. There are 22 books in that series.

The gift of Dark Hollow by Kieran Larwood

Great storytelling continues in this latest Longburrow adventure. Kirkus

 A modern-day classic that is not to be missed, with stunningly detailed fantasy illustrations by David Wyatt. BookTrust

A few weeks ago I talked about The Legend of Podkin One-ear by Kieran Larwood - my new favourite book. This week I have read the second book from this series - The Gift of Dark Hollow and it is just as good as the first.

Once again it is the bard who is telling the story of our hero Podkin. Along with his sister Paz and baby brother Pook, they are caught up in a series of fierce battles against the Gorm. They have now acquired three more 'gifts' with magical powers which brings their total to four of the twelve from the ancient tribes.

• Starclaw -  The magic dagger of Munbury it can cut through anything except iron
• Moonfyre - A brooch that lets you jump in and out of moon shadows the gift of Dark Hollow.
• Ailfew -   The magic sickle which is the gift of Redwater Warren.
• Surestrike - The hammer of Applecross can make weapons that pierce the Gorm's armour.

As the group travel to Applecross to retrieve Surestrike they meet Zarza, a bonedancer, Vetch of Golden Brook and Yarrow the bard.  Right from the start I didn't trust Vetch and I am fairly sure we will meet him again in future installments.

"He seemed desperate for someone to like him. A bit too desperate perhaps."
"And as for that Vetch, well I trust him about as far as I can throw a giant rat."
"Vetch, wrapped in his exotic cloak, sidled up to Podkin at one point, giving him a nervous smile. His eyes kept darting to the dagger on Podkin's hip."

Vetch returns to Dark Hollow with a rescued farmer, his wife and children. Meanwhile our heroes travel on to Applecross to find and open the mysterious bridge over to Ancients Island. It is a furious race to outrun the Gorm, retrieve Surestrike and make it home.  You will be on the edge of your seat gripping your sword and holding your breath through the scenes that follow.

I love all place names and rabbit species we meet in this series - "The other surviving rabbits were refugees from all over Gotland and Enderby. Some were from Munbury and Redwater warrens but there were also sables from Cherrywood and Ivywick, lops from Applecross, and brindle-furred rabbits from Stormwell and Hillbottom. Some came from tiny warrens Podkin had never heard of, like Toadleton and Muggy Pit. There was even a shield maiden all the way from Blackrock."

The gift of Dark Hollow employs a rich vocabulary with words like: priority, brusque, comatose, loamy, vulnerable and bandoliers.

Listen to an audio sample from the first book (page 6-8) and here is one from The Gift of Dark Hollow. Take time to look at the web site of the illustrator David Wyatt it is brilliant.

This is an adventure story, fast paced and tense. It seems that the free rabbits of Enderby will be easily overpowered by the Gorm, with their deadly weapons, armour and devious spies. The fight is to preserve the rabbit race at all costs, but most of all so that rabbits can once again live in peace. The Book Bag

The third book from this series is The Beasts of Grimheart. Due in Australia at the end of October.

The Legend of Podkin One-Ear by Kieran Larwood illustrated by David Watt

"Stories belong to the teller', says the bard. 'At least half of them do. The other part belongs to the listeners. When a good story is told to a good listener, the pair of them own it together."

"Stories aren't all about fighting and revenge,' says the bard. 'You have to have a bit of character development in there as well. Some suspense, some atmosphere. A little bit of romance."

Podkin is the son of Lopkin, the chieftain.  He has a sister called Paz and a brother called Pook. Life in Munbury longburrow is good and this is an especially happy night because it is Bramblemas eve and tomorrow there will be presents! Then, in the space of a few minutes, this warm scene explodes into one of violence and death. The Grom have arrived. They are after a small dagger called Starclaw. It is one of twelve special gifts given to the first tribes at the start of time.

Who are the Grom? Once they were small grey rabbits but something in the river got into their veins or perhaps they tunneled too far down and "came across something cursed and poisonous. ... They turned into something else. Something evil and unnatural."

Pod, Paz and little Pook are now on the run and it is winter, it is bitterly cold and while Starclaw is indeed a special weapon it is powerless against the metal bodies of the Grom.

The power of this writing comes from the atmosphere created by Kieran Larwood. You will see, hear, smell and touch every scene and person in this vividly created world.

It is the bard who tells this ancient tale. He has arrived on a different Bramblemas eve with a story to tell to the eager listeners in Thornwood warren.  It is an evening of storytelling, legends and turnip soup.

Here are some text extracts to give you a sense of this writing.

Scramashank the Gorm Lord "This wasn't a rabbit any more. If it ever had been, it was now something else entirely. A walking slab of metal and meat, pierced through with rusty thorns and nails. Its armour overlapped in sheets of jagged, dented iron; mottled with rust and splashes of dried crimson that looked very much like blood."

Lady Russet - she has been enslaved by Scramshank. "Before, she had been a plump, bristling bundle of life, with zinging fur, a bubbling giggle and eyes that sparkled like glimmers of summer sunlight. Now her skin hung off her face in folds. Lines of worry creased her brow; her eyes were hollow, haunted, red-rimmed, as if she'd been crying. Crying for a long, long time."

Bridgit's home.  Paz describes this wonderful place of safety and comfort where Podkin's wounded ear receives tender care. "She saw lots of clay pots and jars, all labelled in with neat Ogham writing, some overflowing with herbs and bulbs: wild garlic, rosemary, foxglove, rosehip and lots of mushrooms, like ink cap, blusher, penny bun, brittlegill and angel's bonnet." I was excited to discover these are all real mushroom names.


The Legend of Podkin One-Ear has been published with many different covers. Which one appeals to you?

You can listen to chapter one here.  Here is an interview with the author.  I would follow The Legend of Podkin One-Ear with Varjak Paw, Mouseheart, and the wonderful Redwall series by Brian Jacques. The evil Gorm that we meet in Podkin reminded me of the Creeps in Ollie's Odyssey.

The Legend of Podkin One-Ear was the winner of the Blue Peter Award in 2017.  Here is a set of reviews by young UK students and you can read other reviews with more plot details by clicking on the review quotes below.  I highly recommend The Legend of Podkin One-Ear - for me it is absolutely a ten out of ten book and I am rushing off to pick up the sequel - The Gift of Dark Hollow. The third installment (The Beasts of Grimheart) will arrive later this year.

An original fantasy with warrior rabbits, fierce foes, sibling loyalty, riveting adventure, and genuine storytelling.  Kirkus

A wonderfully told tale of adventure and adversity, packed with courage, heart and hope. Kieran Larwood has created a rich fantasy world in a time long after humans have left the world, complete with it’s own religions, superstitions and traditions.  Miss Cleveland is reading