Marabel and the Book of Fate by Tracy Barrett
Released: February 6th 2018
Format: Kindle
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: NetGalley
Free-spirited Marabel must defy expectations to rescue her brother–and their kingdom.In Magikos, life is dictated by the Book of Fate’s ancient predictions, including the birth of a royal Chosen One who will save the realm. Princess Marabel has grown up in the shadow of her twin brother, Marco, who everyone assumes is the true Chosen One. While Marco is adored and given every opportunity, Marabel is overlooked and has to practice her sword fighting in secret.But on the night of their thirteenth birthday, Marco is kidnapped by an evil queen, and Marabel runs to his rescue. Outside the castle walls for the first time, accompanied by her best friend and a very smug unicorn, Marabel embarks on a daring mission that brings her face-to-face with fairies, trolls, giants–and the possibility that all is not as it seems in Magikos.
A BIG Thank You to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of “Marabel and the Book of Fate” by Tracy Barrett in exchange for my honest review.
This was such a fun book to read!
The book is written in a very simple manner and progresses so nicely that you never feel like it is dull even for a minute. It was one of those books that I really didn’t want to put down as it was so entertaining! Each adventure that the team faces as they go on their mission to save Marco is thrilling, but is also solved in a charming way that would not scare young readers. There are so many valuable morals mentioned in the book, and I felt it had the perfect blend or adventure, humor, thrills and scares to keep readers of all ages invested in it.
What I particularly loved about this story was all the pop culture references that were included in it. While I assumed the story to take place in a typical medieval setting, it was ingenious of the author to make the setting more modern, by including things like Wi-Fi, selfies, video games and yes, Siri as well with quirky names. Considering that all of these modern gadgets occur in the Barrens, while Magikos is still rooted in ancestral tradition, the author provides a good contrast on showing how important it is for us to be progressive, as well as retain our cultures and values.
Marabel, the main character, is portrayed different from other princesses in that she is depicted as an average girl and doesn’t have any unpleasant upbringing. At first I thought she was going to be one of those whiny characters who the reader feels pity for being neglected, but throughout the book, Marabel is depicted in a very positive manner that the mostly anyone can relate to. In fact, I liked all the supporting characters in the story like Ellie, Cornelius and the others (except for Ginevra) as they were all pleasant to read. However, Floriano is my favorite character in the story. The conceited unicorn not only provides humor, but saves the day for the girls in many occasions. Even Aunt Mab, the villain of the book, is a delight to read.
Overall, “Marabel and the Book of Fate” surpassed my expectations, and I highly recommend and encourage young readers and the young at heart to read this book.
Thank you for your great review, Rajiv!