The Different World (The Foxling Book 1) by B.W. Luby | ARC review
The Different World (The Foxling Book 1) by B.W. Luby
ARC review
Hello friends!
Today is the release day for The Different World!!! Happy book birthday!!! *throws confetti* The soundtrack for this book comes out October 25th so if you love listening to instrumental music while reading then this book-soundtrack-combo will be your favorite!
All spoilers hidden are visible on goodreads if you have read the book and want to hear my more spoiler-y thoughts! Be my friend on goodreads!
Before getting to my review, here is the book blurb!
Not all wars are fought on a battlefield and not all monsters are slain there. Some of the worst of both are fought in the human mind.
What starts as a delightful adventure to make a girl's dream come true, transforms into the catalyst of an ancient war renewed.
The Great Witch moves. Her claws seek the minds of human children. After 10,000 years of peace, her hordes threaten to break the seal into the Different World. The Foxlings will rise to meet her. Their spears will glisten before her forces.
And one human girl stands in danger from the monster inside her mind. The Foxlings need to save her from the Vile Ones. They need to save her from herself.
“No matter how hopeless and dark it seems, you are not alone. I am with you, I surround you, just as these lights are with and surround the moon.”
—B.W. Luby
This book is amazing! I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I felt all the emotions. I love this book! The characters and the world are incredible. It reminds me of stories I grew up reading. Books that are sweet, wholesome, full of adventure, siblings bonds, magical creatures, life changing themes and have a Christian perspective. For this alone, it is a five star read.
This is an incredible book for all ages but especially for children. I feel like this is one of those life changing books that will impact and mark a lot of children’s lives.
The lessons and themes in this book are amazing. I love that Luby is able to take things like Fear and Envy and give them form so that you are able to fight against them. No longer are you just jealous and it’s bad so you shouldn’t do it but you have a “vile one” to fight against. There is a reason to fight. I think this is really valuable, especially for kids. My youngest brother (4yo) will sometimes have an attitude about something but when told that’s not right usually responds with, “But, why?” Just saying it’s bad or wrong is oftentimes not enough. But showing it’s a “bad guy” or “vile one” changes his response because he is a little superhero and wants to fight bad guys. The bad attitude becomes a “villain” for the child and they know to fight against it. I don’t know if that all makes sense, but that’s something I’ve noticed with my brother that I feel like this book does really well.
The characters! The characters are all so good!
Valerie is such a wonderfully written character. Her struggles feel so real. She (and all the other characters) feel like real people with real dreams and struggles.
Valerie is a girl with a dream and a problem though she doesn’t think has a problem (I love how this was written because it felt very human and relatable). The fate of her and the Foxlings rests on her beating her struggle and finding victory or else she will be lost to the war that is looming over the horizon of the Different World that threatens to destroy her and all human children.
“Not all wars are fought on a battlefield. And not all monsters are vanquished there. Some of the worst ones, both wars and monsters, are fought inside the human mind.”
Dreamer is such a sweet Foxling with a big heart. You instantly fall in love with her character. I loved getting to see her again after reading The Foxling novella.
*Spoiler! Do not read if you have not finished the book. Is Dreamer one of Moonfrost’s sisters???? I need the next book to come out so I can know, lol!*
Stargazer is so fun! He is the lovable jokester of the group who loves fireworks and making things explode and be dangerous. I laughed so many times when he was around. I think he will be my brother’s favorite character.
Moonfrost and Skyblade’s relationship was my FAVORITE! They are precious together! I love how they are each other's strength and how they do everything together. I love their marriage.
Wish is my favorite Foxling! Something about his character, even though he was only there for a little while, just has my heart. *Spoiler: thank you B.W. For saying we’ll get more from Wish in the series! I cannot wait!*
Leo is adorable! Sweet little soldier boy! *Spoiler: I’m so glad he came along on the adventure*
If you love The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Little Engine Who Could, dragons, foxes, monsters and books with biblical themes, then you will LOVE this book!
Quotes I love:
“His maker believed in him. The Man in the Sky, creator of the first fireworks, the greatest being and mind to ever exist, saw that he, a young firework maker as loud and wild as his firecrackers, had something powerful in his soul.”
“Abandon fea, envy, anger. Whatever it is that you have caged in your heart, whatever it is you're letting feed on your thoughts, let it go. Leave it behind. Life is better without it."
“Monsters in Your World are everywhere," the princess told her, but you do not see them for what they are because they look just like you. They are corrupted children and wicked adult who will destroy you if you let them. Those people become and are Vile Ones."
“The Man in the Sky promised, and He always keeps His word."
*Cleanness:
This is a wonderfully clean book!
The only things to note are battle scenes as well as possibly intense/frightening scenes for younger readers. There is some fighting (never graphic) and the story deals with war and deaths of loved ones. There are monsters that corrupt children and harm them which could be scary for younger children. One of the children lies and does naughty things but this is shown as wrong. There is a kidnapping. These are the only things to note. Otherwise I’d say this is completely clean!
I cannot recommend this book enough! It is perfect for readers of all ages and I think this would be wonderful as a read aloud book.
——Thank you so much to the author for sending me this ARC of The Different World! I did not have to write a positive review. All thoughts expressed are my own.
LOVELY, I'm so DELIGHTED you loved this book!!!!!!! So glad we could read it together!! I adored it too!!!
ReplyDelete