Title: The Drowned Kingdom
Author: Kate Forsyth
Series: The Impossible Quest #4
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Dates read: 18th – 20th February 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: The clap of thunder was so loud it deafened them all, leaving their ears ringing.

I’ve heard of a kingdom that was flooded and drowned… and that is where the sea-serpents live…

Quinn, Sebastian, Elanor and Tom have found a dragon and conquered the dreaded Beast of Blackmoor Bog. Only one item remains on their impossible quest – the scale of a sea-serpent.

Now they must journey to the drowned kingdom, where they will face their deadliest challenge yet. And there they will uncover the truth behind all that has happened… the truth that will change everything.

The Drowned Kingdom pulls together all of the little story threads that have been slowly released throughout the first three books of the series. The interconnectivity of the characters, the plots that span a lifetime. It is all revealed. But not completely. Just tied in well enough that you know the final reveals and the completion of the tapestry which Kate Forsyth has created will be a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

I really enjoy the thematic ties to the four elements throughout this series – and this one is completely about water (in case you didn’t get that from the name). Even the moments when they revisit their old home to see what is happening take place amongst the mist and the moisture. There is a sense of completely surreal beauty about this story that worked really well with the water theme and the idea of lost memories and tragic pasts. It all tied in neatly to the secrets revealed.

Quinn has been my favourite character so far. A foundling, someone with a bit of mystery to her and a witch. I love that she spends the entirety of the storyline without shoes on, connecting with nature and spouting riddles. There’s something about this that I’m in love with – probably the idea that this is the kind of character that I would have loved to be this way as a child.

Image source: Booktopia

Title: The Beast of Blackmoor Bog
Author: Kate Forsyth
Series: The Impossible Quest #3
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Dates read: 16th – 17th February 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: Elanor dressed and plaited her long golden-brown hair, then went across to the door.

The dragons are long gone. This beast is something else – something huge and black and hairy…

After escaping the bog-men in the wilds of the Witchwood, Sebastian, Quinn, Elanor and Tom journey south on their impossible quest.

Sebastian and Elanor seek help from Crowthorne Castle, but both allies IandI enemies will reveal themselves. Tom and Quinn venture into the mysterious moors… where a hideous beast lies waiting.

In all of the Kate Forsyth books / series that I’ve read, one of my favourite things has always been the character development. Even in series such as The Impossible Quest, which is aimed at youngsters, as the stories grow, so do the children. And I think that (at least so far) The Beast of Blackmoor Bog shows the most growth. Especially in the two boys.

Where Tom and Sebastian are constantly bickering in the proceeding storylines, they settle down a lot in this novel. Partly because they aren’t actually with each other throughout the majority of the story. But even then, there are a few moments of acknowledgement of the fact that they are friends and need to stop niggling at each other. From jealous enemies to grudging respect and friends, they are able to show this a lot throughout the split storyline in this story.

The structure of the creatures tamed so far in this story reminds me a lot of the four elements. And I really enjoy the fact that each novel, whilst incorporating the ensemble, has a slightly larger focus on a different character.

I might be an adult, but I still loved this story. It’s one that will stay on my shelf for an easy reread again and again and again.

Image source: Goodreads

Title: Wolves of the Witchwood
Author: Kate Forsyth
Series: The Impossible Quest #2
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Tom blinked and his vision swam.

I know every hidden path through these woods. Trust me. There is no griffin in this forest.

Hunted by Lord Mortlake, Tom, Quinn, Elanor and Sebastian flee for cover. The unicorn leads them into the darkness of the Witchwood where the wolves howl. Can Wilda the witch be trusted?

Danger surrounds, but there’s not time to lose. The four unlikely heroes must find the griffin, dragon and sea serpent before it’s too late.

After finding the unicorn, the four young heroes on their impossible quest set off to find a Griffin. I love the mixture of fantasy and growing up that are intertwined in this journey. Even though this is only the second book in the series, the four children have already begun to accept each other for their strengths and flaws – the bickering has already almost stopped.

Something about this story that I love is the fact that the main characters who bicker and fight are the two boys – the girls (who, let’s be honest) are often cast into the “bitchy” roles towards one another don’t have any of these issues. Actually they quietly and quickly accept each other from the very beginning.

Wolves of the Witchwood, for an adult, is an incredibly easy, breezy and simple read. I spent a few nights reading it before bed when I needed to switch off, but was too tired to actually concentrate on anything. It’s the perfect addition to your shelf for those people who like a quick, easy read. Or the perfect addition to a children’s shelf.

Image source: Kobo

Title: Escape from Wolfhaven Castle
Author: Kate Forsyth
Series: The Impossible Quest #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Adventure, Australian authors, Easy reading, Medieval fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Elanor screamed.

Tell your lord to beware, the wolves smell danger in the wind…

Wolfhaven Castle has been attacked, and only four escape capture… Tom, trained to scrub pots, not fight; Elanor, the lord’s daughter; Sebastian, a knight in training; and Quinn, the witch’s apprentice.

Somehow, if they are to save their people, these unlikely heroes must find four magical beasts from legend. But first, they have to make it out of the castle alive…

This is a beautifully easy, fun and light-hearted book. With enough of an adventure-based storyline to make you reluctant to put it down. At least as an adult. I’m sure if this was around when I was a child, I would be far more involved in the storyline and think it was a more intense literary experience than I do as a more widely read adult.

I like the four young adults in this story – they’re on the cusp of adulthood and finding their own way. But there is already a sense of comradery and togetherness that works from the very outset. Each of the four is given their own gifts (literally and metaphorically) and although there is just an inkling in the first of The Impossible Quest, there are hints that these are going to develop in so many ways.

This is a pretty typical young adult, coming of age adventure story. Which is why it’s so lovely. Forsyth has an amazing way with words and this helps to spin a vivid and intriguing storyline. Partner this with that beloved simplicity of the genre and the idea that both fate and courage play a part… and Escape from Wolfhaven Castle is a great introduction to a new world and an epic quest.

Image source: Booktopia