A Minx Review ~ Wintercraft ~ Jenna Burtenshaw

Title: Wintercraft
Author: Jenna Burtenshaw
Published by: Headline
Released: May 2010

Today we have a guest review from fellow blogger Minx. We met Minx over on twitter and she is the reason our blog looks the way it does :) OK Minx, over to you:~

HI! Thanks so much to Midnight Reads for letting me do this little guest post. For those of you who don't know me, I am Minx and I can usually be found loitering over at Loose Knickers and Window Lickers.*  Ok a couple of things to start, firstly this was a library book- sadly we are in a time of 'use it or lose it' so  I support my local library and I use it; secondly, I read a wide range of literature and a little know fact is that I LOVE kids books. I would say that the Wintercraft series is a bridge between pure children's lit and young adult. Oh and for all you budding film execs who wander the blog world... it would SO make a great film. I often find that, books written for children/YA make better films and series than adult books. Perhaps it is because they are often jam packed with action- saying that I do think Stormbreaker would have been 100% better if they had the flame throwers, quad bikes and cheesewire in the killing fields! I digress. (Sorry for those who don't know me... I have a tendency to ramble, but I am getting to the point now.)

I really really really enjoyed this book, why, one of the main reasons being it managed to hold my interest whilst kids were shouting, there was a clear and defined plot, interesting characters and a couple of twists and turns along the way. Yes, there were some times where it wandered a bit but it truly does not effect your enjoyment, it's not perfect, it is great! It is a great airport book, you know the one I mean, enough plot and character to keep you engaged but you are not engrossed enough to miss the tannoy about your flight. Or for when you are sitting round the pool, you can read and enjoy and still keep an eye on the cute guys or kids.(delete as appropriate)  In fact it is a great book to share with the kids.

The premise: There is a veil which separates the living and the dead, in the world of Wintercraft the skilled can manipulate the veil but they are few and far between. The High Council has been hunting them and taking them away. The city of Fume is dark and industrial (Steampunkesque) but it wasn't always, it is the hub of their world and as the characters are hunted through the city more and more is reveal about its forgotten past. The things the High Council have taken away from the people of fume. The hunt for the Wintercraft book begins the characters on a journey which will perhaps bring they old ways back into the world.

Kate Winter is the young protagonist and yes, the Wintercraft is named after her family, she finds she has a vested interest in finding the book and is much more than simply skilled. She is brave and an interesting character to follow and watch as she grows and develops. Helped by her uncle and then her friend Edgar we follow her journey into the world of Wintercraft and into the dangerous arms of the mysterious Silas Dane.

When we first meet him we assume Silas is the bad guy and I am not saying he is good, he is far from that, but he has his own issues and journey. Kate is the only one who could help him and he will go to any lengths to get her, keep going with Silas, he is an intriguing character and there is much more than meets the eyes with him.

It's the High Council and the Counsellor D'aru you have to watch, but I am saying no more! My lips are sealed!

A great read, a great kids/YA book and I give it 4.5 frillies/stars out of 5. Not perfection but a truly fun read.

*We would like to point out that Minx blog, Loose Knickers and Window Lickers is an adult blog.