The Glimme by Emily Rodda, Marc McBride (Illustrator)

Title: The Glimme

Author: Emily Rodda, Marc McBride (Illustrator)

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Scholastic Australia/Omnibus Books

Published: 1st October 2019

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 384

Price: $34.99

Synopsis: Lone Annie sees dragons in your future…She sees giants. She sees fire and water. She sees death.

Finn’s life in the village of Wichant is hard.  Only his drawings of the wild coastline, with its dragon-shaped clouds and headlands that look like giants, make him happy. Then the strange housekeeper from a mysterious clifftop mansion sees his talent, buys him for a handful of gold and then reveals to him seven extraordinary paintings. Finn thinks the paintings must be pure fantasy – such amazing scenes and paintings can’t be real!

He’s wrong. Soon he is going to slip through the veil between worlds and plunge into the wonders and perils of the Glimme.

The author of international best-seller Deltora Quest.

The artist who painted Deltora’s world.

An award-winning team.

A spectacular new adventure

Scholastic sent me a copy for review purposes.

~*~

Finn’s world is small and har, yet through his drawing abilities, he creates worlds beyond his own to cope. But his life changes completely when the Housekeeper buys him so he can recreate the seven paintings of dragons and another world in her house – yet in time, he discovers that the paintings are not what they seem, and he is drawn into a fantastical world of the Glimme, where he joins a band of humans, and lions, and other fantasy creatures, who are hiding from a trio of dragons who wish to destroy the world. From here, Finn uncovers a hidden mystery – those who had been drawn into the world before him and someone he thought he’d never see again.

Having read the first Deltora Quest series, and with the next two on my shelf, I knew this was right for me, and it evokes the wonder and magic of Deltora Quest through the magical illustrations that are extremely lifelike, combined with the wonderfully enchanting words of Emily Rodda. It felt like I was back in Del, even though it is an entirely separate world, and I devoured it within two days.

The illustrations tell the story as much as the written word – giving life to Emily Rodda’s words and evoking a sense of being there, along with Lori, Finn, Teller and everyone else trying to stop the dragons destroying their home and bleeding into the world Finn has come from.

It is an engaging and exciting read for readers aged eight and over, and perfect to read after or even before reading Deltora Quest. It is unrelated, but still lots of fun and feels like it could easily fit into that world as a side story or as part of the narrative itself. As Finn and his friends work to defeat the dragons and save the world, the world within the painting and the real world bleed together and it soon seems all could be lost unless Finn can use his skills to save everyone.

This is a fabulous book and I am grateful to have been able to review it for Scholastic. It is a work of art to be treasured and enjoyed for years to come, and well-suited for anyone aged eight and older. In a country where there other genres seem to dominate the lists and shelves, having Emily Rodda’s fantasy is wonderful, and uses the traditions of fantasy often seen in British books to create a unique world that could be anywhere, but through the genius of an Australian author. A wonderful book, and one that I will love for years to come.