Review: Malamander by Thomas Taylor

Malamander
by Thomas Taylor; illustrated by Tom Booth

Available as: hardcover, ebook
Pages: 320
Publisher: Walker Books US
Publication date: September 10, 2019
Suggested tags: middle grade, fantasy



From Goodreads:

"Nobody visits Eerie-on-Sea in the winter. Especially not when darkness falls and the wind howls around Maw Rocks and the wreck of the battleship Leviathan, where even now some swear they have seen the unctuous malamander creep…

Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy – especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma’s parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander. Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger..."

I read a lot of middle grade fantasy, but it has been a while since I've enjoyed one as much as Malamander. I think what made me love it most was the setting – the author builds such an amazing city by the sea, misty and mysterious, full of intriguing places and people. In Eerie-on-Sea, there is mystery, there is adventure, there are characters who are not what they seem and a dangerous creature lurking in the shadows that may or may not exist…

I loved both Herbert and Violet, our young heroes who must solve the mystery of Violet's parents' whereabouts while avoiding a sinister hook-handed man. I loved the writing, also – it has that familiarity to it, like a good friend is telling you a great story, but it never talks down to the reader, and the plot is carried along at the perfect pace. I was piecing together clues along with Herbert and Violet and almost literally on the edge of my seat when they made their daring escapes from the hook-handed man.

I devoured this book and am eagerly awaiting the next (Gargantis, due out in May of 2020)! I can't wait to see how Herbert's story continues and how the mystery of Violet's parents is unraveled. I'll be snatching up the next book as soon as I can, and settling into a shadowy corner to lose myself in the mist and wonder of Eerie-on-Sea again.


Final verdict: I'm obsessed with it! I thought this book was amazing! It's now officially one of my favorite books! I shall be shouting about it from the rooftops for days and I am currently recommending it to everyone I come in contact with!

{ Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers for providing me with a free copy.
My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own; 

your reading experience may vary, so give it a read and see what you think. :) }