From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Magicians comes a must-listen, wholly original middle-grade debut perfect for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Roald Dahl.
Dear Uncle Herbert,
You've never met me, but I'm your niece Kate, and since it is my birthday tomorrow and you are super-rich could you please send me a present?
Kate and her younger brother, Tom, lead dull, uninteresting lives. And if their dull, uninteresting parents are anything to go by, they don't have much to look forward to. Why can't Kate have thrilling adventures and save the world the way people do in books? Even her 11th birthday is shaping up to be mundane - that is, until her mysterious and highly irresponsible Uncle Herbert, whom she's never even met before, surprises her with the most unexpected, exhilarating, inappropriate birthday present of all time: a colossal steam locomotive called the Silver Arrow.
Kate and Tom's parents want to send it right back where it came from. But Kate and Tom have other ideas - and so does the Silver Arrow - and soon they're off to distant lands along magical rail lines in the company of an assortment of exotic animals who, it turns out, can talk. With only curiosity, excitement, their own resourcefulness and the thrill of the unknown to guide them, Kate and Tom are on the adventure of a lifetime...and who knows? They just might end up saving the world after all.
This thrilling fantasy adventure will not only entertain young listeners, but inspire them to see the beautiful, exciting, and precious world around them with new eyes.
Review -
The Silver Arrow is a fun, exhilarating, fast-paced, magical tale narrated wonderfully by Simon Vance. The story follows Kate, who on her eleventh birthday receives a life-sized steam engine named 'The Silver Arrow' as a birthday gift from a crazy rich uncle she barely knows. Soon, Kate and her annoying brother Tom find themselves in a mind-blowing adventure aboard the Silver Arrow with walking-talking animals to keep them company. And on their way, Kate and Tom uncover some bitter truths about life as well.
The narration was gripping and wonderful, especially the 'Click, BING' part which denotes that the train is communicating with Kate and Tom. I used to hate audiobooks. I tried listening to one about a year ago and I had a really bitter experience. But now I feel that they are not so bad after all (in fact I felt really satisfied with this one) and I have decided to give it another try.
The writing was lucid but also elegant and eye-opening. There is this scene in particular, which was exceptionally well written- in which Kate and the others magically transform into trees. This book would be fabulous for children because its easy-understandable and teaches them certain values such as being responsible and how to get past the sibling-rivalry. I also love the way that the author introduces the reader (or listener) to bitter and sad facts such as climate change/global warming, deforestation, endangering animals and extinction of certain species, change in migration patterns etc., thus inspiring the reader/listener to do something about it.
I highly recommend this book not only for children but for everybody in general because this is the kind of story in which you could get lost but at the end, you would come out with a better understanding of the world around you.
I thank NetGalley and Hachette Audio for giving me this wonderful opportunity to review this book.
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