On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness: The Wingfeather Saga Book 1

This book is fantastic. I'm 50 pages in and absolutely loving it. Andrew Peterson is such a talented storyteller, as well as musician. This is fantasy at its finest imo. Don't hesitate on this book/series. Even though it's geared towards a teenage crowd, I'm 43 and I don't care - it's so intriguing (and humorous!).

Read this book to my 5 year old son and we loved every second of it. Andrew Peterson is such a great story teller. Can’t recommend this enough.

One of the best kids series I’ve read. Cannot recommend it enough.

Although this is considered youth fiction, like many classics before, there is more "meat" to be found here. And... this is just the beginning of the Wingfeather Saga! I'm very much looking forward to reading the rest of the series! I would also definitely recommend the companion animated series by the author. Just keep in mind that for film's sake, much of the book's content needed to be condensed and "tweaked" a bit! I believe that this would be a great book to read aloud to junior high ages and above.

I read a lot of fiction to my children, and a lot of fantasy in particular; some of it quite decent, some rather shabby. Of course we are fans of the Narnia Chronicles and the Lord of the Rings, but what could compare to those? When Dr. Sonju recommended Andrew Peterson’s 4-Volume fantasy series Wingfeather Saga (and let us borrow his copies) last year, I assumed it would be of the decent variety; but frankly, I was not prepared. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is the first book in the series (followed by North! Or Be Eaten; The Monster in the Hollows and The Warden and the Wolf King, which won the 2014 World Magazine, Children’s Book of the Year award).The Dark Sea of Darkness. The intentional redundancy struck me as pretty funny, but it’s really funny. It’s my kind of funny; a bit dry at times, but witty and clever. Within a few pages, I felt like Peterson, my children and I had a few inside jokes together. We are also introduced to the central characters, the Igiby family of the land of Skree, Glipwood Township: Grandpa Podo Helmer, an aging swashbuckler, rough around the edges, but adoring of his grandchildren; his daughter Nia Igiby, a beautiful widow; and her three children Janner, Tink and Leeli (and Leeli’s little dog Nugget). Though you might be tempted to see them as caricatures at the outset, each with their unique gifts and foibles, it’s only because you don’t know them well enough yet. Throughout the series, these characters unfold in believable complexity and we are introduced to a much larger cast of equally compelling characters, good and ill (and somewhere in between). We are also introduced to the villains of this series, Gnag the Nameless (Did you catch that? It’s funny.), who rules the greater part of Peterson’s fantasy-world (Aerwiar, another joke, you’ll understand when you read) and his reptilian servant-soldiers, the Fangs of Dang. And there are the dragons…A great mystery surrounds the entire series and many questions arise that are only really answered much later. I want to avoid giving anything away. If the books possess any weakness, it might be that there are stretches where the Igibys “wander in the wilderness” (literally and figuratively) and you really want them to arrive in the Promised Land, but it’s worth it. This too is a great human theme (and a biblical one, obviously). Suffice it to say that, in addition to humor, there is great adventure, skirmishes and battles, quest and exploration (like many of the recognized “classics”). There is much to hold one’s attention, but there is also much to talk about. There is terrifying evil and brilliant goodness, jealousy and generosity, betrayal and loyalty, cowardice and courage, incipient selfishness as well as self-sacrifice. Heroes and heroines in classic literature often have fatal flaws. In Peterson’s fantastical series, weak characters are found to possess incredible powers. Beloved characters are found to have monstrous secrets, evil characters are found to be heart-broken and sometimes monsters are found to possess heart-rending goodness. This is what I was least prepared for: the heart-rending, the occasional choking back of tears for the beauty and truth conveyed in these stories, the moments when I had to risk the catch in my throat and keep reading because I desperately want my children to know the truths these stories tell.“Is this a “Christian” fantasy series then? Like Narnia?” I might argue that any work which tells the truth about humanity (an aspect of my third mark of the “classics”) must be “Christian” in some sense and Peterson is a Christian, but it’s not like Narnia. Besides the fact that Peterson’s writing style is entirely different from that of C.S. Lewis, his world does not overlap with ours. Aslan and Jesus both exist in some sense in the Chronicles of Narnia. Peterson’s series isn’t like that. “Well, there’s the whole good-versus-evil theme right?” Yes, but it’s so much more complex than that and I tend to think good-versus-evil is a weaker basis on which to call something Christian than “truth about humanity.” “But you said there’s self-sacrifice, so there’s a Christ-figure like Aslan and what-not?” Yes, there is both redemption and self-sacrifice, but while Lewis clearly tries to tell the story of the cross in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Peterson’s story doesn’t get there as quickly, nor does it try to be an allegory of the Gospels in the same direct sense. I think if I had to explain why Christians should read these books, it’s because they are really good, and because they possess the emotional and relational content of the Gospel. In other words, these stories could only emerge from the imagination and heart of someone who understood the world through the Gospel. The “deep magic” that works in Narnia in some sense must also be working in the land of Aerwiar. Prepare yourself; or maybe don’t. Tolle lege!

Awesome series, reading it with my 5th grader. Gets pretty dark, so I wouldn't recommend for kids much younger, but it's a really well written series with a unique universe.

This is a beautiful book in so many ways. I forget that, sometimes. But it's beautiful nonetheless. The characters. The story. Anniera itself. All of it is beautiful. And coming back to it with the new edition (and new illustrations!) is an absolute joy.I've read this book quite a few times since I discovered the original version in 2012. Every time, I realize something new. This time, it's how beautifully broken many of the characters are, especially the adult characters — and not just Peet. Nia, Podo, Oskar — they've all lost so much, and even long after the loss, they're still working every day to keep moving forward. To hold themselves together, even when some of their shattered edges are still sharp. Frustrated as I get with Podo's and even Nia's attitude towards Peet, I can see it now for what it is, and it makes my heart hurt for all of them in the best way.Also, Peet. Can I talk about Peet for a moment? I love this character, for reasons that mostly stem from later books, but we see glimmers of here. Of everything in the <i>Wingfeather Saga</i>, his story is what's done the most to inspire my own stories. And so it's exciting to see him again, to see who he is and see the glimpses of who he was and who he will be. He's my favorite character, y'all, and if I were to meet anyone from the series, I would want it to be him.Now that I've talked a lot about the secondary characters, let's talk about Janner, Tink, and Leeli for a moment. Janner is and always will be my favorite of the siblings, probably because we're both the oldest, both word-oriented, both frequently filled with that desire for something more, for adventure and the unknown. If he were real, and if I had known him when I was his age, I think we would have been friends. But I found myself liking Tink a little more this go-round than I did when I first read the books. And, of course, Leeli is always delightful. I love her interactions with both Podo and Peet, but especially Podo. There's a special bond between a good grandfather and his young granddaughter, and that's captured perfectly in these pages.Plotwise, I had forgotten how much happens in this book. There's a new revelation every few chapters, it seems, but it never becomes quite overwhelming. And Peterson knows when to pause, when to let us focus on the beauty of a moment, be it peaceful or not.Also, the footnotes! I love footnotes in books, if they're handled well, and that love began with this book. It hasn't faded one bit, and even though many of the footnotes are humorous, I feel like they help give the world a sense of realness and build out the lore in a very unique way.The illustrations in this book are also delightful. Illustrations in general seem to be very underrated in this day and age, so I'm happy they're included here. And the way the artist portrays the characters — Peet especially — coordinates well with how I imagine them. (Well, in most cases. There are exceptions.)All in all, I'm very glad I got the chance to reread this book with the re-release of the series. It's a beautiful book in so many ways, and I'm excited that more people get to enjoy it now.

A very good story with action, drama and mystery. We can’t wait to read the next book. We highly recommend it for people that like adventure (or anyone looking for a good book).

I consider myself well read across fantasy literature, from the greats to lesser known one shots, and across the breadth of whimsy, low and high fantasy. I am also an artist and worldbuilder in this genre myself, so I have high standards.This series of books is one of the best I have ever read.It's a slow start, admittedly; it took almost the entirety of this first volume for it to truly click. The tone is an interesting blend of weird humour and serious adventure, but it does actually manage to straddle both and have the laughs enhance the drama (and vice versa) without compromising either. If it seems like a frivolous adventure at first, stay with it: there is plenty of genuine peril to come.Every trope you encounter is quickly undercut and freshly re-served, the overall narrative travels far across both geography and character change and the people at the heart of it: both heroes and villains - are superbly drawn, genuinely grow and will surprise and delight you.The later books gain momentum and are arguably better, but this first one isnt just a stepping stone to endure but a crucial and critical part in its own right.The last thing I will say is the greatest compliment I can pay any book: I constantly wanted to illustrate it!Highly, highly recommended.

I loved this book! I would recommend this to any child 10-16. It really gripped me with a warm tickle

Excellent story. Great descriptive writing. Witty and quirky world building. Looking forward to where this goes. Have also used the audible version for the middle of this book which is very well done too.

I am indebted to Jonathan Rogers’ excellent review of this book (as featured on The Rabbit Room podcast) in urging me to read it for myself. He makes the point that the world of Aerwiar is no stranger to the reader than our own world is to children. To quote Rogers, “A pearl comes from an irritated oyster? If you say so, but it sounds like you’re pulling my leg.”Leg-pulling is, in fact, the exact sensation I experienced when being introduced to Aerwiar in the first few chapters. It was delightfully far-fetched. I felt like I was listening to an old man, like Podo himself, spinning tall tales. Andrew Peterson’s prose is unorthodox and lyrical, weaving together scenes of courage, beauty, and pathos with cunning humour. I loved it.And here’s the thing: the longer I spent in the Glipwood Township, in the land of Scree, in the world of Aerwiar, the less bizarre it seemed to me. I became so entrenched in the story that everything suddenly belonged. The Igiby children truly could not have inhabited any other world but this one.Whom can I trust? That is a question and a theme that I have encountered over and over again in the realm of children’s fiction. As a reader, I ask this question, too. I was not disappointed by Andrew Peterson’s response to it. He gives us a lifelike hero-child who doubts himself and others, who makes mistakes aplenty, but who is learning to listen to the right voices.My recommendation: read this book with as many little people gathered around you as you can find, in as many different voices as you can muster. I don’t recommend it as an ebook or an audiobook, as the footnotes, maps, and appendices are well worth the investment in paper and must be experienced in all their riotous mirth.I look forward to rereading this book with my boys once they are past toddlerhood. Until then, I am ordering the rest of the saga so that I can rest easy in my mind about the fate of those Igibys.

If a book is able to make you laugh and cry along with the characters, then that is a good book.Also, this is book aimed for younger audiences, like really young, I mean kids, yet I still enjoyed reading it.The first 60 pages or so might seem a little slow, where your getting used to the writing, the world, the characters etc. but it picks up the pace after that.It has its usual fantasy tropes but boy do I enjoy that and I did it in this too.Give it a try, you might be surprised. The author is a musician too, so check out this songs also.