3.5 stars

I thought this was a good introduction into fantasy worlds.

I'd aim the age of readers to 8-12 years old.

It was an interesting spin on line of ascension to the throne.

Overall, nice story

When brothers Janner and Tink Igby find a hidden map, their boring town of Glipwood is turned upside-down and the Igby family finds themselves on the run from the terrible Fangs of Dang. The story is engaging, featuring fantastic characters and just enough humor scattered throughout to keep the tone light-hearted.
I've been in love with the Wingfeather Saga for a while now, and I was thrilled to discover the new editions! These books have beautiful new artwork sprinkled throughout the pages and an updated cover.

My ten-year-old is a voracious reader, and I'm always looking for good books that keep his interest but that are age-appropriate. We read On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness together, and it is a hit! It's the story of Janner, Tink, and Leeli Igiby, their mother Nia, and their grandfather Podo. They live in Skree, a country that has been under the oppressive rule of Gnag the Nameless for as long as the children can remember. Gnag is searching for the jewels of Anniera. But what could three children have to do with jewels?

This is a story of adventure, love for family, doing the right thing even when it's hard, and faith. Podo is gruff and blustery at times, but his deep devotion for his grandchildren shines through even when he's giving them a good chewing out. Janner may chafe at the repeated admonishments to look out for his younger siblings, but he loves them and worries about them.

Andrew Peterson has a quirky, engaging writing style, and the humor in this book has made us laugh out loud at times. (I mean, the fact that the nameless evil's name is Gnag the Nameless? That's hilarious!) It's also a story of mysteries, of secrets not yet revealed. What do Nia and Podo know that they aren't telling the children? Janner in particular is old enough to catch the glances that pass between the adults and to wonder what overheard snippets of conversation really mean.

This book is great for middle grade readers. It has some pretty intense descriptions of battles and physical characteristics of monstrous beings, so do keep that in mind if your child is sensitive to those things. (Mine is not. He listens to the story and the draws what he sees in his mind.) I've really enjoyed it as an adult, too. I can't wait to read the rest of the Wingfeather Saga!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions here are my own, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

I thoroughly enjoyed this MG story. A fascinating world, wonderful characters and a well-paced plot kept me engaged throughout. I so appreciate child characters who act their age, disagree, learn, grow and love each other through it all!

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is the first of four books in the Wingfeather Saga. If you have older elementary age children, these are fantastic books for them read. If your children are younger, these make great read-aloud books! If you enjoy a good story, these are wonderful books for adults too! This series of books is truly for the whole family! They are filled with adventure, hardship, mystery, and bravery. Everyone will enjoy them, and they will be inspired to live a life of courage.

Have you ever showed up late for a party? I know that sometimes it can be awkward like you missed the cake and people are already starting to wander their way to the door. But sometimes, you get welcomed in and it's like the party has been waiting for you to just get itself going. I was late to the Wingfeather Saga from Andrew Peterson, but it feels like the party has been waiting for me and for you to show up! And they've put on new party clothes to mark the occasion.

The Wingfeather Saga is the story of three young children that are heirs to the throne of the country Anniera that has been ransacked by an evil ruler who is determined to capture them as well. We meet Janner, Tink and Leeli in the first book of the series On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, where they are just a small family living in the countryside of Skree and the land of Anniera is a fairy tale at best. Gnag the Nameless has taken over this land and is using Fangs to search for the children. The children are discovered and unexpectedly find themselves fleeing for their lives. They are not alone, their mother, grandfather, crazy uncle, and the faithful family dog are there to help them navigate the way. The first book is in someways an introduction to the action of book two North! Or Be Eaten.

North! Or Be Eaten seamlessly picks up the story of book one without a lot of retelling to weigh the story down. It's just enough in all the right places to remind of the things you may have forgotten since you read book one and to allow a new reader to pick up the story independently without too much confusion. The story of North! is the family's journey to the Ice Prairies, where they will hopefully escape the Fangs and Gnag the Nameless.

The family encounters several adventures along the way. Janner and Tink get separated from the family. Janner's journey is the focus of the story, showing us the life of children in Skree and the culture of those that live in the countryside.

These two books are the first of the re-release as hardcovers with illustrations. Even in the kindle version, the illustrations make the story richer and vibrant. The fantasy is well told, with enough that's different from the every day but also not so far fetched that the reader can't connect with the ideas. The stories aren't too scary for younger chapter book readers but adventurous enough that a parent reading along will keep their interest. I personally finished the second and sought out the third and fourth books so I could find out how the story ends.

If you're late to the party, come join us! This is a story that you and your children and children's children will enjoy for years to come.


Copies of books one and two were given to me by Waterbrook Multnomah for the purpose of review. I'm not required to write positive reviews but I'm always thankful when I can!

What a refreshing and delightful story this was! It's not often that I come across something in this style of writing that is wholly unique and interesting while maintaining a high level of entertainment value.

The plot, characters, pieces of mysteries, and childlike wonder made this book stand out. Wonderful world building was enhanced with footnotes by the author regarding terms and historical events make this seem so much more original.

I could honestly recommend this to anyone. It has it all and I will be reading this series with my own children for years to come.

I absolutely LOVED "On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness". It's funny, adventurous, magical, and so heartfelt. I loved that it's about family and friendship above all else. It's such a beautiful little tale packed with the tug o' war of conflict, beasties galore, and an unforgettable world!

“Even if hope is just a low ember at night, in the morning you can still start a fire.”

I received the ebook on NetGalley as part of the launch team. I also had the great privilege of hearing Andrew Peterson read this one himself for the quarantine times.

This is a wonderful series and my third time reading this book. I admit it may take awhile to get into the series. I enjoyed this book much more the second time reading through. Don’t get turned off by the fun names and crazy things that come up. Peterson writes this with a humor and depth that walk well together. The books grow as you move through the series. If I had to categorize this series it makes me think of a funny children’s version of Lord of the Rings - still dealing with hard and painful things but with a side dish of goofy things like totatoes and off the wall footnotes that will make you laugh or cringe at their silliness and slight disgusting- ness, whatever the case may be

My family and I absolutely adore this book. It is full of humor and truth. It begins with the Igiby family living their normal lives in a town crawling with Fangs of Dang and thus begins a journey to discover who they really are. The book is fun of flabbets and totatoes, a one-legged pirate grandfather and slimy nasty Fangs. This is my second time through the book and my children's first time through. It's more delightful the second time. The kids are so excited to keep on going with the story. Thank you for the ARC.

I was initally really excited for these books. They sound fantastic and a bit quirky which I love, but for some reason I had a really really difficult time getting into this in the beginning. I'm not sure if it was getting used to the writing style or the pointless cliffnotes that kept feeling like a waste of time to read but then I finally figured out just ignore the cliffnotes until the end of the chapter instead of going back and forth and that helped me to get into the book MUCH better.

Once I was in the story, it really took off. I loved the characters and their amazing family filled with such unique people like grandpa Podo the old peg leg pirate. And their mother with all of her secrets and strength that held the family together. And I loved how no matter what happened they always were there for each other fighting there way out of whatever tried to come between them.

For me the book really took a turn for the better when they quit playing by the rules and decide to take matters into their own hands and defeat the evil Fangs of Dang that were trying to force them into the black carriage. From here there is action and adventure at every turn of the page and it keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering how they can possibly get away.

I also loved Peet and knew that he had a bigger role to play than what we were initially led to believe. He ended up being one of my FAVORITE characters by the end. And I really hope he has a larger role in the next book in this series. I also hope that there are less cliff notes in the next book as well because as much as I think the author wanted them to be funny and interesting... they were really just distracting and somewhat annoying.

All in all this was a really fun read and I can't wait to get into the next book to find out what happens to the Igibys!

This is a really great novel. The story is about the adventures of three Igiby siblings- Janner, Tink and Leeli in a war-strewn world. I love the world-building of this book. The book was adventurous, fun, interesting and unique. The writing style reminded me of JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis. In fact I like the writing style in this book more than the writing styles of both of them (I am not a fan of JRR Tolkien or CS Lewis). Overall, this is a really great book which has the capability to be loved by both adults and children alike. The conclusion was very nice. I started reading the next book in this series (thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher) as soon as I finished this book because I was not able to contain my curiosity of what will happen next.
I sincerely thank the publisher and NetGalley for giving me this wonderful opportunity. Above all, I would like to thank the author, Andrew Peterson, for writing such a great book.

I was nervous going into this series because I dont do middle grade too often, but its my husbands favorite series so I had to give it a go! I will say it is such a great little series, the first book does a tad bit of a slower start, but I love the sibling connection we get to see. The feels of going on an adventure is so lord of the rings like but for our beginning fantasy fans! I'm really happy to see these books get picked up for some renewal feels and hope it gets the attention it deserves

Read! And be delighted!

When I began the book , I literally laughed out loud just reading the introduction. Then I found myself immersed in the saga of the Wingfeather children. The method of storytelling bordered on ridiculous at times, in the way that only a fanciful tale can do, and for me personally that creativity is what made the book so delightful. I could imagine my own grandfather narrating such a story. Peterson’s storytelling and creativity truly shine creating these delightful tales for youth and adults alike. I highly recommend both On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and its sequel North! or Be Eaten. (Books three and four will be released in the autumn and they wrap up this series with a beautiful depth of truth and love that makes these stories a true gift.)

This book hooked me from the first page. I told my husband that the writing reminded me of the Princess Bride (the book) with its footnotes and humor. That was just the first page. As the book progressed, I knew it was one that needed to be read to my kids. My two older boys (tweens) had already read Narnia and Lord of the Rings. I knew they’d love this, too. And they did. Passionately.

This book and the 4-book Saga as a whole, are in my personal top 5 books/series of all time. In fact, both my husband and I stole the book from the “read aloud” area so we could devour it faster. The journey is a beautiful, amazing, captivating, and heart-rending story of love, courage, redemption, family, and hope.

I love the new hardcover editions. The pictures help the book feel less intimidating to my 5th grader who doesn't typically pick up a "fat" (ie: regular-sized) novel on his own.

I will admit I had a hard time with On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. There was much about the book that didn’t really appeal to me personally. As I tried to read this book through the eyes of my students, I realized that On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness has much that will appeal to older elementary and middle school students – including a huge “grossness factor.” Andrew Peterson shows that he knows his audience, what they are like and what they like. I can see Janner and Tink in some of the boys I work with. Peterson incorporates many elements of a good fantasy – mythical creatures, made up world, adventure, a journey, danger, and even new words. The book is well-written and everything “makes sense” within the plot line Peterson crafted. I do look forward to reading other titles in the Wingfeather Saga.

I will be adding On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness and other titles in the Wingfeather Saga to my K-12 Christian School library.

I received an advanced copy as a member of the launch team. This is my honest review.

Amazing work. Enjoyed this story to the fullest. The character development was amazing. The story line was interesting and entertaining.

I remember seeing the Amazon short film for this story years ago, which was my first introduction to this series. Since then I have seen several of my favorite authors praise this series to the sky. When sign-ups for the launch team came up, I had to sign up.

The story world that Peterson has created is whimsical and full of colorful and fun characters. The "historical notes" and appendices are also very amusing, though at times were a bit distracting. I loved the gorgeous new illustrations and the songs and poems throughout the story. I love the bond between the Igiby siblings as well. While the story moves a bit slowly, the world and the characters are very intriguing. This would be a great book for a family read-aloud or an independent middle-reader who loves Fantasy.

Adventure, suspense, humor and bravery. These are all found on the pages of Book 1 of the Wingfeather Saga.
Oftentimes stories written today are fraught with interpersonal drama and riddled with cultural talking points and agenda. Where children are looking for an adventure and a place for their imaginations to grow, they are instead often offered up a paltry plate of everyday life mixed with some bathroom humor.
From the first page, I knew this story was different. There is artistry and imagination in the words found on each page and I was especially delighted by the footnotes. Footnotes you might wonder?!? Yes, the footnotes were detailed, delightful and where I seemed to find a story within the story.
The Wingfeather Saga doesn’t shy away from addressing the battle of good versus evil, or even addressing the battles the characters have within themselves and amongst each other. I was pleased to notice that I thought about the story and the characters even when I wasn’t reading the book (the best stories do this!) and that I stayed up late to read just.a.few.more.pages.
Relevant for a time such as this: a story that not only acknowledges that there are evils to face, but also gives an inside look into what bravery looks like (it doesn’t always mean you don’t feel fear!), and reinforces the truth that no matter how dark the battle seems, the sun will rise and tomorrow always comes.

This was an interesting read. For the age group of Middle Grade readers, I would say this book is perfect. It teaches valuable lessons, has some giggles and goofiness thrown in, and has moments of being insanely intense. The book gives me all the vibes of <i>The Hobbit</i> in terms of how Tolkien--and Peterson in this--references locations, people, and places as though they have always existed and always will. There's an air of agelessness and antiquity to a lot of this story that made me really appreciate it.

But, other than Podo, I had difficulty connecting to the characters. I understand they're children, but in a world where they have been raised to live in hardship and enemy occupation, you would think they would understand staying safe and out of the way. The main three kids in this gave me the vibes of children from today dropped into a fantasy world with absolutely no clue on what they should and shouldn't do. None of the siblings seemed to have any sense of fear or repercussion for their actions despite living in a dangerous place. While the reader is repeatedly told it's a better town and life than most in this kingdom, it's also repeatedly mentioned that children are snatched without warning and people injured/flogged simply because they looked at a soldier wrong.

And yet there are many moments throughout this story where the main children do the DUMBEST things ever and literally if they had just stayed put or not gone somewhere, the majority of the drama in this story wouldn't have happened.

Also, I couldn't stand the dog. I love dogs. Usually the pets are my favorite in stories, but I could not stand Nugget because it felt like Nugget was the reason for a majority of problems and there was no reason for that.

The ending dragged on an insanely long time, and I was bored through the entire last quarter of the book. <spoiler>The main family group was kidnapped and escaped at LEAST three times that I remember--it was so anticlimactic and you knew by the second time it happened that either they would get caught with no consequences other than useless threats or they would get away with no repercussions to begin with.</spoiler> The big reveals at the end of the story were very unsatisfying after the constant back and forth of the conclusion of the story, and despite having access to the second book, I have no desire to continue on.

Again, this is definitely a story that would appeal more to younger audiences, but I do wonder if kids and teens themselves may be just as bored as me by the end.