Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

A beautiful, uplifting and magical story full of imagination and heart. The world and character development was done skillfully and believably, and I loved Prissy’s arc especially. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

This is a fun middle-grade fantasy adventure. It features two girls, Prismena and Abigail, who approach life very differently. They will have to learn to work together to save two kingdoms. It's an entertaining read.

Full of danger and intrigue, this middle-grade adventure story defies genres. I suppose you could call it a steampunk fantasy for kids? The setting is a world that seems inspired by the Victorian era, and there's no magic involved in the book; instead, ingenuity saves the day!

The story revolves around a revolution and two girls who could not be more different. Prismena has always been a rule-follower (at least outwardly--she does have a stash of inventions that her father wouldn't approve of), while Abi feels so strongly about her cause she would risk anything. The two of them together make an unlikely (and initially unfriendly) pair. The book builds to an exciting climax filled with revelations, betrayals, and inventive solutions to seemingly insurmountable setbacks.

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

This was such a fun story. I enjoyed watching Prismena and Abi's relationship grow and evolve throughout the story. Honestly, the characters were probably my favorite part of the whole story. I loved the adventure and mystery found in this book, too. I also liked that this story featured hot air ballooning. It was cool to learn more about hot air balloons and how they work! This is a good choice for middle grade readers that like stories full of adventure.

This is a fun and great book. I loved the plot and the chapters told from Catherine's view. This was a great book and I enjoyed it!

This story is perfect for the younger middle graders in your world. Prismena (Prissy) is a rule follower until she isn't. An altogether great adventure with a strong female lead!

This was such a fun book. Prismena, who's father is a balloonist, is blackmailed into doing something she doesn't want to by another girl she meets. What follows is an adventure she didn't see coming. This book is full of whimsy and intrigue as the reader finds out more about the kingdom of Oren and it's leaders. I loved the development of the girls' relationship throughout the book and how coming from two completely different worlds they were still able to find common ground and unite. Great book for middle graders!

I love books featuring main characters with unusual interests, so when I learned about Prismena’s love for hot air balloons, I already loved this book. I had a lot of fun reading it. It’s a sweet story, but it does have some darker moments. Some chapters are written in Italics and tell a story from the past, and that has a lot more tragedy than the chapters from Prismena’s perspective.

The story really centers around Prismena and Abi. At first Prismena is hesitant to get involved in the revolution with Abi, but as she learns more about what’s truly happening in the kingdom as well as some new things about her own past, she begins to feel like fighting may be her only option. I felt like that transformation was well done and felt true to her character. I also really enjoyed the way that her interest in inventing things and flying hot air balloons were worked into the story.

I think readers who enjoyed THE DRAGON WITH THE CHOCOLATE HEART by Stephanie Burgis or THE UNICORN QUEST by Kamilla Benko will love this book.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Kingdom of Secrets by Christyne Morell was a delightful read. While a lot of middle grade is about magical kids this book was simply about a brave group of kids fighting against a tyrannical kingdom.

The land has been separated into two countries causing the countrymen outside of the wall to be poor and the people to have to live under authoritative rule and some times separated from their families.

This is a great story about an unlikely friendship between Prissy and Abi. I really enjoyed the complexity of their friendship. Also, it cast the two main girl characters as smart, ingenuitive, and using science and imagination to get out of the tough situations they found themselves in.

I loved how three dimensional all the characters were. They were not just brave or just proud or just weak; they were all scared and sometimes they were all annoying or sometimes they were all sanctimonious.

I also like the sense of mystery and surprise that was given to the story. We don't see as many twists in a middle grade fantasy as this book gives.

If you want to foster bravery, adventure, thinking for one's own self, loyalty, and care for others in your kids I would recommend Kingdom of Secrets.

Thanks to Netgally for the e-arc for this book.

This is a great adventure. I loved the way the author revealed Wren's part of the story and the many twists that came with it. The main characters were well written and I particularly enjoyed seeing the personal growth the girls went through as they learned to trust each other. The setting is also well done I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the different neighborhoods of the kingdom. This really helped flesh out how the whole kingdom was effected by the war and what the resistance was trying to achieve. Overall it is a great story.

When I started reading this book, it caught me right away because Abi comes out of nowhere, blackmails Prissy, then her dad gets arrested, and really I truly had no idea what was going on! Since the book is in Prissy’s point of view it gives the reader the suspense and disbelief that Prismena has as the story begins. This makes you want to just keep reading to figure everything out.

Then, add in a second story about a mysterious young lady named Wren from the past that will crash land into the main story in a very unexpected way–it just sucks the reader in more!

In addition to the plot, I found the characters intriguing and very well crafted. The development of Prismena is definitely the highlight as she learns how to be on her own and have her own thoughts, but even the secondary characters had stories that Morrell found time to tell in the book. I do wish I knew more about Abi’s life, but maybe that will come in another book!

I also think the book is timely as it looks at government corruption and propaganda based in fear of others and loss of power. Because of Prismena’s ignorance, we get to experience the realizations as she does, so this allows for good discussions about these topics without bringing up current events.

I am pretty picky about high fantasy, but this one is one of my recent favorites, and I cannot wait to share it with my students!

Honestly, I wasn’t as sure about this one. I was a bit hesitant about the character Abi and how she would be portrayed, since it seemed like she was the only BIPOC (Black) character in the story. And since she encounters the MC as a liar/thief, plus is an orphan and refugee...I had some worries.

Luckily, the story was fun while emphasizing character growth on Prissy's (MC) side, including her perception of Abi. Abi also is more than how she is initially introduced; readers learn about her backstory and get greater insight into her determination, her perseverance, and her stubbornness.

 This is an entirely me thing, but sometimes the tone/feeling of the story felt off. Occasionally it was related to the character's names, like King Michael. There was something about that name and the rhythm of it that skewed my reading of the story when he was mentioned.

Despite this very personal issue (lol why did "Michael" have such an effect on me??), Kingdom of Secrets is chock full of vivid descriptions and a fascinating hot-air balloon aspect with a bunch of cool information on the authors website.

I think kids will really enjoy this colorful story of adventure, strong characters and growth, plot twists, and empathy.

With thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an early copy in return for an honest review.

The first thing that drew me into the book is the cover, and the inside did not disappoint. A book filled with adventure and a couple unexpected twists and turns, but with a lot of depth. This is a book that will springboard into discussions about family, power structures, right vs wrong, and more.

I would definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy and those who like STEM as Prissy has to develop several inventions to accomplish their plans.

Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to review this book.

In the book, Prismena lives in the kingdom of Oren with her father who's a balloonist. She would give anything to fly one of their hot-air balloons, but her father won't allow her to. However, when her father is arrested for a crime that he didn't commit, Prismena knows it's her fault and so she goes on the adventure of her life all while deciding between following the rules or following her heart.

The gorgeous cover is what drew me in immediately to this story. I needed to read to see how the hot air balloons and the two characters on the cover interacted.

This was a fun, action packed adventure!

Absolutely delightful read--my daughter who is 9 thoroughly enjoyed this enchanting balloon filled adventure!

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Review by my 9 year old daughter (all opinions are hers):
🦄🦄🦄🦄🦄/5 Unicorns

Amazing book. If someone asks me to describe it in one word, it would be “amazing”. I love how the plot of this story has many twists and turns. Abby’s clothing is also amazing!!! I really like how imaginative and creative Prissy is, if she couldn’t be a balloon maker, she would make an awesome inventor. The cover is wonderful, it’s really compelling!

DEFINITELY would recommend to everyone! LOVE THIS BOOK X 10000000000!!!!!!

Kingdom of Secrets by Christyne Morrell was quite a nice read and I thought the story and characters were all very unique! In the book, Prismena lives in the kingdom of Oren with her father who's a balloonist. She would give anything to fly one of their hot-air balloons, but her father won't allow her to. However, when her father is arrested for a crime that he didn't commit, Prismena knows it's her fault and so she goes on the adventure of her life all while deciding between following the rules or following her heart. She'll learn all sorts of secrets about the kingdom, herself, and her family's business with flying balloons. I really enjoyed reading this and I loved how I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen until the very end and I'd give it 4.55 stars out of 5. Thank you to the author for reaching out to me and thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Review to be published on July 25, 2021.

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
Though the book begins at a slow pace, the story picks up and brings the readers into the rebellion to overthrow the King of Oren. Early in the book, Abi blackmails Prismena to help her smuggle something in Pris's father's balloon. Things go wrong and Pris's father is thrown in prison for treason. Prismena struggles to understand what is really happening in their kingdom; Abi is committed to the rebellion and saving Palma from the war. Together, they form some tentative bonds to save Pris's father and get the messages to those who need them before the rebellion launches. Readers recognize that a friendship is blossoming through the stressful times they share. The other characters weave through their main storyline and several are revealed to be different from who they seem. The dramatic conclusion and resolution brings the kingdoms back to peace.
Morrell balances action and humor to appeal to middle grade readers. The story flows smoothly and the counterpoint story of Wren offers another view with further information about what has happened in the kingdom. Readers will easily visualize this setting and connect with the various characters.

The sheer enjoyment and utter exuberance felt at every twist and turn of Christyne Morrell’s middle-grades YA adventure is worth your time and will leave you breathlessly wanting more. The lively tale centers around a gumdrop of a girl named Prismena Reece and a wild encounter with Abigail Smeade over a silk scarf that leads to a relentlessly convivial quest to uncover secrets, right wrongs, and start a revolution.

Oren seems to be a normal kingdom. Built on a valley, it had a large wall around it, like a city wall. But on the inside, it had more secrets than you could imagine.

Prismena Reece, the balloonist’s daughter, is tinkering with some odds and ends when Abigail Smeade steals her mother’s scarf. The scarf is the only remnant of Prismena’s mother that she has, so she strikes a deal with Abigail: in return for the scarf, she would send a box to Tulera (another kingdom). Sounds simple, but this trade would not leave them unchanged.

The themes in this book include friendship, trust, and family relations. This book uses these themes to amplify the pacing of the story.

The pacing in this book develops quickly from the inciting incident right in the first chapter all the way to the climax and even in the resolution.

I recommend this book as a read-aloud for 8+ and as a reader for 10+.

I give this book 4.8/5 stars as the end had a few unexplained questions. Well, that didn't stop me from enjoying this book, and I really hope there will be a sequel. I absolutely love it and would love to read more books by the author.

Happy reading!
-Ayan