Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches is a middle grade fantasy book where a young child, Archibald, accidentally transports himself to a magical world and unlocks a family history of witches one fateful night.

The story features a cast of largely female characters, young witches in the world from over 500 years ago and a cast of magical creatures, storylines, games and powers color this tale. There is a lot to love here, and a huge amount of lore that goes into building this. I did personally feel as if the storyline meandered in a way that was hard to follow, for me personally. However, this is a children's book, and as such the narrative story may be more appropriate in that age range.

We get to see the relationships between the characters progress well, and I really enjoyed watching Archibald and his family's relationship's develop, even from far away, and felt the pacing was handled well. I do not feel as if this story was personally for me, as the narrative style did not mesh. The large parts of this novel (the ending, the middle) were not quite up to my taste, but I did enjoy all of the many easter eggs, lore and work that the author put into crafting a very rich, and detailed world. This as not to say it was a bad book, or that I would discourage people from picking it up.

I would definitely recommend this book to middle grade readers who enjoy magic and mystery. There are quite a few popular Fantasy books along the same basic concept of children finding magic, adventure, and mischief in old houses; however, this one really stands out with contemporary thinking and aspects in the storyline and writing. The worst part is at the very end, where it says, "To be continued." It may seem like a lifetime to younger readers before the next book in the series resumes the story. I suppose it teaches that life if full of cliffhangers?! lol

This is an independent, honest review based on an ARC provided through Netgalley

I adored this book so much, It says that it's more for middle grade but honestly, if you enjoy fantasy books, you'll find this to be right up your alley no matter what your age is. It's magical, funny, and engaging. I also loved the narrator for the audiobook. Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

Excellent book. I found myself learning a whole new language and visualizing a whole new world. The last book that I felt this with was Harry Potter. So creative and it builds a whole new narrative as you learn all these new terms. Looking forward to other books in this series

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrew McMeel Publishing company for my advanced copy audiobook of Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches by Michel Guyon.

Guyon gives us a hero in Archibald Finch who is the epitome of everything you would think to not be heroic and that is what truly appeals about the youngest member of the Finch family. He's introverted and extremely clever, a child who seems to know everything about everything although often, Archiband cannot explain just how he knows his latest tidbit of information. I love how realistic the Finch family are as a unit, and you can easily imagine the family living right next door - and for anyone who reads this story? You might just wish they did so you can find yourself apart of the adventure, after all? Who doesn't like a story about witches, monsters and mysteries?

As always, I don't want to ruin the story for you so I'm going to limit my spoilers, because I personally, hate them!

In the wake of moving into his late Grandmother's home with his family, an artifact sends Archiband to an unusual land with demons and the witches who have been held there for centuries- although they remain at the age they were snatched away. This unusual magical world is one that is terrifying for the anxious Archibald, and Guyon brings it to life with incredible world-building, the wonderful characteristics of the witches and monsters who emerge from rivers etcetera. I can honestly say that nothing on Earth would get me there willingly even as an adult - it's the perfect 'scary' world for children who will be eager to know more and probably relate to Archibald's horror at having to eat more vegetables than normal!

His sudden disappearance leaves those who love him bereft and confused but it's his normally disinterested sister who fights the hardest for answers and I love how she grows as a person from the typical teenager who wants her baby brother to disappear to someone who desperately wants to find Archibald and get to just what happened to him. Haillee is cast into a 888 of mysteries, men who should have been dead for centuries, magic and hundreds of questions as to just what and how the artifact came from and 9 do.

Everything is a fight to get Archibald home for oth Finch children when everything seems set to keep everyone where they are... and I want more!

The audio book is fantastic, read in such a manner that you are drawn into the story from the first till the last word and wow! Not fair to be left on such a ledge with that ending...

Go get yours no matter how old you are.

I listened to the audiobook courtesy of Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Audio.

As you probably have read in the description, we have two children, Archibald and Haliee, who each are on their own parallel adventures after Archibald is transported to an alternate world. I'm not going to put much in here about the plot, but more about what I liked and didn't like.

The story was very engaging! There was a lot going on and the narration would bounce between Archie's escapades and Haliee's efforts to bring him back. I think it will be excellent for the target audience, middle-graders. The scary parts aren't too scary, there's a good deal of action, there's a touch of romance, and for parents, there are also a few educational opportunities, such as learning roman numerals. The title chapters are also very fun.

The narration is done really well. It is easy to know who is speaking by their voice. It was easy to listen to.

While I was totally expecting it to end as it did, I am still a little unhappy that it ended where it did. It is not a standalone book and definitely the start of a series. There are a lot of unanswered questions. I am looking forward to and want to read book 2. The ending is why I lowered my rating from 5 stars to 4, because I'm not a fan of a "cliffhanger" like ending. If possible, I would have given it a 4.5.

Archibald goes through a very nice arc as a character, growing from kind of a sniveling wimp to someone who will stand up for what he thinks to be right. It made it hard to like him initially, but it was really good to see his growth.

Really strong female characters! Haliee shows grit and determination. Faerydae is a leader amongst the girls and is smart and tough. I love how well the girls are portrayed.

One thing that always must happen in stories like this is the "no telling adults" trope, since adults wouldn't believe the kids. While I can buy that, I did have a hard time believing that their parents weren't more panicked when Haliee was out for an entire night and that she didn't let them know, especially since she has a cell phone. Seriously, a simple text - I'm staying at a friend's. Be home tomorrow. - is all that was needed. The last thing is that while I get that having the kids find out how the globe works is part of the plot, I SO wanted one of the adults that knew how it worked, to just explain the thing. (We do find out in bits and pieces along with the various characters.)

While listening to the book was delightful and enabled me to read it in a timely manner, I was sad and delighted to learn that the physical book is illustrated. Having seen some pictures of the illustrations here on Goodreads and then at the book's website, I must say, check out the illustrations as they are gorgeous and add a lot to the story.

Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches
Michel Guyon
Zina Kostich
Archibald Finch and his family recently moved into his grandmother’s creepy mansion that came with a Manservant. Every year Archibald would hunt for his Christmas present; this year would not be an exception. His parents told him they had not bought his present yet but that didn’t stop him from searching. He was exploring when he uncovered a box on a shelf in the library; he is sure it is him Christmas gift. In the old box he finds an ancient globe with images of bizarre and ridiculous beings. Archibald is sure the globe opens and begins fiddling with it. He accidentally unlocks the globe; it emanates a brilliant light and suddenly he is pulled into a different realm. The world, Lemurea is filled with girls with magical weapons; they are warriors/witches fighting weird and wicked beasts. The Golem stones are their only shield. There are Marodors, strange creatures with lots of teeth and hungry for anything close by. Archibald must learn how to survive in this strange new world.
Back in London Archibald’s sister is desperate to get him out of the globe. Someone has been looking for the globe for a long time and is determined to get it from Hailee
I love this tale; it is fun. Author Michel Guyon has created a world like no other; he has created creatures I would never want to meet. It was fun watching Archibald mature. He came across as a brilliant brat but before this tale ended, he has matured. Hailee was an interesting character; she didn’t get along with Archibald at the beginning of this story but like most siblings she didn’t want anything bad happen to him. The focus audience for this book is middle school students. The illustrations are amazing. Kudos to Zina Kostich! This is the first book in an exciting new series.

In this book we follow Archibald Finch on an adventure to another world, when he discovers an old globe in his grandmother's house, that transports him to a mysterious other world, which is set in the Middle Age times. He now has to try to find a way back home and to survive, while he is surrounded by girls around his age that appear to be witches. At the same time, his sister Hailee, who witnessed his disappearance, tries to find a way to figure out what happened to Archibald.

This is a cute and witty book, perfect for middle grade readers (or adults like me that are in the search of a refreshing and sweet adventure similar to Harry Potter). I quite enjoyed listening to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job at keeping the story light and gripping at the same time.

This is the story of a family secret that was never supposed to be revealed. When Archibald and his family move into his grandma’s manor, he stumbles upon an ancient globe that sends him to the world of Lemurea. This is the land of witches and dragons, magic and monsters. In his real life, Archibald is often bullied but in Lemurea he needs to use his smart thinking and survival instincts to help a band of young witches win this age-old battle. Meanwhile, having seen his disappearance, his sister Hailee is facing her own battles to discover what happened to Archibald and how to get him back home. The chapters toggle back and forth between the worlds and it keeps you moving through the mystery to solve it.
This was a fantastic middle grade read. I enjoyed it immensely. The characters of Archibald and Hailee are interesting as are the people they meet that help them on their quest. This book is a great adventure in a fantasy land. I’d definitely recommend this book and look forward to more in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews Mcmeel for the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review.

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When Archibald's family moves into the old manor left to them by his recently departed grandmother, they have no idea what secrets it hides. While exploring the house, Archibald finds a fascinating old globe but has no idea it was handpainted by Leonardo DaVinci and is a portal to another world.

This is just such a fun adventure story. I loved the characters and the beautiful, imaginative world Archibald found himself in. The characters just pop out of the pages and come to life. You will love Archibald and his sister, Hailee.

Highly recommend!

what a lovely story - I would recommend this, I would definitely recommend this to children. My sister particualrly enjoyed this and she is 7 - she said it was the best she had heard!

Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches
By Michel Guyon
Narrated: Steve Hendrickson
Genre: Fantasy/Middle Grade
Rating: 4.5/5⭐️

This book is packed full of history, magic, and mystery. Archibald is a quirky kid who unlocks an old family heirloom that transports him to an unknown land. As Archibald is trying to figure out how to survive in the new place, his older sister is back in London trying to figure out how to bring him home.

Since me daughter is getting closer to being able to read, I decided I’d start reading books that I could add to her TBR shelf as she gets older. This book is absolutely one she’ll enjoy around age 12. There is a scary “henchman” type figure and some very odd creatures that might be a bit too much before that age.

I enjoyed this book so much myself, so I’m not saying it’s just for middle grade kiddos. It’s for anyone who enjoys a magical read.

*The story ended with a cliffhanger, so I’m hoping that means there’s more to come!

I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator was wonderful and did great voices!

I felt like the story was pretty middle of the road. It didn't grip me but I found it fine. I think the world the author created simply wasn't explored well enough, and story elements were just created and dropped. I didn't find anything new, transformative, or subversive in this book to keep me engaged.

I found the fact that this other society sometimes uses sign language really cute, but the only reason I remembered that is because I wrote it down once it was mentioned. It is never used again. Since it's a mostly all-girls witch society, Archibald has to pretend he's a girl (but there are boys there anyway, so he doesn't really HAVE to, I didn't get that) and he hates it, but soon enough he reveals himself. Again, a story element that just gets picked up and dropped without any effects or consequences.

Also, I didn't really find it realistic that there exists this magical society of mostly girls and none of the girls are together. As can be seen, I found some story moments very clishe and old-fashioned. Archibald's sister is preppy and really into her phone, which is treated with the same stance and by the same level of nuance as my grandma who can barely use the computer and doesn't really understand the internet.

Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches is a wonderfully witty, engaging, and beautifully written crossworlds fantasy novel for middle grade readers by Michel Guyon. Due out 28th Sept 2021 from Andrews McMeel, it's 352 pages and will be available in ebook and audio formats (other editions available in other print formats).

This is such an impressively fun and creative book. Given the precociousness of Archibald, the protagonist ("I know everything, I just do"), it would've been so easy to make him obnoxious and truly unpleasant. He comes across as a bit exasperating sometimes (especially to his older sister Hailee), but otherwise he's really sweetly vulnerable, mostly honest, full of curiosity, and naturally inclined to kindness.

His accidental trip into a parallel world where monsters are real, language is not always clear, almost everyone is female (boys are called "accidents"), and there are very very few adults, leaves him grasping to put everything in context and make sense of what's happening around him. The author does a superlative job of character development - they really live and breathe and the world building is unparalleled. I was impressed by how much real history and knowledge was included - much of the plot turns on Leonardo da Vinci's life, sketchbooks, and wonderful inventions.

The narration in the audiobook by Steve Hendrickson is virtuosic. He manages numerous accents with inspiration from the UK, Eastern Europe, Italy, and several other places with characters of both sexes, and all ages. I spent most of my time listening with my mouth hanging open in awe of his voice work. Mr. Hendrickson has shot to the top of my shortlist of favourite narrators. The audiobook has a run time of just over 9 hours and the audio quality and production were quite good throughout.

I've seen other reviewers comparing this one to books by Rick Riordan and J.K. Rowling, and while I can understand the comparison, in a lot of ways, this book is better. To my mind, a more apt comparison would be Roald Dahl and Madeleine L'Engle. The only thing I really disliked about the book, and it's something which I loathe universally is the *absolute* cliff hanger of an ending. NONE of the plot threads are resolved and it was distressing. On the other hand, the book is quite long and would've been a monster if it'd been in one volume. I'm looking forward to finding out what's next for Archibald, Hailee, and their compatriots.

Five stars despite the cliffhanger ending. Five stars for the audiobook version.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

A joyful read, with many unexpected events, the main characters were hilarious 😂 I had so much fun listening to it 🙃. The plot of this story is great and the way the writer leads you smoothly throughout the new world, both reader and main character are discovering, is exceptional. But the narrator was the cherry on top, he absolutely gave all it required to make it more real and outstanding. Can't wait to listen/read to the next books.

This story had me chuckling at the wit and humour on multiple occasions. I enjoyed going on the adventure with both major protagonists. The world-building was spectacular and I was thoroughly entertained by the narrator with the various accompanying voices. Five stars to the author; I can't wait to continue on this journey.

Holy Bejables! This book was cool. It was fast paced and full of magic and and action. The battle scenes were so detailed and well described that I really felt I was watching the action. And the magic system, using enchanted rocks called golems, was so unique and fun to learn about. This book would be great for middle grade readers (or anyone!) who want an action packed fantasy. I couldn't put it down. My one complaint is that it ends on a total cliff hanger! I hadn't gone into this book expecting to pick up a series, but I guess that's what I've done.

I listened to an arc of the audiobook, so I suppose I ought to mention the narrator. I really thought he was great. It was easy to distinguish the character voices and he was very pleasant to listed to. All in all, a great production of a great book. I could see this audiobook book being a total hit on a family roadtrip or any other situation that is a multi-generational listen for fans of fantasy adventures.

I wish more modern fantasy books were like this. Hints a flirtation but no full on romances. Great story line. Great characters with room to grow as the series progresses. The end left me with a lot of questions I really hope another book is in the works to answer. I literally went "WHAT?! IT'S OVER ALREADY!? NOOOOOO!"
Narrator in the audio edition was perfect for this story. Kept me invested in the story without putting too much effort into creating character voices. Yes, there were slight difference to how the characters sounded but I feel that came more from the author's ability to write their dialog rather than the narrator creating a voice for them.
Great mid level book and above, says a 33 year old.

This was such an interesting book! It starts out with Archibald finding an old globe and somehow transporting himself into the land on the globe. The book is then split into 2 parts, Archibald making his way in this new land of Lemurea and trying to find his way home and his sister Hailee knowing he isn't just a missing child like everyone else thinks and knowing the globe had something to do with his disappearance. Strange enough, I enjoyed Hailee's part more than Archibald's part. I thought Archibald's part would be more interesting as he is in a new land, but Hailee's part really interested me more. I loved the fact that there were people trying to steal the globe and loved watching Hailee and Oliver (antique shop owner's son) find out more and more about this globe.
The only thing that got me what where the book stopped. It ended in such a weird place and didn't really feel like an ending. It felt more like the ending to a chapter than an ending to a book. But at the same time it really makes me want to read the second book!

I haven't wished to be a character in a book for a long time, but this one had me quite jealous!

Archibald Finch is an 11 year old boy who hates his name and doesn't love his life so far as he is teased and left out at school for knowing everything. He literally knows everything. He doesn't remember being taught, but it comes to him anyway which makes him quite a target.

After his grandmother's funeral, Archibald and his family move into the large home she left them and he discovers a very strange globe that upon deep inspection and accident, transports him to another realm. Here he is met by young looking girls who call themselves witches, but don't exactly fit the definition of such according to Archibald's knowledge. In fact, most things in this realm are outside of his definitions, which is a strange feeling for him entirely.

This story is a magical coming-of-age adventure for a young boy "lacking courage" who doesn't seem to fit anywhere. He learns in this new world that things that are scary are often just misunderstood and with the help of friends, discovers his own hidden strengths. There is a lot of "relearning" done, not just by Archibald but by the reader as well! I very much enjoyed the new ideas of what a "witch" was, as well as a "dragon" or other monsters we conjure up. The origins of these monsters were also a deeper message of non-violence which is carried throughout the story. I loved it!

I also loved the side story of Archibald's sister, Hailee as she goes on her own adventure to find out what happened to her brother who mysteriously disappeared right in front of her eyes! Her bravery is tested as she encounters questionable men who seem to have questionable actions. Fortunately, she befriends an ally in her quest and there is a bit of a sweet spark of interest beyond him helping her!

Marketed for pre-teens or Middle-grade students, I found this story, or rather the beginning of this story (it is a continuing series), to be very engaging and adventurous. I listened to it and very greedily snuck in every spare moment at work to listen! There was well written humor, fantastic descriptions of this magical middle age world, and exciting action all within a deeper layers of meaning.

I loved it all. I loved the characters, the settings, the creepiness, the monsters, the chapter titles (yes, the titles), and so much more. The only thing I really hated was the last line, "To be continued."

Thank you, NetGally and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the E-ALC. Please remember me when the next one comes out!