Thank you to Holiday House for the digital ARC!

EDEN SMITH was a super fun read, perfect for readers interested in STEM with more of a fantasy setting. Eden is a memorable middle grade character with a bright, clever voice. I definitely see the Lemony Snicket influence per the book's comp titles. Readers will empathize with Eden's creativity, persistence, and longing for a stable family after years in foster care.

I had such a fun time reading The Five Impossible Tasks of Eden Smith! This was such an intriguing and engaging book, and I was sad to see its end.

First, the writing style! It seemed rather blunt, what with its restatements, but it was a lovely change. Humour came from the acts and dialogue of the characters, a refreshing shift from the first-person POV we often see in middle-grade books. It provided a new view as well.

Second, the pace of the storyline. In the first part, we see some world-building and setting up of the story. While this may work for others, I found it a little slow starting. The trials don’t occur one after the other. There is a gap between each, something I quite liked, but there was also a feeling of waiting for the next trial to start. Even so, there was not a shortage of content in these breaks, as they were still centred around the trials and forming a bond between characters.

Of course, with a book about orphans comes this feeling of lost family. Eden, though without parents, finds a family in those residing in the building. This represents the found family trope, finding familial relationships in those not officially related to you. Eden, of course, after finding these people, relies on them for comfort and other similar feelings. Seeing this kind of well-developed relationship softened my heart, and made me feel quite happy and content. Each character in this book was well written and dived into. Llewellyn spared no detail in developing these characters, turning them into beings with their feelings and emotions.

The book was entirely about the craft of smithing and apprenticeship. Not many books cover this topic, and reading about it, and watching the characters develop their interests, likings, and preferences was truly a wonderful journey.

Finally, to wrap it all up, we receive a satisfying end. All strings are tied, and there are no remaining questions to be found. Even so, I hope for a sequel. My poor heart isn’t ready to let these characters go, more proof of Llewellyn’s remarkable writing.

The cover is also intriguing and draws people in to read the book.

Thank you, NetGalley, Holiday House, and Tom Llewellyn for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

What worked:
Eden and her grandfather Vulcan make an unusual pair of relatives. It’s unanimously known that Vulcan is a grumpy, old coot who doesn’t get along with anyone. He’s by far the greatest smith in the guild, maybe ever, but he has no problem breaking the rules and doing things his own way. He doesn’t show any warmth toward Eden when she shows up. Eden’s been in foster care for years so she’s looking forward to living with family. She’s stubborn like her grandfather but she’s also cunning like her mother was. She’s not afraid to shake things up in the guild and that includes forcing her grandfather to get up and take action to free himself from his imprisonment.
Subjects of prejudice and equal opportunities are parts of the plot as the Guildhall is divided into Smiths and Joneses. Smiths are the only people permitted to do smithing while those named Jones do everything else. The Smiths are subdivided based on the types of metal they use and the things they create. The Joneses cook, clean, work the elevator, and perform other tasks but the Smiths won’t allow them to work with metal. This situation creates an underlying problem since many of the Joneses dream of having a chance to try smithing. They just want the freedom to choose. It turns out that Eden’s presence in the Guildhall will certainly shake things up which will create further conflicts due to a resistance to change.
As the synopsis says, Eden’s only hope of freeing her grandfather is to complete five tasks inside the Guildhall. Unfortunately, several of her ancestors have died trying and Vulcan lost half of his leg assisting his father. He comes across as a gruff, unpleasant man but the trauma of this experience has slowly taken a mental toll on him. A man named Pewtersmith is behind Vulcan’s charges and it seems Pewtersmith’s have been behind all of the past charges against Eden’s family. He’s also conspiring to find ways of sabotaging her efforts to solve the impossible tasks. Eden’s eyepatch on the book’s cover is the result of one of his dastardly deeds.
What didn’t work as well:
The story is set in the modern-day United States, near Tacoma, but it’s really not necessary. Most of the plot takes place inside the Guildhall of master metalworkers which is very different from any outside reality. References to the real world to create connections aren’t needed, and for me, they were more of a distraction.
The final verdict:
The idea of a story focusing on metalwork isn’t immediately engaging but the world inside the Guildhall has ample drama to carry the plot. Featuring an orphan, a lost grandfather, and a clear, manipulative antagonist is a smart decision, and the countdown of the five tasks and a time limit help to generate suspense. Overall, the story is innovative and entertaining and I recommend you give it a shot!

Challenged by a secret society of metalworkers, Eden must do all she can to save the only family she has left in this fantasy adventure.

Excellent middle-grade with fantasy with a spunky heroine and great world building!

What a fun read! Made me search for more titles from the author to read next.

This one is a fun adventure of a lonely orphan child who after spending several years in foster homes finds her way to her grandfather, a Smith from an important (almost like a cursed family of blackmiths). Eden will stay and live with her grandfather Vulcan but there is trouble... in a peculiar building with peculiar characters.

This book is like a Roald Dahl pie with a sprinkle of Wes Anderson. We're focused on this amazing building and Smith/Jones society learning all sorts of things related to metals. We also learn about the rules of the peculiar Council as well as the rules of the five tasks.

Accepting to do the five tasks (which all sound impossible is for solving riddles with science and knowledge). The winner is granted the ultimate honor but can also die. In truth, no one has ever survived (some faced exile).
The tasks are absurdly hard and funny the humor balances the story well.

It takes a bit to get started. The first trial starts around the middle of the book and the book is about 400 pages sometimes I wanted it to focus on just the trials, but the writing style is fun and engaging and all the characters are interesting.

We get a sense that we go from loneliness, sadness, and isolation to friendship, challenge, and community.

I am going to miss Eden. I hope the author can publish more stories of Eden, Nat, Vulcan, Bones, and The Sisters... even the villain is cartoonishly fun.

The book age is suggested for upper-middle graders but I think is adventurous enough and the quest to solve the tasks will please younger and older readers as well.

This is a book that I would reread and enjoy noticing more details in the second round.

The cover is amazing. Makes us curious about her eye-patch.

Thank you author and publisher for this e-ARC.