This was such a fun and exiting story. It sucked me in from the beginning and I was very interested in both the characters and the world. It was also an easy read, as is the case with most middle grade books.

The world in The Wingsnatchers was very fascinating and one of my favourite aspects of the story. There is a vast difference between the faerie world, which is surrounded and made of nature, and the human world, which is a steampunk society with many machines and a lot of metal devices. It was interesting seeing how these two worlds coexist with each other and I loved finding out about both of them.

Carmer, one of the main characters, is an inventor and assistant of the magician Antoine. Through him we get a look at the human world and how far it’s advanced, with all the automatons and other machines – that Carmer finds fascinating and thinkers with them. I really loved him as a character. He is very smart and inventive, he always manages to get out of tough situations. (Even with some mishaps.) He was probably my favourite character. It was also wonderful discovering the world of the fae with him, as he is for the first time confronted with it.

Grit, another main character whose perspective we get to read from, is a faerie. She is not only a fairy, she is the princess of the faeries. Not only that, she is a faerie that was born with only one wing and can’t fly, which makes her different from any faerie that she has ever met. She is very fiery, temperamental and strong. Grit knows what she wants and how to achieve what she wants as well. The only problem I had with her was her short fused temperament – I tend to get annoyed easily with such characters. (In one instance she really angered me.)

The mystery of the disappearances of the faery very interesting. I really wanted to know what was going on and how it was going to be solved. But I found the pacing to be off and some of the story points didn’t sit right with me. Nothing too major, but some slight things bothered me. (And I can’t go into detail because of spoilers.)

Also the cover is beautiful. But if you have read the book you will know how fitting it is for it and see even more details than you already did! I was really mind blown when I looked at it after I was done reading the book! (Can’t go much into that, because that would spoil things.)

Overall this was a very fun book and I would highly recommend it to everyone!

This was ok, not a bad book! I enjoyed it. It might be something others would enjoy more.

The Wingsnatchers is the first book in the Carmer and Grit series for middle grade readers by Sarah Jean Horwitz. Aspiring inventor and magician’s apprentice Felix Carmer III would rather be tinkering with his latest experiments than sawing girls in half on stage, but with Antoine the Amazifier’s show a tomato’s throw away from going under, Carmer is determined to win the cash prize in the biggest magic competition in Skemantis. When fate throws Carmer across the path of fiery, flightless faerie princess Grit (do not call her Grettifrida), they strike a deal. If Carmer will help Grit investigate a string of faerie disappearances, she’ll use her very real magic to give his mechanical illusions a much-needed boost against the competition. But Carmer and Grit soon discover they’re not the only duo trying to pair magic with machine – and the combination can be deadly.

The Wingsnatchers is a nice start to a series, unfortunately I found that the first couple chapters started off slowly, and some readers might not make it to where Carmer and Grit meet- which is when the story really picks up interest and speed. I liked the premise, and the characters once I got fully involved in the story. I thought Carmer was clever, but in the focused way of inventors and scholars that sometimes miss the obvious. Grit was my favorite character, she has a missing wing, and has lived her life as actively and dangerously as she could. She was occasionally a little bratty- but what do you want from a fairy princess? Sadly some oft he twists I figured out a little sooner than I would have liked, but the ride for Carmer to come to the same realization was entertaining- although he frustrated me often. Some of the secondary characters caught my imagination, and I want more past and future information about some of them. I enjoyed the adventure and the idea of the story, but despite some great moments, I was not blown away by the read.

The Wingsnatchers is a good fantasy novel, but it took awhile to grab my attention. I will admit to picking it up and putting down a few times- but in the end I think that this book will find a large audience that will enjoy it.

I am very tired of oh-so-twee faux steampunk novels for middle schoolers. I fully admit to only making it through two chapters before the grating narration got to me.

I just finished this novel, so I’m still having a bit of trouble settling my thoughts down so I can put them into actual words. Over the years, it has become much rarer for me to give out a full five-star rating to a book, but I absolutely adored this novel. After only the first chapter—maybe even the first few pages—I was already completely hooked and in love with everything about it. It is one of those books that is written for a younger audience, but ends up transcending those limits, creating a magical tale that can be enjoyed by anyone.

This is truly a heart-pounding book. Horwitz quickly makes her readers fall in love with her characters from the very start, causing us to feel a huge range of emotions through all the trials and successes, funny moments and those that break our hearts. I laughed so hard. I deeply felt the moments of fear, pain, and sadness. And I have to admit, I even shed some tears, primarily at the nostalgic feelings this novel evoked for me. I tore through these pages, finding it so hard to put down. I just had to know the fates of these characters I had come to love so much.

Full of mystery, magic, industry and mechanical science, from start to finish it is a compelling tale full of captivating steampunk goodness. It has been a long time since I have been so drawn into a novel. It threw me back to my childhood, to all the years I spent dreaming up fairytales and magical worlds. To all the years of constantly hoping to reach a point where I am able to spend the rest of my days bringing these stories to life for others on paper and in their minds, the same way they came to life for me—the same way they have given me life all these years. This particular tale is most definitely going to stick with me for a long time.

In this novel, we follow the adventures of a young boy named Felix Cassius Tiberius Carmer III (Carmer for short) and a one-winged fairy princess of the Seelie realm named Grettifrida (but always call her Grit). Carmer, a magician’s apprentice and aspiring inventor, and Grit, a sassy, flightless fire fairy, are thrown together as a chance meeting evolves into a race to save the entire fae realm—as well as themselves and the city of Skemantis—from a mad scientist.

When fairies begin to go missing, captured by an unknown evil they have named “The Wingsnatchers”, it is up to Carmer and Grit to get to the bottom of the mysterious disappearances. And what is the connection of these odd events to the unexplainable ones simultaneously occurring in the human world? Mixing science with fantasy, real magic with the closest replications that humans can accomplish, this is an enchanting and fast-paced modern fairytale that will leave readers on the edge of their seats, wanting more.

The depiction of the characters—both the main and the side ones—was one of the standout points of the book for me. Every single one of her characters are fleshed out quite well, and even the most minor of characters are memorable. Carmer and Grit have such a lovely friendship, even though they are each struggling through plenty of their own troubles.

Carmer is attempting to take control of his future and leave behind his past as an orphan, and Grit is trying to make others understand that her disability does not define her—that she is as strong and capable as anyone else, despite what people may think. Though they have some extreme—and understandable—differences and find themselves at odds occasionally, once they learn to trust one another, they end up making a brilliant duo.

This is Horwitz’s first novel, but it reads as if she has been writing for decades. Flawlessly executed and incredibly beautiful, her writing is fluid and easy to fall into. It grabs hold of your imagination, your senses, and hangs on long after the final page has been read. Her vibrant descriptions and world-building are solid, showing her talent for weaving her stories into the minds of her readers.

I truly had an enjoyable time using Horwitz’s vivid narrative to put myself into this unique setting. I felt like I was there watching these events unfold right alongside the characters. She also relates this book to our present world by dealing with some themes that are very common in society today. Horwitz handles every aspect of the novel with care, meticulously unfolding an action-packed narrative. This was just such a fun adventure I did not want to pull myself out of it until I ran out of book.

I will reiterate—though I know I don’t have to at this point—that I completely fell head over heels for this novel. And unsurprisingly, I would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. It is a beautifully crafted tale of family, friendship, and how two exceedingly dissimilar groups can set their differences aside and team up to fight a threat that affects them all.

Overcoming obstacle after obstacle—even those their own families and sometimes they themselves place in the way—Carmer and Grit unite in a heart-warming friendship that withstands the forces that test it. This is a fantastic beginning to a promising series. Though I don’t quite know how I am going to stand the wait, I am extremely excited to get my hands on any and all future novels.

Carmer is a magician's apprentice and he enjoys his job and the people he works with. When he attends a demonstration of a magical new power that can light lamps, he's fascinated. When his magician is outshined by a performance by an unknown magician, he's amazed. He's also curious. Especially since he's noticed mechanical cats wandering around the streets of the city. Where did they come from?

Algonquin Young Readers and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published April 25th.

Carmer wants them to win the magician's contest because they are out of money and can't continue without an infusion of cash. It's not looking good, though. Then he meets a fairy that has only one wing. Grit doesn't want to have anything to do with him but she needs human help to figure out where all the fairies are going.

With magic, fairy unrest, and despicable characters the story is entertaining and a bit different from most. A touch of steampunk, an unusual friendship and a fairy queen who isn't easy to get along with all add to the storyline.

Both Carmer and Grit are in danger and almost die along the way. The ending is a bit upbeat and a bit sad, but when the queen tells Grit she should get some more worldly experience you can see another book coming. I wonder what adventures they will share next?

What a brilliant series start, I can't wait to read more of the adventures of young magician Career and his Faerie friend Grit! Grit is a princess and a faerie but she definitely doesn't conform to any of the stereotypical impressions you may have already formed - she kicks ass! She was born with only one wing but this isn't something that holds her back from having adventures in any way, she just seeks alternative routes that mean the fact that she cannot fly does not hamper her too much. Carmer is an apprentice magician and inventor and the two team up to try and stop an evil inventor from taking over a city using the magic of countless faeries to do so.

I was enthralled all through the story, I love magical stories but the steampunk elements in this one set it apart from others. The mechanical cats that Carmer and Grit have to battle sound terrifying but absolutely fascinating. Plenty of action and adventure to keep middle grade kids interested but with undercurrents of love for family and friends, the book is an all round great read. One of my favourite reads so far this year.