Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches

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!

Cute, witty, entertaining! I grabbed this book in hopes of finding a fun adventure to share with my niece. I cannot wait to get a copy of this book to gift my niece, as it was exactly what I was hoping for.

Archibald is a nerdy, adventurous, and highly intelligent 11 year old boy. We see growth from him on his adventure, and I can’t wait to see what he gets into in book 2. I would compare the reading level to the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter books. Highly recommend this book!

My Thoughts:
After Archibald parents inherent a 20 room mansion from his grandparents Archibald decides to go exploring his large new home when a globe captures Archibald's attention. Soon he’s absorbed right into the globe, and his sister witness this happening . So while Everyone Is looking for Archibald ,
Archibald is in a new world and sets off on a magical adventure.
This is a cute book for ages 9 - 13 although I did enjoy listening to it also I have to mention that the narrator did a great job reading this book. If you have children around that age that like stories like Harry Potter they will like this.
Thanks #netgalley for letting me read this and give my honest opinion

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 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.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to listen to for an honest review. The narrator was brilliant. I found Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches hilariously funny and captivating.
A fantastic middle grade book filled with witches, magic, adventure, action and my favourite gargoyles. I was hooked right from the start.
A must read for middle grade genre lovers and those wanting to branch out and try a new genre.

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!

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.

BRILLIANT
a great fun story that grips and entertains
The writing is gorgeous and the reader's voice perfectly compliments the magical fantasy of this brilliant tale

A fun portal fantasy where kindness slays the most terrifying of beasts. The narrator for the audiobook was excellent, and I was pleasantly surprised by the thorough character development the main character and his sister enjoy through the book. Though they start off as bratty, whiney siblings, both Archibald and Hailee get to develop into some pretty courageous, caring kids by the end.

All of the adult characters were quite flat, which is typical for books in this age group, but felt strange in the case of the parents who, when a series of unfortunate events befall the family, express themselves in a weird, detached way that feels more like mild perturbation than grief. I also wasn't crazy about the use of the child-is-secretly-adopted-and-doesn't-know trop, which should've died decades ago. Characterizing adoption this way is a weird choice that makes adopted and foster kids feel like their relationships are wrong or need to be hidden, instead of affirming that families are made in lots of ways that are all valid.

In the end, the fun historical details, the strong cast of brave and inventive children, and the theme that radical empathy can be world-changing made this book a good read for kids that like fantasy and adventure.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. The narrator was wonderful, and I'd definitely want to listen to him narrate other stories.

The story was very good, and I was immediately hooked. I was invested throughout the run of the book, and I think that anyone who likes Harry Potter, Miss Peregrine books, or other books like that would love this story. In fact, the whole time I was listening, I was hoping that a second book wouldn't be long in coming.

That's probably where the only negative aspect of my review comes in--the ending. This book ends on a serious and abrupt cliffhanger. Nothing really feels resolved at all. I don't really mind that if a series already has several books published, but I don't love it when I have no idea when or if there will be a second book.

If there is a second book, though, I'll probably pick it up.

I was so happy when I managed to find this audiobook and thankfully I was not disappointed! Archibald Finch is an 11 year old boy that get trapped in a new world of witches and dangerous creatures after messing with a magic globe, and his sister goes to the moon and back to bring him back. I loved reading Archibald´s adventures in this newly found world, as well as his new friendships that he made along the way, like Maven and Fairydae, and his journey on helping those who are trapped in this world with him. My favorite thing about this book was Hailee´s characters development! When she was first introduced, she didn´t seem to care very much for her brother but after reading the things that she went through to bring him back, with her new friend Oliver, was very heart-warming and beautiful to read about. My least favorite thing was Archibald´s and Hailee´s parents as they didn´t really seemed to care for anything related to the kids, and didn´t add much to the story. The plot was very coherent and well-developed and the world-building was extremely interesting. I was so sad when this book was over, so i´m definitely interested in the sequels to come!

Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches by Michel Guyon

9781524870027

Audiobook
Narrator
352 Pages
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Audio
Release Date: September 21, 2021

Fiction, Children’s Fiction, Magical, Alternate Worlds

Archibald, his older sister Hailee, and his parents move into his grandmother’s house after her funeral. It is big with lots of nooks and hidden spaces. He finds a globe, but it isn’t an ordinary globe. None of the lands and countries exist on earth. Archibald sees small holes and finds something small enough to stick in it. Before he knows it, he is transported to another world.

WOW! What a story. I feel in love with Archibald. He is smart beyond his eleven years. The author writes in a very descriptive style. The story is fast paced, the characters are very developed, and it is written in third person point of view. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an amazing job. The story ended with a cliffhanger. Now I have to wait until the next book in the series comes out to find out what happens next. If you liked the world of Harry Potter and Hogwarts, you would enjoy this story.

Hi everyone! Today I’m going to review Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches, the amazing first book of a middle-grade fantasy series written by Michel Guyon.
Holy Bejabbles! This book is very different from any middle-grade I’ve read, mainly because it has a truly original story. There are witches in this book, yes, but they aren’t old ladies with flying broomsticks who wear old black suits with pointy hats —they are young girls who use golems and runes as their source of magic! There are also dragons in this book, but not the winged beasts we are used to see… here, the dragons are called Marodors, and they look like giant combined parts of other animals, and yes, like dragons, they spit fire.
This book has great characters, and they surely have a great development. I think my favorites are Archibald, Hailee and Faerydae.
I actually listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job giving voice to the characters, and although it has no sound effects or music, it is an amazing experience.
I would recommend you this book if you like middle-grade, fantasy and medieval books.
I can’t wait to read the second book when it comes out!
I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I received this as an Audio ARC through Netgalley. While this is listed as Children's Fiction, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the story as an adult. The narrator really made all the characters come alive. When I got to the end of the story I thought I was missing part of the book, but then realized it is the first in a series and now cannot wait to see what happens with Archibald, Hailey, and all the Lost Witches whenever the second book may be out! Archibald Finch and the Lost Witches addresses what it is like to feel like you do not fit in and finding the things that make you quirky, make you special.