Brian Farrey

This is an adventure and fantasy story that has steampunk vibes to it. It reminds me of another book I read, which I haven't been able to pinpoint, but another book I do remember that it reminds me of is The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill.
This is about a Prince with a clock for his heart and how he's trying to figure out what that means or how to deal with it and a statue of a maiden that helps him and Esme, who is on a mission searching for a sorceress. The bigger picture with this story is about loving and accepting yourself and others and learning how to have compassion and help others too. This is an uplifting Middle Grade read with some great twists and very imaginative and one of a kind in its telling. It does also have some darker topics in it that it touches on such as death/loss of a loved one/grief. There is also a little bit of violence and war and such so it's the kind of book that would likely be best to be read with a child or before letting them read it.
It has a good message and is enjoyable to read and think about as it is also thought-provoking. Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Young Readers for letting me read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.… (more)

Ugh. The end was a bit a lot anti-climatic.
(Granted, I felt the same way at the end of [b:The Song of the Lioness Quartet|492490|The Song of the Lioness Quartet (Song of the Lioness, #1-4)|Tamora Pierce|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391833339s/492490.jpg|1142850], so maybe it's my sense of over-dramatic speaking)
Even so, the ending was just perfect - I could totally relate.

So.
After the disaster that was a slap to the face from the first book.
After the wonderful best-of-the-lot second book.
This was a good ending to the story. Mind you, good. NOT excellent. Which - auch, too bad.

The important thing you need to know: This WAS NOT the time wasted.
And the time not wasted is the time well spent.
Therefore I would recommend this series.

(gods do I love Grimjinxes, gods do I love them)
… (more)