Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows by J.M. Bergen Review

How are you all doing today?

It's been rainy and gloomy here the last couple of days, and those are honestly my very favorite days. Because of this, my hubby and I have decided to work on redoing our home library, and there is currently books stacked everywhere throughout my house.

I'm excited to see what it's going to look like when we get it all done, but in the meantime, I'm looking forward to sharing with you a new review for a fun, middle grade read that I recently finished. 

Thomas Wildus and the Book of Sorrows by J.M. Bergen:

Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by the Author

Publisher: Elandrian Press

Publication Date: February 2nd, 2019

Genre: Middle Grade

Series: The Elandrian Chronicles

Synopsis:

Thomas thinks he's an ordinary twelve year old, but when a strange little man with gold-flecked eyes gives him an ancient text called The Book of Sorrows, the world he knows is turned upside down. Suddenly he’s faced with a secret family legacy, powers he can hardly begin to understand, and an enemy bent on destroying everything he holds dear. The more he reads and discovers, the deeper the danger to himself and the people he loves. As the race to the final showdown unfolds, Thomas must turn to trusted friends and uncertain allies as he seeks to prevent destruction at an epic scale.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

I truly adored this fun, adventurous middle grade novel that's kind of like Harry Potter meets Percy Jackson meets National Treasure. I think readers everywhere are going to love this story of prophecies, magic, friendship, and big destinies needing to be fulfilled.

As someone who is a big fan of middle grade stories, I'm always excited when I discover new fantastic books that have me truly invested into the story. I loved the fact that while certain aspects of Thomas Wildus have been done before, there's also many components of it that are new and original, and made for an amazing adventure story that I didn't want to put down. 

I personally feel that friendship is a key component to the middle grade genre, and I was so impressed with how flawlessly it's presented by author J.M. Bergen. Thomas has a lot thrown on his plate all at once, and he's been given pretty much the opportunity of a lifetime. However, instead of growing arrogant or cocky about these amazing opportunities, he instead laments of the fact that he wishes his best friend Enrique could be experiencing everything alongside with him. Their friendship was perhaps my favorite part of the entire story, and is exactly the kind of positive influence that I was looking for.

Thomas Wildus honestly included a lot of my favorite book components including a mysterious bookshop, a magical system that's well mapped out, an eclectic cast of characters, a plot swarming in mystery, and a fantastic ending that sets up perfectly the next books in the series. I thought this one was lots of fun, and is perfect for middle schoolers or adults that still enjoy adventure stories within this genre.

Definitely go ahead and pick this one up if you're in the mood for an action packed story where magic is real, and adventure is around each and every corner.

Final Rating: 4/5.

Thanks so much to J.M. Bergen and Elandrian Press for providing me with a complimentary review copy!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this novel from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Thanks so much for reading guys! I hope you have a great rest of your day :)