The fateful magic flames await deep in the belly of the beast...

“Long ago, as the Firelings’ Story Stones tell, Belcher, then a blundering sky-creature, put his foot right through the sky and went falling into a sea of his own brine.  Deep in Belcher’s belly inner fires still kindled, and to appease his rumbling appetite hapless victims had occasionally to be sacrificed down what was called the Long Slip.  This had not happened for some time, but when Belcher again developed a bellyache and gave voice to his discomfort with cantankerous grumblings and growling, the Firelings began to whisper among themselves that the time had come for another victim to be sent the way of the Long Slip…”

The Firelings by Carol Kenall is a book I was on the hunt for but my sister kindly sent me a copy, along with two other Kendall books for Christmas.  I really enjoyed reading all three books and can see why my sister loves them too.  I have to say, ending with The Firelings was the best way to finish up this mini Kendall marathon read.  It is definitely the best of the three for me.  Each book just got better and better as I read.  The Firelings is really special though.  It really dug deeper emotionally than The Gammage Cup or The Whisper Of Glocken did.

The Firelings is also unique from the other two Kendall books because the enemy is not another group of people; its nature in the form of the volcano the Firelings call Belcher, and themselves.  I usually like to write my own summaries, but the one above perfectly captures what to expect from this book, without revealing too much and gives you an example of Kendall’s style of writing.  There is a lot going on in 252 pages and it’s done well.  We have a younger generation of Firelings, who don’t remember much from the last time a morsel was fed to Belcher, but they are determined that it will not happen again and work together to see that it doesn’t.  There are those of the older generation too, who will not be bullied and stand up to those who insist they sacrifice someone else to Belcher.

There are some very good twists and revelations that have you gripping the book tight.  I want to talk about some of the situations and the characters but I feel I will end up giving too much away and I think this book is better enjoyed not knowing anything else going in so you feel the surprise and excitement when you start to figure things out on your own.  And these characters are not slow to catch on either.  They are smart and brave, which just adds to the enjoyment of this book.  Another plus - and this will be the only slightly spoiler-ish bit I’ll add - is that nobody is paired up at the end.  You only get a sense of deep admiration these characters have for each other after everything that has happened and it’s just refreshing and wonderful.

I’d also like to point out the great cover art on my copy.  I really love the detail in it from the individual stones that make up the path, the green lichen on the rocks and the swirling purples, blues and orange used for the volcano and sky.  Having such lovely cover art to accompany an enjoyable book made this reading experience one of the best I’ve had so far this year.

The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall

The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall is a book I’ve always known about.  It is one of my sister’s favorite books and one she’s always been trying to get me to read.  Well, I really had no choice once she gifted me a copy.  And now I can see why it’s one of her favorites.


The Gammage Cup is the story of the Minnipins.  Centuries ago the Minnipins found sanctuary from the Mushrooms, or Hairless Ones, in the Land Between the Mountains.  Living peaceful lives without threat from their enemies outside of their valley, they wouldn’t dream of anything harming them.  


It’s also the story of ‘Them’; Muggles, the hoarder who curates the local museum; Walter the Earl, the eccentric historian; Gummy, a head in the clouds poet; Curley Green, the artist; and Mingy, the frugal town treasurer, who become unlikely heroes of the small village, Slipper-On-The-Water.


Muggles wakes early one morning and sees something unusual; fires burning on the mountain.  She dismisses it as a dream.  When Walter the Earl and Gummy acknowledge the strange occurance, her concern begins to grow.  However, the town leaders, known as the Periods, don’t take the potential threat seriously.  They are more concerned with winning the prestigious Gammage Cup for their village.  The Gammage Cup belonged to Gammage, who all those centuries ago, led the Minnipins to safety into the Land Between the Mountains.  Judges visit each village within the Land Between the Mountains to determine which one is deemed worthy to acquire the cup.  But when Curley Green’s scarlet door is considered an eye sore that could lose them the Gammage Cup, someone secretly paints her door green, like every Minnipin's door in Slipper-On-The-Water and it sets off a battle of wills between the conformist Periods and ‘Them’, who are told to leave their homes but can return once the judging is over.


When the potential threat becomes all too real, though, Muggles and her fellow outcasts must convince the other Minnipins of Slipper-On-The-Water that it’s up to them to fight, and save their village before it’s too late.


I really enjoyed this book a lot.  It has a very likable cast of characters, my favorite being Muggles of course, who finds she has a lot of strength and courage, and is not all that dim, as some have always thought of her.  Mingy is another favorite.  At first he seems like he’s just one of the Minnipins, guarding the town treasury, literally by carrying the chest everywhere he goes.  But when he puts his foot down over extravagant spending that is unnecessary, you kind of wish he was overseeing our government, and you feel bad for him when he’s caught up in the Slipper-On-The-Water pile up against ‘Them’.


The writing and descriptions contain just enough detail to paint a lovely picture of the Minnipins and the Land Between the Mountains.  It has all the elements I love in books such as Redwall and the early Harry Potter books; the whimsy and great descriptions of food.


I only had two problems with the book.  One was the outcasts instinct to build an army to fight the Mushrooms.  Sure, the Minnipins escaped from them centuries before, but I doubt these Mushrooms were specifically looking for them.  They were mining and happened to finally tunnel through the mountain, only to be met with Minnipins with swords that glow.  I think if I were a Mushroom that would scare the hell out of me and I think I’d be on the defensive too.


My second issue was the pairing up at the end of the outcasts.  It was a little out of left field with not much build up of the particular pairings that happened.


I did like that the outcasts stayed true to themselves, they didn’t back down and conform along with the rest of the Minnipins of Slipper-On-The-Water.  Overall it’s an enjoyable book that an adult can enjoy, reading on their own, or with a young one.