Charlie Bone and the Hidden King

Just finished this the other day, Ms. Nimmo. {Not sure if you read these reviews or not} I just wanted to say, JOB WELL DONE!! Being a published author of tween-teen fantasy myself, I don't have a lot of time to read, but I always make room for your Charlie Bone series. CB and the Hidden King, I think is the best yet. You have everything I look for in a fantasy: creativity (wait til' you see new character Naren's gift), suspense (will Charlie at last find his missing father?), and insight into human emotions. SPOILER ALERT: Not a major giveaway, but a little tidbit. Ms. Nimmo so totally tapped into the powerful emotions of children who lose a parent and see the remaining parent attempting to find a new spouse. Ah, brilliant touch. It was killing me to see Amy Bone and well, you know. I'd like to address some criticisms I've heard about Ms. Nimmo's Charlie Bone series: 1. It's too much like Harry Potter. This is rubbish. Anyone who follows the tides of literature knows that ideas are borrowed and reshaped anew all the time, and thank God for that. A look at Eragon, and people see Star Wars, but don't forget that Star Wars borrowed from Arthurian Legend...and so on. Common threads should not deter a reader but, instead, should enable the reader to become immersed in the story much more easily. Yes, Nimmo's Charlie Bone has some striking similarities to HP: young gifted boy, missing parent, school for magic users, etc. But in Charlie Bone, magic is treated altogether differently. Charlie's quests are extremely different as well. One aspect of the whole Charlie Bone series is that none of the characters are static/ultimate types. The best/noblest characters have flaws, the most evil beings in the tales have backstory which helps us understand (though not quite like) them. 2. Good characters use magic, violating the conscience of conservative readers. I am a Christian by faith and conservative in most things, but I believe Ms. Nimmo handles the issue of magic much better than so many others. Charlie and his endowed friends are born with special abilities, much like some of us are born artists, musicians, athletes, etc. There's not much (if any) spellcasting. The characters are humorously awkward with their skills, and it is truly harmless fun. While not cardboard epitomes like some tales, Nimmo's good guys are truly flawed, but still worthy of our respect. Her villains have back stories that help us believe them as real, but we still despise them as the villains they are. Charlie Bone and the Hidden King is a grab-you-by-the-collar story, sure to please lovers of fantasy, whether they be young or youthful!

I thought this book was amazing and was the best book (so far)in the Charlie Bone series. It kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. I love how every book is full of action and secrets. This is a great book for Harry Potter fans everywhere, but I think it is better then Harry Potter! YOU HAVE TO READ THIS! Five stars all the way!

Charlie Bone and the Hidden King is another in a series of fun books to read. Jenny Nimmo is skilled in her storytelling. The plot is simple, straightforward, and compelling enough to get the reader to the end of the book with ample satisfaction. The Hidden King adds extra elements about those who are endowed with the introduction of the existence of other academies for descendants of the Red King throughout the world. The battle with the shadow, the continuation of the search for Charlie's brain wiped father, and the introduction of just enough new characters who are good and evil make this book another in the series that leaves the reader begging for the next book to be done sooner. It is easy to see that Jenny Nimmo is skilled because when her Charlie Bone books come out I put them off as long as I can because I know that once I start reading, I will read the book straight through and then I will have to wait FOREVER, or it seems like forever for the next installment. The fact that I approach these books knowing I will love them and then finish wanting more proves that Nimmo has a gift. I hope Charlie Bone goes on forever and that Jenny Nimmo gets a movie contract for screenplay adaptations of the series that rivals JK Rowling's deal.

I felt that the last book, The Castle of Mirrors, was missing some of Ms. Nimmo's usual "zip". It felt like there was a bit of hesitancy in her writing. Of all the books, I enjoyed that the least. However, in The Hidden King, Ms. Nimmo is back to her wonderful, enjoyable form that has made this series so pleasant and charming. New characters continue to appear, old ones remain and rivalries still exist. A tremendous secret is uncovered - well, several, to be honest. Quite a bit is at stake here, and there are several threads that need to be managed and I found her management to be deftly done. In earlier reviews I had voiced a concern that the books always revolved around children that the Bloors/Yewbeams didn't want to be found. That stopped in the last book, and continued here. There are no lost children...but someone else is lost, and we know why. In this instance, it makes sense - and that's so important in art. Things need to make sense, because if they don't, not many people will buy the book. The momentum has returned...and while I said my mouth was dry after finishing the last book, it is nearly drooling in anticipation for the next book. What a magnificent ending! This is an excellent series for its intended audience, blending in the right amount of mystery, intrigue, with a firm understanding of what is right and what is wrong.

I feel this is the best one yet(and I hope there will be more) The Flames show up on New Years Eve and in trying to keep something terrible from happening they try to warn Charlie and his friends of the danger they are in. Where have all the beloved pets gone? All the animals from the largest to the smallest have dissapeared and Charlie aims to find them. Who is the shadow really that blocks Charlie from seeing into the Painting of The Red King? Why is Amy Bone(Charlie's mom) acting so odd? The answers to these and many more questions will be answered. I blew threw this book in three days and loved every page. IF you love Charlie Bone you'll love this book.