If I had to pick one Wingfeather Saga book to tell people to reread, it would be this one. Obviously, you have to read the whole series. Read it multiple times, better still! But this is the one for which I consider a reread most essential.
Read it once, to hear the story, to feel the pain of mistakes made by broken people.
Read it again, once you know how the story ends, so you can realize how far those people go and how the seeds of the growth were planted in their mistakes.
(And then reread Chapter 59 about ten more times because it's amazing and inspiring and beautiful and makes your heart sing.)
This story hurts the first time you read it, as I said already, because, as in the first book, it's full of broken characters trying to deal with their brokenness in ways that are often destructive. It's in this book that we really see the beginning of the struggle that Janner and Kalmar won't resolve until the end of book 4. They're boys who've been thrust into new roles, new identities, and new responsibilities that they never asked for, that weigh them down because they don't yet have the maturity to handle them, that spark resentment even towards the people they love the most. And, let me tell you, I feel that.
On a side note, I really appreciate the fact that this book lets the kids be kids. I have steadily increasing issues with some fantasy books in which the kids are given an unrealistic amount of responsibility and then handle it unrealistically well, or where it's constantly the kids solving the problems because the adults are, for some mysterious reason, unable to do so. (*cough*HarryPotter*cough*Fablehaven*cough*KeepersoftheLostCities*cough*) But in the Wingfeather books, the kids are kids. They generally think like kids and act like kids, and they're treated like kids. When they aren't treated like kids, when they're forced into situations that force them to grow up too fast, that strip away joy and innocence, it's treated as a genuine tragedy. And I appreciate that a lot.
This book is Janner and Kalmar's book, yes. But it's also Artham's book more than any of the others. And, as a firm fan of Artham P. Wingfeather, that may be why it's become one of my favorites. While the start of his story won't be revealed for some time, he has one of his best moments here and it's really hard to talk about without giving spoilers, but yeah.
I also very much appreciated Podo's arc here. Characters with a dark past that catches up to them at the worst possible moment aren't exactly uncommon in fantasy fiction, even Christian fantasy fiction. But I think Podo may be one of my favorite examples of such a character. Podo is an old man with scars that run deep, but he hides them well. He's ashamed of what he's done, but not the brooding type of ashamed that's so popular now. And he's afraid — but not solely for himself, and when the time comes, he still stands despite his fear.
I could also talk about Gammon . . . but I think I'll hold off on my ramble about him until the next two books rerelease, eh? Suffice it to say that I appreciate him as a character for myriad reasons.
Plotwise, this book is a little more straightforward than the last, but still quite full of unexpected twists and turns. It has a few more threads than the last one did as well, which helps keep things moving. And the ending is superb, absolutely superb. Plus, we get to see more of Skree in this book than we did in the last one, which is fun!
Once again, if you haven't read this book yet, do so as soon as possible. And if you have read it before, well, maybe it's time for a reread. Trust me, it's worth it.
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North! Or Be Eaten: The Wingfeather Saga, Book 2
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Reviews with images
I want to read it again.
I want to read it again. What an experience. Looking forward to reading the next two. Andrew Peterson transports you to a world and adventure that makes you forget where you are. Great writing and characters you relate too. What an excellent series so far.
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