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The Secret Kingdom. Jenny Nimmo (2011)

by Jenny Nimmo(Favorite Author)

3.83 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1405257326 (ISBN13: 9781405257329)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Egmont Books (UK)

series

Chronicles of the Red King

review 1: Review by Shelly - review of the trilogyWow Jenny Nimmo knows how to tell a cracking story. The Secret Kingdom books are my first taste of her novels and I have to say won’t be the last. The trilogy follows Timoken, a young boy who is enchanted by a magical moon spider web cloak when he is born and leaves him with one foot in this world and one in the realm of enchantments. When he is just eleven tragedy strikes and his parents are killed by evil viridees who are after the cloak and to survive Timoken and his sister Zobayda have to leave the castle. It is only when his Mother advises him to fly from the Castle that Timoken learns of his magical powers.The first book then follows their journey as they try to find another home where they can live as a family. Along the... more way they have some fantastic adventures and meet Gabar, a talking camel who helps them and then becomes part of the family. Timoken can speak to all animals so the reader finds out what Gabar is saying and this brings some very humorous passages within the book. It is within this first book that he learns of most of his magic and how both the elements and animals will help him in times of trouble.The second book – The Stones of Ravenglass follows Timoken and his ever growing family to medieval Britain where he desperately wants to find his own Kingdom so that he can find a place of his own. Unfortunately he meets Osbern D’Ark and the Damzel of Decay who both want to harm him. He does meet some new friends along the way though, a magician called Eri and his dragon Enid. Can I just say that I loved the relationship between Gabar and Enid with Enid being the flirt and Gabar trying not to fall for her charms.The last book – Leopards’ Gold jumps ahead to a place where Timoken has his family and Kingdom but all is not well within the magical walls. So follows a plot to overthrow the King and create disharmony between his children. In this book we are told the story by Petrello, one of Timoken’s younger children, who has not yet learnt of what his magical talent might be. I think that out of all the books this is the weakest as we are not hearing Timoken’s voice and so feels a little disjointed compared to the other two.These are truly magical books that explore the love of family, loss and the need to truly belong somewhere. The books are extremely descriptive and it feels as though you are in the plains of Africa or the deep dark forests of Britain. Jenny Nimmo creates such great characters throughout all the books that by the end you feel as though they are friends and you are deeply committed to find out what is going to happen to them all. All in all a great trilogy that I think would make any young readers want to dip into Jenny Nimmo’s world again.
review 2: I thought Chronicles of the Red King, The Secret Kingdom by Jenny Nimmo, John Keating, narrator was quite an adventure . Timoken and his sister who were orphaned literally flew from their castle home to escape being killed like their parents , the king and queen. Timoken has magical gifts that help protect his sister and him from the evil Viridees. Zobayda has a special ring that is magical , it has the little face and voice of the bestower of the gifts. The magical forest jinni told the king and queen that the cloak made from the web of the last moon spider would protect their son from danger and the Alixir if one drop were taken at every full moon would ensure that the brother and sister would never grow old.The Alixir was the water of eternal life. The camel Timoken befriended became his only family after Zobayda disappears.The author has a great imagination and sense of adventure as I found myself hoping the two children would survive the evil Viridees and be reunited and live happily ever after.I enjoyed the trip around the world and the adventures of the Red King. less

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