Igraine the Brave :: Book Review

Author: Cornelia Funke

Can one brave girl protect her family and their castle from the evil clutches of Osmund the Greedy? Check out Cornelia Funke’s exciting young-adult novel, Igraine the Brave.

Pimpernel Castle

A Birthday Mistake

Igraine’s brother Albert may want to be a magician like their parents, Sir Lamorak and the Fair Melisande. But Igraine has a different future in mind—she wants to be a famous knight. For her twelfth birthday, her parents surprise her with a weightless suit of armor, one that will magically expand as she grows. But as her parents add the final touches, one of their spells goes terribly wrong. And before they know it, they turn into pigs! Igraine can’t have pigs for parents, especially now with their conniving new neighbor living right next door.

The New Neighbor

Osmund the Greedy and his castellan, the Spiky Knight, have taken over the neighboring castle. They come to Pimpernel Castle with a proposition for Igraine’s parents: either they sell him their Singing Books of Magic or he’ll take them by force. But with Igraine’s parents trapped in the bodies of pigs, it’s up to her and her brother Albert to stop them.

A Giant Journey

While Albert guards the castle, Igraine embarks upon a dangerous journey. She travels west to collect a giant’s red hair—the only substance that can cure a mistaken spell. But can she arrive home and transform her parents back into humans before Osmund storms the castle? Or will she return too late?

The Bottom Line

Unlike Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart series, Igraine the Brave is a short, yet extremely satisfying, novel. It’s exciting, magical and very well written. The story is perfect for kids and teens of all ages.

Igraine the Brave Rating:

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