Spellboda – J.C Clarke

Published By: The Book Guild
Pages: 288
Released On: 28/09/2021

Trust, belief and a little magic… then maybe they could both fly free.

Since Trevor’s mum died, his dad can barely look at him without yelling. Home is awful, school is worse. People just let you down, and Trevor only talks to Mrs. Bingo-Wings, his mum’s cat.

But then he meets Midge, a peregrine falcon in danger, and finds out he has a gift that could change his life forever. Trevor is thrown into the heart of a magical adventure that could promise freedom – for Midge and for himself – but can he overcome his doubts and fears, and take on the destiny he’s only just discovered?

*****

Thanks to The Book Guild for the gifted copy of this title and a place in the book tour.

You can definitely tell that J.C Clarke has experience and a love for birds; every nuance is beautifully depicted, and it gives us less knowledgeable readers a real insight into the world of falconry and bird conservation.

There is a lovely array of characters in the book. Trevor himself is a lovely main character, young enough to experience magic but old enough not to be patronising. I felt he embodied a lot of us.I really didn’t like his dad Sykes; whilst I appreciate the reasons for why he is (no spoilers) he still couldn’t worm his way into my affections. Then you’ve got Elise who is the strong – well, really the only – female presence in the book, but she’s definitely not just the token woman. But out of everyone, I would have to admit my favourite character was Midge, the Falcon. There was just something about him that I couldn’t let go of.

It’s hard to fit this in a genre. It’s part action and adventure, fantasy, heist, mystery; a real story of redemption.

Okay, I know it’s aimed at children and younger adults, and some of those books can be a bit one dimension for us old dears, but this was multi layered. It had twists and turns and touched on serious topics such as neglect and grief. JC Clarke has done amazingly at weaving a story about a boy and a bird with such heart and soul.

I read it in a day. It’s such an easy read. Really joyful and witty and enjoyable. I could easily see this as a film. I think it would captivate young and old alike. This sense of freedom and magic that is so often lost in adult books.