Many people have been introduced to Andrew Peterson through his music, however, I came to know him through his books. A friend told me about On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness during a conversation we had almost ten years ago. The title alone drew me in like a tractor beam and I acquired a copy soon after.
It is the first of four books in the Wingfeather Saga (when I started reading it, there were only three books . . . but that is a story for another time). In the first few chapters, you meet Janner, Tink (who's real name is Kalmar), and Leeli Igiby, three siblings who live with their mother and grandfather in the Glipwood Township in Skree. Oh, and we can't forget Nugget, Leeli's dog.
Their home seems warm and inviting--a great place to grow up (if you are a child) or to raise children (if you are a grown-up), but the town has a slight problem. It has been overrun by Fangs--lizard-like beings who are the foot soldiers of Nag the Nameless, who has made it his mission to invade all of the known and unknown lands in Aerwiar. They govern the town (really they rule it) and do all that they can to make life miserable for the Glipwoodians. Oh, and there is the black carriage too, which is scary and gives you the shivers.
The book starts on the day of the annual Dragon Day festival when people from miles away come to the town of Glipwood, which sits on the edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness (hence the title) to hear the dragons sing one night each year. The dragons, who live in the Dark Sea, swim to the edge of Glipwood and the people sit near the edge of the cliff and hear the beautiful song of the dragons.
Janner, Tink (who's real name is Kalmar), and Leeli go to the Dragon Day festival, but events do not go quite as planned and thus begins the adventure of the Igiby family.
This is a delightful tale, full of twists and turns, which ultimately leads to a fantastic ending. I implore you--read to the end of the book. You will both cry and cheer as you read the last few chapters. There are heroics, betrayal, sword fights, surprises, and something else . . . but you will have to read the book to find out what the something else is.
Peterson re-released it earlier this year, so it is once again in print again (with much rejoicing). During the start of Covid back in March, he read it aloud--thirty minutes a night--on Facebook Live.
I will provide reviews of the other three books in the Wingfeather series in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!
P.S. You can find ways to equip and disciple your children in my book, Leading Well at Home: How Husbands and Fathers Can Biblically Lead Their Families. Buy it in our store here.
*The book links above are affiliate links. If you click on it, I may get a small payment from the retailer at no cost to you. I only recommend books I would read or have read to my children.