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11th out of 148 books
—
413 voters
The Flame in the Mist
by
Kit Grindstaff (Goodreads Author)
Set in an imagined past, this dark fantasy-adventure is for fans of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. Features Jemma, a fiery-headed heroine held captive in Agromond Castle, yet destined to save mist-shrouded Anglavia.
Fiery-headed Jemma Agromond is not who she thinks she is, and when the secrets and lies behind her life at mist-shrouded Agromond Castle begin to unravel,...more
Fiery-headed Jemma Agromond is not who she thinks she is, and when the secrets and lies behind her life at mist-shrouded Agromond Castle begin to unravel,...more
Hardcover, 464 pages
Published
April 9th 2013
by Delacorte Press
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What a marvelous read for fantasy lovers! Upper-middle-graders will love the detail Kit Grindstaff has used to create the world of Anglavia, a country held in the grip of an evil ruling family whose power manifests itself as a choking Mist that blankets the land. But when the youngest member of the family, Jemma, realizes she’s not like the others, everything starts to change.
Readers will quickly identify with 13-year-old Jemma, who has a strong heart but doesn’t always do everything right, and...more
Readers will quickly identify with 13-year-old Jemma, who has a strong heart but doesn’t always do everything right, and...more
Okay--someone has to be telling untruths here...there is no way that this is a debut novel. This is too good to be a first book!
"The Flame in the Mist" by author Kit Grindstaff is an incredible fantasy with all the elements you want in a fantasy read. Jemma is the perfect heroine to lead the way in this absorbing and well-written tale. She is strong and funny, smart and sassy--the epitome of what the young fantasy heroine should be.
I fell in love with her two rats, Noodle and Pie. Telepathic r...more
"The Flame in the Mist" by author Kit Grindstaff is an incredible fantasy with all the elements you want in a fantasy read. Jemma is the perfect heroine to lead the way in this absorbing and well-written tale. She is strong and funny, smart and sassy--the epitome of what the young fantasy heroine should be.
I fell in love with her two rats, Noodle and Pie. Telepathic r...more
3 likes
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like
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3.5 stars.
This book has everything that makes me happy: a magical land, murderous villains, a young odd ball girl with special abilities. If my pre-teen self had gotten hold of this book, she would have been beyond gleeful.
The book, though good and I highly recommend for young teens, had problems. It started off strong. Jemma’s ‘family’ made me very curious and I envisioned their crumbling castle and selves after the 1981 version of Swan Lake.
But then it slowed down. A lot. By the middle of the...more
This book has everything that makes me happy: a magical land, murderous villains, a young odd ball girl with special abilities. If my pre-teen self had gotten hold of this book, she would have been beyond gleeful.
The book, though good and I highly recommend for young teens, had problems. It started off strong. Jemma’s ‘family’ made me very curious and I envisioned their crumbling castle and selves after the 1981 version of Swan Lake.
But then it slowed down. A lot. By the middle of the...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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This is a good read for a middle grader who can handle 366 pages, a tightly interwoven plot, and entrails. Lots and lots of entrails.
The Flame in the Mist follows Jemma, a thirteen-year-old girl who grows up with the evil Agromand family in a world covered by a thick, hate-filled mist. She discovers that she was kidnapped from her real family because she is the Fire One, destined to either destroy the Agromands or give up her powers to them and make them stronger than ever. Over the course of fo...more
The Flame in the Mist follows Jemma, a thirteen-year-old girl who grows up with the evil Agromand family in a world covered by a thick, hate-filled mist. She discovers that she was kidnapped from her real family because she is the Fire One, destined to either destroy the Agromands or give up her powers to them and make them stronger than ever. Over the course of fo...more
I was blown away by Kit Grindstaff's THE FLAME IN THE MIST. It is wonderfully dark and creepy and tension-filled. Add to that a bit of gore, a touch of romance, and the vilest of villains, and you have a winner sure to keep even slightly older readers (just shy of YA-ready) turning the pages.
The dialect used here strongly reminded me of Karen Cushman's use of dialect in THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE, and the darkness and foreboding called to mind THE CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN by Lloyd Alexander. Wonderf...more
The dialect used here strongly reminded me of Karen Cushman's use of dialect in THE MIDWIFE'S APPRENTICE, and the darkness and foreboding called to mind THE CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN by Lloyd Alexander. Wonderf...more
3 likes
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like
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Background: Jemma has lived at the castle as long as she can remember, but recently she has learned that she is not part of the family that lives there. She was kidnapped as a child and stolen to take her magic at her coming of age. She must leave the castle to find her real parents and protect herself, while also trying to fulfill a prophecy.
Review: I loved this book. It took me a while to get through it, not for lack of plot but because I was listening to the audiobook in my car and just wasn’...more
Review: I loved this book. It took me a while to get through it, not for lack of plot but because I was listening to the audiobook in my car and just wasn’...more
Someone tweeted a link to the book trailer for this book and I was intrigued enough to go purchase it from Barnes and Noble. I am so glad I did! I was hooked on this story from the prologue! I call this a screepy book, a little bit scary and a little bit creepy, but in the best possible way. Jemma is a very likable character and you can't help but cheer her on as she escapes the castle and searches for her parents and tries to fulfill the 300 year old prophecy of the Fire One. I recommend this b...more
I had mixed feelings about The Flame in the Mist. It opens with a family conjuring up nasty things in tribute to a dark god as part of a weekly family ritual. However, daughter Jemma can't create anything dark, and doesn't fit in with the rest of her family. It turns out that she isn't really supposed to be there, and that they have evil intentions for her. Together with her rat friends, she battles to escape the castle and the enchanted mist that surrounds the area. Of course, there is a prophe...more
Jemma thinks she is the youngest daughter of the Agromond family, readying herself for the day her Powers will finally reveal themselves fully. But before that can happen, her true past is revealed and Jemma understands why she has never been able to do the black magic that her family does so easily. Now she has to escape their castle and enter the dangerous mist that can read a person’s intentions. She only has the help of her two golden rats, a decrepit old servant, and a trusted friend, Digby...more
I was pleasantly surprised by Flame in the Mist, which I decided to read solely based on the the names of the two golden rats. I had pet gerbils called Pudding and Pie when I was a kid, so it's not surprising that I found Noodle and Pie endearing. They prove to be excellent companions for Jemma.
The story is compelling, with a well paced plot, and nicely polished writing. The lack of awkward sentences or unrealistic dialog is rare in a debut novel, Ms Grindstaff and her editor did a fantastic jo...more
The story is compelling, with a well paced plot, and nicely polished writing. The lack of awkward sentences or unrealistic dialog is rare in a debut novel, Ms Grindstaff and her editor did a fantastic jo...more
This book is a bit different. I liked the main character Jemma a lot but her thoughts waver between intelligent and child-like and it got a little frustrating. I know she's supposed to be thirteen, but it just felt too childish at times. There were also a lot of times when the perfect thing just happened to be there for her and save the day. This book was way too long, requiring great strength of will to stay with it through the end.
We have a well-rounded heroine whom we all can relate to. There's some gripping scenes and interesting characters in the book. So why did I only rate it 2 stars?
The book starts out exciting, slows down a little, picks up again, the pace slackens; and it continued this way until the last page. Don't get me wrong the writing was good, the words used fitting and concise. I just didn't find the execution terribly exciting. My focus wavered while I was reading this; and once or twice, I was tempted t...more
The book starts out exciting, slows down a little, picks up again, the pace slackens; and it continued this way until the last page. Don't get me wrong the writing was good, the words used fitting and concise. I just didn't find the execution terribly exciting. My focus wavered while I was reading this; and once or twice, I was tempted t...more
This was a wonderful book. It reads so well. You love the characters and you root for them through all their struggles. This is a tale of light vs. dark, good vs. evil. I am so glad this was a stand alone novel and not part one of a series, It would have dove me crazy if I had to wait for the ending.
Recommended for fans of: MG Fantasy
I loved this book, it’s exactly the book I wish I had when I was ten and obsessed with anything fantasy (who am I kidding, I still am!) I loved the darkness, both in imagery and theme. What’s creepier than a land shrouded in perpetual mist? I also like how Grindstaff presents Jemma’s world, then throughout the book digs deeper, peeling of layers one at a time. No information is too overwhelming (though some is just the right amount of disturbing), and unfolds p...more
I loved this book, it’s exactly the book I wish I had when I was ten and obsessed with anything fantasy (who am I kidding, I still am!) I loved the darkness, both in imagery and theme. What’s creepier than a land shrouded in perpetual mist? I also like how Grindstaff presents Jemma’s world, then throughout the book digs deeper, peeling of layers one at a time. No information is too overwhelming (though some is just the right amount of disturbing), and unfolds p...more
I...didn't love this. I actually didn't even really like this all that much. I liked the idea, but...you know what it was? The dialogue drove me nuts. It all seemed so trite and immature somehow--all the "Nooooooo!"s really got on my nerves. And I felt like it took about three times as long for everything to happen as it should have. And in the meantime, I couldn't actually get attached to any of the characters enough to care about what was happening (very slowly) to them. Plus, it seemed like t...more
Apr 02, 2013
Inspired Kathy
marked it as to-read
Character Interview & Tour Giveaway:
http://www.iamareader.com/2013/04/blo...
http://www.iamareader.com/2013/04/blo...
Dec 26, 2012
Liesl Shurtliff
added it
Dark and adventurous middle-grade, very well written and intensely engaging.
5/11/13 Review will be posted as soon as the publishing company I review for, posts original review.
Debut to be released April 2013.
Great read :) Full review to follow soon.
I haven't had an opportunity to read it yet, but I'm irritated that anyone would put forward a 3 star rating on a prepublication book without offering a review. I know the author and enthusiastically await the book. If a book hasn't yet come out, people should do as professionals do and write up a review!
A good middle-grade fantasy. Review coming!
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For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
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For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
Mar 24, 2013
Amy Parker
added it
I could practically feel the mist curl out of the book and surround me. Such a great nightime read with a fiesty herione whose charming little "ratusses" (sp?)found a way to steal my heart despite my aversion to rodents!
I got this one to blurb and it's a tonnn of fun. Kind of like the Addams Family mixed with high fantasy and a dash of Frankenstein. You might like it. :D
The story is good, but I got frustrated with the heroine's naivety (at times) which prolonged the evil.
May 20, 2013
Katie Jane
marked it as to-read
May 20, 2013
Tiffany
marked it as to-read
May 20, 2013
Jamie
marked it as to-read
May 19, 2013
Kachantae Brathwaite
marked it as to-read
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Kit Grindstaff was born near London, and grew up in the rolling countryside of England. After a brush with pop stardom (under her maiden name, Hain) she moved to New York and embarked on her career as a pop song writer.
Kit now lives with her husband in the rolling countryside of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the SCBWI. The Flame In The Mist is her first novel. You can also find her at http://w...more
More about Kit Grindstaff...
Kit now lives with her husband in the rolling countryside of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the SCBWI. The Flame In The Mist is her first novel. You can also find her at http://w...more
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Mar 24, 2013 09:02am