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The Children of the Red King #8
Charlie Bone and the Red Knight
Dark forces are gathering at Bloor's Academy as the Bloors search for a lost box containing a hidden will- a will that reveals the true destiny of the Red King's heirs. And the Bloors are determined to keep Charlie Bone from finding it first. But Charlie is also facing the lord of the sea, who is trying to drown his parents, and a deadly expert swordsman from another century. The Red Knight might be the only hope. But who is the mysterious Red Kinight? And can he help Charlie and his friends defeat the evil magic for good?
423 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2009
124 people are currently reading
4093 people want to read
About the author
Jenny Nimmo
136 books963 followersJenny Nimmo was born in Windsor, Berkshire, England and educated at boarding schools in Kent and Surrey from the age of six until the age of sixteen, when she ran away from school to become a drama student/assistant stage manager with Theater South East. She graduated and acted in repertory theater in various towns and cities: Eastbourne, Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Hastings, and Bexhill.
She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.
She left Britain to teach English to three Italian boys in Almafi, Italy. On her return, she joined the BBC, first as a picture researcher, then as an assistant floor manager, studio manager (news) then finally a director/adaptor with Jackanory (a BBC storytelling program for children). She left BBC to marry a Welsh artist David Wynn Millward and went to live in Wales in her husband's family home. They live in a very old converted watermill, and the river is constantly threatening to break in, as it has done several times in the past, most dramatically on her youngest child's first birthday. During the summer they run a residential school of art, and she has to move her office, put down tools (type-writer and pencil, and don an apron and cook! They have three grown-up children, Myfawny, Ianto, and Gwenwyfar.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 440 reviews
September 25, 2010
This series has run out of gas. I enjoyed the prior 7 books, but this one felt like a rushed job with Nimmo throwing in every character she's created just to give them one last appearance in print.
Most of the story doesn't even focus on Charlie. It jumps from Tancred to Emma to Olivia to Billy. When it finally bounces back to Charlie you're left wondering, why? Charlie hardly seems pivotal to the story anymore.
The Bloors are trying to raise the evil Sorcerer Harkin from the past. We know he's really, really evil because ... well, he throws Billy in a dungeon and barks out orders a lot. Beyond that you have to wonder what's the point? What did the Bloors get by raising this psychopath? They clearly can't control him and, if they just want him to kill the endowed children they probably could have handled that themselves.
Sorry to see this last book in the series as a disappointment but that's what it was.
Most of the story doesn't even focus on Charlie. It jumps from Tancred to Emma to Olivia to Billy. When it finally bounces back to Charlie you're left wondering, why? Charlie hardly seems pivotal to the story anymore.
The Bloors are trying to raise the evil Sorcerer Harkin from the past. We know he's really, really evil because ... well, he throws Billy in a dungeon and barks out orders a lot. Beyond that you have to wonder what's the point? What did the Bloors get by raising this psychopath? They clearly can't control him and, if they just want him to kill the endowed children they probably could have handled that themselves.
Sorry to see this last book in the series as a disappointment but that's what it was.
September 17, 2022
Can you believe that I started this series in 2009 as a kid??? Not gonna lie, finding out how everything ends 13 years later feels like the greatest thing I accomplished in my adult life.
January 3, 2011
WOW!!!!!! I love this book. It was so epic, especially the battle. I was like screaming because Paton got shot in the chest with an arrow. That must have been super painful. I just love love love this book. The author's words really brought me to the setting of the battle. After I finished this book, haha, I imagined what it would be like if I was in the battle as well. AND where in the world was Una!!! She didn't even help, gosh. What about Mr. Onimous? He didn't even participate in the battle. Only the cats did. That part is really frustrating. I finished this book exactly at 3:02 p.m. I began reading the epic battle at 2:37 and finished it at 2:50!!! It was so epic. And I'm really happy that Billy is now Charlie's adoptive brother. Now he has a loving family. Haha, Emma and Tancred parts were so cute. "Tancred eased himself onto the sofa behind Emma. 'I suppose I could turn up and give everyone a fright,' he said. 'Not a good idea.' Emma came to sit beside him, and he noticed that her hair was still damp. It was very fine, silky hair and he had a sudden urge to touch it...." (can be found on pages 47 and 48 of Charlie Bone and the Red Knight) Haha. That was hilarious. :D Those two are my favorite characters!!!! Here's another little scene with them in it: "Emma stood outside the store and watched the three boys make their way down Cathedral Close. 'Take care,' she called. Tancred turned and waved. He almost blew her a kiss, at least that's what it looked like to her, but he obviously thought better of it." (can be found on page 335 of Charlie Bone and the Red Knight) I love these two. They're so completely oblivious of their liking towards one another. In other words, I just loved this book, as I already said earlier. Haha. I'm really glad that I own this book. Love IT!! (Again, haha, :D)
August 30, 2010
This is another series where I've been waiting so long for the final book to come out that I was barely even excited anymore. But I have enjoyed all the other Charlie Bone books, so it was nice to finally read the conclusion. I thought it was a nice ending with some excitement, a final showdown, and most of the hanging threads satisfactorily wrapped-up.
I was bothered a couple of times with the narrator voice saying things like, "If Charlie would have remembered to lock the door, things might have turned out differently. But he forgot." For me statements like that always feel like a cheap way to try to keep your reader's attention, especially when used multiple times in a book. At least this was only twice, but why use them at all? Also, there was a bit of unexpected violence, but nothing too graphic.
I did like the use of the word skulduggery: "'I'll wager she's up to her neck in all this skulduggery,' Paton said to himself." :)
I recommend this series to students who are almost, but not quite ready for Harry Potter. Charlie Bone is the same type of fantasy, mystery, and excitement, yet at a slightly lower reading level. 3.5 stars.
I was bothered a couple of times with the narrator voice saying things like, "If Charlie would have remembered to lock the door, things might have turned out differently. But he forgot." For me statements like that always feel like a cheap way to try to keep your reader's attention, especially when used multiple times in a book. At least this was only twice, but why use them at all? Also, there was a bit of unexpected violence, but nothing too graphic.
I did like the use of the word skulduggery: "'I'll wager she's up to her neck in all this skulduggery,' Paton said to himself." :)
I recommend this series to students who are almost, but not quite ready for Harry Potter. Charlie Bone is the same type of fantasy, mystery, and excitement, yet at a slightly lower reading level. 3.5 stars.
February 6, 2017
Even though this wasn't the best entry in the eight book series, I still found it a pretty good ending to the series. Predictable yes, but it was also the ending I wanted. I do think the author ran out of ideas though by the time she got around to writing this book, as some of the dialogue and scenes seemed recycled from previous books in the series. The battle scene at the end of the book brought to mind many similar scenes from Harry Potter. And who would have guessed the identity of the Red Knight when it was finally revealed? Not me. Didn't see that one coming.
Definitely put this series in the hands of kids who love Harry Potter. They won't be disappointed.
Definitely put this series in the hands of kids who love Harry Potter. They won't be disappointed.
June 7, 2010
I hope my low review doesn't discourage people from reading this. Most of the things I didn't like about it wouldn't be a problem on a lower reading level.
That said, I was kind of dissapointed with this book, because I really liked to other books in the series. The easiest way to describe what I didn't like is that I thought the book was badly written (I didn't think this with the other books, which I read a long time ago, so I think the books may just be a lot below my reading level).
What bothered me most were the character's emotions and reactions. Many of the emotions and reactions felt unnatural, in that the characters didn't react to the situation like people would in real life. Some of the character's emotions were also unconvincing, and I never felt the emotions myself, which I think is key to a book being enjoyable and feeling real.
There was an aspect of Nimmo's writing style which bugged me, though it isn't necesarily bad writing. What is was is that she left out details of the character's actions. For instance (this isn't a real example, but there were many scenarios just like this), the characters would be standing outside the bookstore, talking, and then they would be in the bookstore talking to the clerk. But Nimmo wouldn't write that they had entered the store. Since I imagine everything I read, this confuses me for a second, as I am still envisioning them outside the store, but they're talking to someone inside the store. Every time this would happen, I'd have take a second to figure out where they really were, and this breaks up the flow of the story for me.
I also thought the plot wasn't well constructed, the climax was altogether not climatic enough, and some aspects of the ending were extremely cliche.
So that's what I thougt. If you read this far, just know that if you read at elementary school reading level, I think you would enjoy this book just fine.
That said, I was kind of dissapointed with this book, because I really liked to other books in the series. The easiest way to describe what I didn't like is that I thought the book was badly written (I didn't think this with the other books, which I read a long time ago, so I think the books may just be a lot below my reading level).
What bothered me most were the character's emotions and reactions. Many of the emotions and reactions felt unnatural, in that the characters didn't react to the situation like people would in real life. Some of the character's emotions were also unconvincing, and I never felt the emotions myself, which I think is key to a book being enjoyable and feeling real.
There was an aspect of Nimmo's writing style which bugged me, though it isn't necesarily bad writing. What is was is that she left out details of the character's actions. For instance (this isn't a real example, but there were many scenarios just like this), the characters would be standing outside the bookstore, talking, and then they would be in the bookstore talking to the clerk. But Nimmo wouldn't write that they had entered the store. Since I imagine everything I read, this confuses me for a second, as I am still envisioning them outside the store, but they're talking to someone inside the store. Every time this would happen, I'd have take a second to figure out where they really were, and this breaks up the flow of the story for me.
I also thought the plot wasn't well constructed, the climax was altogether not climatic enough, and some aspects of the ending were extremely cliche.
So that's what I thougt. If you read this far, just know that if you read at elementary school reading level, I think you would enjoy this book just fine.
July 27, 2010
Three stars is a stretch, but it's cool.
This was the finale of the Charlie Bone debacle. Originally, Charlie Bone books were cute and fun. As they went on, they got weaker and weaker. Then this one came along.
Overall, I think the thing I dislike about Charlie Bone books is that there is no sense of urgency. There is no highs or lows - everything is just medium. If an enchanted knight is running at you with an enchanted sword, you would be like, "GET ME THE F OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!" Charlie Bone would be like, "Oh my. Here comes my death. Whatever shall I do... hmmm..." Jenny Nimmo needed to make everything more exciting. The emotions just weren't believeable. Also sometimes people would ridiculously overreact to not crazy things. Geez louise.
Anyway, what saved this book was its lovely ending. Although predictable, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Also the Red Knight's identity was surprising, but I groaned about it.
This was the finale of the Charlie Bone debacle. Originally, Charlie Bone books were cute and fun. As they went on, they got weaker and weaker. Then this one came along.
Overall, I think the thing I dislike about Charlie Bone books is that there is no sense of urgency. There is no highs or lows - everything is just medium. If an enchanted knight is running at you with an enchanted sword, you would be like, "GET ME THE F OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!" Charlie Bone would be like, "Oh my. Here comes my death. Whatever shall I do... hmmm..." Jenny Nimmo needed to make everything more exciting. The emotions just weren't believeable. Also sometimes people would ridiculously overreact to not crazy things. Geez louise.
Anyway, what saved this book was its lovely ending. Although predictable, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Also the Red Knight's identity was surprising, but I groaned about it.
August 12, 2018
All the descendants of the Red King possess endowments, the idea is magical. I have spent so many pleasant hours wondering which magical endowment I would like to have.
Being a hypnotist, like Manfred Bloor, does not appeal to me at all. Conjuring up huge storms much like Tancred is well not my cup of tea, the havoc he creates is unpleasant. Who wants to be a were-beast? Asa Pike leads a sad life on the fringes of society much like Prof. Lupin did in the Harry Potter series. Billy communicates with animals, the concept is thrilling, not a bad endowment to have at all. Uhm telekinesis not undesirable, sit on my rocking chair and get my spectacles, my tea to come me. The twins Idith and Inez Branko, however use their endowments for undesirable purposes. Should I creep into a photograph like Charlie Bone does and hear the conversations between my family members? Or fly as a bird much like Emma Tolly does? No, the idea of knitting bewitched clothes, like Dorcas Loom is unpleasant.
After hours spent in pleasant daydreams wondering which endowment I should choose from, after much deliberation, after many cups of tea at my window watching the monsoon at its best, I have come to the conclusion that... I would like to be the Illusionist, like Olivia conjuring up images of Monsters, Dragons, anything that catches my fancy. Oh dreams...
Jenny Nimmo has created this magical world of the descendants of the Red King, running the Bloor Academy. It is a boarding school but as the Bloors who run the Academy have the idea as any despot would, of turning the city where they live into their personal fief a battle ensues between the endowed children leaning towards good and the endowed children loyal to the Bloors. What is remarkable however, is that Jenny Nimmo pays homage to the Continent of Africa, Lysander is the endowed descendant who can when situations are bad, conjure his warrior ancestors to assist him. They come in white robes and gold arm bands to fight against evil. Lysander Sage is the calm magician who brings balance to this world of Good and Evil.
Being a hypnotist, like Manfred Bloor, does not appeal to me at all. Conjuring up huge storms much like Tancred is well not my cup of tea, the havoc he creates is unpleasant. Who wants to be a were-beast? Asa Pike leads a sad life on the fringes of society much like Prof. Lupin did in the Harry Potter series. Billy communicates with animals, the concept is thrilling, not a bad endowment to have at all. Uhm telekinesis not undesirable, sit on my rocking chair and get my spectacles, my tea to come me. The twins Idith and Inez Branko, however use their endowments for undesirable purposes. Should I creep into a photograph like Charlie Bone does and hear the conversations between my family members? Or fly as a bird much like Emma Tolly does? No, the idea of knitting bewitched clothes, like Dorcas Loom is unpleasant.
After hours spent in pleasant daydreams wondering which endowment I should choose from, after much deliberation, after many cups of tea at my window watching the monsoon at its best, I have come to the conclusion that... I would like to be the Illusionist, like Olivia conjuring up images of Monsters, Dragons, anything that catches my fancy. Oh dreams...
Jenny Nimmo has created this magical world of the descendants of the Red King, running the Bloor Academy. It is a boarding school but as the Bloors who run the Academy have the idea as any despot would, of turning the city where they live into their personal fief a battle ensues between the endowed children leaning towards good and the endowed children loyal to the Bloors. What is remarkable however, is that Jenny Nimmo pays homage to the Continent of Africa, Lysander is the endowed descendant who can when situations are bad, conjure his warrior ancestors to assist him. They come in white robes and gold arm bands to fight against evil. Lysander Sage is the calm magician who brings balance to this world of Good and Evil.
June 15, 2013
(Questions and Spoilers)
I really liked a few things in this book but there were also a few things that I didn't.
For one, there were several questions (especially about Manfred) that were not answered.
For example, In the last scene when Manfred had fully inherited his endowment from his ancestor Borlath, why did his endowment change from being a hypnotist to being able to create fire?
Did he want it to change?
Was Borlath a hypnotist in his youth and then in adulthood he suddenly was able to create fire like Manfred?
Do all hypnotists become able to create fire at one point or other?
Finally, did Manfred die when Ezekiel's wheelchair hit him or was he just knocked out?
I also didn't like it when they had that last battle. It just wasn't right to put something gruesome (or at least violent) like that in a children's book.
And if the "good guys" were fighting and killing the bad guys because they had fought and killed them then how could they be called good if they were doing the exact same thing?
Anyway, I really liked the ending and it was exciting in some parts.
I really liked a few things in this book but there were also a few things that I didn't.
For one, there were several questions (especially about Manfred) that were not answered.
For example, In the last scene when Manfred had fully inherited his endowment from his ancestor Borlath, why did his endowment change from being a hypnotist to being able to create fire?
Did he want it to change?
Was Borlath a hypnotist in his youth and then in adulthood he suddenly was able to create fire like Manfred?
Do all hypnotists become able to create fire at one point or other?
Finally, did Manfred die when Ezekiel's wheelchair hit him or was he just knocked out?
I also didn't like it when they had that last battle. It just wasn't right to put something gruesome (or at least violent) like that in a children's book.
And if the "good guys" were fighting and killing the bad guys because they had fought and killed them then how could they be called good if they were doing the exact same thing?
Anyway, I really liked the ending and it was exciting in some parts.
April 3, 2012
I can see why I liked this series so much in middle school, and I can see too that I have outgrown it. The rating of two is perhaps ungenerous, for it has been at least two years since I read the previous book; maybe that is why the "final battle" felt so completely anticlimactic. But I also dislike the characters' inability to plan things out, the way so much of the plot action hinges on silly or careless errors. The characters just don't seem all that intelligent sometimes. I also took issue with the way the ocean was depicted as under Lord Grimwald's power. No. No one can rule the ocean. The book's conflict felt entirely tactical, without any underlying strategy whatsoever. If the way to defeat the antagonists is with brute force, then what's the point? I am disappointed, but satisfied. Thank goodness I can close this door.
April 26, 2025
There is something about the Charlie Bone series that has never made me comfortable. It may be because the child characters are so young. The stories demand they should do heroic things, enter into quests, defy fearsome and magical foes, manipulate their own special powers. Yet their age and inexperience sets them teetering on the edge of fairy tale. When the young get rough and tough they need an adult or two to shelter behind or to take their hand. To me it doesn't quite gel.
Charlie Bone and the Red Knight brings it clearly to the fore. Charlie and his pals are harassed from all sides by the evil enchanter Count Harken and his various minions, who want to take Bloor's Academy back to Badlock. There is even the deadly Ashkalan Kapaldi and his telepathically controlled sword; a nasty gentleman reanimated from his seventeenth-century portrait by the witch, Mrs. Tilpin, and her magnetic son Joshua. It all comes to a great battle in which the children are having a hard time until the mysterious Red Knight appears and charges to the rescue.
J.K. Rowling had a good idea in giving young Potter and his friends magic wands and spells to be learnt by rote. Once the spells have been mastered the wands are like giving Billy the Kid a Colt 45: the adult world can be confronted by the young shot by shot, spell by spell. Poor Charlie and the others have their special powers to control, some of which are a little obscure in their usefulness, while their enemies come forward with all guns blazing.
The story has its moments for Charlie: confronting Lord Grimwold, the sea god, escaping the murderous Amos Byrne through the tunnels under the Academy, struggling against Manfred Bloor's hypnotic stare. While his friends are always at his side to help in any way they can, I can't avoid the fact that it is just the final triumph is not theirs, as it would be in Harry Potter. It belongs to the benevolent side of the adult world and the children must learn their place and be grateful. Exciting stuff for 9 to 12 year olds and, though it seems to want to aim higher in terms of threat and danger, it never quite goes there.
Charlie Bone and the Red Knight brings it clearly to the fore. Charlie and his pals are harassed from all sides by the evil enchanter Count Harken and his various minions, who want to take Bloor's Academy back to Badlock. There is even the deadly Ashkalan Kapaldi and his telepathically controlled sword; a nasty gentleman reanimated from his seventeenth-century portrait by the witch, Mrs. Tilpin, and her magnetic son Joshua. It all comes to a great battle in which the children are having a hard time until the mysterious Red Knight appears and charges to the rescue.
J.K. Rowling had a good idea in giving young Potter and his friends magic wands and spells to be learnt by rote. Once the spells have been mastered the wands are like giving Billy the Kid a Colt 45: the adult world can be confronted by the young shot by shot, spell by spell. Poor Charlie and the others have their special powers to control, some of which are a little obscure in their usefulness, while their enemies come forward with all guns blazing.
The story has its moments for Charlie: confronting Lord Grimwold, the sea god, escaping the murderous Amos Byrne through the tunnels under the Academy, struggling against Manfred Bloor's hypnotic stare. While his friends are always at his side to help in any way they can, I can't avoid the fact that it is just the final triumph is not theirs, as it would be in Harry Potter. It belongs to the benevolent side of the adult world and the children must learn their place and be grateful. Exciting stuff for 9 to 12 year olds and, though it seems to want to aim higher in terms of threat and danger, it never quite goes there.
January 1, 2023
I thought I wrote a review of this...but it’s not showing up.
Lol it’s good to be at the end of this self-imposed journey of reading all 8 Charlie Bone books. This one was definitely rushed. A quick who’s-who of charlie bone land. Luckily it was such a whirlwind that there was hardly any time to introduce characters as if this wasn’t the LAST BOOK OF THE SERIES (still some time though...why?)
This wasn’t as grating as books 6&7, maybe because the pace picked up or because Nimmo finally decided to show all her cards or something. Some adults finally stepped up, so that was good. I still think the series should have finished at the end of book 5. That felt like the arc the initial books set up and didn’t reach beyond its own world building.
Oh well. A fun romp through the end of 2020 and (hopefully) the worst parts of 2021. No ragrets
Lol it’s good to be at the end of this self-imposed journey of reading all 8 Charlie Bone books. This one was definitely rushed. A quick who’s-who of charlie bone land. Luckily it was such a whirlwind that there was hardly any time to introduce characters as if this wasn’t the LAST BOOK OF THE SERIES (still some time though...why?)
This wasn’t as grating as books 6&7, maybe because the pace picked up or because Nimmo finally decided to show all her cards or something. Some adults finally stepped up, so that was good. I still think the series should have finished at the end of book 5. That felt like the arc the initial books set up and didn’t reach beyond its own world building.
Oh well. A fun romp through the end of 2020 and (hopefully) the worst parts of 2021. No ragrets
June 2, 2010
Yes, I'm reading another book written for 11 year old boys. What?
This book rounds out the Charlie Bone series (I think). And I've enjoyed them, for the most part. Charlie Bone goes to a creepy school called Bloors Academy where some of the children are endowed with special gifts. Charlie can move into pictures and paintings, his friend Tancred can call up storms, and the sinister Manfred is a hypnotizer. Throughout the books Charlie is clashing with his evil grandma who he lives with and trying to stay away from the more evil-inclined endowed kids at Bloors.
I like the story, I like the off beat characters, but I've come to think of this series as a sort of Harry Potter substitute - the same flavor, perhaps, but just not as good.
This book rounds out the Charlie Bone series (I think). And I've enjoyed them, for the most part. Charlie Bone goes to a creepy school called Bloors Academy where some of the children are endowed with special gifts. Charlie can move into pictures and paintings, his friend Tancred can call up storms, and the sinister Manfred is a hypnotizer. Throughout the books Charlie is clashing with his evil grandma who he lives with and trying to stay away from the more evil-inclined endowed kids at Bloors.
I like the story, I like the off beat characters, but I've come to think of this series as a sort of Harry Potter substitute - the same flavor, perhaps, but just not as good.
November 4, 2024
I don’t think I ever finished the series before! What a solid series ender. While I definitely would have loved more of an epilogue, I’m happy with what we got. I also would have loved a redemption arc for Grandma Bone but hey maybe that happened down the line.
I know there’s a few other books in the overall Children of the Red King series, particularly one featuring Gabriel, that I’d like to someday read as well. But for now, I’m happy I finally finished the Charlie Bone series and I would highly recommend it to middle schoolers looking for a series similar to Harry Potter but not as dark.
I know there’s a few other books in the overall Children of the Red King series, particularly one featuring Gabriel, that I’d like to someday read as well. But for now, I’m happy I finally finished the Charlie Bone series and I would highly recommend it to middle schoolers looking for a series similar to Harry Potter but not as dark.
November 4, 2010
I'm sad to see the series end, seemed like there could have been more too it.
Got slightly disappointed by how it ended, everything all tied up neatly and suddenly; really! If you read the book you'd see what I mean. I mean the battle scene, I didn't even see Fido disappear and only realised when Charlie was up and saying Fido was up. The fight scene was rather hazy, but then it is war, and when all his friends were going done, I didn't even notice. And then they got up again because they weren't fatally injured and went to the hospital!
No good guys died, which is good because I like Paton, although it's a bit childish, you could say. The end, where they got to the Academy was also silly. I'm not even clear on what happened. Ezekiel went rolling...and something (Ezekiel) hit Manfred (?) and they died in like.. less than a page???
Also I would have much rathered Billy inherit the Academy, but at least he got a happy ending. Dagbert's role in the story was interesting, though I'm not too thrilled how his father died. Dagbert was just getting relatable kid with a crazy curse and father and no friends.
The series gets a 5 because I wouldn't have wanted the good guys dying, they've all become so likable, and when Nimmo got to the end she seemed to be racing things and making it very choppy, but I'm fine. I almost feel like rereading the series. I can't believe it ended, and I suppose there's antagonist for a sequel now. I'll might give Nimmo's other books a try when I see them.
Got slightly disappointed by how it ended, everything all tied up neatly and suddenly; really! If you read the book you'd see what I mean. I mean the battle scene, I didn't even see Fido disappear and only realised when Charlie was up and saying Fido was up. The fight scene was rather hazy, but then it is war, and when all his friends were going done, I didn't even notice. And then they got up again because they weren't fatally injured and went to the hospital!
No good guys died, which is good because I like Paton, although it's a bit childish, you could say. The end, where they got to the Academy was also silly. I'm not even clear on what happened. Ezekiel went rolling...and something (Ezekiel) hit Manfred (?) and they died in like.. less than a page???
Also I would have much rathered Billy inherit the Academy, but at least he got a happy ending. Dagbert's role in the story was interesting, though I'm not too thrilled how his father died. Dagbert was just getting relatable kid with a crazy curse and father and no friends.
The series gets a 5 because I wouldn't have wanted the good guys dying, they've all become so likable, and when Nimmo got to the end she seemed to be racing things and making it very choppy, but I'm fine. I almost feel like rereading the series. I can't believe it ended, and I suppose there's antagonist for a sequel now. I'll might give Nimmo's other books a try when I see them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2021
For the most part, I was pleased with the final book of the Children of the Red King series, though that could be because the series had drawn to a close. The final battle was pretty climactic, but I could have done with more suspense. There are some loose ends, though, that still grate on me. In this book, it says that Charlie had never been in any of his great aunt's houses, but in another book, he and his uncle go into Aunt Venetia's house and stop/kill the evil Yolanda Yewbeam. This is not a huge concern, for it really adds nothing to the story, but it is nice when books in a series all meet up together with no problems. We also never find out why Albert Tuccini was imprisoned in the Castle of Mirrors; another minor plot, but one that still leaves me questioning: was it simply to show that the Bloor family impacted many lives, not just children of the Red King? Also, in the first few books a big deal is made out of the fact that Charlie can withstand Manfred's hypnotism, and even fights back, but in this book, it almost goes overkill on stating that Charlie cannot withstand it, that Manfred is too powerful, and Charlie is scared of him. That doesn't make sense with the character of Charlie the reader has come to know. Also, in the final battle sequence, we do not see Mr. Onimous, Una, or Claerwen. We don't find out what happens to Claerwen, the wand, at the end of the book, nor do we find out what happens to Count Harken's shadow in the portrait of the Red King; is the Count really gone?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 20, 2023binged this series this wk & just gonna put all my thoughts from the whole series here:
was nice to have fluffy reads to blow through, an hour per book typa vibe. always love to revisit nostalgic things but i also think children's literature is really interesting to read as an adult and think about from a writing perspective.
i have a bunch of petty gripes though and here they are.
on bloor's academy:
it's so interesting that even though bloor's academy is advertised as a "school for the gifted" the only gifts they recognize (besides being "endowed) are the arts. like you can only specialize in music, drama, or art. they really dgaf about STEM. i don't think these 11-17 year olds take a single science or math class which sounds fun but does not sound like a good education. also their year / grade level system makes no sense and they never address it. also, why are school buses arranged by specialization and not geographic location? this town must be super small, otherwise this is majorly inconvenient
on non-white characters:
why.... would you lie..... about a character's name meaning sunflower in chinese??? what is the point?? i genuinely believed that my chinese vocabulary was just insufficient and then i googled it. sunflower IS "xiang ri kui" and "naren" is a chinese transcription of the mongolian word for "sun." but they heavily imply she is chinese in the book she is introduced in, then fix it in the next book and say she's actually mongolian but was adopted by this chinese woman in china.
also the repeated descriptions of lysander's powers is a little strange. like for example:
i think it's descriptive enough to tell us lysander a spirit-caller and mention once per book that the spirit ancestors he summons are african warriors. but every time they discuss lysander using his powers, they always specify that he is summoning his AFRICAN spirit ancestors. it's too much.
sometimes weird handling of race BUT points for an unexpectedly based take on hong kong (white kid goes to hong kong with his parent. an adult calls him "marco polo" on his return, explaining that marco polo was a traveler that went to china a long time ago. kid corrects him and says that he went to hong kong, not china.) although actually, now that i type this out, these books were written in like 2002, and hong kong had still been under british rule up until 1997. so maybe it's not surprising that an author from the UK recognizes hong kong as a separate entity.
references:
okay so is the red king implied to be a Moorish character? the stories seem to revolve around the british isles — his castle is in the UK and his bestie is a welsh magician and king arthur is another welsh mention.
BUT there are also a couple notable references to the iberian peninsula bc the red knight is described to be "the knight from Toledo" which sounds like a don quixote reference to me, and the red king's eldest son is named Amadis, which i'm assuming is a reference to amadis de gaula, which is another romance-of-chivalry story from the iberian peninsula.
so. if the lore specifies that the red king was an "African magician-king" and lived 900 years ago, it would place him in the 1100s, which was still during the moorish occupation of the iberian peninsula?
and the reason i'm even guessing about whether he's from the iberian peninsula instead of the continent of africa is because ALL of the important historical events from his time period seem to happen in unnamed vaguely european places in close proximity to the british isles. like. africa has zero relevancy as a location despite the red king being described as African. ???????
anyways, that aside... it's like cool to go back as a Formed Person and understand author choices, even if sometimes it means realizing that authors are not that inventive.
for example. charlie's super reliable faithful sidekick character is named FIDELIO. it's almost like one of his key character traits is... fidelity....
"fairy" tilpin's first name is revealed to be TITANIA! what a coincidence that she has the same name as the prominent shakespearean fairy character.
the red king's evil eldest daughter who ends up marrying an evil enchanter is named LILITH which is a less direct reference but still.
the naming is giving remus lupin (wolfy wolf) all over again.
other:
the balance of their powers is soooooo fucked up bc lysander and tancred are quite literally OP. there has not been a single canonical moment where lysander's "african warrior ancestor spirits" have been thwarted. i feel like the two of them are just get-out-of-jail free cards for the "good guys" to win even in super tough positions.
manfred's mother canonically travels back in time and changes her life so that her fingers are never broken and she escapes from her family and it has zero impact whatsoever. it's never mentioned again. even though there was all this shit about "if you return henry to the past you might fuck with the timeline and we could all cease to exist!!!"
i began to hate olivia vertigo a little. i like her power, she's very fearless and dedicated to her fits but like. i get so stressed out when characters continue to be OVERCONFIDENT and STUPID. would it kill her??? to do a little thinking about the potential consequences of her actions???? people keep warning her to keep her endowment top-secret but she keeps using just for kicks to assume herself. and then of course the bloors find out and she gets HYPNOTIZED. which sucks i'm sure but i feel like she dug her own grave here. this is a little harsh. i know she's a child. but she is very stressful.
was nice to have fluffy reads to blow through, an hour per book typa vibe. always love to revisit nostalgic things but i also think children's literature is really interesting to read as an adult and think about from a writing perspective.
i have a bunch of petty gripes though and here they are.
on bloor's academy:
it's so interesting that even though bloor's academy is advertised as a "school for the gifted" the only gifts they recognize (besides being "endowed) are the arts. like you can only specialize in music, drama, or art. they really dgaf about STEM. i don't think these 11-17 year olds take a single science or math class which sounds fun but does not sound like a good education. also their year / grade level system makes no sense and they never address it. also, why are school buses arranged by specialization and not geographic location? this town must be super small, otherwise this is majorly inconvenient
on non-white characters:
why.... would you lie..... about a character's name meaning sunflower in chinese??? what is the point?? i genuinely believed that my chinese vocabulary was just insufficient and then i googled it. sunflower IS "xiang ri kui" and "naren" is a chinese transcription of the mongolian word for "sun." but they heavily imply she is chinese in the book she is introduced in, then fix it in the next book and say she's actually mongolian but was adopted by this chinese woman in china.
also the repeated descriptions of lysander's powers is a little strange. like for example:
"You must be Lysander Sage, the spirit-caller."
Lysander, who had African ancestors, gave Dagbert a cool smile.
i think it's descriptive enough to tell us lysander a spirit-caller and mention once per book that the spirit ancestors he summons are african warriors. but every time they discuss lysander using his powers, they always specify that he is summoning his AFRICAN spirit ancestors. it's too much.
sometimes weird handling of race BUT points for an unexpectedly based take on hong kong (white kid goes to hong kong with his parent. an adult calls him "marco polo" on his return, explaining that marco polo was a traveler that went to china a long time ago. kid corrects him and says that he went to hong kong, not china.) although actually, now that i type this out, these books were written in like 2002, and hong kong had still been under british rule up until 1997. so maybe it's not surprising that an author from the UK recognizes hong kong as a separate entity.
references:
okay so is the red king implied to be a Moorish character? the stories seem to revolve around the british isles — his castle is in the UK and his bestie is a welsh magician and king arthur is another welsh mention.
BUT there are also a couple notable references to the iberian peninsula bc the red knight is described to be "the knight from Toledo" which sounds like a don quixote reference to me, and the red king's eldest son is named Amadis, which i'm assuming is a reference to amadis de gaula, which is another romance-of-chivalry story from the iberian peninsula.
so. if the lore specifies that the red king was an "African magician-king" and lived 900 years ago, it would place him in the 1100s, which was still during the moorish occupation of the iberian peninsula?
and the reason i'm even guessing about whether he's from the iberian peninsula instead of the continent of africa is because ALL of the important historical events from his time period seem to happen in unnamed vaguely european places in close proximity to the british isles. like. africa has zero relevancy as a location despite the red king being described as African. ???????
anyways, that aside... it's like cool to go back as a Formed Person and understand author choices, even if sometimes it means realizing that authors are not that inventive.
for example. charlie's super reliable faithful sidekick character is named FIDELIO. it's almost like one of his key character traits is... fidelity....
"fairy" tilpin's first name is revealed to be TITANIA! what a coincidence that she has the same name as the prominent shakespearean fairy character.
the red king's evil eldest daughter who ends up marrying an evil enchanter is named LILITH which is a less direct reference but still.
the naming is giving remus lupin (wolfy wolf) all over again.
other:
the balance of their powers is soooooo fucked up bc lysander and tancred are quite literally OP. there has not been a single canonical moment where lysander's "african warrior ancestor spirits" have been thwarted. i feel like the two of them are just get-out-of-jail free cards for the "good guys" to win even in super tough positions.
manfred's mother canonically travels back in time and changes her life so that her fingers are never broken and she escapes from her family and it has zero impact whatsoever. it's never mentioned again. even though there was all this shit about "if you return henry to the past you might fuck with the timeline and we could all cease to exist!!!"
i began to hate olivia vertigo a little. i like her power, she's very fearless and dedicated to her fits but like. i get so stressed out when characters continue to be OVERCONFIDENT and STUPID. would it kill her??? to do a little thinking about the potential consequences of her actions???? people keep warning her to keep her endowment top-secret but she keeps using just for kicks to assume herself. and then of course the bloors find out and she gets HYPNOTIZED. which sucks i'm sure but i feel like she dug her own grave here. this is a little harsh. i know she's a child. but she is very stressful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2010
Like many reviewers, I'd started feeling like the Charlie Bone series had overstayed its welcome. The last couple of volumes were kind of muddled and ever since the book where Charlie found his dad, it seemed like Nimmo was just stretching the story along. That being said, I wasn't really that excited to start this final volume of the series. It only took a few chapters for me to change my mind. While I could tell that Nimmo was trying to cram in as many characters from the life of the series as possible, I still had fun with this adventure and I really liked how they ended up resolving the whole series. I can't say that I'm sad that this series is over, like I was with the Harry Potter and Twilight series, but I do not regret spending so much time in Charlie Bone's world.
May 23, 2010
I really loved the whole Charlie Bone series. I was expecting sumthin totallly different with the Red Knight. They keep on leading you so u believe that the Red Knight it the Red King but, then 2 find out that it was Charlie's dad. thats just really a twist. sum people may b able 2 figure it out b4 but i couldnt. i knew Charlie's parent were away but then they really werent'.... still don't understand the whole thing with the postcards though.... really happy ending and i feeel soooo srry 4 Redrandt the rat cause he had 2 leave his girlfriend!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2017
In 1996 JK Rowling started a world wide fascination for Wizards, magic, muggles and the eternal fight against good and Evil. Jenny Nimmo has created a world similar to Hogworts and characters that are an intriguing mix. Everybody has individual powers, so you never quite know what to expect. I would recommend this series to children added 7-12
April 23, 2023
In the eighth and final installation of The Children of the Red King series, the good must fight the evil to determine the future of their city. Will it remain as it has, or will Count Harken whisk it away into the past of Badlock? And who is the Red Knight? All secrets will become known by the end of Charlie Bone and the Red Knight.
March 4, 2019
Final installment in the series. Loved watching the final pieces slide into place. Excellent series with a satisfying resolution. I'll be reaching for Nimmo's other books, for she's gained my trust. A favorite series, a favorite author.
Read
July 30, 2019The series was really cute. There were many twists that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed each book, and looked forward to the next one. However, I wish the author had spent more time developing each character instead of piling on complications and new enemies. While the final conflicts were anti-climatic, the very last paragraph was quite sweet and a wonderful way to end the series.
September 7, 2018
fans of harry potter will love this amazing series
September 21, 2018
A great series for kids not quite ready for Harry Potter.
March 17, 2021
It wasn't the most epic series in the world and it had its weak spots but it was charming and captivating enough to read the whole series. The characters became so familiar that I wanted to see them through their adventures safely and happily! 😊
February 16, 2023
Such a wonderful series! Kept me guessing until the end. Fantastic character developments. Lots of unexpected twists. Really well done!
August 18, 2025
For elementary school Lindsay, this was a million stars. Still a very nostalgic and fun listen, sad to finish the series!
February 28, 2021
A wonderful conclusion to a fantastic series!
March 9, 2020
These books were so good definitely recommended.
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