The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling

 

The Ickabog is a wonderful fantasy/fairytale written by the one and only J.K. Rowling (author of the Harry Potter series). This is wildly different than the Harry Potter books, but fun and fast moving just the same. In the Kingdom of Cornucopia, King Fred rules over a massive area of land filled with different cities that specialize in one spectacular food or another. The people love King Fred and he enjoys his peaceful and successful rule. 

Not everything stays nice and sunny though! There are rumors that a scary, man-eating creature known only as the Ickabog lives up north in the Marshlands. Pushed by one of his closest (and most coniving) advisors, Mr. Spittleworth, King Fred leads an expedition to hunt the Ickabog down and kill it. When the hunt goes badly, and Mr. Spittleworth continues to plan and connive,  the fate of the Kingdom of Cornucopia lays in the balance.

This story is really about the the power of kindness and love, but also about how lies and deceit can ruin even the most perfect of people. Honestly, I really didn't think I would enjoy this one (it's not my preferred genre), but I loved it!

-TK

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