Melissa Marr created a fun and imaginative story in The Hidden Knife. The story alternates between two worlds, with some characters spilling into the world where they are foreign. It has a slight Harry Potter feel in that it is fantasy and some of the characters attend a school to help them with their special abilities, but there’s probably more references to the school than time in that setting. The relationships between several characters are multi-layered and keep you guessing which adds to the intrigue of the plot. It doesn’t appear as if it is a series but I’m hoping so, as there were a few elements and unanswered questions that would be interesting to read about further. It also felt as if Marr was possibly setting things up for at least one more book. You’ll love a few of the surprises at the end, also making you want the story to continue. Fantasy fans ages 12+ (including adults) will love this adventure.

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Nancy Paulsen Books

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None

Note:  A mention of a few characters cursing without specific word given; character says the beginning letters of a scatological word.

Violence/Gore:  Many (60) brief incidents including references that characters could hurt others; characters could get hurt or die; character jokes about dying; character getting ready to train to make toxins for murders; reference that serpent’s spit is toxic; character doesn’t care who he injures; characters are willing to die for others; characters might get in a fight; character wishing another dead; character training to fight; character is supposed to kill another; verbal threats; character planning to kill others; character throws a knife at another and barely misses on purpose; references to non-life threatening injuries; reference to medicine hurting people; second-hand report of characters dying; fantasy character talking about enjoying eating raw, dripping meat; second-hand reports of characters’ families being killed; second-hand report of young child getting beaten nearly to death; characters getting hurt by another, receiving non-life threatening injuries; talons tearing into a creature; characters fighting.

Sex/Nudity:  Fantasy character grabs a human’s tongue who says it feels like a super-gross kiss.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death; murder; orphan thinking about mother not wanting to keep him; characters talking about bodily functions.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Reference to alchemists sniffing too many fumes.