The Legend of Holly Claus is a fairy tale in the traditional sense: a dark curse, a kind-hearted princess, an evil warlock, a magical godmother, and loyal animal friends. Replete with detailed descriptions of the land of the Immortals and the magical creatures that inhabit it–centaurs, fairies, goblins, talking animals–the novel creates an enchanting world. The text is complemented by exquisite illustrations throughout the book. In the true spirit of fairy tales, the villain is genuinely black-hearted and evil, creating palatable tension and fear. Readers who adore fairytales will enjoy this novel. This book could be enjoyed at any time of the year, but with its Christmas overtones, it would be a wonderful December read and a great read aloud for parents to share with their children. Charming!
This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by HarperCollins Publishing
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 2 religious exclamations; 1 mild obscenity
Violence/Gore: An animal is killed violently; report of war; report of acts of violence by an evil warlock; an explosion resulting in injuries; an animal is killed by act of violence, brief description, and devoured by birds; verbal threats; explosion; magic used to harm a character; character kicked; character has frightening nightmares; character assumes a disguise with some graphic description of the transformation which is creepy; characters struggle.
Sex/Nudity: A character caresses another character’s face
Mature Subject Matter:
Death, Poverty, Socioeconomic inqualities, Orphans, Homelessness
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Passing reference to someone being drunk.
