Katharine Orton, Mountainfell, Walker Books Australia, November 2022, 320 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781529503296
Katharine Orton is a mainstay in British children’s fantasy novels and she continues her stride with Mountainfell, a fantastical fairy tale woven through with glorious historical aspects, making it a whimsical and adventurous read for readers aged 8-12.
The story centres on an 11-year old girl named Erskin, living at the base of Mountainfell – a mysterious and ominous place filled with unique and dangerous magic and creatures. When one of the creatures, a Cloud Dragon, steals Erskin’s sister and whisks her far away, Erwin is forced to journey through the dangerous mountain to save her and discovers just what is hiding in the mysterious Mountainfell.
Orton masterfully wields her pen to create a gloriously rich world with well-rounded, fleshed-out characters that offer conviction and depth. All readers will revel in the layers of the story being peeled away slowly, bit by bit; the environmental action theme is, refreshingly, not didactic and instead gently woven in among each layer of the spell-binding story. Erskin is a motivated and enterprising character who appeals to the reader and her story of living out magical adventures is exciting and rewarding for the target audience.
The worldbuilding is second to none as is expected from Orton (her previous fantasy novels feature just as exquisite world-building – Orton is an expert craftsman of fantasy that feels like it could be a magic world just on the edge of our human world). This thoroughly enjoyable, richly engaging and warm-hearted fairy tale structured story is a sure-fire hit and all readers will embark upon a wondrous journey the moment they crack the spine of this story. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by Brenton Cullen
