Today is my stop on the blog tour for the Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair. This enchanting middle grade story is filled with wintery magic and friendship, and is perfect to snuggle up with on a cold day.
Ever since Thomasina's brother, Arthur, died, life in her family's sweetshop hasn't been the same. Her mother spends all day in her room and her father barely looks at her. When the Thames freezes over one cold winter day, new opportunities appear, for their business, for friendship, and maybe even a magical second chance to be a happy family. But the Frost Fair's magic hides dark secrets, and Thomasina's grief could be blinding her to sinister truths.
Filled with troubling magic, new friends and (of course) plenty of sweets, The Miraculous Sweetmakers is a brilliant MG adventure which explores grief and sadness with sensitivity and care.
Thomasina was a relatable heroine, who wants desperately to see her brother one last time and keeps his memory fiercely alive, talking to him throughout the day. She makes plenty of mistakes as she navigates the strange magic of the Frost Fair, fuelled by her love for her family and terrified of losing someone else.
There's plenty of adventure and tension that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and I'm excited to get hold of a finished copy so that I can enjoy this story again alongside Alex T. Smith's illustrations.
You can find out more about Thomasina's adventure by reading all the posts on The Write Reads Tour.