North! Or Be Eaten

If there’s one thing I’ve always loved about Andrew Peterson’s music, it’s that it feels very epic to me. And I’m a sucker for epic. Sweet and haunting melodies, thoughtful lyrics, and wide, expansive-feeling accompaniment are some of my favorite aspects of his work. (One of my favorite concert experiences EVER is seeing him and company perform Behold the Lamb at the Ryman every Christmas.)

So a while back, when I heard he was writing a young adult adventure/fantasy novel, I was intrigued. Granted, I’m not the market for this series at all—I’m (obviously) not a young adult and I’m not a fan of fantasy novels. But. I picked up the first book in his Wingfeather Saga series and was immediately immersed in the world of the Igiby family. A friend of mine nailed it on the head when she said it was fantasy, with a Princess Bride-ish bent. Lots of action, lots of tongue-in-cheek humor, but with a there’s-more-to-this-world-than-we-can-see perspective. To my surprise (again, I’m not the market), it was a really fun read, and really well written. Which led me to read his new release, North! Or Be Eaten, which is Book Two in the series. Again, it didn’t disappoint.

I imagine this series would be absolutely perfect as a bedtime story for elementary-age kids, eager to hear how the Igiby kids get themselves out of increasingly dire situations while learning more about their own destinies in the process. Just when I thought I couldn’t like Andrew more . . .


Soundtrack: Andrew Peterson, "Carried Along"