My Sparkling Misfortune by Laura Lond | Book Review

In My Sparkling Misfortune, Lord Arkus of Blackriver Castle readily admits that he is a villain and sees no reason why it should stop him from being the protagonist of this book. After all, Prince Kellemar, an aspiring hero, has defeated him in a rather questionable way. Bent on revenge, Arkus attempts to capture a powerful evil spirit who would make him nearly invincible, but a last-minute mistake leaves him with a Sparkling instead—“a goody-goody spirit that helps heroes, watches over little children, and messes up villains’ plans.”

My Sparkling Misfortune is a children’s book by Laura Lond. The book is set in medieval times, in the days of knights, sword fights, and vast kingdoms.

My Sparkling Misfortune Is Different

What is even more surprising is that it is told with a great sense of humor. The protagonist-villain is Lord Arkus of Blackriver Castle.

Who Is The Real Hero?

As Arkus says:

I am the villain. What? You wanted a noble hero? Well, tough. You’ve got the wrong book then. But let me tell you something before you put it down: there are no heroes without us villains.

As the book progresses, however, the line becomes blurred between the villains and the heroes. The apparent hero really becomes the villain and Arkus . . . well, it turns out that Arkus has some surprises ahead.

The title of the book is a pun, because Arkus, the villain, ends up with a sparkling for a servant. A sparkling is a “goody-goody” spirit that helps heroes. Arkus isn’t a hero . . . or is he?

Final Analysis

Arkus’ nemesis throughout much of the book is a monster with revenge on his mind. Arkus flees from the monster, only to find out that nothing quite turns out the way he planned.

One of the reasons the book is so enjoyable is because you never quite know where the plot is going. You are continually surprised.

This book is a terrific book to read for anyone of any age. Children will love it, and their parents will love it too because the author is obviously trying to surprise us at every turn and not write the standard prince-and-princess fairy tale.

You can check out Laura Lond’s Goodreads page.

Please check out my post Time Out For Books.

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