Wildwood Imperium: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book 3
By Michael Berry,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Satisfying end to highly original, whimsical fantasy.

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What's the Story?
Zita, the May Queen, unwisely conducts a seance that awakens the Verdant Empress, a malevolent spirit that mourns for her long-lost son. Elsewhere in Wildwood, a group of "unadoptable" orphans joins up with a collective of saboteurs to rescue their friends held captive somewhere in an industrial wasteland. And fate brings two old friends closer together as they struggle to protect a blind old man and a bear with prosthetic hooks for hands, the only two who might be able to reanimate a mechanical toy prince.
Is It Any Good?
After stumbling a bit in Under Wildwood, the second volume, The Wildwood Chronicles rights itself and arrives at a satisfying conclusion. Favorite characters return and are displayed in a new light. New threats appear, and the large cast of good guys must be extra-clever in defeating them. Colin Meloy's lively prose and Carson Ellis' evocative illustrations bring the fantastical forest to abundant life. WILDWOOD IMPERIUM is a fitting end to a highly original fantasy trilogy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can discuss how individuals from different cultures can work together to create a community. Have you seen this happen in your life?
How does this third volume compare with the others in the series?
What makes a good leader? What skills must he or she have to organize and maintain a healthy society?
Book Details
- Author: Colin Meloy
- Illustrator: Carson Ellis
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models, Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray
- Publication date: February 4, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 17
- Number of pages: 592
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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