‘A Place of a Thousand Wishes,’ by Sarah Merrett, illustrated by Ewa Beniak-Haremska. – Library Girl and Book Boy

Have you ever wondered if something might be too good to be true? Or heard the saying, ‘be careful what you wish for’? If not, Sarah Merrett’s latest tale might just get you thinking….

It’s full of sinister magic and the most exquisite illustrations. Make sure you read Sarah’s exclusive piece introducing us to them in more detail.

“Time 1899. Mason  makes the world’s best ice cream but a sinister and dangerous  stranger wants to destroy his business. But then Mason receives an invite to the  mysterious manor of Darlington the Miraculous, a Wish Maker who creates stunning bubbles that can float wishes to  the skies and make them come true.  Darlington has his own reasons for wanting to fulfil Mason’s wish― they share some very special magical gifts― but he hasn’t reckoned with the sinister stranger!”

Introducing ‘The Illustrations’

A Place of a Thousand Wishes is illustrated by Ewa Beniak-Haremska, an artist and illustrator based in Poland. Ewa is an excellent pairing for my story as her work is highly atmospheric, with a touch of magic. She also illustrated my debut, The Others. 

It was both exciting and nerve wracking to see what Ewa would come up with for my story. The nerves came from the fact that I have a crystal-clear picture in my head of what every scene looks like, down to the tiniest details, like the characters’ facial expressions, the weather, the light quality and all the little specific details in the background. It was nerve-wracking to see what someone else would see from my words. But of course, it was very exciting, too. 

The illustration with the horses is my favourite. It has such energy and excitement. I love the stark contrast of the white horses against the dark building and night sky. I also love how the manor has such a magical and mysterious quality, in part due to its quirky positioning. The illustration portrays the exciting moment Mason arrives at the grand Darlington Manor for the first time.

The gas balloon illustration portrays one of my favourite scenes in the story. The viewpoint is wonderful, looking down on the city as if from another balloon in the sky. The city looks so intriguing, with all its different buildings laid out, and the centre ones seen through the bubble.

I couldn’t have been happier with how all the illustrations turned out. Ewa’s work is stunning and works beautifully with my story, giving a powerfulsense of energy, intrigue and magic. You will find two more of the story’s illustrations in my blog post about the characters and the settings, and there are plenty more in the book, so do check them out.

The illustrations are truly stunning and add another layer for middle grade readers to explore and enjoy. I hope you’ve all enjoyed the sneaky peek!

A wonderfully creepy, deliciously magical adventure with enough twists and turns to satisfy any reader.

Jo.

*Many thanks to Everything With Words for sending me this title to review*