Review of Beyond the Deepwoods
by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
Beyond the Deepwoods is the first in a series of books called The Edge Chronicles. It follows the journey of a boy called Twig as he ventures through dangerous and unfamiliar lands on a quest to discover his true identity. Twig was raised by a family of woodtrolls, but after learning that he is not a woodtroll himself and that he must leave the village for his own good, he sets off through the Deepwoods. But not long after his departure, he does something no woodtroll would do- he strays from the path. And thus begins his perilous journey, during which he meets countless strange, wonderful, and terrifying creatures. Amongst these are the Hoverworm, a huge, floating, venomous worm whose victims swell up and float away into the sky once bitten, and Wig-Wigs, small, furry creatures that hunt in packs and devour their prey, leaving not even a scrap of evidence. Despite the numerous obstacles, Twig manages to make new friends in the Deepwoods and gradually draws closer to finding his true calling. I am a huge fan of the Edge Chronicle series and this book got me absolutely hooked. The descriptive, evocative writing of Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell and the stunningly detailed illustrations by Chris Riddell draw the reader in. I would definitely recommend this book and the books that follow the series - I've lost count of the amount of times I've reread them!
