Grim & Grimmer Bk4: The Calamitous Queen

Ian Irvine (author)

Omnibus Books, Scholastic, Australia: June 2011; 277pp

ISBN: 9781862918610

Genres: adventure, fantasy

Issues: friendship, identity

Ike continues his battle against the evil Emajicka, Queen of Faerie. With mercurial Mellie at his side and more hindered than helped by the Sprite Mothooliel, Ike must free the Collected children, discover Gate Guardians' secret and save Grimmery from attack.  All this while holding off the Nuckl and Spleen, who want to eat him. Literally.

Full off Irvine's characteristic vulgar puns and humour, which younger readers (boys especially!) just love, The Calamitous Queen shows Ike learning more about himself and how to relate to those around him. As he can't use his gift until he's learnt a new lesson, Ike's character development is actually essential to the plot, if a little overstated at times.

Irvine has a nicely warped imagination that makes the Grim & Grimmer series an excellent way to encourage readers of Andy Griffiths and Paul Jennings to extend stretch just a little further without giving up the bum, fart and 'totally gross' jokes that make those authors so popular with youngsters.

Series (reading order): The Headless Highwayman; The Grasping Goblin; The Desperate Dwarf