Review – Spark and the League of Ursus by Robert Repino (3.5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 216 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release Date: March 24, 2020
ISBN-13: 978-1683691662
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Review book from Quirk Books
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
“Spark is not your average teddy bear. She’s soft and cuddly, sure, but she’s also a fierce warrior. At night she fulfills her sacred duty: to protect the household from monsters. But Spark’s owner Loretta is growing up and thinks she doesn’t need her old teddy anymore.
When a monster unlike any other descends on the quiet home, everything changes. Children are going missing, and the monster wants Loretta next. Only Spark can stop it. She must call upon the ancient League of Ursus—a secret alliance of teddy bears who are pledged to protect their human friends. Together with an Amazon-princess doll and a timid sock monkey, the bears are all that stands between our world and the one that lies beneath. It will be a heroic chapter in the history of the League . . . if the bears live to tell the tale.”
Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The League of Ursus series. I got this book from the publisher to review.
Story (3/5): This is a well done middle grade book about stuffed animals that keep their children safe. I am not completely sure what age group this is aimed at. The writing and story were very simple and it’s about sentient stuffed animals, but all of the kids in here are middle grade or older and there are some scenes that are pretty scary…so I am guessing it’s an easy middle grade read. While I didn’t find this book to be all that unique, it was well written and provides a decent mystery. It is very obviously the beginning of a series.
Characters (3/5): I felt like none of the characters were really all that filled out, they were pretty simple two dimensional characters. I did enjoy the kids more; Loretta and her brother were interesting kids…however, the focus of the story really isn’t on them but on their stuffed teddy bears.
Setting (4/5): The book takes place in Loretta’s house where Spark and the other stuffed animals dwell. The setting is not the focus of the book. Although, you do end up through a portal into a different place for a brief portion of the book. This was interesting and hopefully will feature in future books.
Writing Style (4/5): This book is easy to read and written at a much lower reading level than most middle grade books. It reads more like a children’s book but features preteen-aged characters. I did find it a bit dry at times and wished there was more humor.
My Summary (3.5/5): If you are into the whole sentient stuffed animals/toys theme I would recommend this book. Just keep in mind this is a pretty simple story written at a pretty low reading level. I would also recommend “The Stuff of Legends” series, which is a graphic novel series with the same theme but with a lot more depth to it. I feel like “The Stuff of Legend” series lends itself to a wider age group range.
