Product Description

Once, in a cottage above the cliffs on the Dark Sea of Darkness, there lived three children and their trusty dog Nugget. Janner Igiby, his brother Tink, their crippled sister Leeli are gifted children as all children are, loved well by a noble mother and ex-pirate grandfather. But they will need all their gifts and all that love to survive the evil pursuit of the venomous Fangs of Dang who have crossed the dark sea to rule the land with malice and pursue the Igibys who hold the secret to the lost legend and jewels of good King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera.

Andrew Peterson spins a quirky and riveting tale of the Igibys’ extraordinary journey from Glipwood’s Dragon Day Festival and a secret hidden in the Books and Crannies Bookstore, past the terrifying Black Carriage, clutches of the horned hounds and loathsome toothy cows surrounding AnkleJelly Manor, through the Glipwood Forest and mysterious treehouse of Peet the Sock Man (known for a little softshoe and wearing tattered socks on his hands and arms), to the very edge of the Ice Prairies.

Full of characters rich in heart, smarts, and courage, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness presents a world of wonder and a tale children of all ages will cherish, families can read aloud, and readers’ groups are sure to discuss for its layers of meaning about life’s true treasure and tangle of the beautiful and horrible, temporal and eternal, and good and bad.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #179051 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-18
• Released on: 2008-03-18
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Playwright Peterson (Behold the Lamb of God) spins a whimsical fantasy novel that will appeal to both adult and YA readers. When the three Igiby siblings find a mysterious map, they embark on an adventure to discover family secrets about the father they never knew and a hidden treasure that many have long desired to find. Leeli, the youngest, can sing with a beauty that captivates dragons; Tink, the middle sibling, has the makings of a king; and Janner, the eldest, possesses a bravery that will protect them all. But the children's curiosity get the entire Igiby family into trouble with the Fangs of Dang—frightening, scaly-skinned, lizard creatures that drip venom—who have ruled the land of Scree since the Great War. Soon, the Igibys are scrambling for their lives. Peterson's style is lighthearted and funny, but following the Igibys' story requires patience and attention to detail and character so as not to get lost. The sheer amount of names, places, creatures and history Peterson invents will frustrate some readers—it is so complicated that he inserts explanatory historical footnotes throughout (though many are amusing). (Mar.)
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Review
“So good–smart, funny, as full of ideas as action.”
–Jonathan Rogers, author of The Wilderking Trilogy

“A wildly imaginative, wonderfully irreverent epic that shines with wit and wisdom–and features excellent instructions on how to cope with Thwaps, Fangs, and the occasional Toothy Cow.”
–Allan Heinberg, writer/co-executive producer of ABC’s Grey's Anatomy, and co-creator of Marvel Comics Young Avengers

“Fun to read! Every page has word-play, a pun, or clever dialogue that makes me giggle, and the story is full of insight into life. The characters have great names and come to life and stimulate the imagination. Andrew is such a gifted storyteller; this book will be a treasure to both children and adults.”
–James Bryan Smith, author of Room of Marvels; Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven, and Embracing the Love of God; co-author of Devotional Classics with Richard J. Foster

“What a great story! I laughed, gasped, and learned more about Skreean culture than I ever thought possible. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is equal parts adventure and whimsy–a real page turner that both accelerates the heart and warms it. I loved it.”
–Carolyn Arends, singer/songwriter and author of Wrestling with Angels

“Sometimes, in order to find out who we were supposed to be, we need to get lost in other worlds: Oz, Camelot, Narnia. In On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, Andrew Peterson provides new and needed places like Aerwiar, Skree, and Glipwood–places where we need to get lost and found.”
–Michael Card, author of The Hidden Face of God and The Parable of Joy, and singer/songwriter of more than thirty albums

“Totally fun! Andrew Peterson, a natural storyteller in the oral tradition, has nailed the voice needed to translate a rip-roaring fantasy tale to the written page.”
–Donita K. Paul, author of DragonSpell, DragonKnight, DragonQuest, and DragonFire

About the Author
Author/Singer/Songewriter Andrew Peterson, a 2005 Audie Award finalist for his readings of Ray Blackston’s Flabbergasted trilogy, wrote and produced the popular Christmas play and musical Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tale of the Coming of the Christ, and the album by the same name, which received the 2004 Best Album of the Year, World Christian Music’s Editors Choice Award. Andrew’s received critical acclaim for his seven albums and is at work on an eighth. He lives with his wife Jamie and their three young children near Nashville, Tennessee, where he reads storybooks aloud to his family each evening.

Artist Justin Gerard has illustrated several children’s books, including The Lightlings storybooks for young readers by R.C. Sproul. He lives in Greenville, South Carolina, and works as the chief creative officer for Portland Studios.

Customer Reviews

Why I Like This Book and Hate Andrew Peterson.
Andrew Peterson is a phenomenal songwriter and musician. Now he writes a fantasy book, and apparently he's real good at that, too. I hate him. Some of us are barely good at one thing, y'know. Oh yeah, and he draws, too.

Great names, good characters, and the right blend of humour and depth. Plenty of hat-tipping to Tolkien, Lewis and Rowling without merely copy-catting. This is better than many of the current pop kids fantasy that's come out since Harry Potter, and deserves to be a hit.

Thanks, Andrew. You've written something special.

And I dont' hate you. Just try to be crumby at something, okay?

Good First Work
This is a fun, easy read with strong characters. At times I felt like there were more made-up (or renamed) creatures and objects than are really necessary, even for a fantasy work, but once you are immersed in the story, it becomes easier to accept nothing having a normal name.

Since this is the first book of a series, it is largely an introduction to very promising future books. Though occasionally predictable (perhaps I read too many fantasy/kingdom books), I enjoyed learning the histories of the characters and look forward to seeing how their pasts will play into the later stories.

A good change of pace from my favorite singer of all time
I'm a huge fan of Andrew Peterson's music, so the minute this book came out I was dying to read it. I very much enjoyed it, but feel almost guilty saying I didn't love it. It was a wonderful fantasy story full of dragons and lost worlds and children heroes, and though it started a bit slow it definitely picked up in the last 3rd. But, it was a little too Ogden Nash/Jabberwocky for me... almost every plant, name, town, animal, house, etc. had weird names that distracted me from the story line. Also there were these creative footnotes that were wonderfully clever, but after a while completely distracting as well... I quit reading them about halfway through the book and then came back after I finished it. Lastly, as a child I was never one to like "icky" stuff, and as an adult that stuffy part of my nature has carried over, so I was completely turned off by the long descriptions of maggotloaf, snot porridge... etc. I almost hurled reading it, which I'm sure is a delight to 7 year olds everywhere.

That said, I'm definitely buying the sequel when it comes out, mainly because of who wrote it. If it were any other writer, though, I'd probably just check it out from the library. If you are a fan of children's fantasy, however, you will love this story!