Goblins, ghosts and giant beanstalks! One small boy. Not enough chamomile tea…
Life for William Meriweather is pleasant but rather dull, until his father takes a job at the Botanist’s Castle.
Before long William is thrown headlong into adventure as the Venus man-traps develop a taste for kitchen-boys, the dryads take over the library and the breakfast toast is burnt to a crisp.
A magical children’s book in 102 pages. Available on Amazon. It’s imaginative. Uplifting. And makes you smile.
The Botanist’sCastle by Hesketh Tolson is both charming and sweet, and reminded me of the books I probably should have read as a child. And it leaves me wondering: Just how much does the author love plants?
William, the books protagonist, allows us to come along with him and his father, as they set out on a fantastic journey into a world of intricate magic and fascinating flora (and fauna), which ranges from beautiful, delicate, to down-right terrifying.
What stood out most to me was the effortless world building, and how I was given the opportunity to see William’s world through his young, unbiased eyes. Right from the first page on, I was left wondering: Is William’s father just pulling the boy’s leg? Or is magic real? And with undeniably fantastic style, I was let in on the world’s secrets, bit by bit.
Are there some editing errors? Yeah, there are, but they are rare, and greatly outmatched by the otherwise evocative and easy to read style.
So, have a read. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants to dive into something innocent, delightful, short, and smoothly paced. There’s little in there that didn’t make me smile, from the side characters we get to tour a certain castle with, to the resolution to problems William faces.
Writing. Reading. Dreaming. 