LitPick Review
Some Very Messy Medieval Magic follows another adventure of Pete and Weasel, two kids of the twenty-first century who must learn to navigate the 1100s. As the third installment in the series, Medieval Magic features Pete struggling to deal with mistakes he has made in the past—specifically, a rupture in the Time Lock, causing a historical figure with an important role to go missing. When Pete and Weasel arrive in the twelfth century, they are instantly mistaken for the missing page and his servant. Pete is thrown into a world of earls, knights, and pretty witches. He encounters druids, possible assassins, and a lightning storm on his quest to find his alligator familiar fresh water, restore an author-turned-horse to her former glory, and save the future king.
Opinion:
C. Lee. McKenzie’s story is perfect for those who love a good fantasy novel with talking animals, time travel, and magic. I would recommend this book to 10 to 12-year-olds, especially if they enjoy books like Menagerie. While some of the period language and historical accuracy is at times lacking*, these changes are excusable for the sake of the younger audience. I enjoyed the characterization of Mellie and Fanon, and the character development of both Weasel and Pete is heartening—the hero learns the lesson of looking before he leaps, and the boy who is used to being ignored finds a friend he can depend on. I would give this book four out of five stars because the plot and characters were original and engaging, but the action was occasionally jumpy with new goals and characters being introduced quite often. But overall, this book is very good, with elements of humor, magic, and friendship wrapped up in one novel of perfect length.
*12th-century speech was vastly different than modern speech. Additionally, the smell and disease of medieval England would have shocked young Pete. But, as I mentioned, because of the young audience, I don't think it's particularly relevant.
