The Hamelin Stoop Series Review

I love fantasy books but, rarely read them do to the content in many of them. I was super excited to have my son and I read two books from 12 Gates Publishing and The Hamelin Stoop Series. I received a physical copy of Hamelin Stoop: The Eagle, The Cave, and the Footbridge (Book 1) and Hamelin Stoop: The Lost Princess and the Jewel of Periluna (Book 2).

The book is a Young Adult Fantasy and is an advanced reading level for middle school. Young and old adults that enjoy this genre will also enjoy this series. This series is also appropriate as a read out loud for younger kids.

 The series will eventually have six to seven books in the series. The author wants the story to encompass the complete Bible within the completed series. The story plot has a lot of nuggets that foreshadow the Bible that you have to look for like some other classic popular series. The story has talking animals. There are some magical objects within the story but nothing that is alarming or that makes me cringe that I feel is questionable against the word of God. 

Hamelin Stoop: The Eagle, The Cave, and the Footbridge (Book 1)

My son’s book report:

The story starts out with a young mother Johnnie and her husband Simon trying to flee trackers from Johnnie’s world that she escaped many years ago. They are desperate to keep their infant son who is just a few weeks old away from Ren’dal. After several weeks of trying to keep ahead of the trackers they only have one choice left and that is to abandon the infant at the orphanage that Johnnie lived at for several years when she entered into this realm. First they have to make the trackers believe that they have gotten rid of the infant.

The infant is named Hamelin Stoop because of a partial letter left hastily and because he was found on the stoop of the porch. He was raised in a unique way with two house helpers caring and loving on him. Every year on his birthday they make a big ordeal out of it and tell of how he was found.

He befriends a pair of siblings Layla and Bryan that one day may have a connection to the other realm. His dear friends eventually age out of the home and move away. Even the two ladies that have cared for him are retiring. Other friends leave too like David who protects him from the bully at school. He befriends Marcie who is determined to find her mother again. She ends up running away and leaves Hamelin heartbroken and alone.

Others take over the home and are nice but it doesn’t feel like a home anymore. Hamelin’s eight birthday comes and goes and everyone forgets about it! He decides to run away from home.

A storm brews up while he is running away and he ends up taking cover in a cave. He encounters an eagle that talks and asks Hamelin to follow him. The trek in the cave is difficult but surprisingly he could see as the eagle illuminated the cave. Then they approach a daunting bridge. He puts on the gloves given to him by the eagle. He panics while trying to cross the bridge and must turn back. He failed the test and he will find out later that his actions that day caused others pain and distress. He ends up back home with no one knowing he tried to run away.

He can’t seem to get the footbridge out of his mind. He tries to go back but is warned he hasn’t been summoned and it would be dangerous without the eagle as a guide. He eventually shares his story with Layla and Bryant. They believe him and tell him not to attempt it again without them.

A few years pass. The children home has new house parents who are great and loving and make it a real home for those who live there. He keeps in contact with Layla and Bryant. One of his past teachers and him form a relationship that they share the joy of reading.

Hamelin is now eleven years old and the events that happened when he was eight still are on his mind.  He feels the time is getting closer for him to return. That day comes and the urge is strong to go back to the cave. This time he finds that he is summoned and can enter the cave. He passes the test and shows his courage while crossing the bridge despite the harrowing task it ends up becoming. He accomplished his task but not without learning the fate of several others due to his failure when he was eight.

The story ends with his parents and a dream of a dreadful event.

My son was intrigued by the story from the first page to the last

My son’s thoughts:

I like reading fantasy but don’t read it too often as it has too much junk that goes against the Bible.

This book really builds up for the adventure in the second book. You really get to know the characters and see what they go through. It makes the characters more relatable. The story reads slowly at times but I still found it interesting and had a hard time putting the book down. The story wasn’t predicable and it surprised me. The gloves are cool too.

Hamelin Stoop: The Lost Princess and the Jewel of Periluna (Book 2)

The story continues where the first book left you. After a bit more of a trek through the cave Hamelin finds himself in an Atrium which he later finds out is a junction between many kingdoms. He’s tired and sore from the trek and sleeps for a few hours. In the morning the eagle is nowhere to be found. While exploring the Atrium he discovers a unique hammer and puts it in his pocket. He is surrounded by a beautiful lush garden.

 Hamelin finds a pool of water and feels strangely refreshed from the waters. He gazes into the waters and is drawn to the image. He finds himself in trouble again. The eagle is able to save him and explains he must enter the waters of life and death the proper way.

 The eagle gives him instructions for his mission and gives him a firm warning that he must stay on the path. Along the path he will encounter others and he will need to help them along the way while he travels to the Hospitable Woman's home.

He meets Lars who is on a mission to retrieve the jewel of Periluna. During their trek in the Forest of Fears they come across Princess Eraina, who is the sister of Charisa. Charisa is the person Hamelin soon realizes he was to help years ago. The three of them soon find themselves being hunted by wolves of Landon and fleeing to escape them.

They three of them eventually end up at the house of the Hospital Woman. Each person is given a magical gift to help them complete their mission as they travel to Osmethan to rescue Princess Charisa and to find the jewel of Periluna.

At the end of the journey Hamelin must return back to the other world and to confirm the identity of his friend Layla.

Ren’dal learns the long kept secret that Jonnie and Simon’s infant son lived. 

I love seeing my kids read outside of school hours. He speaks a lot about the story

Our thoughts:

What a fun, intriguing, and page turner these books turned out to be. We had a hiccup at first as I lost the first book at one of my daughter’s appointments’ after we were already well into the story. I had to order the first book but fortunetly I was able to receive it quickly so we could continue the story. Both my son and I have been reading the books independently. My son was able to get through the first book and into a few chapters into the second book. I’m a fast reader and was able to complete both books easily. 

My son choose to do his end of the year book report on the first book

My son did his end of the year book report on Hamelin Stoop: The Eagle, The Cave, and the Footbridge (Book 1).

I loved that this book was clean and wasn’t predictable. The characters are well developed and the plot is enchanting. The worst part is waiting for the next book in the series. My son and I look forward to reading the other books in the series. If you aren't into fantasy then you will most likely not like this series.

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I am one of fifty reviewers reading 12 Gates Publishing and The Hamelin Stoop Series. Don’t forget to see what others have to say about these books by clicking on the graphic below.