Book Review: Penny White and the Vengeance of Snails by Chrys Cymri

Man, it is getting harder and harder to reviews for the Penny White series without spoilers. So warning, if you haven’t read the other books in this series, this review will have some kind of spoilers. Also, what are you doing?? You are missing out on a great series here.

Blurb

Penny White and the Vengeance of Snails by Chrys Cymri reminds us that Penny killer Clyde’s mother. On the other hand, it also introduces us to Penny and Peter’s wedding plans and the birth of some gryphon babies. However, the main story is definitely Clyde. What is Clyde’s true identity. Is he just a large carnivorous snail who loves beer and children’s TV programmes? Or does his unusual shell point to a far greater destiny, one which could threaten everyone who knows him?

Review

After the drama of the last Penny White installment, it is good to have the Vengeance of Snails open on a happy note. Taryn and Morey are having babies! Also, James is recovering from being the target of a gryphon hunt and Penny and Peter are growing closer (although I am interested to see if there wedding actually takes place). However, as you probably guessed from the title and blurb, it is Clyde that takes centre stage in this book.

It is great to see Clyde grow as a character and even better to get the background on snail sharks. We learn a lot of new things that result in a new understanding of the creatures. However, I think the purpose of the story of the snail sharks stands for an important underlying theme: prejudice. Yes, ok, it is among fictional creatures but it rings true of today’s world. The snail sharks could have been a stand-in for many races. Also, despite the fact that they are fictional creatures, the author does a great job of conveying the emotion that one may feel from being excluded. We especially see this when Clyde, despite his huge faith in God, is denied confirmation.

This review was short and sweet to try and avoid as many spoilers as possible. If it has piqued your interest, then I suggest reading previous reviews here, here and here, and then, of course, go out and buy yourself a copy of each. This is a series you do not want to miss.

I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.