Some might consider what I’m about to do cruel.
First, I’m going to rave about The Mistmantle Chronicles. I’m going to tell you that they are everything I look for in a book. They are:
- a) a delight to read
- b) beautifully written
- c) shaped by a deep and rich Christian worldview
And then I’m going to tell you that they’re difficult to find. Not so difficult that you can’t find some of them, but elusive enough that you may search for months for a copy of the last book. You may scour eBay and every used bookstore in your area, in the hope that someone didn’t realize what they had and let it go. You may briefly contemplate spending $120 on Amazon for a paperback copy*. You may even email the author directly with a plea for help. And you still may not find it.
(It took me months and an interlibrary loan. But the book was worth the wait.)
I wondered if it was fair to introduce you to something so delightful and gripping and then announce that you might not be able finish the series. But I decided to introduce you anyway, because these books are among the best our family has read, and also because I have this slim hope that somebody someday will have the good sense to reprint them. And if we’re all out there requesting it at libraries and talking it up online and perhaps emailing the publisher, maybe that will help? Let’s start a Mistmantle Movement, people!
Here is the premise of the story: Urchin, an unusually pale squirrel, is discovered in the shallows off Mistmantle Island just after his birth. No one knows where he came from or what happened to his mother, but he was found on a night of riding stars, when portentous things are said to happen. The books follow Urchin as he grows and faces challenges of different sorts, but while they primarily center around him, McAllister also weaves the stories of other animals, both good and evil, into Urchin’s story.
The Mistmantle Chronicles meld the gospel-rich worldview of (Scripture, of course, but also) The Chronicles of Narnia and The Wingfeather Saga with the warmth and coziness of Redwall. M.I. McAllister’s characters are far from formulaic: they exhibit the unexpected quirks and details that inflate them from two dimensions to three. They live; we believe in them. And though the challenges the characters face are deep and hard, they often resolve them by looking to the Heart (the God of their world) for strength and guidance.
These books do have some dark themes—the first book deals with the subject of “culling,” a sinister plot to kill any babies who are weak or deformed in any way—but McAllister handles these gracefully, and always with an eye on what is right and good. These are stories that will bend our affections toward the good and lovely, and they are worth searching out, however long our quest.
*Those of you who read ebooks won’t suffer this hardship: the digital version is available for $6.99.
[A version of this post originally appeared on the author’s blog, Little Book, Big Story.]
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Amanda Norton says
We love mismantle! We stumbled across them at our library so I guess we are lucky! But I’ll admit I haven’t read the last one
Thea says
Oh, you’re so lucky your library has them!
LaDonne says
Cruel??? Au contraire, mon amie! I was in need of a new quest! Let the adventure begin!,
Thea says
That\’s the spirit!!
Sarah :) says
It’s at my library!!! *happy dances while putting it on hold*
@modernlivingbooks
Amanda Cleary Eastep says
Thrilled to find out about this, thank you!
MaryBeth S. says
So excited to find a great new series… no apologies needed! And feeling very blessed… our library system has the audio AND hardcopies, so anyone in Indiana who can use the Overdrive system or interoffice library loans, you are in luck!
Thea says
Your library is so well-supplied–what a gift! I hope you enjoy the series 🙂
Elisabeth J lind says
Oh yay my library had them!!
Jared Boyd says
I can definitely vouch for the quality of these books, and it saddens me that they are so inaccessible. I managed to obtain the series for around $90, most of which was for the final book of the five. I know several fans and prospective fans who would love to see the series republished, and have attempted to contact the publishing company that currently holds the rights.
Rachel Snowden says
Sadly, the Kindle versions are no longer available for the series. 🙁
Brit says
I happened to see books 1-4 (hardcover!) sitting on the discard cart, and took them home for free, not knowing anything about them. My family is currently 3/4 of the way through the first book, and we are all loving it so much! Sadly, I have not been able to find the fifth book at a reasonable price. But maybe it will fall into my lap unexpectedly before we get that far in the series!
Ben says
I absolutely love these books, I read the first two when I was about 10 or 11. My mother found them in Savers (A clearance store) and thought it would be a good series for me, and I instantly adored it. She found the rest at Savers once I read through the first two, which is hilarious to me now because they’re so hard to find now. My Books 4 and 5 are in a storage unit and it makes me consider trying to sell Book 5 because its so expensive, but I don’t think I will, because these books are so valuable to myself.
Crystal A Miller says
Purple House Press got permission to republish them! They only recently announced this!
Katelyn says
By some miracle, I managed to track down an ex-library copy of the 5th book for a little under $30 on ThriftBooks. I was BEYOND elated! There’s no possible way I can get the dust jacket unglued from the inside cover, but to actually have found a physical copy for under $60 in such great condition was a dream come true. I was just informed today (and I see in your comments someone already mentioned it) that Purple House Press out of Kentucky is reprinting them this year and I’ll definitely be getting that set too! I’m thrilled to see this series getting the love that it absolutely deserves!
Shannon Foust says
We love these books!!! We have 1-4, but book 5 is so rare … Maybe the Rabbit Room press could publish these — they are worthy of a much wider audience.
Grace says
Do you know where I can buy a digital copy of the book? Those are a bit elusive for me too. Thanks in advance!
Revecca says
There seems to be a wonderful audiobook for the first book, but I can’t seem to find any more. Does anyone know whether any more audiobooks were released for this series?
Amanda Cleary Eastep says
They are being reprinted by Purple House Press. The print versions of book 1 and 2 are now available. https://www.purplehousepress.com/collections/mistmantle
Marshall says
Hi, this series is one of the best out there and one of the most beloved of mine as a kid. I think it even planted seeds of truth and goodness that helped bring me back to the Lord later in life. If there’s anything that can be done to preserve or promote a reprint, please let me know!
Margaret McAllister says
Good news! Mistmantle is back! Go to Purple House Press to find out what’s happening.