*I received a free ARC of this book with thanks to the author and Rachel Gilbey at Rachel’s Random Resources blog tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: What would happen if words disappeared forever?
Set in a whimsical town called Inkwell, a place with an ancient secret history, this fairytale-like adventure will uncover the key to the power hidden within words.
The Word-Keeper is a tale about a savvy bookmark named Ben that unwillingly becomes an evil imp with only one objective: follow the orders of his master and destroy the words that live inside books.
Only one girl can stop him. Her name is Florence Ibbot. She is eleven years old, oddly eloquent and a quiet observer of the world. But above all, Florence is a keen logophile and is willing to sacrifice everything to protect the words.
She sets out to discover who is behind all this. The journey will take her to the origins of writing and inspiration. But she’ll also have to face the most treacherous adversary, Zyler, a ruthless sorceress whose sole mission is to ruin one of humankind’s most precious possessions: the gift of language.
As the final battle approaches, Florence will have to learn how to wield words instead of the sword. Is Florence brave enough to become who she was born to be?
If this book had been around when I was a child, I would have read it again and again, until I practically knew it by heart! As it is, in adulthood I merely think it is wonderful!
Florence doesn’t really fit in at school, or even at home very much. Her facility with words makes her extraordinary and yet she always feels like there’s something missing deep inside her. Then, on one of her annual visits to her grandfather in Inkwell, a magical village of inspiration and community spirit, things start to go wrong. The words are getting muddled up and even disappearing. And finally, Florence sees her path… if she’s willing to take it.
I adore Florence. She’s so calm and collected, and I enjoy how she takes the time to think things through properly rather than simply reacting to situations. She’s a bookworm too, so I feel we have lots in common!
In fact, there’s nothing and no one I don’t love in this quirky story about the power of words and the love of reading. There are poems and puzzles, books and recipes, a battle between good and evil, and a sentient bookmark called Ben.
Perfect for any child who enjoys fantasy adventure stories and has a love for words and reading, The Word-Keeper shows us whether the pen really is mightier than the sword, and whether brains beat brawn.
I wish I could live in Inkwell, but failing that I would settle for many, many more stories set there, please!
As soon as the first swish-swish sound of the wind touched her ears, Florence knew it would happen. It always happened on windy nights. She didn’t know why. When she was alone in her bed under her hand-knitted blanket, an itchy feeling loomed in her heart. It was a feeling that told her there was a void in her life. It had nothing to do with the Quarrelsome Queens, nor with Gideon Green. It wasn’t something she’d lost either. It was something that had never been there, yet needed to be, like a clock that won’t start ticking if it has a missing piece.
– Veronica Del Valle, The Word-Keeper
Find more from Veronica Del Valle at her website here, or follow her on Instagram and Goodreads.
The Word-Keeper is available on Amazon right now!
Don’t forget to stop by the other blogs on this tour (see the poster below for details) for more great content and reviews!
Bookshine And Readbows 
Dear Steph, thank you so much for this lovely review of my book! I’m so glad you enjoyed The Word-Keeper and I’m incredibly grateful for your very kind and honest words about it!
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Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your lovely book! 😍
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