Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Golden Skye of Ansgar: A Windflower Saga Middle Grade Novel and the Short Story Fly, Percy, Fly! by Aleksandra Layland is a short story based on the characters taken from the epic fantasy novel Of Wisdom and Valor: The Art of War, The Path of Peace (Part II of the Windflower Saga trilogy). The book also has a non-fiction short story about the true story of Percy, the parrot, and his escape after living in a cage for the first ten years of his life. The story is set against the backdrop of a medieval-like world and young readers are introduced to many interesting characters: Golden Skye, the beautiful warhorse, a pony, a dog, Queen Keridwen, and King Leofric. Golden Skye is given as a gift to Queen Keridwen, and Golden Skye is loved by everyone in the stable of the Royal Palace. The book speaks about the many adventures of Golden Skye and the story spans a period of four years where young readers get to see the children in the story growing up to become young adults. It is a beautiful tale of family, patience, friendship, courage, and love for animals.

The plot has many dimensions and angles, making it a compelling read. The story is exciting and the fantasy and adventures make it an entertaining book. The members of the fictional Ansgar family of Kimbria - who experience war, peace, evil, hate, and love - are memorable to readers. The illustrations are bright and colorful and they bring the characters alive, making them vivid to readers. The adventure of Golden Skye, who is in search of her destiny, is heartwarming and all horse lovers will find the book engaging. Percy’s tale is inspiring and the underlying message in the story, ‘Sometimes, beneath the ugly wounds of suffering and sorrow, there lies a beautiful spirit,’ is excellent.