The Enchanted Files is a story about a Brownie, Angus. No, not the one we relish and eat, but a magical being, who is tiny, 150 years old, and is bound to the messiest kid in the world, Alex, through a curse. It wasn’t easy living with each other with extreme natures, but Angus and Alex soon learn to like each other.
The Author has beautifully blended lots of contrasts, of cultures, Scottish and American, the real and the magical world, a 10 year old kid and a 150 year young Brownie, and their contrasting natures. I am sure it must not have been easy for the Author to combine the lifestyles of a Traditional Scottish Brownie with a Modern American girl but Coville could bring it off with lots of wit, fun and energy.
The story unfolds in the form of Angus’s Diary, Alex’s Journal, letters and Text messages, each maintaining the cadre that magical and human worlds are meeting .
The wings of creativity flew high to touch the highest Altitude of imagination at various points in the story – Alex’s sister Destiny’s imaginary friend, Destiny’s teacher’s Great Grandmother being alive when her teacher herself was 65 years old, Brownie’s journey from Scotland to America and Back, a wooden peg that could stop time , thus making it a humorous, quick paced and engaging tale.
The Author has driven us to believe that all the magical creatures that is, elves, Goblins, Mermaids,Selkies exist in real world and somehow got us to develop a liking for them though they have been described as not so good looking, rather ugly creatures.
The entire story is based on the curse given by the Queen of Shadows to the MacGonagalls and the Brownie when her daughter falls in love with one of the Humans of McGonagalls family, accompanied by a Brownie and she steps into the human world for the sake of love. The curse has been passing through Generations with the impact that the males of the family to which the Brownie would bind be obsessed to poetry which would be so pathetic like braying of Asses, sure to bring embarrassment and misery to the entire family.
The Brownie though short tempered and too driven to neatness, develops feelings for Alex , feels sorry about the curse affecting her family especially her father and brother, sets out to break the curse with her.
The highlight of the story was the human adventure in the Magical world, cruising in the Ocean of Shadows with Elves and Goblins being the part of the crew. Then meets the Enchanted queen of Shadows, return the Princess back, feast in the Enchanted world with delicacies never heard of . They succeeded in breaking the spell and returned back to real world.
With Magic, mischief and lots of imagination this sweet story of an unlikely friendship ought to delight readers of any age. Adding flavours of a fun, Adventure, humour and Amusement to the entire story .
Bruce Coville’s is the Author of over 100 books for children and young Adults . He is a master of funny Fantasy and Best selling Author of My Teacher is an Alien. The book The Enchanted Files”Cursed” is a classic example of combination of Magical and Modern day comedy Series .
