Charlie Bone (Children of the Red King) Series By Jenny Nimmo

I just got the first book of this series for Christmas and read it all in one day.

Here is information on the series:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_the_Red_King

My Opinion:
While it is not as good as the Harry Potter series, I still like this pretty well. I have only been able to read the first book and will probably get more soon.

Has anyone else read these books?

I read until the 5th one I think, but after a while I lost interest in the series, it is a good series though, not the best one but still worth a read.

I just got books 2, 3, and 4 yesterday at the library and I have already read 2 and 3 (just finishing 3 this morning, yes I am a fast reader! :lol:)

I saw something interesting at the last page of the fourth book where I saw the critiques of the books. One mentioned something like "children will find this series to their liking when they finished the latest Harry Potter for the fifth time!" :lol: I thought that was funny!

My favorite characters right now are:

Uncle Paton: He is so unbelievably cool!
Runner Bean: Benjamin's (Charlie's friend and neighbor) dog.
Cook: Something about her... just love her!

And the two Onimous'... I love their little restaurant. Ingenious idea.

Uncle Paton and Cook were my favs. too! I didn't mind Manfred much either! Lysander and Tranced ( I think that were their names) reminded me little of Fred and George!

What do you think of the plot so far? Hate it/ love it? Any mystery bothering you?

Uncle Paton and Cook were my favs. too! I didn't mind Manfred much either! Lysander and Tranced ( I think that were their names) reminded me little of Fred and George!

What do you think of the plot so far? Hate it/ love it? Any mystery bothering you?


I love the plot! There is no plot I really don't hate. Other than the fact that "Charlie Bone and the Invisible Boy" was about him helping an invisible boy, and there wasn't much to him helping the boy... it was like a side-story to different parts.

Most of the parts I enjoyed very much... I don't think there was a single part of the books (that I read so far) that I really hate... like so much that I won't read them again.

For instance in Harry Potter, there were chapters like "Grawp" that I usually will skip. I haven't done any re-reading of the Charlie Bone books, but there is not a single part I would skip.

Edit: BTW it is Tancred not Tranced... easy mistake :p

I've read 1-5. They're amusing. I like my super dorky Percy Jackson series better but these are a good way to pass the time. I'm debating if I should buy 6 as a book or wait for the audiobook.

Last Sunday, I bought the fifth and sixth books and read them both in a couple of days. I have to say that the fifth one is my favorite in the series so far! I loved the ending... never expected it, which is probably why I loved it.

I am so happy to have now read the series up to the latest book that has been released. Can't wait for the new book!

My Opinion:
While it is not as good as the Harry Potter series, I still like this pretty well. I have only been able to read the first book and will probably get more soon.


I agree with you there. I still did enjoy them quite a bit though. I think the last two were the best.


I am so happy to have now read the series up to the latest book that has been released. Can't wait for the new book!


Is a new one coming out? I was hoping it might continue but hadn't seen anything. It has been hard to find something I like as much as HP.


I also just bought The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo for my daughter if you like her books. Not sure if I like it as much as Charlie but maybe after I read the next two. (it's part of The Magician Trilogy)

Is a new one coming out? I was hoping it might continue but hadn't seen anything. It has been hard to find something I like as much as HP.


Apparently it is coming out sometime in 2008... I think... which is this year... YAY!

Not quite adjusted to it being a new year :lol:

Thanks for answering. I went to the link you had after I asked and saw that 2 more are coming. That should give me a couple days of reading in the next couple years. :lol:

Apparently it is coming out sometime in 2008... I think... which is this year... YAY!

Not quite adjusted to it being a new year :lol:

A number 7? I thought that it was odd enough when they came out with Number 6. In a little blurb in the back of one of the books, it called these books a planned quintet. I don't mind, though, because the sixth wasn't a letdown from the first five like I thought it would be. But they'll have to think of a new master plot for the next few because Lyle was found. Maybe now they'll hypnotize his mom...?

I read the stories! Erm....I remember waiting for the 3rd book 2 come out so it was a few years back. Havent read the latest one yet.
They're pretty good. I love reading about uncle Paton. :lol: He is so cool!

I love the books! Book 7 was originally to be called Charlie Bone and the Giant of Badlock, but they changed it to Charlie Bone and the Shadow

WOAH! :wow: There's SEVEN? Wow, I really need to catch up! I've only read the first two, and not at all recently. :blush: I really liked the two that I read,though. Well, I need to get reading! *adds to mental book list*

I've always thought of this as a ripoff of Harry Potter.

I love the books! Book 7 was originally to be called Charlie Bone and the Giant of Badlock, but they changed it to Charlie Bone and the Shadow

Has it come out yet? Hmm, I'm still in the dark about all this.

BTW, I heard that Warner Brothers was making a movie. Of course, this is still an online rumor, but it would be interesting nonetheless to see if they have the success they had with Harry Potter.

Has it come out yet? Hmm, I'm still in the dark about all this.

BTW, I heard that Warner Brothers was making a movie. Of course, this is still an online rumor, but it would be interesting nonetheless to see if they have the success they had with Harry Potter.

It hasn't come out.

I read these books a while ago and I guess I lost interest. I went back to reread them rather recently, but I kept finding little things in the story that bugged me for whatever reason. I can't remember what they were...

I love this series! It's absolutely amazing! It reminds me soooo much of Harry Potter! I can't wait until the next book comes out... wait, is there another book coming out? If so, I can't wait till it does!

It hasn't come out.

Thanks. Just wondering, has a release date or title been specified yet? I hvae looked around, but haven't seen any information about that.

The american cover is up on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Bone-Shadow/dp/0439846692/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205675588&sr=1-5

I've read the books a long time ago! I even did a book report on one of them - can't remember which one though :P I loved Charlie & his friends & his uncle. These books are very entertaining (:

*revival*

How did you all like Charlie Bone and the Shadow? It was my second favorite so far, behind the Hidden King.

I didn't like that Tancred came back at the end, because I could see it coming from a mile (she would never kill one of her endowed children), but I thought the plot overall was very interesting and seemed to have much more to do with the plot of the series than The Beast. Asa wasn't even mentioned in this one I think. I really can't wait for the eight book now because I want to find out who/what the Red Knight is. :D

I read the first book in this series and thought it was a nice read. The story felt very much like Harry Potter though. It didn’t bother me so much though because the book took about a day to read so I didn’t mind that the plot seemed like something I had read before. It was a good story I think, and I heard the first several books in the series are best so perhaps I will read more of them.

I read the first book in this series and thought it was a nice read. The story felt very much like Harry Potter though. It didn’t bother me so much though because the book took about a day to read so I didn’t mind that the plot seemed like something I had read before. It was a good story I think, and I heard the first several books in the series are best so perhaps I will read more of them.Personally I would recommend reading all of them, but my favorites are 4 and 5. Those two were just miles ahead of the others. I think my order would be:

The Hidden King (5)
Castle of Mirrors (4)
Midnight for Charlie Bone (1)
The Time Twister (2)
The Shadow (7)
Invisible Boy (3)
The Beast (6)

I hear that #8, the final book will be called the Charlie Bone and the Red Knight.

Wow, I can't believe I didn't see this thread before now!
I bought the first two books at a small book sale on campus for $3 apiece, and then had to literally go hunt down the others to read. They're very enjoyable, I think, but a bit lighter than say, HP without being silly or stupid about it. I like the characters seem to handle all the weird stuff going on with such an "Oh well, that's just what we're going to have to deal with today" attitude - they don't seem to dwell on it too long. Keep the story's pace moving along nicely, I think.
A much undervalued series, I think.

A much undervalued series, I think.
Agreed. My oldest daughter is a really advanced reader and loves all the fantasy she can get her hands on. I appreciate that this series stays child-friendly (she's only ten) without talking down to the audience. I really like Blue Balliett's books, too, for the same reason--though they're a different genre (mystery rather than fantasy).