The Wizards of Once: Knock Three Times (The Wizards of Once, 3)

C.S. Lewis: “No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.” No Spoilers. I promise. I'm a 41 year old homeschool Mama to 4 kids, 9 and under. These books are mine for now - as in, not for my kids, not just yet...but only because I am selfishly savoring them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I promise I'll read them to the kids and they will love the adventure. Don't worry about that. There's nothing "unsuitable" about them for children. I am only saying this to reveal that this is so much more than a story for children. These books let me see and feel that brilliant spark of my own childhood - you know that giddy one that you feel in your belly? I didn't think it was possible to replace "favorite books" in my brain after all this time. I thought the " Favorite Book" trophy had been given away long ago. And then, something unexpected happened while trying out the How to Train Your Dragon series...the story itself became "important" to me. I drank those stories in. I felt as if I had literally journeyed "There and Back Again" from the first book to the very last. This series, like it's predecessor...It's just wonderful. If I were to guess, I'd say, at this point in the story, we are now approaching Rivendell on the way to Mordor, or the Beavers cottage to get out of the snow in Narnia. It feels, still, as if it is just beginning, and all the adventures so far are important, but in truth, only those first few steps on a much longer journey. If you find yourself hungry for a story, a real "yarn"... this has it, and then some. Here's what you get with a story likes this: - Ups and downs, but you knew that - Irony and witty humor, - Fear - that gut twisting kind that you might have only found yourself in a few times during your own real life. If you've lived long enough to have it, you will know it when you see it here. - Characters who are both more than they are... and sometimes less than they should be, - Mentors and guides who should know better, and probably do, but still utterly fail as a result of our age old problem - Hubris - Subtle yet powerful truths that are hidden from us in our childhood years and are only revealed after we've lived a good while... There are many of these. Your kids will miss them and will glaze right by them. You won't. - Arrogance that is strangely charming, even when it is fallible....maybe especially when it is fallible - because it's usually supported by unwavering courage and loyalty. - Kindness, heaping doses of kindness in unexpected places. - Callousness, there's that too. It's important to realize in stories, just as in life, that not everyone is going to like you, or lift a finger to help you no matter how dire the circumstances. - Jealousy...There's always a bit of that. Jealously of affection, attention, maybe a bit of foreshadowing. - Some comments about parenting...again, kids won't get this as deeply as you will. But you will hear every nuance, feel every failure, frustration, and understand every bit of urgency because as a parent, it sometimes feels like a miracle to keep these kids alive under normal circumstances, much less extraordinary ones. - What we do in our youth echoes... and echoes... and echoes... Think this story is about a few kids? Well, you'd be partly right...until you realize that there were some other "kids" who made lasting choices...they are just a bit older now. This is the third book in this series, and although I understand that it could be possible to read this as a stand alone book, I don't recommend it. Cressida Cowell does a perfect job briefly reintroducing us to the characters and this book adds in even more pictures than all of her other books. It's a visual delight and the pictures do not detract or distract in any way. However, you can't quite keep your head wrapped around all of these characters unless you know who they are from the previous two books. Again, you wouldn't want a brief cameo of the characters just 2 minutes before they walk into Rivendell, would you? Same applies here. Read books 1 and 2 first. This book starts out quickly, and grass is not growing under the feet of our heroes. Everything is moving, and moving fast. So go get that really big cup of coffee... you're going to be here a while.

This was purchased for a granddaughter. She has read the other two books in the series and could not wait until the third book was published. What a great way to encourage reading!!!

This is a story we will read again and again. Cressida Cowell transforms the reader into the world of the wild woods. She is fresh and original mixed with humor and funny caricatures. We love this series.

My 12 yr old son loves this book. He is not a big reader and we bought this because he had read another book by same author and liked it. He gobbled this book up and we got the sequel too.

This series is very well written I would definitely recommend this book to anyone even if they don’t like fantasy because this book is exceptional.

The book arrived on time and it was in perfect condition. a great book for fans of How to Train Your Dragon, Warriors, Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson.

Awesome book it exceeded my expectations I enjoyed reading this book

Highly recommend amazing series

Haven’t gotten to it yet but the first one is fun so far

Great book! Great writing!!

C.S. Lewis: “No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally – and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.” No Spoilers. I promise. I'm a 41 year old homeschool Mama to 4 kids, 9 and under. These books are mine for now - as in, not for my kids, not just yet...but only because I am selfishly savoring them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I promise I'll read them to the kids and they will love the adventure. Don't worry about that. There's nothing "unsuitable" about them for children. I am only saying this to reveal that this is so much more than a story for children. These books let me see and feel that brilliant spark of my own childhood - you know that giddy one that you feel in your belly? I didn't think it was possible to replace "favorite books" in my brain after all this time. I thought the " Favorite Book" trophy had been given away long ago. And then, something unexpected happened while trying out the How to Train Your Dragon series...the story itself became "important" to me. I drank those stories in. I felt as if I had literally journeyed "There and Back Again" from the first book to the very last. This series, like it's predecessor...It's just wonderful. If I were to guess, I'd say, at this point in the story, we are now approaching Rivendell on the way to Mordor, or the Beavers cottage to get out of the snow in Narnia. It feels, still, as if it is just beginning, and all the adventures so far are important, but in truth, only those first few steps on a much longer journey. If you find yourself hungry for a story, a real "yarn"... this has it, and then some. Here's what you get with a story likes this: - Ups and downs, but you knew that - Irony and witty humor, - Fear - that gut twisting kind that you might have only found yourself in a few times during your own real life. If you've lived long enough to have it, you will know it when you see it here. - Characters who are both more than they are... and sometimes less than they should be, - Mentors and guides who should know better, and probably do, but still utterly fail as a result of our age old problem - Hubris - Subtle yet powerful truths that are hidden from us in our childhood years and are only revealed after we've lived a good while... There are many of these. Your kids will miss them and will glaze right by them. You won't. - Arrogance that is strangely charming, even when it is fallible....maybe especially when it is fallible - because it's usually supported by unwavering courage and loyalty. - Kindness, heaping doses of kindness in unexpected places. - Callousness, there's that too. It's important to realize in stories, just as in life, that not everyone is going to like you, or lift a finger to help you no matter how dire the circumstances. - Jealousy...There's always a bit of that. Jealously of affection, attention, maybe a bit of foreshadowing. - Some comments about parenting...again, kids won't get this as deeply as you will. But you will hear every nuance, feel every failure, frustration, and understand every bit of urgency because as a parent, it sometimes feels like a miracle to keep these kids alive under normal circumstances, much less extraordinary ones. - What we do in our youth echoes... and echoes... and echoes... Think this story is about a few kids? Well, you'd be partly right...until you realize that there were some other "kids" who made lasting choices...they are just a bit older now. This is the third book in this series, and although I understand that it could be possible to read this as a stand alone book, I don't recommend it. Cressida Cowell does a perfect job briefly reintroducing us to the characters and this book adds in even more pictures than all of her other books. It's a visual delight and the pictures do not detract or distract in any way. However, you can't quite keep your head wrapped around all of these characters unless you know who they are from the previous two books. Again, you wouldn't want a brief cameo of the characters just 2 minutes before they walk into Rivendell, would you? Same applies here. Read books 1 and 2 first. This book starts out quickly, and grass is not growing under the feet of our heroes. Everything is moving, and moving fast. So go get that really big cup of coffee... you're going to be here a while.

This was purchased for a granddaughter. She has read the other two books in the series and could not wait until the third book was published. What a great way to encourage reading!!!

This is a story we will read again and again. Cressida Cowell transforms the reader into the world of the wild woods. She is fresh and original mixed with humor and funny caricatures. We love this series.

My 12 yr old son loves this book. He is not a big reader and we bought this because he had read another book by same author and liked it. He gobbled this book up and we got the sequel too.

This series is very well written I would definitely recommend this book to anyone even if they don’t like fantasy because this book is exceptional.

The book arrived on time and it was in perfect condition. a great book for fans of How to Train Your Dragon, Warriors, Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson.

Awesome book it exceeded my expectations I enjoyed reading this book

Highly recommend amazing series

Haven’t gotten to it yet but the first one is fun so far

Great book! Great writing!!

Nice follow up to Books 1 and 2

The third book in Cressida Cowell's "The Wizards of Once" sees our young protagonists on an adventure to collect the rare ingredients needed to banish the terrible Witches that have recently awoken all across Ancient Britain. As difficult as it may be to find the scales of a Nuckalavee, it's even stranger to consider the team they've assembled to retrieve them. Xar is the youngest son of the Head Wizard Encanzo, while Wish is the daughter of the cold Queen Sychorax, two tribes that have been at war for generations. To make matters worse, Xar is struggling with the Witchstain on his hand (the result of his ill-fated attempt to gain magical powers) and Wish has recently found out that she has magical abilities that can work on iron (though magic is strictly forbidden among the Warrior tribes). On board their flying door, accompanied by their extensive entourage (Wish's bodyguard Bodkin, and Xar's array of sprites, wolves, snowcats and giant) the two youngsters have quite an adventure ahead of them, which involves a betrayal, an underground school, a talking bear, and a cave that holds the dreaded Nuckalavee. They've also got their parents to contend with, who have decided to temporarily put aside their enmity to track down their children - though as we found out in the last book, Encanzo and Sychorax were once in love, and there's every chance that those feelings might rekindle if they spend too much time together. I was under the assumption that this would be the final book in this series, though it's apparent by the end that there's at least one more on its way. And I can't say that I mind spending a bit more time with these characters. They're all quite lovable in their own ways, from arrogant Xar (who is improving) to compassionate Wish (still struggling with her magical eye) to Bodkin (who messes up in this book, then struggles to make amends). Cowell beautifully describes the world of Ancient Britain, in all its danger and mystery, and fills her story with songs, jokes, poignancy and her own quirky illustrations. What else can I say? I'm invested, and can't wait until the next book.

Cressida Cowell's books are always some of our favorites and Knock Three Times is no different. It was a fun, action-filled adventure with wonderful characters and messages. The hardest part is waiting for the next book to come out next year! I do recommend the UK editions with Cressida's illustration on the cover. I don't know what's up with the US publisher changing the covers, but they look terrible.

My daughter has read through the other two and can’t wait to read this one

I was lucky to receive an arc copy of Wizards of Once Knock Three Times by Cressida Cowell and I was over the moon via Netgalley. I had already pre-ordered the book as I thoroughly enjoyed Wizards of Once and Wizards of Once Twice Magic but I have to admit to you that I was scared to read Knock Three Times mainly because I did not want the story to end and not be able to read about Xar,Wish and Bodkin and their adventures with their motley crew of Snow Leopards, Sprites to name but a few made me rather sad. So i only read it this month and I am happy that Cressida has kept up the momentum in Knock Three Times by introducing new characters, a couple of relevations which added to the story as well as her amazing self drawn illustrations. Cressida has ramped up the story that I cannot wait for the 4th and final book which is coming out September 2020 called Never and Forever which again I have pre-ordered. For these reasons I am giving this amazing book 5 stars

I seem to have a love/meh relationship with this series and in fact with Cressida Cowell's writing in general as I gave up on the HTTYD series after 3 books. After reading book 1, I enjoyed the world and the characters of Wish and Xar enough to try book 2. I really liked book 2 and thought the series had hit its stride. There was plenty of mystery and humour. Plus the characters developed and we got some interesting backstory. So I went into book 3 excited to continue this journey. Book 3 feels a bit like someone hit the pause button on the action. The story follows on from the escape at the end of book 2. The main characters (and their never ending list of followers - do we really need this many extras? What was the point of the werewolf, the bear or the wolves in this story?) are flying through the forest. After the first few chapters, they enter a place of safety and pretty much stay there for most of the novel except the conclusion. I like magic school settings quite a bit but in this book we are just told the characters eat, recover and go to lessons. There doesn't seem to be much danger or conflict to move the story along. I also got a bit fed up of many characters feeling the need to break into song spontaneously and skimmed over these bits. Wish and Xar are my favourite characters. Wish because she is so pure and lovely, thinking the best of everyone and being so accepting of all and Xar because he exaggerates so much and gets into so much trouble, but has a good heart deep down. However, we saw a lot less from these characters, even though they were in many of the scenes, they just had less to say and I missed that. The conclusion was action packed and had lots of little mysteries and puzzles for you to try and work out as you followed along, which is what I loved from the second book. Hopefully, things will get back on track in book 4.

I think this book was a great book but i think it not as good as the other books. I bought this book because the other books in the series was great but I think this book is a bit lame. Has a taste of great adventure yet not so full of thrillers. Hope the next book in the series is not as lame as this one. But apart from that it was really good my 10 year old daughter loved it!

We are huge Cressida Cowell fans and have read all of the How to Train your Dragon books and we loved Book 1 and 2. This one is great too but there was a change in the plot from book 2 to extend it past a trilogy and it seemed to be written in a hurry & the editing wasn't 100%.

The next step in a magical journey - only down side is that illustrations look too similar to those from Cowell's Dragon series. The story is different and we enjoy every minute of bedtime reading.

Another great book, my 9 year old as read all 3 books and dnjoyed them all. She loves the story line and all the magic! A good trilogy for fans of magic and adventure...

Xmas present for son, he loves this series so can only guess it will be a winner come Xmas.

Bought as a gift. She likes the first two so hopefully she'll enjoy this one.

Nice looking book. Brought as a gift so don't know the story

Grand son loved it could not put it down till hey finished it

Well received by our 9 year old son who really loves these books and was so excited for this new instalment of these great stories!

A great story of magic. I liked the story because the action never ends. I would recommend this book to someone who believes in magic and heroes.

My daughter has read and loved the first 2 books so hopefully this one as a christmas present won't disappoint.

It was amazing! We’ve been reading them since they came out and we have not been disappointed. The characters were not too perfect which made them more interesting. It was really gripping and we can’t wait for the next one. By Louis age 9 and May age 10

My son loves this author and this new series of books do not disappoint. He really enjoyed this next installment.

Bought as a birthday present received very well and has already been read.

Very good cover, thick book, very promising (it's to offer)

Bought as a present for my 8 year old nephew and he loves it.

We love this series. Fantastic characters, beautiful illustrations, exciting plot.

My son finished this book in 46 hours. He loves this series

another Brillant book from the series, arrived in great condition and was notified prior to release for delivery.

My middle granddaughter loves these books

My granddaughter loves these stories

Magic! The second in this series and just as fun as the first! We love the characters both good and evil, there's just the right balance of keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.. or flying door! Really looking forward to the third! James aged 9

Love this 3rd book in the series, fast delivery too

Fantastic book

Excellent book three of a great series, son very happy and has re -read several times already!

good

Son enjoying this so far, loves telling me each morning what's happened

Good 3rd book to the series, probably for age 9-12yrs

My daughter loved this series of books.

I liked that it has suspense and told in such a mysterious way that I could not put it down I would recommend it to any one who have read the how to train your dragon series but read the other 2 books first

Another amazing book from Cressida cowell can’t wait for the next instalment and neither can my 7 year old who is a huge fan

Present for grandson

Fantastic book for all ages. Ties up loose ends from the second book and paves the way for a fourth.

Strange, exhilarating, exciting , funny, magical story. Characters we love . We can't wait to find out what happens next

Great book.

My son absolutely loves this!

I liked allthe adventure in the book and it made the kids shut up and stop biccering.

Good

Very good

Brilliant book!

My son loved this one

My niece loves this book and it was Excellent service, delivery was very fast.

Present

Bought for my 11 year old grandson and he loved it.

Fast delivery and good book to read

Book arrived water damaged

Great book, read the first two before hand to get the full story

It was very good

Mis hijos cuentan los días para el cuarto y último libro de esta serie. Están completamente enganchados.

My niece is a big fan of Cressida Cowell books - both the How to Train Your Dragon series and this new series The Wizards of Once. She has read the previous two books in the series, which she does think helped her to pick this one up quickly and really enjoy it as much as ever. The books are very well written and take you into a world of magical adventures with the main characters Xar and Wish. Very heartily recommended - she couldn't put it down (again!).

Cressida Cowell did an amazing job with this series, the character and story line totally capture my daughter's imagination. The Wizards of once is fast pace and exciting, once started reading it is really hard to put it down. It is easy to read and I am so happy that it ignited my daughter desire to read, she cannot stop talking about how great the story is and also shared this with her friends in school. She finished this book in one weekend we can't wait for the next edition, we expect it will be a epic battle and a wonderful end to the story.

After reading Cressida Cowell how to train your dragon series of books my grandson has now moved on to the wizard of once series. This book The Wizard Of Once : Knock Three Times is the Third book in this series and is equal to all of Cressida’s previous books. When reading the book you enter a land of wizards, warriors, mythical creatures and powerful magic in what can only be described as an exiting fantasy adventure. My grandson found it very hard to put down and we would certainly recommend it to any Cressida Cowell fans.