How can you not read a book with a title like that? Unfortunately, as books like The Badass Librarians of Timbuktu prove, books don’t always live up to their title. Emma Trevayne’s story of a young boy who helps support his family by robbing graves did not disappoint.

This book was written for 8 to 12 year olds, and I think it would capture that audience perfectly. The villain is suitably villainous the hero isn’t overly heroic and everyone gets the ending they deserve. The characters are developed well, the plot paces itself out perfectly and my only real complaint is that I wanted more of it.

Legends about fairies vary so much you can do just about anything you want with them. Trevayne juggles the mythology deftly, weaving it seamlessly into her story. That’s not always easy to do, but it flows so smoothly here, it seems effortless.

As an adult reader, I would have liked a little more depth to the story. Everything wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly to leave me really satisfied. On that basis, I’d give it a solid four stars. For the intended audience, an argument could be made for five out of five.