A Guide to Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children

The Conference of the Birds
Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children Book Five
Written by Ransom Riggs
Fantasy, Paranormal, Time Travel
Published January 21st 2020
336 Pages
Thank you to Penguin Teen Australia
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★★★★
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An instant bestseller, A Map of Days launched readers into the previously unexplored world of American peculiars, one bursting with new questions, new allies, and new adversaries.

Now, with enemies behind him and the unknown ahead, Jacob Portman's story continues as he takes a brave leap forward into The Conference of the Birds, the next instalment of the beloved, bestselling Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series.
Welcome to the world of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children. To celebrate the release of The Conference of the Birds, the fifth installment in Ransom Riggs' delightfully peculiar series, I'll guide you through the world of Peculiardom.
Jacob Portman and Peculiardom
Sixteen year old Jacob Portman is Peculiar. Growing up in the small coastal town of Englewood, Jacob was captivated by his grandfather and his fantastical tales of the Peculiar Children. When his grandfather Abraham Portman was slain by a monster, Jacob carries the tales of his grandfather to Wales and the orphanage where his grandfather was raised, the derelict stately house an entrance to Cairnholm, an island of yesteryear and the home to Miss Peregrine and her Peculiar Children.

Jacob is the series protagonist and discovers he inherited the ability of seeing Hollowghasts, the monster who fatally wounded his grandfather. Throughout the series Jacob is introduced to the world of Peculiardom, communities of those with extraordinary abilities hidden in Loops from a particular moment in time. Those bound to a Loop cannot enter the modern world without ageing rapidly. The Peculiar gene is recessive and although is inherited, bypasses a generation. Jacob inheriting his ability from his grandfather.

The Peculiar Children
The Peculiar Children are unequivocally delightful. Emma Bloom is a pyrokinetic. Enoch O'Connor a necromancer. Millard Nullings is invisible. Horace Somnusson experiences prophetic dreams. Olive Elephanta's peculiarity is levitation. Fiona Frauenfeld is a Peculiar horticulturist, enduring selective mutism and traumatic stress disorder among many other children who inhabit the Peculiar world. The children and adolescents are guided under the tutelage of an Ymbryne, women who can manipulate time and are dedicated guardians of the children. The children guided by Miss Peregrine, experience the traumatic the bombing of Cairnholm each day, once the bombing decimating their home occurs, the Loop is reset only to endure the same day over and over again.

In Map of Days and The Conference of the Birds, Noor Pradesh is uncontacted, a young woman who can manipulate light. Miss Peregrine's children are established Peculiar and although they resemble children and adolescents, the Peculiar children have resided within Cairnholm for close to a century, except Jacob and Noor, the latter coveted by the organised syndicates of New York City.

Miss Peregrine and the Ymbrynes
The Ymbrynes are responsible for the care and guidance of Peculiar children, they can manipulate time and metamorphose into feathered friends of the Peculiar, hence the names Miss Peregrine, Miss Avocet, Miss Finch and Miss Rhen. Although common and revered throughout Europe, in The Conference of the Birds we learn that American Ymbrynes are an exceptional incidence, the Ymbrynes pursued and slain by humans, Hollowghasts and Wights, former Hollowghasts who have transformed and the antagonists of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children. Miss Peregrine is leader of the Council of Ymbrynes, founding a home for Peculiar children on the small island of Cairnholm, Wales.

Villains
Wights disguise themselves as neighbours, relatives and educators, observing Peculiar children alongside the devolved Wights, the Hollowghasts. Caul Bentham is a Wight, sustained by consuming Peculiars and amassing an alliance of extremists and the only Wight known to retain his Peculiar abilities, the brother of Miss Peregrine also transforming into a Peregrine Falcon. Hollowghasts are only visible to Librarian Peculiars such as Jacob Portman and his grandfather.

The Conference of the Birds
Journeying to New York City, Jacob Portman is resolved to retrieve Noor Pradesh, an uncontacted Peculiar forsaken to the New York City syndicate and charlatan Leo Burnham. Discovering that Noor is one of seven Peculiars of an ancient prophecy foreseeing doomsday for Peculiardom.  Noor is imperative and when Jacob is entrusted to delivering Noor to a mysterious location, to an associate of Jacob's grandfather who can shelter the young woman against the Wight onslaught and Leo Burnham's henchmen.

An uprising against the Ymbrynes is fermenting, Peculiars frustrated with their secrecy and totalitarian leadership. The Council of Ymbrynes are aiding in the negotiations of a treaty in New York City as a young Peculiar is captured, the Wights escape the Devil's Acre penitentiary bringing to fruition The Prophecy of the Seven, when the prisons are blown to dust and chaos reigns.

The Conference of the Birds is a magnificent installment of the Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series and foreword to a remarkable finale of this endearing and fantastical series. A whimsical narrative of the curious and wonderful. Lyrically beautiful and immersive.

17 comments

  1. What a fun idea to provide a guide to the Peculiar world! (I’d love to see more bloggers do this with other novels. So helpful.) While I never read past the first book in the series, it’s still fun to read about the basics of the world and who’s who.

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    1. The series is wonderful Tanya and I hope you decide to continue with the next installment. The series darkens a little in the later books which I really enjoyed. Have you seen the film adaptation? I absolutely loved it and it would be amazing to see the rest of the books adapted as a television series as I've heard an adaptation for Hollow City is unlikely.

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    2. No, I never saw the film adaptation. The previews looked interesting but since the book didn't wow me I didn't feel the need to go see the movie. I think Ransom Riggs is incredibly gifted and imaginative, but I just didn't click with the story.

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  2. This is one series I've never been able to get into. I've had the first book forever and never managed to get int it even though this should totally be my jam. It's surprising to see that we're onto fifth book in this series. I will say the writing was always brilliant (from what I read, anyway) and it seems the writing style continues here it just sucks I couldn't get into it.

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    1. I've found the same with a few series too, one was Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I liked it the first time I read the first book but it wasn't until I read it for a second time that I fell in love with the series. I love this series, it's so delightful and fantastical, can't wait for the final installment!

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  3. So this is what this series is about! Tanya is right, doing a guide like this was inspired -- I've always wondered what this series was about, beyond the blurbs.

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    1. It's so incredibly entertaining Verushka, I discovered the series a few years ago and fell in love. It's delightful and so wonderfully imagined.

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  4. Oh I wondered about this book! I've seen part of the movie but never did get to the books. I love how you shared the backstory, I have a much better idea now of what's going on and this makes me want to read them even more!

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    1. The film adaptation was lovely, I really enjoyed it and is faithful to the book as well. I do hope you pick up the series Greg, would love to see what you think of it!

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  5. A guide to the series sounds like a lovely idea. I've only read the first book, but I did find it enjoyable and I love the idea of using old photographs. I still need to see the movie!!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. The photos are amazing! They continue with each installment as well. It really adds that extra something to the overall atmosphere doesn't it.

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  6. I read the first book in this series a few years ago but never continued the series. I honestly kind of forgot about it until now. One of these days I'll have to revisit it because it really is such a unique one.

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    1. I'm forgetful too when it comes to when series installments are being released too Suzanne, even just new releases in general. The series is amazing though and I hope you can pick it back up!

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  7. I thought this was a trilogy for some reason. I know my nephew LOVED it for a few years but then drifted away from it. Teens lol

    Karen @ For What It's worth

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    1. I think it may have been originally marketed as a trilogy but so glad he decided to continue the series, I can't wait for the finale!

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  8. I loved the first three books of this series, and really need to catch up. Sounds like Riggs has done a good job expanding the series, and I like the sound of the story outside of the time loop

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    1. You do! It's been amazing seeing the Peculiars outside of their environment and we're introduced to so many wonderful new characters as well, including Noor. I can't wait for you to continue the series!

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