The Ickabog
The Ickabog is a fairy tale by J. K. Rowling. The story was published in installments by Rowling online, before its official publication in November 2020. "The Ickabog" is Rowling's first children's book since "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" was published in 2007. Upon release the book received generally positive critical reviews and emerged a bestseller. Background and release. "The Ickabog" is aimed at children between the ages of seven and nine. It is the first children's book written by J. K. Rowling that is not set in the Harry Potter universe, and at  its announcement, Rowling confirmed that "The Ickabog" would not be a Harry Potter spin-off. Rowling has described the book as a "political fairytale... for slightly younger children". Rowling first drafted "The Ickabog" between 2003 and 2007, as a gift for her children. She intended to publish "The Ickabog" after the "Harry Potter" series, but stopped after focusing on adult fiction instead. She left her script of "The Ickabog" in her attic until 2020. Rowling says that she went to her 50th birthday party wearing a dress containing the "lost manuscript" of "The Ickabog". Rowling has made some adjustments to  her original manuscript after feedback from her children. Rowling announced that she would release the book online in 3 free online daily instalments between 26 May and 10 July 2020. Rowling said, "I’ve decided to publish The Ickabog for free online, so children on lockdown, or even those back at school during these strange, unsettling times, can read it or have it read to them." The first two chapters were released on 26 May 2020. Later, chapters three to five were published on 27 May 2020. The final chapter, 6, was published on 10 July 2020. In the first  24 hours, "The Ickabog" website had more than 5 million views from 50 countries. "The Ickabog" was released as a published book, e-book and audiobook on 10 November 2020, and is no longer available for free reading online. Rowling has said that she will donate her royalties from the book to charity. Rowling also organised an illustration competition with ideas for images needed for each chapter of the book. The best illustrations are featured in the published book. The book is published by Hachette UK. Setting. "The Ickabog" is set in the mythical land of Cornucopia, which is ruled  by King Fred. The Ickabog is a monster that is said to inhabit the marshes of the North, used to explain the disappearance of sheep and people that wander into the marshes, and used to scare children. The south of Cornucopia is a prosperous area, with cities each specialising in different foods, in contrast to the less-wealthy north, known as the Marshlands. Plot. On the eve of a visit from the king of a neighboring country, Dora Dovetail dies of overwork with King Fred's final button in her hand, trying to finish King Fred's latest costume. Fred , despite feeling embarrassed and guilty, declines to visit her family, leading them to become disillusioned with him, especially Dora's daughter, Daisy. This leads to a fight between Daisy and her friend Bert Beamish, Major Beamish's son when Daisy Dovetail insults Fred. A shepherd from the Marshlands begs Fred to rid the country of the Ickabog, and Fred, wishing to prove himself, agrees and rides North. An accident in the marshes results in Major Beamish getting shot by Flapoon, one of Fred's advisors. Seeking to take control of the kingdom and become richer, Spittleworth, Flapoon's ally, pretends  that Beamish was killed by the Ickabog, fooling Fred and the rest of the army. On their return, three soldiers and Herringbone, the Chief Advisor, object to the story. Herringbone is murdered and the three soldiers are imprisoned. A heavy tax is imposed to pay for an "Ickabog Defence Brigade", causing widespread poverty, which Fred is oblivious to, as he is scared into staying within the capital. Spittleworth, now Chief Advisor, has the Dovetails kidnapped, with Dan Dovetail sent to prison, and forced to carve Ickabog feet. Daisy ends up in Ma Grunter's orphanage, where she befriends Martha, a  Marshlander. Years pass, with the tax doubling. Bert and his mother, Bertha, the king's head pastry chef, guess Spittleworth's plot after Bert discovers an Ickabog foot made by the now insane Dan Dovetail. Bertha attempts to reveal the plot to the king but is kidnapped and placed in the dungeons. Bert escapes the city as Major Roach leads soldiers to arrest him. Bert later meets Roderick Roach, who tells him that Spittleworth killed Major Roach and imprisoned his family upon his failure to capture Bert. The two are captured by Basher John and taken to the orphanage, where  Bert meets Daisy and Martha. Meanwhile, Bertha Beamish transforms the dungeon into a kitchen with the help of the prisoners, while helping Dan regain his sanity. The four children escape the orphanage and hike to the Marshlands, led by Martha. They plan to sway the soldiers of the Ickabog Defence Brigade but realize that the Brigade has gone south for the winter. Succumbing to the cold, they fall unconscious, and the real Ickabog carries them to its cave. They speak to it, and the Ickabog reveals that from it a batch of Ickabogs will be "bornded". As the feelings experienced  by the dying parent Ickabog influence its newborn brood, the Ickabog plans to eat the four during the bornding, so that its children will become man-eaters, to take revenge on the humans, who have caused the near-extinction of the Ickabog race. Daisy persuades the Ickabog not to eat them, but to reveal itself to the people and befriend them. The group marches on Jeroboam, with the Ickabog handing out flowers. The citizens rally around the Ickabog, and they march on Chouxville, where Fred is giving a ball. Basher John is alerted to the march and rides to warn  Spittleworth, who refuses to believe him and has him arrested. Spittleworth prepares to investigate with Flapoon, but they are confronted by the prisoners, who have armed themselves and escaped the dungeons. They escape, leaving Fred to face the angry mob. As the Ickabog approaches Chouxville, Spittleworth confronts it with the Brigade. The Ickabog's belly splits in the confrontation as the bornding begins, and Flapoon attempts to shoot it. Bert jumps in front of the bullet, and it hits his father's medal, saving him. The first Ickaboggle to be Bornded kills Flapoon, due to being Bornded in fear of  his gun. However, the second Ickaboggle is Bornded kind since Daisy comforts the dying Ickabog. As Spittleworth attempts to escape, he is captured by Bert and Roderick. Spittleworth and several others, including Fred, are arrested for their crimes. The second-born Ickabog helps found a city in the Marshlands. To redeem himself, Fred helps the first-born Ickabog become more mellow by taking care of it and dies soon after its Bornding, which spawns happy Ickaboggles. The kingdom lives happily ever after. The Beamishes: The Dovetails: Side Characters: Audiobook. Audible released audiobook versions of "The Ickabog" in English, Italian, German , Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Bulgarian, Dutch, Simplified Chinese and Russian in November 2020. The English language version was narrated by Stephen Fry. Reception. Jake Kerridge, for "The Daily Telegraph", gave the book 3 out of 5 stars, saying "a fun but lightweight fairy tale that lacks Harry Potter's magic". Reviewing the first chapters following their original online release, Kelly Apter of "The Scotsman" reviewed it positively, praising Rowling's "lush descriptions" and "tantalising cliffhangers". Writing for "The Times", Alex O'Connell also rated the novel positively, saying "cake and a monster is the escapism we all need", and rated it 5  out of 5 stars. Sales According to Nielsen BookScan The Ickabog has sold 90,023 copies to date in the UK, excluding lockdown sales and became a New York Times bestseller