Kiki Kallira Conquers a Curse, by Sangu Mandanna

I really enjoyed reading this book – although I am slightly out of the age range at 60+ - it is a good adventure story with fun characters and an interesting use of parts of Indian mythology. 

This is the second book in the Kiki Kallira series and ideally you need to read the first one in order to understand the relationship dynamics, and to get a grounding in the workings of Kikiverse.  Essentially, it is an imaginary world created by Kiki on paper during a time when she needed to dream, and escape from what was happening in her life. It magically came into being

Like all good adventure stories, this is about righting a wrong. The action moves along swiftly, and the interaction between various characters is well done and with wry humour. As well as a journey/ quest for Kiki and her friends, this story deals with some important issues, such as race, emotions, a feeling of powerlessness for an individual, and acceptance. But these are dealt with in a non-preachy way. Themes of acceptance, trust, and appreciation/ understanding of self, including quirks, differences, and insecurities, are part of Kiki’s personal growth journey. These issues don’t intrude on the story, and I enjoyed the fact that Kiki starts to accept herself, rather than continue to struggle with knowing her “rain works “a bit differently”.  

There were few imaginative books like this available when I was growing up, which is probably why I like reading them now! I would have loved to have had books like this when I was little; books that give you a place to go to in your head, a good story, new imaginary friends, and which tell you that it is more than OK to be different.  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe never appealed to me as I found it too preachy and, actually a bit dull. But books like this and the Garth Nix “Keys” series (which is also written for this age group) are magical in all senses of the word.

As the end of the book is nicely set up for the series to continue; I shall look forward to reading the next one. But before that I’m going to go back to read the first one: “Killa Kallira Breaks a Kingdom”.

- Christine

Christine read the proof edition of "Kiki Kallira."

It has since been published, and is available in paperback for £7.99!

Click here to order!

Moonfleet, by J Meade Faulkner

Moonfleet is a lovely quick read for an adult, and I imagine it to be a spell binding adventure for younger readers. With the chapters being relatively short, it makes an ideal bedtime chapter book for tweens.

This story has a similar vibe to Treasure Island, with its young protagonist John Trenchard, like Jim Hawkins, beginning the story parentless and living in a costal Inn. Stories of pirates and smugglers fill John’s head, and before long he is caught up in his own adventure.

My favourite part of this story was the code-breaking and treasure hunt element, which really made me feel I was on that journey with John, which helped me become invested in the narrative… as if pirates weren’t enough!

There’s plenty of action to capture the attention of young readers, with twists and turns to keep it fresh, and injustices to make your blood boil. It’s the sort of book that – if you were to read it young - would stick with you and make you want to revisit it. As an adult, it makes you want to go and explore the places mentioned in the story and imagine your own pirate filled adventures.

- Anara

Paperback, £3.99. Find it in our children's section!

The Song that Sings Us, by Nicola Davies

Imagine a world where people have lived in harmony with nature for so long that some humans are now able to listen to the thoughts of other animals, and some animals are able to communicate with humans. This is the world created by Nicola Davies, but it is a world threatened by the rise of the Automators, a group who view nature as the enemy and who want to exploit the planet’s resources and persecute Listeners.

This is a book written for children and teenagers, and is a hugely enjoyable adventure with a dark message of impending ecocide. The opening chapter is a breath-taking ride in itself, and there are moments throughout where I had to stop and take stock, with some challenging scenes and moments of peril which I wasn’t entirely expecting!

While this is clearly a children’s book, I was completely drawn into the world created and fully invested in the core characters – siblings Harlon and Ash are fantastic protagonists, and Skrimsli, the Ice Ship captain who just happens to be a tiger, is one of the best characters I’ve come across since Iorek Byrnison in Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights.

Featuring a cover, map, and chapter head illustrations by Jackie Morris, this is a thrilling eco-epic – I’ll definitely be recommending it as a gift for older children with a love of adventure stories, or an interest in environmental issues.

- Paul

Hardback, £14.99. Find this in the Children's section!