Review: Mia and the Traitor of Nubis

I was absolutely gripped by Mia and the Lightcasters so was very excited to read the next in the trilogy, Mia and the Traitor of Nubis, and I was not disappointed!  I loved being back in this dark, dangerous and exciting world and was, once again, swept into Mia’s incredible adventure as she battles against forces of darkness.

Since the Reaper King’s attack and his banishment to the Spirit Plain, life has not been easy for Mia. Whilst trying to learn more about, and control her lightcaster powers, she has to deal with animosity and fear from her classmates and the citizens of Nubis.  Terrifying nightmares plague her and a voice from them even seems to be following her into her waking hours.  She does however gain comfort and support from her loving family and her devoted umbra, Nox and Lux.

As part of her training, Mia must take part in umbra tamer trials held on the Nightmare Plains but, when Nox is almost lost to her, she fears that her nightmares may have become reality.  Have all the Elite been locked up, or could there be one hiding in their midst?  Could there be a traitor in Nubis intent on bringing back an old enemy?  And could there be an enemy even closer to Mia than she imagines?

And so begins a breath-taking, epic and action-packed adventure brimming with excitement, peril and scariness as Mia is determined to prove her suspicions about who has tried to take control of Nox; as she battles to save Nubis and all those she loves before an old enemy destroys them; and as she learns to control her lightcaster powers before they are used by others.  During her mission, Mia meets both old friends and new, but I was never quite sure whether they were friend or foe, which kept me utterly intrigued.  The unexpected twists and revelations, and the edge-of-your-seat building of threat and tension as the action and peril intensified, made this a real page turner.

Once again, I have been completely immersed in this fascinating, richly described world of darkness and light, and loved using the map at the start of the book as I travelled through Lunis from Nubis to the Nightmare Plains to Astaroth. The illustrations are absolutely stunning and complement this world of darkness and moonlight perfectly. 

I adored the close bonds between Mia and her family, and especially her love for her little brother Lucas.  She is incredibly protective of him, but I also really liked that, despite how young he is, Lucas also sees himself as his big sister’s protector.  Mia is such a strong, resilient and courageous young girl who is determined to learn to harness her lightcaster powers to help her protect her home – even when that means sometimes going against the wishes of her family.  I just have to mention Mia’s umbra, Nox and Lux, who have such a loyal, trusting and protective bond with her which is reciprocated fully.  They really feel like her friends, and I loved the humour that they bring.

This is a captivating, exhilarating and edge-of-your-seat adventure, perfect for adventurers of 9+.

Thank you to Bethany Carter and Faber Children’s Books for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.