Cover Illustration by Sharon King-Chai
Published by Anderson Press
The House at the End of the Sea is an enthralling, contemporary fantasy adventure that kept me completely captivated throughout.
Saffi has started a new life with her father and younger brother, Milo, living with her grandparents in their B & B (Fortune House) in Flamborough Head on the Yorkshire coastline. The family are grieving the loss of the children’s mum, a death that seven-year-old Milo is struggling to accept which has led to him telling lies and having angry outbursts. Whilst grandma is welcoming, there is a much more strained relationship between granddad and his son.
When Saffi wakes in the middle of the night, she hears the laughter of guests arriving but, when she goes to investigate, her grandma sends her back to bed. The following morning, she notices strange changes in her new home: a pantry now filled with posh food, wallpaper changing colour, a bell constantly ringing, and a strange face in the mirror. Could these changes have something to do with their elusive guests, guests that seem to scare her grandparents. Could they be the reason for the awkwardness between her father and granddad?
On a beach walk, Saffi and Milo hear the sound of a flute which leads them to the boy they had first met when arriving in Breakwell: Birdy. When Saffi shares the strange things that she has witnessed at Fortune House, Birdy tells her that her ancestor may have made a bargain with those from another world.
Saffi is determined to discover the truth behind her family’s dark, supernatural secret and so begins an incredible adventure that held me completely mesmerised. Will Saffi be able to break the contract which has been made by her ancestor, a contract that has become a curse upon the family? Can she find a way into another world to undo the bargain made by her ancestor for which generations of her family have suffered?
This is a gripping, tense and atmospheric read where I was never quite sure who could be trusted, a story where danger lurks and where feuds bring mistrust and accusations.
This story sensitively explores some powerful themes including grief at a parent’s death, the impact of British colonialism, and dual heritage identity.
Saffi is an incredibly sympathetic young girl. She is grieving the loss of her mother, and trying to help her young brother, Milo, through his grief. She feels like she is in two worlds due to her dual heritage, and not quite belonging in either, a feeling that is accentuated by her discoveries in her grandparents’ home. Saffi shows great courage in discovering the truth of her family’s past, facing up to its detrimental impact on her family, and in being prepared to enter another world to attempt to bargain with those who are notoriously tricksy.
A gripping, magical mystery where fortune and forfeit dual, and where hope lies in one girl’s ability to open her eyes to the beauty of two worlds. This is one I would highly recommend to readers of 9+.
Author Information
Victoria M. Adams spent her childhood bouncing between Cyprus, Canada and the US with her Iranian mother, trying to achieve first place in the ‘Most Visas Acquired Before Age Eighteen’
sweepstakes. As an adult, she carried on the nomadic family tradition by adding France and New Zealand to the mix, where she worked as an animator, copywriter, tutor and story coach, in
no particular order. She currently shares her London home with two humans and a feckless cat.
Instagram: Victoria M. Adams
Thank you so much to Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and to Anderson Press for providing me with a copy of The House at the End of the Sea in exchange for my honest opinion.
Do check out the other stops on this week’s Blog Tour below:
Book Craic 