Review: Aliya Aboard the Time Train

I absolutely loved meeting Aliya in her first adventure, Aliya to the Infinite City so was really excited to return to her time-travelling world in Aliya Aboard the Time Train and what a thrilling, action-packed and danger-filled adventure it turned out to be! 

Twelve-year-old Aliya’s grandfather, Geddo, is determined to keep her safe after she was nearly killed by rogue magician, Dorian Drake which is why she finds herself having afternoon tea and playing riddle bingo with sphinxes rather than exploring the city she has come to love. After managing to sneak out of the tearoom, she goes to meet with her mentor, Professor Nigm, but the Smithy is attacked and he sends her back to safety …

Fearing that Aliya could once again be the target of Dorian Drake, her grandfather arranges for her to leave the Citadel aboard the Silver Express, a time-travelling train on an exclusive tour taking its passengers back through Ancient Egyptian history.  Once aboard, Aliya meets up with her pod from the Infinitum Time-Travel Academy … but it is not long before someone aboard is murdered …

And so begins the most gripping, fast-paced adventure which had me on the edge of my seat and eagerly turning pages as I followed Aliya and her friends in their dangerous mission to unmask a killer.  This is an adventure that is brimming with danger and tension, with unexpected twists and turns, and that really builds to a crescendo as truths are slowly revealed.  I absolutely loved following the intriguing clues, never quite sure of who to trust and who may be hiding secrets or being manipulated by others. 

I loved that the adventure takes place on a luxurious time-travelling train with stops for excursions into Egyptian history.  This sense of being trapped both out of time and on a train really increased the levels of tension and peril making it feel as if Aliya is in a race to find the culprit before they have the opportunity to strike again. 

I really enjoyed learning about characters’ motivations and reasons for the choices they make and the actions they take which makes them feel much more real.  I also really liked the blend of history, mythical creatures and magic brought together through a time-travelling world in which peoples from the past and future are brought together – a brilliant concept that completely fascinated me.

Aliya rejoins her friends from the first adventure aboard the Silver Express and I really enjoyed how their friendship develops, including overcoming barriers, as they face the danger on the train together.  They each have their strengths, whether that be the abilities which have allowed them to enter the Time-Travel Academy or their different personalities, and these help them to become a strong team when faced with terrible danger.

Hop aboard for an absolutely riveting adventure, racing through time to an Ancient Egyptian past where peril awaits and magic threatens … perfect for adventurers of 9+.

Thank you to Chicken House Books for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This review now features on Twinkl Australia at https://www.twinkl.com.au/blog/how-does-reading-promote-healthy-development-for-children