Cover art by Laura Tolton
Interior Illustrations by I. Murphy
Published by The Silver Key on 29th January
Welcome to my stop on the Write Reads Blog Tour for Lianna and the Hombit where I am sharing my review of this magical adventure.
Lianna and the Hombit is a wonderfully magical, mesmerising adventure – a story of discovery, of hope and of finding friendship and family that completely enchanted me from start to finish.
13-year-old Lianna is heartbroken at the loss of her father, leaving her an orphan, so she finds herself sent on a long, overseas journey to the land of Nivram to stay with her uncle. Once there, she takes a mail coach to the town of Lowdar, where her father once lived, and where she is expecting to be met by her uncle, Judge Sambru. When he doesn’t arrive, Lianna makes her own way to his mansion where she is met by his unwelcoming housekeeper and butler and sent to the library to wait for him.
Whilst putting some wood on the fire in the library, it flares unexpectedly and reveals a small glass bird on a charred log but, imagine Lianna’s surprise, when this creature talks to her. It reveals that it is a hombit, a messenger, who has been sent on a secret mission.
After meeting her uncle, Lianna feels even more unwelcome and is determined to go home but needs money for the boat fare. The only item of value that she has is a ruby ring, which was owned by her father, so she decides to take it to a pawnbroker who accuses her of being a thief as the Sambru jewellery collection was stolen years ago. Lianna and the hombit decide to help each other in their missions. Can they discover the truth behind the disappearance of the jewels? And, could the ruby be the key to reawakening a family curse that brings danger to Lianna and all those living in Lowdar?
I absolutely loved this action-packed, exciting adventure which kept me eagerly turning pages as I was caught up in the danger, the tension, the secrets and revelations, many of which genuinely took me by surprise! I found the ‘villain’ (I don’t want to say more for fear of spoilers) spine-tingingly scary as the level of threat and danger for Lianna, and the town, increased. I really enjoyed following Lianna as she discovers more about her family history and the tragedy that had unwittingly been brought to Lowdar, a fate that seems destined to be repeated.
Lianna is an incredibly likeable young girl who is grieving the loss of her beloved father whilst feeling unwelcomed in her new home. She shows incredible courage and determination in her mission to find the truth behind the family curse, and break it, before it brings more destruction to Lowdar. And what can I say about the hombit? What an absolutely adorable, magical creature: kind, encouraging and the most wonderfully loyal friend when friendship is desperately needed.
Both the full-page illustrations and vignettes are absolutely stunning and really complement the sense of adventure and mystery in the story.
An adventure that sparkles with magic, mystery and friendship, perfect for young readers of 9+.
About the Author
Valinora Troy is a children’s fantasy and horror writer from Ireland. She has a MA in Creative Writing, specialising in writing for children and young adults. She has acted as a panellist for the CYBILS awards in the middle grade speculative fiction category and served as a Reading Ambassador for Louth Libraries. Her short stories for adults have appeared in numerous publications. She is the author of The Lucky Diamond trilogy, a middle grade children’s fantasy adventure series. In 2023 she was short-listed for the Staróg Prize. When not writing, she loves visiting schools and libraries to talk to children about books and writing.
You can find out more about Valinora’s books, as well as resources for schools, and sign up to her newsletter on her website: Valinora Troy – Children’s Fantasy Writer
GoodReads: Lianna and the Hombit by Valinora Troy | Goodreads
Thank you to The Write Reads and the author for providing me with a copy of the book – and my own beautiful hombit – my review is my honest opinion of the book.
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