Naeli and the Secret Song is a captivating historical adventure, exploring the connections between India and Britain during the 19^th century, as it follows a young girl’s incredible journey to solve a musical mystery.

Naeli has not seen her English father since he returned to England when she was just five years old, despite his promise to return to her and her mother in Hyderabad. Now it is too late as her beloved mother, a talented musician at the palace of the Nizam, has died from malaria.

Following in the footsteps of both her father and mother, Naeli is also a brilliant musician having been taught to play the violin by her father before he left India. The one connection she still has to her father is his precious violin, a family heirloom, that she continues to play through her loneliness and grief.

When Naeli receives a mysterious invitation, she makes a decision that takes her on a journey from India to England, a journey that will change her life. Despite not knowing who has sent the ticket, Naeli grasps the opportunity to find out what has happened to her father, daring to hope that she might one day be reunited with him.

Leaving her homeland India, and her ayah, Vanya, behind, she boards a ship from Calcutta to Southampton, determined to find answers to the mystery of her missing father … On the long voyage to England, she meets Jack who is being sent to boarding school by his clergyman father in order to get an English education. The two are good company for each other and soon become firm friends enjoying exploring the ship and watching the musicians rehearse. But, when Naeli arrives in Southampton, they must go their separate ways …

I absolutely loved this incredible, action-packed adventure as Naeli finds herself embroiled in an intriguing mystery that brings danger, discoveries and dastardly plots. As Naeli begins to unravel the dreadful truth, she must leave London and travel to the wilds of Northumberland to learn more of her musical heritage. Can she discover what has happened to the father who has seemingly abandoned his family? Can the secret song that she plays on her violin bring her the answers she is longing for? I don’t want to say too much more for fear of spoilers, but suffice to say that this is a genuinely gripping mystery that kept me turning pages as I gasped at the cliffhanger chapter endings and the twists and turns that kept me enraptured throughout.

Naeli is an incredibly sympathetic young girl who is grieving the loss of her adored mother and, whilst she is welcome at the palace of the Nizam and cared for by her ayah, she no longer feels that India has anything left for her. She shows great courage, resilience and resourcefulness in her endeavours to find out what has happened to her father, learning more about her dual heritage, and the strength of friendship.

This is a story about connection: connections between countries, connections within family and connections through music. I loved that Naeli remains connected to her parents, even when they are not with her, through their shared love of music and their secret song.

A mesmerising, musical mystery that plays an adventurous tune of longing and hope, of family and belonging and of danger and daring.

Thank you to Lorraine Keating and Chicken House books for inviting me to take part in the Blog Tour, and for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Do check out the other stops on the Blog Tour:

The Amulet of Hath is the second exciting adventure in the Relic Hunters series, where steampunk fantasy, archaeology and technology combine in a thrilling race to discover the secrets of an ancient treasure.

Siblings Mabel and George Greystone have been bitten by the adventuring bug and are eager to begin another quest with their Aunt Lucy, a relic hunter who searches for special ancient artefacts.

When Aunt Lucy arrives, she tells them that, not only has an ancient artefact been found, the amulet of Hath, but that she has permission to borrow it from the museum before it is put on display. The relic hunters hope that the amulet will unlock clues to lead them to the lost land of Hath and its hidden treasure.

But before Aunt Lucy can collect the amulet, unscrupulous and ruthless rival, Byron Cogsworth, gets his hands on it. Hoping that a photograph of the amulet will be enough, the Greystones travel by Hover Galleon to Zephra to begin their search. Will they be able to find Hath and discover its true treasure before Cogsworth snatches the riches? Can they be successful with only half the clues to the amulet’s secrets, or will they have to reach a deal?

This is another wonderfully imaginative, action-packed Indiana-Jones-esque adventure with a brilliant blend of archaeology, steampunk and technology from ancient relics to robotic camels. There is a real sense of peril as Cogsworth is willing to stop at nothing to satisfy his greed and need for glory including tricks and threats – and worse! I really liked the references to ancient animal gods, which reminded me of Ancient Egyptian gods, on the amulet which opened up a trail of clues to help the relic hunters on their path to finding Hath. I also really enjoyed the idea that those from ancient times could create and harness incredible technology capable of giving warnings and messages to those from modern times.

Mabel and Will are proving themselves to be very capable, courageous and determined relic hunters when joining Aunt Lucy on her quest. I really liked that Aunt Lucy trusts the children, values their opinion, and is protective of them, as they work together to complete the quest. It is obvious that they are more precious to her than any ancient treasure. I also loved that Grimm, the talking stuffed cat relic, is an important part of the quest. He is grumpy and reluctant to take part in the adventure, yet he proves incredibly helpful!

The full-and-partial-page illustrations throughout are wonderful and really capture the excitement of the adventure and brilliant world-building perfectly.

An exhilarating adventure, with the importance of family at its heart, to find the true treasure at the end of a perilous quest, perfect for young adventurers of 9+.

This book is published by the wonderful Barrington Stoke who publish dyslexia-friendly, super-readable and accessible books for children of all ages.  This one is for ages 9+ with a reading age of 8.

Thank you to Barrington Stoke for sending me a copy of  The Amulet of Hath in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Place of a Thousand Wishes is a magical, mesmerising historical fantasy adventure that completely captured me and took me on an incredible journey to learn if wishes can be granted …

Twelve-year-old Mason and his dad have moved to Dingbury in the hope of making a success of their new business: selling the world’s best ice-cream. When the ice melts in their ice cream cart, his father heads off to the warehouse at the dock to get some more, leaving Mason with strict instructions to look after the cart.

Soon, Mason’s attention is drawn to the most incredible sight: a dozen huge gas balloons floating over the town. Mason is filled with excitement as he witnesses the return of Darlington the Miraculous, the famous Wish Maker. As thousands of bubbles fall from the balloons and burst over the crowd to bring a refreshing mist, something else falls from a bubble that bursts in front of Mason, something that acts as a catalyst to changing his life … an invite to Darlington Manor and the hope of having a wish granted by the great Wish Maker.

But before he is able to attend the Manor, he finds himself chasing a young thief, Clem, who takes one his ice-creams. When he returns to take the cart home, disaster strikes, and it is destroyed. Could the loss of the cart have anything to do with the stranger with a silver pocket watch chain who had been buying ice-cream? But why would someone want to destroy a young boy’s dreams?

At least he still has the invitation to Darlington Manor and, despite his father forbidding him to attend, he cannot resist the opportunity to see the Wish Maker perform. In awe of the spectacle presented to guests at the Manor, with beautiful floating bubbles and colourful carousels, Mason hopes that he is chosen to have his wish granted, but someone else is determined to destroy his dreams, and those of the Wish Maker …

And so begins the most stunning adventure that held me entirely enthralled as I was swept into a world of danger, intrigue and magic. I was absolutely gripped as the mystery unfolded, as secrets were revealed and as magical connections were made. I really felt the increasing tension and peril, as Mason and his new friend, Clem, seek to right wrongs and return something magical to its rightful owner. Can Mason use the magical gifts he shares with Darlington to thwart a villain intent on the destruction of both their dreams?

I loved the historical setting of Britain in the late 19^th century with the popularity of ice-cream and the spectacle of hot air balloons. I thought this blended, and connected, perfectly with the magical setting of the Wish-Maker’s bubbles that can take wishes to the stars and with the ability to create (including ice sculptures) through a paranormal phenomenon. Whilst Darlington has discovered something out-of-this-world that enhances his gift and enables him to live in a spectacular manor, others are not so fortunate and we are given an insight into the lives of those living in fear of becoming homeless or being thrown into a workhouse. I liked that Darlington has a social conscience, using his gift to help others. This is in sharp contrast to someone else who thinks only of himself, determined to take what is not his to earn fame and fortune, regardless of the cost to others.

I absolutely adored both Mason and Clem who are incredibly likeable. Whilst Mason believes in dreams and the power of wishes to come true, Clem has no such hopes and instead looks for fun and adventure to brighten up her life. She is a feisty and daring young girl who proves herself a wonderfully supportive and loyal friend to Clem, her belief in him bringing him hope when he is flooded with hopelessness. Both children are incredibly courageous and determined, overcoming fears, facing danger and standing up to, and for, others.

I am a huge admirer of Ewa Beniak-Haremska’s stunning and distinctive illustrations and these are no exception. The historical and magical qualities of the adventure are blended perfectly through gorgeous black and white illustrations which capture the tone of the story superbly.

A spectacular story of wishing upon the stars, of family and friendship, and of hopes and dreams – perfect for readers of 9+.

Thank you to Mikka at Everything with Words for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion, and for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour.

Do check out the other stops on the Blog Tour:

Wow! We’re almost half way through the year – and I’m about to start my final half term with my wonderful Year 3 class – that definitely flew by! It’s been great to have a relaxing half-term break as I know next term will be hectic as it’s report writing!

Books I’ve read:

I’ve read 18 books this month. My highlights were Shadow Thieves and the Greenwild books (middle-grade), Sunrise on the Reaping (young adult) and The Women (adult).

NetGalley:

I have four books on my Netgalley shelf with two new requests this month. My feedback ratio is at 97%.

Books sent by publishers:

I am grateful to have been sent 9 books by publishers this month. I have read and written reviews for 7 of these with some of my reviews being posted next week as part of Blog Tours.

Books Bought:

I’ve bought 6 books this month:

How has your reading month been? Have you read any of these? Have you any of them on your TBR?