fantasy-books – Book Craic

*Written by Ashley Thorpe*
*Illustration by Gashwayne Hudson*
*Published by Usborne Publishing*

Spirit Warriors is a stunning historical fantasy adventure, an enthralling story of danger, discovery and daring, that completely captured me from start to finish.

13-year-old Evie lives on the island of Xaymaca, in The Mangrove Hotel, which is owned and run by her adoptive mother, Ms Bell. The Hotel is sustained by magic from a larimar gemstone that was found with Evie who was the sole survivor of a shipwreck nine years previously. Despite Ms Bell’s objections, Evie is determined to attend the annual Carnival of Magic (Myal) in the hope that she will find a mage – a spirit waker – to help her communicate with her parents’ spirits.

Evie is left disappointed and angry when the spirit waker who she finds tells her that her parents do not want to speak to her. Finding best friend Arthur, they are shocked to see a rift appear in the sky which releases malevolent spirits (duppies) who begin to possess the many mages at the Carnival.

When terrifying danger follows the friends home, they have no choice but to leave the Hotel but Arthur does not leave as a boy: his spirit now resides in the body of the hotel cat – and Evie fears that she may be responsible. Evie is determined to find a way to return Arthur’s spirit to his body, to discover why her parents have entrusted her with a powerful, magical gemstone and to defeat the ghastly Blackheart Man who intends to use the power of the island’s four magical gemstones to destroy the barrier between the realms of the living and the dead.

Together with trainee shaman, Cai, Evie and Arthur embark on a heart-pounding mission that leads them towards great danger and incredible discoveries. Can they find the courage and strength to face their fears, to confront petrifying adversaries and to make difficult decisions to save their island? Be prepared for fast-paced action, spine-tingling frissons of fear, brilliant twists and turns and incredible revelations that make this a real page-turner.

Set in an alternate reality, I absolutely loved this nail-biting adventure that is inspired by both the history and folklore of the Caribbean, something that will hopefully encourage readers to find out more, as I did. I was familiar with La Diablesse from Carribean folklore and really liked the alternate depiction in this story that, whilst showing her as a villain, also reveals a link between her life and that of another character who, with the support of others, finds the strength to take a different path.

Evie, Arthur and Cai are incredibly sympathetic characters who have each suffered loss or abandonment. Whilst this clearly has an impact on the decisions they make and actions they take, they find strength, love and courage in their friendship, and that of others, when they have to make incredibly difficult choices.

A terrifically thrilling, magical adventure, steeped in history and folklore, perfect for readers of 9+.

Thank you to Usborne Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

*Written by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick*
*Cover Illustration by George Ermos*
*Published by Faber & Faber Limited*

The Museum of Lost Umbrellas is the first book in The Cloud Witch Chronicles, a new fantasy series for middle-grade readers. It’s an utterly captivating, deliciously cosy read, but with swirls of danger, that took me on the most incredible adventure to an unforgettable, magical island in the heart of the Celtic Sea.

Ten-year-old Dilly Kyteler arrives on Ollipest Island to start a new life with her Grand-Aunt Florence who lives in a beautiful cottage with secrets of its own. Whilst the cottage seems welcoming, her Aunt does not seem particularly pleased to see her and treats her rather brusquely. But, the following morning she meets her aunt’s friend, Digbee, and her grandson Callum who is spending the summer holiday on the island so things look brighter for Dilly as she may just make a friend. And there’s another new arrival, a large dog who has walked out of the sea, a companion that she has longed for.

Dilly and Callum are sent on some errands to the nearby town of Wurmston but, on their way home, Parsley, the wolfhound, leads them to a grand building: The Museum of Lost Umbrellas, due to re-open the following day after a lengthy closure. When the children enter the museum, they are immediately entranced by the wonderful assortment of umbrellas. Imagine Dilly’s surprise when a small green umbrella opens its hand-shaped handle and waves at her …

And so begins the most magical, mesmerising adventure as Dilly and Callum learn about the magic of Ollipest, magic that the islanders are so desperate to keep secret that the use of magic on the island has been forbidden, and magical items have been kept locked away from their owners. But when the Museum re-opens, it brings danger for the islanders, danger from a sinister stranger determined to destroy Ollipest’s magical heritage. Can Dilly connect with her family’s magic in time to help save the islanders, her family and friends? Can a community overcome its fear and stand against those who seek to manipulate, control and destroy?

What an incredible adventure, brimming with excitement, danger and revelations, and one that I really didn’t want to leave behind so I’m really glad there’s more to come from this world. The world-building is breath-taking from the wishing-door and the alleyway portals to the sentient library and the magical objects connected to island families. I loved the magical system with its links to many aspects of nature magic as well as the idea of everyday objects imbued with magical qualities, such as umbrellas, that can help you fly – just like in Mary Poppins with her parrot-headed umbrella – perhaps an inspiration for a certain talking parrot in the story.

I love book maps and this one has a brilliant map shaped like a creature from Irish mythology with some brilliant place names, including those linked to the shape of the ‘wurm’. I also really liked the names of characters used in the story, many with connections to nature, history and literature – and other words for umbrellas. Whilst this is a fantasy adventure, I really appreciated the historical context as I learned about the persecution of the islander’s ancestors and how they hoped to find safe haven in Ollipest.

Dilly is a wonderful young girl who, due to the death of her mum, has had to move to an unfamiliar place with a family member she does not know. I loved her bravery, strength and determination as she opens herself to her cloud magic ability and fights for her new home and those she cares about, despite knowing the risk she is taking and the danger she is facing. She is a force for good, standing up to evil, prejudice and hatred, despite her fear that she may lose the place she now calls home.

Fly, up, up, up and away into a mesmerising, magical world, brimming with heart and warmth, with danger and daring, a world where adventure and excitement await … perfect for children of 8+.

Thank you to Faber Children’s Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.