historical-fiction – Book Craic

*Written by Sufiya Ahmed*
*Illustrations by Alessia Trunfio*
*Published by Little Tiger*

I really enjoyed Time Travellers: Adventure Calling so was eager to read the second book in this exciting series of historical timeslip adventures: Secrets and Spies.

Suhana and best friends, Mia and Ayaan, are exploring Edinburgh during the Easter holidays. As it is raining, they head in to the Museum of Scotland where they meet a tour guide who tells them about the origins of the East India Company and shares that items taken are now part of a collection in Edinburgh Castle. Visiting the Castle, the three friends see an Indian sword with a tiger head and an amulet holder, but then Suhana’s phone alarm rings … and the friends find themselves spinning backwards through time … and into another time travelling adventure …

This time, the team find themselves in 1799 Seringapatam, India with a new mission: to save a young princess. Finding themselves inside a fort, they climb the walls to see thousands of tents, cannon guns and war elephants: the fort and Sultan’s palace is under siege by troops from the East India Company.

When they are disturbed by a young soldier, they find an ally in Imran who takes them to the royal palace where they see Sultan Tipu and learn of his resistance to the invaders, but is someone prepared to betray the Sultan and his family for their own greed? Can the time travellers complete their mission and save the princess before the fort is breached by those intent on ending any resistance to Imperial Rule? And, will the team return safely home to share this forgotten history with others?

This is another brilliant adventure with plenty of fast-paced action, danger and discoveries as the children work together to save the young princess and get her to safety as they are confronted with the exploitation, disrespect and violence of the East India Company towards the Indian people. Bengal tigers, secret passages, betrayal, and daring escapades make this a thrilling read as well as one which teaches readers about British colonialism in India.

I really enjoyed the strong friendship which has developed between Suhana, Mia and Ayaan which makes them a great time travelling team. The friends are courageous and determined, and are prepared to take risks to complete their mission which leads to both danger and discoveries. They all show respect for the beliefs and culture of those they meet which is in stark contrast to how the Indian people are treated by the colonial powers forcibly expanding into their country.

There is a wonderful section at the end of the book which gives more information about the British Empire and colonialism as well as sharing more information about Tipu Sultan and one of his ancestors who played an important and heroic role in the Second World War.

This is another fantastic adventure in this time-travelling series which is perfect for children of 8+ to both enjoy as an exciting adventure and to learn more about important aspects of our diverse history which are not well known.

Thank you to Little Tiger for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

*Written by A.M.Howell*
*Illustrated by Marco Guadalupi*
*Published by Usborne*

The Royal Jewel Plot is the second adventure in the Mysteries at Sea series which started with Peril on the Atlantic. This is another terrifically thrilling, twisty historical mystery that kept me utterly enthralled throughout.

It’s August 1936, and 12-year-old Alice is boarding the Lady Rose, a luxury steam yacht which she and her older brother Sonny have inherited from their grandfather. She is excited that she will be sharing the voyage with none other than King Edward VIII who has chartered the yacht to take a trip around the coast of Yugoslavia with his friend, Mrs Wallis Simpson.

Whilst exploring her new home with Sonny and the captain’s son, Don, they meet another guest: a poisonous octopus, Olive, who is guarding a priceless black opal. But when both the octopus and opal disappear, Alice and Sonny find themselves thrown in at the deep end of another mystery. And this time, their new home and the jobs of its crew are at risk if they don’t find the opal in time to hand it over to its owner.

So begins a fantastically enthralling, exciting mystery as Alice and Sonny work together, in a race against time, to discover the identity of the thief and their motive for stealing the opal. Their list of suspects grows ever longer – and even includes the king – as their investigation leads to uncovering secrets, discovering possible motives for committing the theft, and unravelling a trail of truths and lies. I absolutely loved following the intriguing clues as suspicion falls on different people, as danger increases, and as their investigations lead to some wonderfully unexpected revelations. Can these daring sleuths unmask the culprit before time runs out?

I loved the setting of the Lady Rose, a luxury steam yacht sailing around the coast of Yugoslavia and also enjoyed that Alice and Sonny get to disembark to explore Dubrovnik – somewhere I definitely now want to visit. I really enjoyed the 1930s historical context of the story with reference to the impending war, the king’s later decision, the role of women in society and the relationship between the paparazzi and the Royal Family.

I really liked being back with Alice and Sonny as they get to know each other as siblings. These children are incredibly likeable as they work together, and grow deeper bonds, as they investigate the crime aboard the yacht. Alice sees the Lady Rose as her new home and is eager to sail into adventures whereas Sonny, who has spent much of his life at sea, is keener to try living on land where he can have more pets than Rocket, his adorable mouse. Alice is curious, tenacious and willing to break rules whereas Sonny is more cautious, but their shared determination, resourcefulness and courage make them a perfect sleuthing team.

All aboard for another marvellous mystery at sea, guaranteed to lead young adventurers of 9+ on a terrific treasure-trail full of twists and turns. I am now eagerly anticipating the next mystery at sea in The Hollywood Kidnap Case.

Author Information

A.M. Howell has always been inspired by the stories around her, and how imagination can unlock the secrets of the past. Her thrilling historical mysteries have garnered great critical acclaim, winning both the Mal Peet Children’s Book Award, and the East Anglian Book of the Year Award, as well as being shortlisted for lots of other prizes. A.M. Howell lives in Suffolk with her husband and two sons.

Thank you so much to Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to be part of the Blog Tour, and to Usborne for providing me with a copy of The Royal Jewel Plot in exchange for my honest opinion.

Do check out the other stops on this week’s Blog Tour below: