Erin the Literary Cat

Red Tide and Selfie, Sans the Chicken

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 12 Apr 2026 05:42:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our latest Sunday selfie!

This week there has been nothing wonderful here weather wise, just a cycle of wind, rain, hail, sun, then repeat.

One of the bright spots of the week has been our latest 'Read and Review' book: RED TIDE. This is by the wonderfully creative author, Curtis Jobling. We reviewed his recent middle grade horror story, WYRDWOOD, last October. And my what a fabulous read it was too, one worthy of Stephen King. And just look at that cover which features the three teenage protagonists.

This new read is about Vikings, Picts, and . . . vampires.

I won't spoil our upcoming review, but let me say this is a fantastically creative read, with modicum of humour too. It hasn't given us any nightmares, and is the first half of a mini series that has us now nicely poised and desperate for the grand and gripping conclusion.

So whilst Mrs H and I haven't got much editing work done, we have been happy to let the weather and world pass on by.

Moving on, this week's selfie is a picture Mrs H snapped on Thursday. I think I was dreaming of catnip toys and a plate full of nice tasty chicken. . . neither of which I got!

Oh well, maybe I will in my dreams. Hopefully your week has been better than ours, food wise if nothing else. And please do share what books you are reading, and if you would recommend.

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site. Or copy and paste this link: https://thecatonmyhead.com/

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

ERin's Up Close & Personal Selfie

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 06:57:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our latest Sunday selfie!

This week we have been contemplating the new book covers for books 1 to 3 of our series. Yes, we are redoing the cover for book 1 which is already published. Whilst we all loved it, some criticism levied at it was that its relevance to the actual plot was not clear, I was not as prominent as I could be, and that it did not appeal to the younger target audience through action, colour and adventure.

As authors, these criticisms can be hard to take, and take on board, especially when so much artistic time and money has gone into creating the covers.

But as time passes, and attitudes mellow, you can see through pride and discover that a book's cover can not just live in the mind and aspirations of the authors who live most of the time in their own world. As we buddhists know and understand, there is nothing that exists independent of anything else, be it a person, piece of furniture . . . or a book cover.

So with that in mind, and the 1920s rose coloured glasses removed, we, Mrs H, our amazing artist, Craig Howarth, and I, have been working on a new action filled and topical cover theme for the first three books at least.

More will be revealed in due course, lets just say that the new covers allow us to map out the shape of adventures to come.

This week's selfie is a head to foot shot, sans the middle bit. It was an inspired image captured last week with the aid of Mrs H. Here's looking at you, kid (fellow felines and humans, too!)

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

A Half Faced Whiskery Selfie

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 05:55:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our latest Sunday selfie!

This week's selfie is, maybe unsurprisingly, another bed shot.

As Mrs H is very busy looking at some editing, (I hasten to add she is doing more looking than doing!) I had wandered into Ol' Ned's room and pestered him to take a Selfie.

After half an hour of getting comfortable (Ned, not me), the pose is supposed to be one of, well, I'll let you decide and comment below. One thing for certain, it seem as though I have lost most of my whiskers on one side. Though the other side looks quite full and majestic. I assure you no whiskers, save Ned's, were hurt in the taking of this selfie!

In other news, the wars around the world seem to be escalating, and the weather and mood here in Upper Much-Mousing is an unhappy reflection of the bad, and stupidity of leaders that there is elsewhere. Thankfully, we know there is a lot of good out there. As Buddhists we dedicate prayers to guide us to help stop this dangerous folly and cycle of destruction and death.

May your own weeks be filled with happiness and the causes of happiness and be free from the upset and the causes thereof.

For now, I am heading off to see if I can get Mrs H to add some whiskery highlights to restore my inner and outer balance.

©Image Copyright. Alt text available.

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

The Upside and Downside of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 06:40:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our latest selfie Sunday selfie!

This week's selfie is brought to you courtesy of Ol' Ned, who awoke from one of his impromptu naps to see me checking him from above for signs of life.

His short naps are famous in these parts, mainly due to their length which often exceeds his working hours. Mrs H thinks that he mistook our advert for a sleep-in handy-person to mean quite literally he had to sleep whenever and in whatever was to hand.

Thankfully all was well, and Ol' Ned was just dozing on his sofa under the window. Having got up to make Mrs H a cup of tea he set off on foot to fetch the morning papers from Mrs Singh's World Food Emporium, aka Upper Much-Mousing's corner shop.

After that we are hoping to make the best of the last of this week's sunshine, before more gloom and cloud and rain head in this afternoon.

Spring is most definitely with us, and the early blooms are doing their best to fight off all the bad news in the world.

May your week bring you health and happiness, and may peace reign supreme in your world as well as ours.

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

A Sunday Selfie, Lint Roller Not Included

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 06:19:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our latest selfie Sunday!

In a week full of bad news, anything positive, seems a real rarity.

And when Mrs H accidentally dropped a spanner across the battery terminals of our Vauxhall 30/98 E type tourer, things were far too positive. There was a shower of sparks and the spanner jumped a few feet into the air. Fortunately, no body, be it spanner, feline or human were any the worse. The battery is likely toast now, so Mrs H has bought a new one to be on the safe side.

As the weather and Mrs H's tooth hole have shown some improvement, Mrs H, feeling a lot jollier, has tried to start on book 4 of our adventure series. But as I dictate the post for today, the dark clouds once more march across the sky, and it looks like more rain will spoil what is left of the weekend. I suspect it will be (another) Sunday spent laying on the bed grooming, napping and thinking of warmer, happier, peaceful days.

On the subject of work, here is my selfie. It was taken on Friday, and shows me at MY desk. I told Mrs H that great things happen at this desk and on this chair, and my naps are power thinking naps, rather than an opportunity to shed some hair on the chair's stiff fabric. To which Mrs H rolled her eyes and went to get the vacuum and lint roller . . . .

Whatever fluff your day finds you in, be it good, bad, or self inflicted, we hope you find some joy and warmth in knowing there is a lot of good out there. And if all that joy gets united, it can change the badness into goodness. And not just in stories.

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

Erin's Surprisingly Sunny Selfie!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 07:29:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our latest selfie Sunday!

I was going to skip the bit about the weather continuing to be rainy, when it turned warmish and dry. But on getting up this morning at 2am, Mrs H came back to bed and advised that, yup, you guessed it, it was back to rain again! So it's a no change day after all.

It seems the world, nature, is screaming that we need to do something quick or else we will be washed away in torrents of rain and misery. Most of which Ol'Ned attributes to the greed of political animals, and big business. Which Mrs H and I have to agree with.

That said, we won't sit back and wait for others to act. Mrs H has been researching a home battery to go with the solar panels we had installed on the manor house's roof many years ago. She says we could, by buying our electricity at the cheap rate and storing it for use when it is expensive, save a small fortune.

I went away and did some sum math, and figured that will keep her in sherry and me in catnip for eternity!

Anyways, the whole, hole in tooth affair seems, like the hole, to be drawing to a literal and metaphoric close. The gums are drawing together and pain easing.

Soon she will be fighting fit and off light duties. Though to be fair, the only thing she has really been grateful for missing is the taste testing of Mrs Granites home made rock cakes, which live up to her name, especially the bullet like raisins within!

Anyways, here is my not so stone-like selfie, taken earlier in the week with the coming of the sun, albeit a short coming ;)

Whatever the weather, we hope you have a good week, filled with sunshine, love and joy. And to feel the force, do consider a home battery and solar panels!

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

Sore Tooth Sunday Selfie

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:54:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our latest selfie Sunday!

I shall skip the bit where I tell you about how bad the weather has been, and rather tell you about Mrs H's sore tooth. Not mine thankfully, but a decidedly cheeky molar that has been her personal burden for some years. Despite taking her previous dentist to task and saying how it hurt, she was told no issues.

Thankfully, good karma bought a new dentist surgery in Much Deeping-Hollow and the dentist, Dr Ali, said after a re-exam and new X-Rays, that a filling had likely been leaking! Have it out, Mrs H advised straight away, and wasn't contradicted by Dr Ali, who said even with a crown on it the tooth would slowly rot away and cause more issues.

I am not sure why Mrs H would warrant a crown, I mean, that is my place and position. But the day arrived, and after a necessary double dose of pain killing injections (Mrs H is a tough old bird and of the 5% that cant be numbed in the usual places (maybe due to too much sherry!)) she was soon safely numbed up and the tooth duly extracted.

The down side is she is on soft food and warm drinks only for a few days as well as paracetamol (which does not cause autism) and Ibuprofen. It also means she is now unusually crotchety. So with that in mind I have been spending more time at Ol'Ned the gardeners place.

Normal service will be resumed in a week or so. Thankfully, I am not forced to eat mushy food, or drink warm tea!

Anyways, here is my not so numbed up selfie taken an hour ago by Ol' Ned.

Whatever room or cottage today finds you in, or however your teeth may feel, we hope you have a good week, filled with sunshine, love and joy.

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

Sunday Selfie and a new fun gift....

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 07:39:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our latest selfie Sunday!

I really wish I could report that the weather held less of the wet stuff, but sadly it has remained windy, wet, and decidedly boring.

No new physical books read, but we have been steaming through MC Beaton's Agatha Raisin series. If you are not familiar with the series, MC Beaton, who is sadly no longer with us, was a prolific writer of murder mysteries, and has been dubbed the queen of the village murder mystery series and genre. She was prolific, and had a style that pleased across all her separate character lead series, which included Hamish Macbeth.

Easy going at times, the audio books have a beautifully narrated flow, and nice twisty turny plots that never fail to please, despite their being familiar long running themes and backdrops throughout the 30 plus books in each series.

One surprise this week, was the arrival of a gift from ol' Ned, the gardener. "Something that would raise a smile on any guests that visit the manor house", he said.

Mrs H and I couldn't help but laugh, her more than I to be honest, but I did see the bright side and think this is a lovely gift for cat lovers who will undoubtedly have experienced the situation too.

There are quite a few on Amazon, if you do a search for cat bathroom signs, so if it takes your fancy there are plenty of shapes and images to choose from.

And now a picture selfie of me. I may or may not be upside down, but I definitely am not in the bathroom or loo!

Whatever rooms today finds you in, we wish you all a happy and hopefully dry and warm week.

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

Loafing around Sunday Selfie

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 06:54:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our latest selfie Sunday!

This week has, to put it mildly, been extremely wet. Floods and wind abound our small county of East Lambtonshire. Thankfully, since our village of Upper Much-Mousing has slid as far as it can down the nearby hill, and the river was widened many years back, we have been saved any more flooding.

Rain did not deter Mrs H flying off to get supplies, but not by plane. She braved the weather on foot, saying it was easier to dry herself off than the motorcycle or bicycle. Which, save for her unruly hair, was true. She returned from a sortie to Mrs Singh's World Food Emporium (aka the corner shop) with many bags of flour.

The bread making machine is going great guns, and Mrs H is proud of her successful run of 4 perfect wholemeal loaves. So cheap too, and we estimate for a small 400g loaf only 84 pence. And that includes electricity.

Do any of you guys make your own using a machine, and how do you find it?

Here is a very special 'LOAF' selfie!

And because we really would not just leave your with a picture of that bread, no matter how tasty, here is what you really came for, a picture of ME!

However your selfies turn out, be they well done loaves or snoozing, we wish you a dry, rain, wind, and snow-free safe week . . .

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

Sunday Star(e) Selfie

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 07:16:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our latest selfie Sunday!

I had nipped into the guest room at Ned's place for a snooze, as part of my mandatory bed testing regime, and thought "You know what, let's take a selfie whilst I am here." Given the size of Ol' Ned's fingers, as well as shaking, it is a miracle they managed to press the shutter button. But with the aid of bale twine and a cunning balancing act using various garden implements, including fork, spade and two trowels, this was the net result.

Mrs H, who was busy in the kitchens experimenting with a new bread making machine from those nice people at Panasonic land, was suitably impressed and said I had an air of Queen Victoria about me. Maybe I can see that in the royal forehead. What do you think? Queen Vic or our dear Queen ER11?

However you week and selfies turn out, be it covered in soil or elbow deep in flour, we wish you a regal, happy, healthy and safe week . . .

Image © Erin the cat Princess

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

Wet and windy, NOT how I like my cream!

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 04:07:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our selfie sunday!

With mainly wet, wet, wet (not the boy band) performing this week with wind as the backing band, I have been spending my time, you guessed it, examining the weave of this cotton bed spread.

Not much else to do these days of mid winter, so likely you'll get to see more of such similarly posed shots in the coming weeks.

Hopefully you all will be faring better weather wise, and activity wise?

Let us know what weather is like where you are, and if sunny and warm/hot, where the nearest airport is, MOL

Have a lovely week!

©Image copyright.

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

First Sunday Selfie of 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 05:51:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our selfie.

First off we wish you all a very happy and prosperous and good karma filled new year.

With the festive season now thankfully behind us, and the husks of other peoples spent firework rockets all but gathered up from the Manor House gardens — save one lodged on the roof — Mrs H can rest up for a while.

I say rest up, only between meal services and raking up the last vestiges of autumn leaves that appear from nowhere and stain the lawns with patches of limp, yucky brown.

Whilst she does that, I have been making the most of some down time. No book reviews for a while as we are busy elsewhere, hoping that our book artiste comes through sooner rather than later with some new art for book 2 and book 3. More on that as and when.

Anyways, here is me on one of the day beds, soaking up yesterday afternoons (3pm) sunshine. There was a welcome blast of bright, clear but low light from across the fields. That's why I am squinting. In a week that has seen freezing temperatures here of -7c, with snow and heavy frosts, and continues to threaten so into next week, this and other beds and sofas is where you will find me. Mrs H has the kettle on now, in readiness for an audio book listen before breakfast, so I shall leave you hopefully with thoughts of warm weather and happier days.

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin & Mrs H.

I AM REBEL

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 30 Nov 2025 05:04:00 +0000

Written by Ross Montgomery

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, settled in beside the fire with a box of tissues and glass of sherry, lets get this adventure under way . . .

AUTHOR: Ross Montgomery (Web page LINK click here.)

Illustrations by: Keith Robinson (Web page LINK click here.)

Published by: Walker Books (Web page LINK click here.)

Publication date Paperback: June 2024. OUT NOW

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978-152 950 2909

Paperback price on Amazon at time of posting: £7.35

UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99

Amazon KINDLE price: £3.49

Audible available? YES, one credit.

Pages: 298

Age range: 8+

Any dogs or cats? Yes, both, and more. And much there is about life they do impart.

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to...

I am exceedingly grateful to Mrs Hudson for treating me from her pension so we can share this amazing canine story.

The plot

12-year-old Tom lives with his mum and dad on their sheep farm. It is a summer dawn, and Tom’s dog, Rebel, awakes beside his friend and, though he does not think of it that way, master. Life is good, and Rebel knows the day will be good, like all the days before since Tom rescued Rebel from the snow as a puppy.

Tom has never been beyond the nearby small town of Connick. He longs to travel and to climb the big nearby mountain and see the sights he has heard about. Tom sketches a lot with his charcoal and loves to do sketches of Rebel. They play and do all the things a dog and his boy do, games of stick and having tummies tickled. Rebel is a good dog and appreciates how lucky he is.

Later that same day, up in the top pasture tending the sheep, Tom spots the king’s guards patrolling the road. Villagers and farmers need permits to travel to market, to anywhere. The king has decreed that if they don’t pay the high taxes, they will have their permits to use the road removed. No permit or travel means no selling of livestock to earn the money to pay the high taxes. And so a downward spiral is created that sees the farmers turned out of their homes, their land salted, and buildings burned. They patrol at night and punish all who break the curfew, or speak against the new king. He wants it all, and lives on the other side of the mountain in a tall palace.

Then one day everything changes, and Rebel’s life becomes so different, unpredictable and dangerous.

Rebel awakes to raised voices in the kitchen below: two guardsmen have arrived and are demanding double taxes. Things get heated, and Tom shouts at the guards, who then smash his mother’s fine china set as they leave. They pass on a warning that the king is after a stranger to the parts, a man dressed in wolf skins. Anyone found harbouring him will be shot.

The huge injustice of it all and his dad’s acceptance of it, drives a wedge between Tom and his father that continues the next day. Tom is for action, but his father says they are farmers, not fighters. Up in the top pasture, a man dressed in wolf skin startles Tom and Rebel. Tom listens to what he has to say, and decides that he will join the revolutionaries, called the Reds, who wear a red neckerchief.

Now Rebel really does not trust the man, who goes by the name of Rider. Tom, however, is not afraid and goes off with him to a meeting of like-minded people. Rebel is a good dog and obeys his master despite his misgivings. Tom returns later, and far later than his parents would wish, and about his person his father spots a red neckerchief. The ensuing argument seems to have been resolved the following morning when Tom apologises for thinking of joining the Reds, and says he has burnt the neckerchief. Rebel is elated; life will once more be perfect.

But when Tom returns to tend the sheep that day, he orders Rebel to stay and not follow him as he ventures to join the gathering storm and uprising to topple the corrupt king. Before he leaves, he ties the red neckerchief around Rebel's neck.

So begins the true story of how Rebel learns he needs to break his master’s command and follow Tom’s trail before it disappears, no matter where it takes him. All so he can rescue his friend and keep him safe.

Pretty much everything that you could throw at a terrier happens in the ensuing tale. It is one of discovering his own inner dog, the truth and sometimes horrible and conflicting choices friendship and duty bring, and the hardships and brutality of war. Mix in also the uncertainty of what to do, who to trust and a need to get to Tom before war does, and you have a powerful combination. If I tell you more, where would the fun be in discovering an exceptional, heart-stopping and emotional story?

So, what did we think? Spoiler alert!

Very much like the storytelling in ‘Small Wonder’, the latest middle grade story by Ross Montgomery, I Am Rebel is incredibly well written. It is the distillation and concentration of an emotional, heart-tugging, action adventure.

I was totally locked in to this from early on, and would have read it from cover to cover given the opportunity, but other things got in the way. It wasn’t until Mrs H and I hit the home straight that we had the opportunity to read on to the end. I have to say it tugged at the heartstrings, and even Mrs H had the handkerchief out a few times and had to take a break.

It would be fair to say that every Lassie movie, and every dog and doggedly determined (and that is a most apt turn of phrase) that has hit the big and small screen since, carries an element of the magic in this tale, as this does of those. Whilst it is unfair to compare different entertainment formats, this is the most rounded, most vivid, and accomplished adventure to date.

The characters are well defined, lovable, and also easily disliked. There are challenges for the young Tom, confrontations, and decisions to be made and risks, mostly unknown, to endure.

Rebel’s journey is much the same, arguably much worse and with unique challenges. Though Mrs H said that, if you look closely, you can see Rebel and Tom’s journeys are actually very similar. Tom heads off with the wild and rough stranger, Rider, and Rebel journeys with Jaxon, a dog of the wilds and no master. Seeing through Rebel’s eyes, achieved very well by the author who clearly knows canines, as well as cats, made this an exceptionally involving tale.

The cover is very tactile. The title is raised from the page and seems very much a thick white paint has been used. Rebel, too, is embossed and adds an extra sense and dimension to the already wonderful work from the artist, Keith Robinson. Do click the link to his website to enjoy some more of his brilliant book-size art masterpieces.

We both found there was a brief statement made periodically through the adventure that spoiled the flow of things for us slightly by dropping us out of our stride, engrossment, and investment in the characters. Maybe you will spot this or read through and not notice it at all. That said, this does not diminish the drama, the emotional ending, or the huge amount of glee we got from journeying along with Rebel and Jaxon in this tale.

Whilst Tom’s part in this journey is technically rather small, it provides a lot of motivation and action opportunities. What we can draw from this tale, as an aside, is maybe how dogs and masters trust each other. This, at the end of the day, is a tale, but brave dogs have existed throughout time and endured many hardships alongside humans. In its own way, this tale is a tribute to them all.

Also, if you wish to analyse these things, the meaning of the red neckerchief that Rebel wears, could be a symbol of belonging as well as belonging to another; of servant and servitude, as well as liberation. It is an interesting thought to conclude this review, and one that we will ponder for a while yet.

Crunch time.

A most worthy wearer of the crowning title of Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year 2024. And an amazing treat for animal adventure readers of any age who enjoy a well-crafted tale.

As a holiday season is almost upon us, I can recommend ‘I Am Rebel’ as well as ‘Small Wonder’ as perfect gift ideas. Click HERE, to read our review of SMALL WONDER.

I hope you enjoyed those adventures.

Before we get on with the selfies, we just wanted to announce that our first adventure book, 'Chumley and Hudson Investigates. The King Herod's Mystery', is now available in a dyslexia friendly font format for readers almost everywhere!

***

And now for something completely different . . .

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. CLICK THIS LINK to visit their site and to get the LATEST code to add to your own blog . . .

©Image Copyright

If you look closely at this week's selfie, you can see near perfect whisker alignment. Mrs H says I spend far too much time whisker aligning and grooming. I say for good results, copious amounts of time in the bedroom straightening them (aka asleep) pays dividends!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that adventure, and will dip your toes into the amazing world of Middle Grade literature. Whilst most are quite short by comparison to adult reads, as they are for some of the most discerning of readers, they can be incredibly fulfilling.

Now that is likely to be last review of the year. We have a ton of editing to do and so little daylight and time to do it in. We have some great books to read, not least the third adventure for the Freddie, the Buddhist cat, (written by Julian Worker) which is entitled: Tree-Hugging Cats.

FLIPPED

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:34:00 +0000

Written by Philip Caveney

©Image Copyright

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, happy that we have our own published novels to get sucked back into, lets get this review on the road!

©Image copyright (see below)

AUTHOR: Philip Caveney. (Website link CLICK HERE.)

Cover illustration by: Images ©Adobe Stock and Shutterstock, 2025

Published by: Fox and Ink Books. (Website link CLICK HERE.)

Publication date Paperback: 6th Nov 2025

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978-1916747739

UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99

Amazon KINDLE price: £3.99

Pages: 276

Age range: 9 - 16+

Internal illustrations?: No

SPOILER ALERT

Yes, some as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to...

We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme Williams, publicist, and Fox and Ink Books for offering us a chance to Read & Review this story.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and will enjoy.

The plot

It is late July 2020, the school summer holidays have arrived, and it is the height of the Covid pandemic. 15/16-year-old Philip Gregory, aka Flip, is spending his days out and about on his own, exploring the Kent Marshes near his home. His mother is a nurse practitioner in the A&E of a local hospital, managing the brunt and cruel side of the virus. On his latest walk, he heads up a rise and finds in the valley beyond, and hidden from view, an abandoned Victorian redbrick house behind a wired fence. Dilapidated and boarded up, he finds his way inside. What awaits him is a sort of house stuck in time; cobwebs, mouldy old furniture abound, and rubbish left by other visitors is the only sign of modern-day life.

Then, out of the blue, he sees a young, imperious-looking girl about his age, staring at him from an upper landing. Stranger yet, it seems she was expecting him. She calls him Pip, a name he hasn’t been called since early childhood, and has a task for him to complete. Unwittingly, Flip seems to have been seconded to undertake a task for Miss H. Curious how the girl knew his past name, and despite his protestations to the contrary that he is not ‘Pip’, the girl introduces herself as Estella, and leads a confused Flip, aka Pip to where he is to work. He has been tasked with cataloguing all the items in the house’s large and dusty attic, and to look out in particular for a large book that Miss H has lost.

During the search, which does not go well, Flip finds an old and loaded rifle and blows out an attic window by mistake. Taking this as the ideal reason to flee, he makes his excuses, and heads to the ground floor. Estella is not best pleased and insists that he should return the next day, saying that if he does not, Miss H will have ways to ensure he does.

A surprise awaits Flip that evening as, after a very realistic dream where he is running on the Marshes and comes across a stranger who sounds like his absent dad, he awakes to find Estella in his garden! She is there to ensure he returns the next day, and will confront his mother if Flip does not.

Needless to say, Flip is starting to get worried and overwhelmed by all this, but to keep the peace and not get his mum involved, the next day he returns to the old house, Satis House.

The next day dawns, and Flip heads off to the Marshes, and into what becomes a very exciting adventure. As time progresses, it is obvious to him that he is being drawn into the book, Great Expectations, of which he knows little, and is perceived by other characters as Pip from the novel. Indeed, he seems to become Pip, in clothes and worn appearance. But Flip soon realises he has not replaced Pip, just displaced him. Why this is happening, he doesn't know, but somehow he needs to figure out and quickly to make sure he doesn't get stuck back in Pip's world!

Worse is to come, as the characters are seeping into 2020, too. When he arrives in the study of none other than the author, Charles Dickens, himself, things get really fun, and a touch surreal.

Like all great novels, the fun is in the details and telling as they progress. Which is where and why we must leave this review.

So, what did we think?

Great Expectations may well be known to you – if not read, then viewed on the television. What the author has skilfully done here is create multiple stories. We have a retelling, albeit abbreviated, of the Dickens classic, then the tale of Flip and his mother and estranged father. Finally, we have the resulting tale as the casts of both come together, in good ways and bad, and across the two other tales, creating a mini-classic in its own right.

This new tale will appeal to modern and younger readers, but has enough of Dickens’ classic to provide a delightful read for the older reader too. The sometimes pithy wit was well received in this household, as were Flip and Pip’s confusion and responses to situations they found themselves in . Poor Mr Dickens has a rough time of it as well, and his role added a lovely twist/extra layer and dimension that takes it up a notch.

Picking the pandemic as a present-day timeline was a stroke of genius. While most kids of Flip’s age will not have heard or even thought about Dickens’ story, they will instantly relate to that period when they lost freedom, friendships, and saw loved ones if not die, then become sick or seriously ill. This tale ably hits on how life was for each generation, and links and draws comparisons briefly to the cholera epidemic of Victorian times. It also brings together elements of family life, breakups, and tragedy.

One key reason for this plot working so well for us is that the two stories mirror each other in elements that slowly get revealed as the story progresses. Not wishing to spoil things, but it isn’t just the similarity in names that the protagonist Flip shares, but also the life story of key secondary characters as well. So, if you have read Great Expectations, you should be able to see where this is going and why. Though not necessarily how it all works out. That was a lovely twist right at the end, which, while a largish clue was left early on, we ultimately just didn’t see it coming.

So, crunch time.

A masterstroke of plotting, creating a cross-generational tale that Mr Dickens might well have appreciated, had he got his head around his characters not doing what they were told. Well worth a read for all in this age group and above. And we do hope this gets the publicity and credit it deserves in the classroom and beyond.

And as it's time for the Sunday Selfies, here's something equal full of nature and soft and gentle – me!

Here is yours truly caught in what Mrs H says is my 'contemplative, artist's model pose'.

I hope you enjoyed that adventure review and our selfie.

Till laters!

ERin

BAXTER'S VIEW

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 26 Oct 2025 05:16:00 +0000

Written & illustrated by Kerri Cunningham

A Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a gentle tale for 5-8 year olds.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, currently spending time appreciating the small things in the gardens (not mice or spiders), lets go on with our review of Baxter's View.

AUTHOR: Kerri Cunningham Click HERE for their web page

Illustrations by: Kerri Cunningham

Published by: Fox & Ink Books. Click HERE for their web page

Publication date Paperback: 6 Nov 2025

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978-1916747715

UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99

Amazon KINDLE price: N/A

Pages: 32

Age range: 5 - 8

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to...

We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme Williams and Fox and Ink Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review this story.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.

The plot

Rory, the slightly elder brother to Baxter, is at the age where he just wants to run everywhere to get to the fun stuff. Baxter, however, likes to hum, bounce and flap his hands. He wants to enjoy all the sensory things he finds as they head to the park with their mother. Unfortunately this means even a short walk can take ages.

For Rory this means having to wait as Baxter explores the textures sights and sounds found on route, be they in a shop window or lush grass in the park or jumping in puddles. This makes Rory huff a lot and ask his mum to push on to the slides in the play area, not letting Baxter enjoy what he wants to do.

Rather than acquiesce to Rory, she suggest he try some of the things his brother likes. For instance she suggests he joins Baxter in lying under a tree and seeing what it is that fascinates him so.

Will Rory get to change his mind and discover a new world at his feat and feast for his eyes? The answer is, of course, yes he will, and the next time they venture out as a family the time is so much more fun.

So, what did we think?

Seeing things through Baxters eyes means Rory can learn to slow down and appreciate the amazing things around. Baxter has his sensory needs, but he sees and feels things others can too, if they take the time.

This gentle yet compelling story allows the Rory's of this world, and lets face it many kids and adults are this way these days, to get extra value from life. Aided by fantastic artwork that speaks as much as the words, this tale is bound to enthral and gently educate on a few levels, not least respect for others.

So, Crunch time.

We can't applaud this short but captivating tale enough. The authors artwork is perfectly suited, bright and cheery. It even makes the (older) reader slow down, think and reset. Perfect for the young reader and for shared reading at home or in the school.

And given that the festive season is almost upon us, this would make a perfect (early) present too.

And as it's time for the Sunday Selfies, here's something equal full of nature and soft and gentle – me!

Here is yours truly caught showing that I can balance with both paws off the duvet whilst napping! ;)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that adventure review, and will take time this week to slow down and explore the nature all around us that so often goes unnoticed....

Till laters!

ERin

WYRDWOOD BY CURTIS JOBLING

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 05:36:00 +0000

Written by Curtis Jobling

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, nailing some horseshoes and garlic around the house, lets get on with this fantastic and eerie tale.

AUTHOR: Curtis Jobling. Click here for their web page.

Illustrations by: Alice Cao. Click here for their web page.

Published by: Fox & Ink Books. Click here for their web page.

Publication date Paperback: 2/10/2025

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978-1916747692

UK Cover price for Paperback: £8.99

Amazon KINDLE price: £4.99

Pages: 371

Age range: 11-14 and upwards

Any dogs or cats? two dogs and something nasty in the woods

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to...

We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme Williams and Fox & Ink Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review an advance copy of this story.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and will enjoy.

The plot

The dramatic prologue sees Sam Harper, father to Kiki, our protagonist, rescue a woman from an oncoming logging lorry. In the dark, stark naked in the snow and confused, there is no way the woman we get to know as Fay, can save herself. Sam pulls her to safety, and so creates an underlying plot for the story.

Some months later, Kiki Harper, sixteen, awakens from a nightmare just as her train pulls into the sleepy and remote seaside town of Merryweather-by-the-sea. She was at school for three months on the UK mainland, and is now returning home for Christmas. She has returned early to catch the big switch-on of the Christmas lights and to surprise her family. After certain events the previous summer, all eyes are on the supposed destructive and troubled child. Troubled, but not without cause, as the recurring nightmare is of the night not that long ago when her mother was killed in a car crash that saw Kiki and her younger siblings pulled from the car submerged in the river.

Her best friend, Stefan Pimblott – a young poacher, and son of a local scrap metal merchant – doesn’t materialise to take her home, so she heads off in the snow. Along the way we readers get introduced to certain key characters, including Stefan’s elder sister, Ruby, her loutish bigot of a boyfriend Leo Pitts, aka Pitbull, and police officer Maggie O’Malley.

On arriving home, she discovers a woman, Fay, in the house. She is wearing her mother’s clothes and working away in the kitchen. Kiki is pulled up short, not knowing what to make of the situation as her father has not told her of a mother replacement in his life. Her father and younger siblings are besotted with this lady, who is nothing but polite and well intentioned. Even the townsfolk have taken to her, and it seems memories of her mother have been swept aside by some magical spell.

We get a feeling of something strange going on in the village when the schoolmistress notices how quiet and tired her class is, and also when more and more of the young children aren’t attending due to some mysterious malaise. Whatever it is, it’s putting a dampener on the entire village and Christmas; all save the Harper family and recent incomers. The children have been drawing a stick man, the Stick Man of fable, more of a tree than a man, and singing a very spooky and about him in the playground. Of course, the old schoolmistress has seen it all before, many years past. At that time, the same drawings were made and songs sung. Then something came from the woods and took one of their number away. That was the orice demanded then, and it seems now also. The past is being replayed.

When Wem Campbell, from the lighthouse, (thought to be suffering the ravages of dementia) rips the priest’s festive lights off an ancient stone cross, swearing that it‘s all wrong and they will awaken ‘HIM’, we get a real sense of the pervading menace, mystery, history, and malice that lurks in the towns past. Of course, it’s already too late. Only the surviving senior townsfolk know what really happened, and they are, for the time being at least, not telling.

Woven through this tale like a vein of rot in a potato, we have onetime criminal, poacher turned gamekeeper for the logging Blackwood family’s estate, Mick Cleaver, who lives in the Wyrdwood. He lives near the now-dilapidated old Blackwood family mansion. What he is up to isn’t known, but he doesn’t like trespassers and has made it clear he wants Stephan’s family out of his hair once and for all. This spills out along the plot in various confrontations. He isn’t afraid to kill or maim to get what he wants or to keep his secrets safe.

As the festive snow starts to gather deeply all around, so we get to see more of the stick man. And with him come the nasty things, drawing in the good and the bad, the innocent, ugly and unlucky.

To lay out more of the nuances and characters will be almost impossible, save that the threads knit together dramatically, and in their own right, to become something both grand and terrible. And I don’t mean that awful festive sweater you may have been given one year that lurks almost menacingly at the back of the wardrobe . . .

So, what did we think?

As a rule, we don’t like and review horror books. But this hooked our attention when we were offered it, and we found we could not refuse. That says a lot in my book.

It is one of those that a review can only ever scratch the surface of what transpires between the covers. And that cover is very expressive and in keeping. All credit goes to Alice Cao for her skill in bringing the tale to life that way.

You really would have to go a long way to better this tale. Come the closing chapters, we could visualise this as a Steven Spielberg movie. And we shouldn’t be surprised by that, given the author’s pedigree.

Before coming to writing books, Curtis Jobling was the designer for ‘Bob the Builder’ and worked on ‘Wallace & Gromit‘ and ‘Mars Attacks‘. He has written horror stories for some time for older audiences. His million-selling ‘Wereworld’ series of adventures has become a major new animated production called ‘Wolf King‘ on Netflix.

This adventure has a wealth of family and small-town community charm, but also highlights family and community issues. The cast has everyone from the elderly, one-time schoolteacher next door, to the young, eager priest ignorant of past ways and rites. There’s the local police officer, born and bred on the island, who has fallen in love with the new schoolteacher. The local logging company is felling the ancient wood for profit, and the Mayor’s son is a lout and bully and ripe for putting in his place – but nobody dares. Then there’s the mysterious, youthful, quiet fisherman who lives with the aged Wem in the nearby lighthouse. They all have secrets, some unknown to them.

The villain – well, the corporeal one, if you get my drift – he reminds us of Bill Sykes, complete with his dog. He really is as evil as they come, and delightfully, every inch of his bad nature has been brought to the fore.

And best of all, possibly beyond our protagonist, is Fay. A clear instigator of things at the start, but is she a key player in this story? Is she who she seems to be, and are her motives and reasons for being there as pure as they seem? Things are never simple in this tale.

From the isolated setting, trapped between the ocean and the Wyrdwoods – which creates a locked-room mystery effect – we are forced to focus in on the story and characters hemmed within. Histories, both old and recent, of place and people intrigue and frighten beyond the page and window.

We loved the way the plot unfolded. It didn’t just throw clues at you as we wanted/expected them but held back till the optimal point for the characters and story. As a result, you were never 100% certain of anyone, well, nearly everyone. The characters evolved well in our mind’s eye, and whilst some are as painted, others had hidden depths.

As for the ending, well, that was almost cinematographic and brings us squarely back to the Spielberg fan in us, but I’ll not give it away. Oh, one more thing: the epilogue is, in a comeuppance way, oh-so-sweet . . .

So, crunch time.

The story is a clever, vivid, articulate and atmospheric blend of folklore and mild horror, set in a small town steeped in secrets. As capable a story for a teen as any of the Stephen King books for adults Mrs H has read in days gone by. Yes, there are grizzly bits, but they are in keeping, well placed and not for shock value.

In fact, it complements and introduces the author’s other fantasy books for older readers. We thoroughly recommend this adventure for teenagers and up, to those who don’t mind ‘branching’ out into a little fright and a few grizzly pieces too, none of which we thought were OTT for the story.

And now for something not spooky at all, the Sunday Selfies!

Here is yours truly testing out the guest room bed. It's been a while since we had a visitor, mainly because they miss the turn off for the County of East Lambtonshire!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that adventure review, and will dip your toes into the amazing world of middle grade and teen literature. Whilst some can be quite short others, like this one, are pretty long.

What books have you all been reading, and would you recommend them to your blogging friends and the wider world?

Till laters!

ERin

Sunday Selfie 28 September 2025

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 06:46:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our 'NOT a book review' selfie. For those that don't like long posts I shall make this one as short as possible.

We are currently finishing off reading a brilliant spooky book, and hope to review it next time. It's call Wyrdwood, and is by Curtis Jobling. I wholly recommend this Teen spooky tale, which blends folk law with horror. We will get a review out to you all asap. It is published 2/10/25 (that's 2 October to our American readers), and will make a great halloween read for teens and upwards.

Here is me after a week of rainy and windy weather, and a few late night early morning outings. No mice to be seen anywhere, honest (she says, licking her lips) 😉.

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin

Another Short(ish) Sunday Selfie)

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 14 Sep 2025 05:38:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to another 'NOT a book review' selfie. For those that don't like long posts as much as we don't like short, I shall make this one as short as possible.

Here is me after a week of lots of editing, less reading and more thinking of plots for our fourth book! Do I look tired?

Yes, we are sending book three to our editor shortly, and need to think of a new plot for book four. Plenty of ideas, but whether they actually come together in the right way is another matter. Plots have a way of naturally coalescing for us. We start with a known point and end up pretty much where we want to be, but the text in between is an unknown. Planning is pretty limited, which is not everyones cup of Earl Grey, but works for us. Fine tuning is where the fun starts, as well as making notes along the way to remind us to tie off loose ends.

Anyway, watch out for book two hitting the shelves later this year, all being well.

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin

Sunday selfie

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 06:10:00 +0000

Hello, and welcome to our 'NOT a book review' selfie. For those that don't like long posts I shall make this one as short as possible.

Here is me after a week of topsy turvy weather, starting hot and now raining. Autumn has finally come. And sad as it is to see summer (but not the heat) go, nature has its path to take. Longer nights and shorter days mean more nap time too, and that has to be good.

More book reviews will happen, but not for a few weeks. Mrs H has lots to do, not least reading the books!

Do I look bored in this? And is that sunburn on my nose? Maybe it's because I've not had a holiday this year, or any years?

And if the latter is the case, I'll just head off for an extra long nap and dream of new and exotic places to go to.

©Erin the cat Princess

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. Click this sentence to visit Janet Blue's site.

Till Laters!

ERin

SMALL WONDER

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 17 Aug 2025 05:26:00 +0000

Written by ROSS MONTGOMERY

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, checking our emergency equipment bags, lets head to the land of Ellia and the wood by the coast, for what has to be a brand new classic.

©Image Copyright

AUTHOR: Ross Montgomery (Click to link to their site)

Cover Illustrated by: Keith Robinson (Click to link to their site)

Published by: Walker Books (Click to link to their site)

Publication date Paperback: 28th August 2025

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978-152 952 6127

UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99

Amazon KINDLE price: £7.21

Pages: 277

Age range: 9 - 12 and up.

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to...

We are exceedingly grateful to Rebecca Oram and Walker Books, Publishers, for offering us a chance to Read & Review this story.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.

The plot

Tick, age ten, and his younger brother, Leaf, about five, have lived with their grandpa on the farthest edge of the forest of Ellia, right by the sea.

Tick recalls the stormy night when someone brought a baby to his grandfather’s cottage. The baby soon became known as Leaf, and the three had lived happily for years, right until grandfather died. Now Tick has to be the man of the cottage. They were out collecting wood before the snows came, when Tick spotted the black sails of the Drene warships massed across the horizon. The war-hungry, bloodthirsty emperor of the Drene is invading. Tick had been warned that this day might come, and knows they must now flee to the Ellian stronghold called King’s Keep. Set far inland, it is an impregnable fortress at the end of a valley. Ideal for defending, and for holding out against a siege.

Winter is coming, and Tick knows that in such an emergency he has only six moons to get there before they raise the drawbridge. With snow already forming inland and around the mountain pass to the the Keep, they need to travel quickly. Their grandfathers horse is called Pebble a mighty sixteen hand dapple grey mare. And even though she is almost twenty she has the stamina and fight of a far younger horse, will carry both boys and he will be their salvation. They need to get supplies from their home before the flee. Dashing back to the cabin, Tick discovers there is someone there, a man dressed all in black. He is advance guard for the Drene army who can clear the way of locals; despatching them in the night as they sleep. They are called Hunters, ride a black horse, and use big hawks to hunt as well as carry messages.

With no way of getting the provisions and equipment they need for the journey, Tick steals from the Hunter’s saddlebag. In his hurry to search the bag for anything useful, he stuffs some of the mans papers from the bag into his pocket.

But when the Hunter returns, they flee the scene and head for the hills and safety.

This is where the adventure snowballs. Along his path, guided by Pebble, who is both mount and guide and nanny, the boys will encounter bandits, knights with unknown loyalty, strangers who may or may not be what they seem, and increasingly threatening weather.

It soon becomes a life or death chase when the hunter and his black hawk come after them. But surely nothing Tick took could be worth the pursuit? Checking the pieces of paper he took, he realises they contain precious information that will affect King Cass, the ruler of Ellia, as well as the safety of all in the Keep.

Has Tick bitten off more than he can handle? Will the snow or the hunter get to them before they make King’s Keep, and will they be welcomed at the Keep when they arrive? Can he keep young Leaf alive and well through the ordeal and cold that awaits? Whatever happens now, with thousands of Drene warriors behind them, there is NO turning back.

So, what did we think?

Mrs H read The Lord of the Rings many (many) moons ago, under the covers and late into the night. She also read T. H. White’s Arthurian saga. Again at a very young age. He wrote The Sword in the Stone (1938), and later, The Once and Future King series (1958). I think this is why this adventure resonates with Mrs H so much.

In those days, she says there were few good books for children; you jumped from Janet and John early learning books to Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven (or the Famous Five) and then on to adult books. Or that is how it seemed in retrospect.

What a joy it is to read and review so many brilliantly creative, compelling and well-executed reads. This adventure hits the mark in every way. The author says he set out to create a story that was not overly complicated, had knights and an evil army intent on overthrowing good. And a horse that would fight to the bitter end to protect him and his brother. Apparently, the horse role was going to be taken by an enormous dog. Frankly, the story works brilliantly with a horse. As a horse lady herself, Mrs H would have loved a steed such as Pebble. Our own steed would balk at such a task as Tick had set for them all. But this is a fantasy adventure, and the ups, downs, joys and sadness work well.

The author has achieved all that they set out to do and more, and created the perfect contender for an instant classic. One that Mrs H and I would dearly have loved to have growing up.

The author wrote Tick in the very best way. Being ten years old means that his innocence feels genuine. His desire to do good, to care, to put others first, and above all to fulfil his now dead grandfather’s wish that he look after his five-year-old brother, all feel so very tangible and unforced by the writer.

It very much feels like it is Tick’s story that drives the tale rather than a plot formula. There is a difference in our eyes, and we feel this raises this tale to classic status. Some lovely twists also caught us off guard when they were revealed at the end.

And if all that is not enough, we fell in love with the artwork on the cover. It is so captivating, powerful and expressive. It certainly is memorable.

So, crunch time.

An Arthurian and Tolkienesque epic masterpiece of middle-grade adventure. A distillation of everything a young reader could wish for in a form that carries you faultlessly through an emotional range to the climatic and even heartwarming conclusion. An avalanche of creativity, fantasy, action and adventure that is huge fun to read.

Why, oh why were such books not there in our youth? But they are here now, and this one is a cracker. AND, it has a map!

***

Before we get on with the selfies, we just wanted to announce that our first adventure book, 'Chumley and Hudson Investigates. The King Herod's Mystery', is now available for Kindle users and Kindle Unlimited users almost everywhere!

***

And now for something completely different . . .

Here is yours truly desperately trying to hold back the dawn Mrs H let in one day last week. I just wasn't at all ready, even thought it was past 7am and Mrs H had been up since 4:30 and done her morning chores.

What books have you all been reading, and would you recommend them to your blogging friends and the wider world?

Till laters!

ERin

MAISIE vs THE HIMALAYAS

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 03 Aug 2025 05:44:00 +0000

Written by Jack Jackman

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week an Amazing Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, sorting out her crampons, pitons, ropes, and most importantly, my emergency rations, let's hit the high road and see what mischief and near disaster Maisie gets into when she takes on the Himalayas!

AUTHOR: Jack Jackman (Click to link to his INSTAGRAM site)

Illustrations by: Marco Guadalupi (Click to link to his INSTAGRAM site)

Published by: NOSY CROW (Click to link to their site)

Publication date Paperback: 14 August 2025

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978 180 513 1366

UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99

Amazon KINDLE price: £6.17

Amazon Pre-order price: £6.49

Pages: 240

Age range: 9 +

SPOILER ALERT

Yes, some as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to...

We are exceedingly grateful to Nosy Crow Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review this story.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about. And that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.

The plot

The story opens with Maisie and her father, George, about to explore a cave in the coastline that is usually inaccessible, save at low tide. The water is only knee-deep, and her dad's cooking is a riskier proposition she feels. But her dad, being who he is, heads off to get some rope to link them together as an extra security measure. He instructs Maisie to stay where she is. But being who she is, and paying scant regard for her dad's many and seemingly bizarre rules, Maisie tries to jump from rock to rock and make the short distance into the cave mouth. Of course, the rocks are slippy with seaweed and such like and she slips, and is dragged under and out to sea by a sudden wave.

In a last-ditch attempt to save herself, she stops time and thus the water. But she is neither strong nor skilled enough, and her fate is sealed. That is until her dad steps in and hauls her out and to safety.

George's researching his new book, 'How to Find Buried Treasure'. An expedition in Bhutan has just made a discovery in a cave, so he is heading off to the Himalayas. The mention of treasure piques Maisie's interest. Not least because she thinks it will be great research for the pirate ghost adventure book she wants to write, featuring a pirate called Nyteshade. Alas, this is no pirate treasure, no pieces of eight. It is actually an archaeological discovery.

She manages to get her father to take her with him on the brief trip. But little do they know the trouble that awaits them at the site of the discovery.

When they arrive at the site, they are met by Tashi, a Tibetan guide. Next, they meet the person who has sponsored the research and invited Maisie's dad to visit, Mrs Oszynska. But she turns out to be someone else, Renata Kowalska. She was once a friend of Maisie's now-dead mum. Her presence, as well as the deception, does not please George one bit. He'd rather fly home and go elsewhere to do his research than remain with Renata.

Despite the obvious dislike for each other, something Maisie can't understand, the adventure continues. Donning hard hats and harnesses, and clipping on climbing aids called 'jumars' they hook onto a steel wire. They start to climb down a metal ladder bolted to the rock face that descends scarily deep into the Himalayas and a secret cave.

It is in fact a series of caves which hold the key to what lies ahead, both betrayal and revelations. Not forgetting the action, peril, and heart-stopping moments and personal discovery.

So, what did we think?

After the brilliance of Maisie's first outing in Maisie vs Antarctica (see our review HERE), we had very high hopes. Suffice it to say, the presence of this review is a testament to these having been satisfied and exceeded.

As with the first adventure, there is a real sense of the precipitous location, the weather and people. There is also the same delightful humour and rapport, and Maisie's irrepressible imagination. I think most adults reading this will enjoy the wit as much as the action.

The plot ably combines the time-stoping skills Maisie discovers that she and her dad possess, with the discovery of yet more skills, and not just for herself.

Pleasingly, and somewhat unexpectedly, we get to find out more about Maisie's mum, and her relationship to not only her father but also the antagonist in this story. But this new detail is brought slowly into the plot and adds a delightful edge by the end. It also creates interesting and exciting new possible directions for future books. It also adds to the literary magic rather than weighing it down.

I am so pleased the cover style/design, unique so far as I recall, has been maintained.

A big thank you to Jack Jackman for adding the two snow leopards on the cover and in the story. They are distant relatives who are but two of the wonderful creatures found in the Himalayas.

The cover's new colours and images are captivating and dynamic. They certainly made us want to buy this, and it always catches the eye as I wander by. After finishing this adventure found ourselves wondering where Mr Jackman, Maisie and her dad will end up next, and wagering an extra meal what images would be on the cover. Time will tell on that I'm sure.

So, Crunch time.

Sheer breath-taking, cliff-hanging, flying over a chasm by the seat-of-your-pants kind of adventure that will take your breath away.

A tale that not surprisingly given the start, had us racing at breakneck speed to the conclusion. I can see the same kind of magic, effervescence and originality in this series as Thomas Taylor created in the Eerie on Sea adventures.

A blast of Himalayan fresh air that is an absolute must-read.

And now for something completely different . . .

I hope you enjoyed that adventure, and our whiter than white chest hairs. I vehemently and most strenuously deny that the white and majesty of those hairs is down to my deliberately over exposing myself, as Mrs H was inferring. I'm just naturally sheeny.

What books have you all been reading, and would you recommend them to your blogging friends and the wider world?

Till laters!

ERin

MAISIE vs ANTARCTICA

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 08:05:00 +0000

Written by JACK JACKMAN

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my latest Read & Review, featuring this week a chilling Antarctic adventure in Middle-Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, standing poised beside a team of huskies and sledge with a tube of seal repellant in hand, let's shout MUSH and launch off into first-in-series review of a blindingly brilliant adventure . . .

AUTHOR: Jack Jackman

Illustrations by: Marco Guadalupi

Published by: Nosy Crow

Publication date Paperback: 10 October 2024

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978-1805131359

UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99

Amazon KINDLE price: £6.98

Pages: 256

Age range: 8-12 and upwards

Any dogs or cats? No, a few other beasties from the Antarctic waste and waters.

SPOILER ALERT

Yes, as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to...

We are exceedingly grateful to Hannah Prutton, Nosy Crow Publishers, and Net Galley for offering us this fantastic adventure for our Read & Review.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.

The plot

BANG! That's how we are thrown into Maisie's adventure, and for three stunning, breath-freezing pages, Maisie recounts her plight. How the Spanish-speaking pilot, Guillermo, is slumped over and her boring jigsaw-loving father, who has never piloted a plane, even though he has written a book on How to Crash Land a Plane, is fighting at the controls of a light aircraft as it plunges to certain death and disaster.

Then, as things change from blue to white, Maisie then takes us back to how she finds herself in this plight. It is ultimately all down to a babysitter's son choosing to flood his home, building a moat for his Lego castle. It is the Christmas holidays, and her dad is off to do research on how to survive in the Antarctic. A quick in and out, staying a day between. His other books work along the lines of How to Build a Zip Wire, How to Wrestle a Crocodile and How to Defuse a Bomb. None of which he has ever done or had the time to do, what with looking after Maisie on his own after his wife died.

But, the upshot is that rather than not go, Maisie sees a chance to have a small adventure to make her Christmas holiday break for once sound fabulous rather than dull when she recounts it to class come term time. Little does she know what awaits, and that's excluding the plane crash.

When we rejoin after this little foray back in time, Maisie finds herself alive and on the ice. Guillermo is alive and wounded, but her father is OK. Of the plane, there is no sign, but her father says it is further along the ice.

It soon becomes clear that nobody will be coming for them as their flight is illegal. They shouldn't have been flying to Antarctica and had filed a flight plan to somewhere else. Additionally, Guillermo's battered plane doesn't have a working radio.

Pretty soon, after some help and chewing things over, Maisie and her dad set to making an igloo. A much better one than those semi-built igloos Maisie finds out on the ice. But where did they come from if nobody lives there? They drag the pilot under cover, and in doing so, Maisie notes that they leave trails in the snowy ice. Yet, there are no trails from when her father dragged the pilot to safety from the plane.

They have priorities, and having built a shelter and retrieved a stove from his rucksack, the next is food. Now, this is where some fun info about penguins comes in as father and daughter head off to find some fish. And where there are penguins, you'll find fish. But where you find penguins near the edge of an ice flow, you'll also find peril that will eat a small, overly-hasty girl, no matter the time of day.

The beast is as surprised by missing his target as Maisie is at still being alive and not in its jaws when the former and the latter face each other on the ice flow with a healthy distance between them. Has she just been teleported? It seems like she has, and maybe it isn't the first time, either. Could it be that they all survived the plane crash because none of them were on the plane when it did crash? Is her father an actual superhero with teleport skills?

It is a suggestion that her level-headed (dull) father says isn't possible. But as they say in the state of Denmark, something is very fishy indeed. And Maisie is determined to find out what it is.

When Guillermo is awake, he lends Maisie his much food-stained map. It is on this they discover Antarctica isn't as uninhabited as they thought. Right about a cigarette burn through the map is a British scientific research base. It's thirty kilometres away, too far to walk in a day, especially in cold weather and icy winds.

Which is when Maisie's dad heads off to use the plane's radio. But after he has gone out, Guillermo says he'll have a hard time fixing it as he left the radio in the aerodrome!

What happens next is, well, surprising. Chasing after her dad, Maisie ultimately finds him asleep on the ice, his head on a snow pillow. His clothes are in tatters, and he is injured. What has happened to him? And more's the point, when asked if he got the radio working, the one that wasn't there, he says it didn't work properly so he left a message instead! Could he be delusional, or has the mystery just dialled up a notch?

Which is where Mrs H has plucked the metaphoric pen from my paws and insisted I stop the review. Suffice it to say, at less than halfway through this adventure, and having not revealed everything that has happened up to this point, I have most definitely left the best to last.

So, what did we think? SPOILERS

Talk about starting the book with a bang. This one literally threw us head-first into a nosedive plane crash in the Antarctic, and the adrenaline created fuelled us to the end. Such clever writing. We loved how so very neatly, after the shock of the first three pages, we rewound and brought ourselves up to speed in the preceding few days, not that speed was lacking anywhere.

I thought we had the plot and outcome pegged, but we were both totally wrong. To tell you exactly what is going on, the actual driver behind actions and incidents will ruin the book. Despite being considered by some a not-too-bright child with her head in fantasy land, Maisie is clued up and observant. Alas, this isn't matched with either being able to keep a secret or necessarily think things through.

But that's exactly what brings this book alive without being cliched. Coupled with some really cool facts about the Antarctic, first-hand experience with some of the inhabitants, and most delightful characters, such as their one-time pilot, we have an excellent, fast-paced adventure that would make Clive Cussler proud. In fact, I'd peg him as having written this had it been an anonymous work.

So . . . .

Crunch time.

"A barnstorming, rollercoaster adventure filled with wry humour, thrills, spills, peril and mystery. One hell of a ride, and I just couldn't stop till the end, and left wanting more."

Want to buy a copy?

To get a copy, dodging crevasses, toothy-grinned sea beasts, and slightly shady Spanish-speaking pilots, head to your local book stockist. Or why not try their online ordering service.

Jack Jackman's author web page can be found HERE or type this: https://nosycrow.com/contributor/jack-jackman/

Marco Guadalupi's Instagram account page can be found HERE or type https://www.instagram.com/marcoguadalupi85/

Nosy Crow's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://nosycrow.com/

And now for my Sunday Selfie . . . .

Here is me taking a snooze having finished the review of book two in this series. Tune in in a fortnight to read all about MAISIE vs the HIMALAYAS.

I hope you enjoyed that adventure.

Till laters!

ERin

GARGOYLES: Guardians of the Source

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 06 Jul 2025 05:21:00 +0000

Written by Tamsin Mori

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week an amazing adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, busy checking for dangerous ornamental masonry on the roof, lets get this book review on the the road to Gargoyle's Rest . . .

AUTHOR: Tamsin Mori (Click to link to their site.)

Illustrations by: David Dean (Click to link to their site.)

Published by: Fox & Ink Books (formerly UCLan Publishing) (Click to link to their site.)

Publication date Paperback: 4 April 2024

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978 - 191 5235 909

UK Cover price for Paperback: £8.99

Amazon KINDLE price: £7.85

Pages: 303

Age range: 9 - 12 and upwards

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to...

We are exceedingly grateful to publicist Graeme Williams, and UCLan Publishing for offering us a chance to Read & Review this story.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.

The plot

After the death of his grandmother on his father’s side, Callan and his parents move to his grans house, Gargoyle's Rest, a rambling and seemingly decrepit mansion which sports large gargoyles around the roof, and a ‘no-go’ room that is unsafe. When he gets a look into the room he sees a hole in the floor. Stranger though is the fact the hole is surrounded by large stone gargoyles, the same as those around the roof.

The grounds are expansive, overgrown, and full of intrigue for 11-year-old Callan who has been forced to leave all his friends behind. He discovers a girl, Yasmin, wandering, trespassing through the woods.

Whilst they do not initially bond, Callan has an opportunity to make a friend and to explore. Yasmin lives with her family and younger, incorrigible, slightly annoying brother, Raf, in one of the estate cottages beyond the grounds and that Callan’s family now own. Her neighbours include Angus, who clearly is self-assured and clever, and has nothing to prove. He irks Callan who feels the need to compete and prove himself, more so when he discovers the special skills Angus Yasmin and Raf have and the creatures they can communicate with and, to a degree, control.

Callan’s new bedroom is rather spooky, with a huge stone gargoyle outside the window. On exploring the other floors and rooms, he discovers a bedroom. Within he finds someone’s diary. Taking it, he is intent on reading more about this person, and rather intriguingly, their role in what they describe as being a Guardian of the Source. The Source he will discover is a well that, whatever goes in comes out magnified – good or bad. The Guardians who through generations have protected the Source, have the power to awaken the great gargoyles that surround the house.

Once awoken they become the fearsome fur, feather, scale, flesh and breathing creatures they formerly depicted. In fact, the Guardians are expected to bond with a gargoyle. Think Avatar and choosing your own ‘Ikran’ or ‘Mountain Banshee’.

Seeing this as a great opportunity to prove himself, and get one over on Angus, Callan tries to awaken and befriend his own gargoyle, that outside his window, but only manages to invite a deadly ghast into his bedroom. Not a great start. Only a trained Guardian has the right to summon a gargoyle.

Behind the scenes, Callan’s dad, is struggling with the house. An old friend and structural engineer says the place is unsound and that he should sell up and move his family out before it falls down.

As things worsen with the house, and a family secret related to the diary, so Callan and his dad come to blows and drift apart. Something else is also happening, the catalyst for the events and ill feelings. The well that contains the source is being awoken, and what was previously held within, an evil force, is starting to assert its power. And when it does, it will unleash disaster and ghasts on the world. But knowing that what goes into the well is magnified, who or what is feeding it evil?

Callan has challenges ahead of him, not just navigating friendships, his father and the hidden secret of the diary’s owner. Having started off wanting his own gargoyle friend to impress Yasmin and Angus, he very soon realises that he needs to be a guardian proper to not only save the house but his family and the good magic in the well, the source, that is being usurped by the evil.

The problem is Zariel, the gargoyle outside his window, is far from willing to be befriended, or impressed with Callan, and considers far too young and grossly undertrained to be a guardian.

Time is running out, and only a Gargoyle and Guardian as a pair can fight the looming threat that is growing in the shadows.

So, what did we think?

We have lived in a large, old creaking house, with rambling wild garden and a stream running through. I often dreamed that there was far more lurking within and without than just stray mice and creepy crawlies in the damp vegetation and the river's sometimes placid sometimes fast waters. Sadly we had no gargoyles, only long since dead and stuffed jewel eyed creatures, and let me assure you that they are scary enough. But if we'd had gargoyles I bet they would have talked and been just like those in this adventure. This is exactly the kind of fun I would love to have had, but likely would have not been as brave as Callan.

What I love is that the journey Callan goes on involves his parents, particularly his dad. We get a real sense of the angst of friendship building for the kids, and a real dilemma for the parents as key elements of their lives, past and present, create problems tensions for them all, amplified by the evil that seeps into the house.

The story eases us gently into characters, location and situation, steadily enough to allow for the ensuing series to have fresh reveals along the way. There is plenty of action once we start uncovering the secrets of the mansion and the family past and present. The plot is original, and we can recall only one other gargoyle in a middle grade book series, though they weren't as central to the story as Zariel is. More grumpy gargoyles more often I say!

There is an admirable mix of the fantasy elements and human interaction without the reader feeling lost or overwhelmed by a new new world. How this changes with the new book remains to be seen. I have every confidence that the head of steam built up will continue to delight and draw younger readers in.

Finally but not least, is the cover. It is colourful and shiny, and so very ably brings together every part of the adventure, characters and place and shows them off to best catch the eye. It did us, and I am so glad we chose it for review.

So, Crunch time.

A well-crafted, atmospheric blend of fantasy, magic and adventure, with a healthy dose of spooky and dark to bring a big book feel. The delightful and compelling scene setting leads to a pacy and satisfying grand finale. Which in turn heralds another, soon to be released adventure for Callan and his new friends, humans and Gargoyles alike.

And now for my Sunday Selfie . . . .

Was the cat outside looking at me, or the cat food Mrs H brought from Amazon? One thing for sure is that all the cats in this neck of the woods like the pate and biscuits Amazon sell. A good pricec and quality. Have any of you tried it also?

I hope you enjoyed that adventure.

Till laters!

ERin

NETTA BECKER AND THE TIMELINE CRIME

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 22 Jun 2025 04:11:00 +0000

Written by Jennifer Claesssen

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week an Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and as my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, always says, "Time stands nor sits for no man, so the wise plan and fill their days with work, rest and play."

This week's review maybe turns that adage a little on its head, as our lead character goes travelling in time. So without further ado, lets drift on over to baking hot Crete, then and now . . .

AUTHOR: Jennifer Claessen (Clickable link)

Illustrations by: Heidi Cannon (Clickable link; also on X as @HeidiOliviaArt)

Published by: UCLan Publishing (Clickable link)

Publication date Paperback: 25 June 2025

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978 191 6747 593

UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99

Amazon KINDLE price: £3.99

Pages: 240

Age range: 9 - 12

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to plot direction and characters.

Thank you to...

We are exceedingly grateful to Graeme Williams Publicity and UCLan Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review this story.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.

The plot

Netta Becker is eleven, a brilliant swimmer and, much to her annoyance, on holiday with her younger, book-mad brother, Remy. It was his turn to pick where the family went for their holidays, and as he loves Cretan history, he chose Crete and a cheap villa holiday near King Minos's palace. Not the cool sort of place Netta wants to go to, not cool in any sense of the word. She is missing a big swimming gala back home and can't even go for a swim at the villa as the pool has green algae and cracked tiles.

But soon after arriving at their somewhat rickety resort, she starts seeing people. Not just the other families staying there, but people from a past age, adults and children.

Very soon her visions take more serious form by way of her zoning out and having dreams far realer than they ought to be. In fact, she is being dragged back four thousand years to the palace of King Minos. Here she, on each visit, sees and hears different people and events. One time she is seen by Princess Ariadne, Ari for short. Ari thinks she is a spirit, a 'tricksy muse,' come at her behest.

As events move on, Netta, much to her brothers upset, gets to see more than just the ancient ruins of modern Crete. She is seeing the buildings and people in their prime. It is soon clear that she has arrived just before the unveiling of King Minos's fabled labyrinth. There are festivities, offerings, and a white bull is to be sacrificed to the labyrinth to appease what lies within. Ari and Netta, who are about the same age, bond and talk about how history records what happens to Ari. Netta gets to see around the palace and learns of the children to also be sacrificed to the labyrinth.

This galvanises her into action, and with Ari she plans to free the children and help them escape Crete. Minos has decreed none may leave the island, so things will be difficult, possibly fatal if Netta and the children are caught in the attempt. Maybe this is why Netta is being drawn back in time? Certainly, whatever is pulling her back is getting stronger, and each time she is drawn back she ends up spending long and longer in Crete and less in the villa. Back in the here and now, Remy acts to not only try to advise Netta of historical facts and outcomes, but to fend off enquiries as to why Netta is absent. But even he is getting worried by what the increasingly prolonged absences are doing to Netta’s body.

When Netta starts to gain a corporeal form in ancient Crete, the race is on to save the children and to hopefully put a stop to what is drawing her there. There is also the pressing matter of getting her back into her own body and time before she is stuck in the past.

So, what did we think?

Growing up I was enthralled by the movies that featured characters from Greek mythology. But I was less enthralled when it came to reading dry textbooks on the matter.

This story deftly brings together old Cretan and Greek mythology with the modern world by allowing our protagonist to pass back and forwards in time. More accurately we find that she is being drawn back and forth in time by compelling forces: something in ancient Crete and her brother and family life in the present. So unlike the TV series Quantum Leap, we find ourselves with two stories that are set to converge rather dramatically.

The action is compelling and doesn't rely on high tech gadgetry. The peril is tangible and grows as the pace escalates and had us turning the pages as quickly as Netta jumps to and fro.

The ending, which I shall not spoil, was awesome. I did not see it coming.

So, Crunch time.

Very impressive creative story telling with a delightful twist that breathes new life and enjoyment into the core and gaps in mythology, by combining past and present. I found this engaging, thrilling and very hard to put down, and much like Netta, we were sucked in and happily, avidly insisted on stayed till the very last page.

And now for my Sunday Selfie . . . .

Here is little me just giving last minute instructions for my tea to Mrs H. With the air con on over this particular bed in the guest room, it has been the perfect place to be during our heatwave.

I hope you enjoyed that adventure.

Till laters!

ERin

PIRATE ACADEMY. SWORD ECHOES

noreply@blogger.com (Erin the Cat Princess) — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 04:30:00 +0000

Written by Justin Somper

Hello, and welcome to my latest Book Review featuring this week a Adventure in Middle Grade Fiction.

Without further ado, and with my trusty housekeeper, Mrs H, casting off what looks like her knitting rather than the bow and stern ropes – though her cable knit sweater has been known to look similar, let's set sail on another awesome adventure….

AUTHOR: Justin Somper

Illustrations by: TEO SKAFFA

Published by: UCLan Publishing

Publication date Paperback: 30 May 2025 – OUT NOW!

Paperback 13 digit ISBN: 978-1916 747 579

UK Cover price for Paperback: £7.99

Amazon KINDLE price: 3.99

Pages: 293

Age range: 8+

SPOILER ALERT

Yes, as to books 1 & 2 and some as to plot direction and characters in book 3.

Thank you to...

We are exceedingly grateful to publicist, Graeme Williams, and UCLan Publishers for offering us a chance to Read & Review this story.

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, received as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review.

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy.

The plot

Book three of this future set ocean-going adventure finds our three heroes each set sail on a separate course. Jacoby is still at the pirate academy, and is horrified, along with fellow Barracuda Class members, when one of their favourite teachers defects to the League of True Pirates aka LoTP. They are intent on bringing back the old ways with a thirst for adventure and violence, and it stuns the kids to the core, leaving them wondering who amongst the teachers will be next to defect. Worse, when Jacoby finds a document file in the cabin of the defected teacher, he fears Ocean, Jasmine’s friend at the academy, will be targeted by LoTP to defect and thus under suspicion and untrustworthy.

Meantime, Neo Splice is on a mission with Captain December Wilde and her pet boar, Pickle. He is following a trail left by his late mother and hopes it will lead to an amazing treasure. Where it does lead eventually is to another pirate academy. In the wall safe of the headmaster Neo finds his mother’s gift to him, a falcata sword. But not just any sword as Neo later finds out when he returns home. This is the Sword of Echoes, and he is a Sword Reader. The sword holds memories of his family and allows Neo to see these echoes, memories of his family line. But the reason he can see them is that he has the power to do so. It is a very rare gift. The memories reveal Neo as the one his family has been waiting for. The power to change the tide of events unfolding around about him. How and when, he has yet to discover. But as the sword is one of three that belonged to his kin, there is a lot more adventure in the pipeline. And he is ready to wield his sword and new talent to find out. But the reader will glean others are interested in the sword, too!

Jasmine has a map, and this one leads to a different sort of treasure. Given by a fellow student who supposedly defected to LoTP but actually is under cover, it will lead Jasmine to the location of her father who she desperately wishes to see again. What Jasmine discovers is that he is undercover for the Pirate Federation to discover LoTP’s plans. The latest plan is called Operation Kraken, and involves amazing new and deadly pirate ships. Jasmine’s mother however remains a high ranking and dedicated LoTP follower and will stop at nothing to overthrow the Federation.

Jacoby and Jasmine go off on a reconnaissance mission at the LoTP boat building yard where the new pirate ships are being built and the first is just about to be launched. With them is a teacher and Cheng Li, a senior student. But things go badly off course, and all thanks to Jacoby whose cocky attitude ends up getting Cheng and himself signed up as members of LoTP!
Complications aplenty ensue as the Pirate Federation launches a deadly bombardment of the ship and yard. As to the outcome, which is far from what even we expected, you will just have to set sail with the Pirate Academy.

So, what did we think?

Pirating for the future age, with academies for the kids of the world’s most famous and notorious pirating families. In some school adventures we have clear definitions as to who is good and bad from the outset, Harry Potter is the obvious example. Here though the author has let the tale and circumstances create and also change the divisions and loyalties as we read along with our three primary protagonists, Jasmine, Jacoby, and Neo.

Initially in the series the characters are competing with their classmates to show who is best, to find their place and to show them, and us, their strengths, and weaknesses. But quickly this changes, and as outside influences from the adult world of pirate politics comes into play so the lives of all the students at the school change.

It is a smart move, provides realism, and creates an amazing seat of the pants ride through stormy waters of life, relationships, choices, and priorities. None of which are easy for any eleven-year-old.

This adventure series has been building from the off. Books one and two brought together our cast and then sowed the seeds for tearing them apart by the end of book two. In book three, we see each of the three find something they have sought, be it family, memories, belonging and truth. But it doesn’t stop there and brings fresh challenges also. They have, as all kids must, found within themselves greater confidence. In some cases, they are also discovering to not be overly confident, to temper wild enthusiasm and arrogance. That is a big ask for Jacoby.

The sea can be tempestuous, deadly, and yet also calm. This is mirrored brilliantly in the ever-changing imperatives and foundations of the protagonist’s lives. We see very real adult peril for them as a storm of change starts to rip apart not only their world at pirate school but also their friends and family. The current order is being challenged by the old, and arguably more dangerous and deadly bad side of pirates. A side that had in the story been long since banished when the Pirate Federation had been created by the major pirate families across the globe.

LoTP provides the perfect baddie vibe. The big dangerous organisation that contains both good, those fighting it from within and without, and the bad, those bent on the power and treasure it promises.

It would be easy for this to become a heavy read, and in fact most adults will see many parallels through human history past and present. But it is far from weighed down by this. It is a hearty kids adventure, with growing hints of magic, as well as more than a little but well-placed humour along the way. I can’t help but think of this as Mission Impossible meets Pirates of the Caribbean, done kids style.

By the end of book three we were rooting for all our team as they tackle both personal and far wider matters. But this isn’t the end of the adventure, far from it. The author has left the characters poised to remain, for the time being at least, on their own distinct paths of growing up and discovery. Which means to us that there will be a meeting of the way sometime soon with an explosive ending. At least that is what we are hoping for.

So . . . . Crunch time.

An excellent, entertaining, inclusive, swashbuckling adventure that even adults can be excused for joining in with. The perfect series read, or stand-alone read thanks to the marvellous summary of the adventure thus far.

Want to buy a copy?

To get a copy, please sail or saunter down to your local independent bookshop. No particular dress code is needed, but please do remember to leave cutlasses and boars at home!

Justin Somper's Vampirates web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.vampirates.co.uk/captain-somper/justin-somper/

UCLan Publishing's web page can be found HERE or type this: https://uclanpublishing.com/

Teo Skaffa's author page web page can be found HERE or type this: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Teo-Skaffa/179183401

For those that just want a selfie on a Sunday, here's one of me posing in a bit of a crater. Let me assure you that this was neither left by Me or Mrs H. Ol' Ned the gardener had been in for a cup of tea and sat here and his weight caused a lasting impression. It was however rather warm, and thankfully compost free, so I jumped up to settle down for a new nap.

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue, from the Cat on My Head blog in America. CLICK THIS LINK to vist their site and to get the code to add to your own blog . . .

I hope you enjoyed that adventure.

Till laters!

ERin