Tag: #Quest

Kittiwake Stormhaven and the Pirate’s Portolano by Victoria Williamson

On By @f33lthesunIn Y4+1 Comment

Blurb

A daring mission, a sister turned pirate and a sea full of secrets…

In a world of water where land is a legend, 11-year-old Kittiwake Stormhaven dreams of adventure aboard the Amazon Princess. When a vital mission takes the ship into dangerous waters, Kittiwake discovers shocking news – her long-lost sister, Petrel, is now a feared pirate queen.

Kittiwake must outsmart pirates, outmanoeuvre storms and face ghostly captains to save her ship, her mischievous monkey Caboodle and her friends. But in a high-stakes showdown, family loyalty collides with survival, and Kittiwake learns the ocean hides more secrets than she ever imagined.

Kittiwake Stormhaven is a fast-paced, sea-swept adventure filled with daring rescues, thrilling discoveries and the magic of friendship.

Review

I always look forward to reading a story by Victoria Williamson and this one is no exception. It is a fast paced action adventure on the high seas, with pirates, stowaways, a naughty pet monkey and a quest to find fuel before the ships all sink.

Kittiwake and her stowaway friend, Scally, have to look out for each other as they break the rules several times to try to discover what happened to her sister. Is she really a dreadful pirate now? Or did she disappear never to be seen again? Which story, if any, is real?

As the truth emerges, Kit, also aided and abetted by her pet monkey Caboodle, is caught between loyalty to her mother, the ship’s captain, and finding out about her sister. On the adventurous journey she meets pirates, a scary monster that attacks the ship, hears rumours about her father (who also disappeared) and makes a deal with a pirate that she is not sure will come off.

The cast of characters is wide ranging. My favourite is the Doctor. You are never quite sure if he is serious or sarcastic about all the exotic sounding diseases he thinks everyone who comes to see him is suffering from.

In between each chapter of the story is an excerpt from The Pirate’s Portolano, a book detailing information useful to pirates, from maps and drawings, to key information about the strengths and weaknesses of ships, smuggling routes and sea creatures to avoid.

This is a brilliant adventure story for Year 4 up, with themes of friendship, families, secrets and survival. I will also admit it took me too long for the names Kittiwake (Kit to her friends and family) and Caboodle to click. They really are the whole thing.

The cover and inside illustrations by James Brown are superb.

Thank you to the author, the publisher Tiny Tree and @The_WriteReads for a copy of the book (and the fabulous gifts it came with) to read and review for this blog tour.

About the book

Genre: Adventure

Age Category: Middle Grade

Publisher: Tiny Tree Books

Number of Pages: 176 Pages

Publication Date: October 23, 2025

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/238744341-kittiwake-stormhaven-and-the-pirate-s-portolano 

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/ca5e59cb-f36d-43bd-8f07-953adcf0b2fd 

Amazon: https://a.co/d/5yuErMp (Canada) https://a.co/d/bhdaIxp (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/hl3XQ8H (UK)

The Tortured Kingdom by Bryan Asher

On By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

After a comet strikes the continent of Yohme, it’s left in shambles. Nations lay in rubble, magic has been corrupted, and a plague has turned most of the inhabitants into flesh-eating, undead, ghouls.

Traveling this apocalyptic landscape is Evan, a bounty hunter taking missions to survive. However, his latest quest to capture a thief leads to more than he bargained for. After uncovering an ancient map, he forms a party to hunt the sacred treasure inside the most formidable dungeon.

Once inside, they’ll have to overcome the trials of a god to reach it, and they’re not the only ones searching.

Review

I was intrigued by the blurb. Who doesn’t love a dungeon quest involving broken magic, undead ghouls and a group of characters forced to bond in pursuit of a sacred relic?

The world building and characterisation is superb, the fast pace sustained throughout. The author has successfully brought together a mixture of dungeons and dragons, mythical gods and creatures, magical artefacts, a dangerous quest and brought them to life on the page.

As the group make their way through the dangerous trials in the dungeon, strong themes of friendship, trust, working together as one, knowing yourself and those around you, making choices for self or group, as well as making the best of each individual’s strengths, the quest culminates in a big decision for Evan, the unlikely leader of the group. No spoilers here though.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will look out for more of the author’s work.

Thanks to @The_WriteReads for a physical copy of the book to read and review for this blog tour. Please look out for other reviews over the coming days.

About the book

Genre: Fantasy

Age Category: Adult

Illustrators: Batsky Starman and Arief Rachmad

Number of Pages: 276 Pages

Publication Date: January 31, 2025

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/224887878-the-tortured-kingdom 

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/4f4f8d6b-a6ee-4966-b5e7-c97c7aa08c17 

Amazon: https://a.co/d/6u8sRgO (Canada) https://a.co/d/2yVjYj2 (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/iIViVDS (UK)

Buddy the Knight and The Queen of Sorrow by Peter David

On By @f33lthesunIn Children KS2Leave a comment

Blurb

Buddy is no ordinary teddy bear.

He’s a Knight, crafted by The Nameless Wizard himself, and sworn to protect his Person, 10-year old Mieya, from all the Things-That-Go-Bump-In-The-Night.

When Mieya is cursed into a magical sleep, it’s up to Buddy and his friends Esteban the Bard, Sasha the Warrior-Princess, and Copper the Butterfly to journey across The Realm-Under-The-Bed and find the one responsible.

But this is no ordinary Quest. The Realm is a dangerous place, filled with jungles, deserts, lightning storms, and Monsters. But worst of all is The Queen of Sorrow who waits for them in her dark castle in the crags. To break her curse, Buddy will need more than his skill with a blade, Esteban’s witty songs, or Sasha’s ferocious might.

He’ll need Heart.

Review

Starting off with a fabulous map of The Realm-Under-The-Bed, which sets the scene for this questing adventure, is always a winner.

The author has created a fantastic world into which our brave hero, Buddy the Knight, must journey, in order to save his Person, Mieya, from the evil Queen of Sorrow’s curse.

Armed with his enchanted sword, a magic amulet to show him the perilous way and Esteban, his trusty sidekick, Buddy sets off to battle monsters, sirens, storms and other unknown perils.

Along the way, Buddy encounters friends, foes and challenges that make him question his bravery and everything he believes to be true. Can he solve the quest riddle and defeat the evil Queen?

There are a few themes woven through the story which hit the right notes; do not let how you look or how you think others perceive you to limit you or make you feel less than who you are, know that you need both heart and mind to be whole and finally, be there for your friends and let them be there for you.

Thank you to the author for the eARC in exchange for this review.