The Forgotten Crown by James Haddell
Have you ever read a book that has every single element you love rolled into one?
History | ✔ |
Mystery | ✔ |
Magic | ✔ |
Adventure | ✔ |
Well, I did about a year ago - it was called 'The Lost Child's Quest' and was written by James Haddell. It was the first of his 'Truth and Treasure' series and I loved it. To read my review of it, just click on the book -
Anyway, this week I read another book that was filled with history, mystery, magic and adventure and it was James' new book 'The Forgotten Crown'. I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy and set aside a day to read it, as I knew that I wouldn't be able to put it down and what a page turner it was!
The main character is Tia, who has been adopted by the Trevelyan family. Tia's quest, which starts in book one, is just as much personal as it is historical. Tia loves being a member of her new family but she also wants to know who she is and where she comes from. James recently told me on the Tiny Voice Talks podcast (the link is below) that this was an important part of the story - Tia discovering herself.
James' love of history shone through in 'The Lost Child's Quest' and is evident again in 'The Forgotten Crown'. I found myself learning so much about warfare during the Bronze Age and Iron Age and if I am honest, I hadn't realised that Glastonbury was steeped in quite so much history. This series is perfect to read to children who may consider history a little boring, as Tia's adventures with her learned best-friend Pasco and her sister Meghan, truly bring the past to life.
At times, I found myself running through the pages with Tia and at other points I found myself holding my breath. Each page seemed to bring something else - new villains, close encounters and so many more questions. Thankfully, an item that she discovered towards the end of 'The Lost Child's Quest' proved incredibly useful in 'The Forgotten Crown' and came to her rescue a few times.
One of my favourite things about James' books are the activity suggestions which he provides towards the end of them - different things to do following each chapter. These could be wonderfully interwoven into the school day or used as home learning activities. His website also provides resources and I know that he will be adding to this.
The Forgotten Crown publishes on the 2nd December. Both books can be bought from the Emira Press website here
As an added extra - until December 2nd, The Lost Child’s Quest is on offer and both books will be signed if ordered through Emira Press – postage is free!
This is the very first book tour that I have done and I was overjoyed that James asked me. Naturally I wanted to chat to him on the podcast to find out more about the inspiration behind the book and the man himself. So to hear just where James got the idea for Tia, Stormhaven and his books, just click on the link.
To read other reviews of 'The Forgotten Crown', just visit these websites -
