This rollicking adventure is the tenth to feature the winning protagonist Emily Windsnap -half mermaid, half human and her close friends from both worlds. Enough background information ensures the reader knows the context and can enjoy this as a standalone read. Emily’s discovery of a bangle with a mysterious blue crystal sends her, her parents and best friends to Halflight Castle owned by Neptune, where the waters are deep enough to house such crystals. As the friends explore the seas around they come across the damaged tectonic plate edges caused by a mighty quarrel between Thor and Neptune, an underwater volcano and the lost Vikings and their ship which had been swallowed by the huge maelstrom. The Vikings are held on an island both by a curse from the gods and the magic of the blue crystals in the cave. The thousand year sentence is about to end and the earth and seas are moving momentously. Emily and her friends learn this could be catastrophic for the entire world. Can they get the gods to cooperate and save the planet?
This is a thrilling book for 8+ readers. It is fast paced and has a genuine sense of jeopardy. Kessler has a real talent for describing imaginary worlds which are easy to visualise. She skilfully blends myth with science, has a main character who is courageous and moral and a story which works both literally and symbolically. Thor and Neptune, like large conglomerates exploit the earth, but there will be environmental consequences. There is much to enjoy and discuss here.
Sue Barrett
Valley of the Vikings by Liz Kessler
Head of Zeus
ISBN 9781035916955
£7.99
Published 2025
