I absolutely adored my second visit to Eerie-on-Sea, perhaps a little more than the first, due to my familiarity with the unique characters and quirky setting. Despite the eerie goings-on, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia for the seaside as I was reading Gargantis; if only Seegol's Diner, The Grand Nautilus Hotel and The Eerie Book Dispensary (Mermonkey and all) really did exist! Having devoured Malamander, I was delighted to see the return of Herbert Lemon and Violet Parma (and Erwin the talking cat, of course!) in another suspense-filled mystery. I raced through it, and was sad when it ended. Thomas Taylor's writing really draws the reader in, with his excellent characterisation, dramatic action scenes and vivid description of Eerie-on-Sea. His personification of the storm and use of pathetic fallacy (sorry, that's the teacher in me talking!) is amazing. The language he uses in Gargantis may be slightly challenging for its intended audience. However - like the Harry Potter series - this only serves to make Thomas's rich and powerful writing exciting and engaging for all readers. Gargantis is full of mystery, suspense, friendship and laugh-out-loud humour: I couldn't have asked for any more. These books will become modern classics and every Upper Key Stage 2 classroom should have a copy of both! Mine certainly does, and I will be reading them both to my Year 5-6 class at the earliest opportunity. I sincerely hope there is another installment on the way! Thank you to Thomas Taylor, Walker Books UK and NetGalley for the advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

My 11 year old grandson really enjoyed this book, which is the follow-up to Malamander which he also highly rated. My 11 year old grandson, who had enjoyed Malamander, says Gargantis is hugely readable. He read it quickly (always a good sign), and reports it's shocking, sad and very, very funny with a twist in the tail. What a recommendation!

Anyone who knows me, or has read some of my ramblings on Twitter, will know that the book preceding this one, Malamander, was a book I absolutely adored. One I had to fight to read to my class and the only one, having won that fight, that has ever received a spontaneous round of applause from its audience. Having hooked my class into the world created therein, I have more recently turned my attention to promoting Gargantis to them. As a teacher, I want my charges to read for pleasure, and was convinced that this read would provide more of the engagement that I saw with Malamander. Was I right? Oh yes! The story kicks off in the now familiar setting of The Grand Nautilus Hotel in the seaside town of Eerie-on-Sea. It is here that a mysterious stranger arrives in the middle of a terrific storm before inexplicably disappearing, leaving a shell which is not what it appears to be in the care of our hero: Herbie - the Lost and Founder in charge of the hotel's lost property. The storm is soon revealed to be the Gargantis of the title by Herbie's good friend Violet, who has been reading up on local folklore, telling him that when ‘Gargantis wakes, Eerie Quakes.' And indeed, Eerie-on-Sea has been quaking, with the local fishermen unable to put to sea and the town being shaken by powerful 'stormquakes'. This discussion is swiftly followed by the arrival of two familiar characters arguing over who should take ownership of a frosted sea-glass bottle shaped like a fish, which has been found by the local beachcomber. The bottle adds another layer of mystery to the unfolding tale, as it appears to be something with a mind of its own. As the individual in charge of all things lost or found, it falls to Herbie to assume responsibility for it and decide who its rightful owner is. Of course this then leads to a series of events culminating in the book's very exciting conclusion (no spoilers!) which leave the reader desperately wanting Book 3, the first draft of which Thomas Taylor has recently finished. And that wanting more is a huge part of the writer's skill in crafting this story. From the very beginning of this read, I found myself struggling to put it back down - in common with Malamander, the chapters are short and end on cliffhangers so that you think, ‘just one more chapter', only it never is just one. This makes both books perfect for more reluctant readers and those, like myself, who would happily spend all day reading. It is easy to dismiss children's fiction as being 'only' for children, but in my experience as a parent and as a teacher, many children are quite discerning and in current times (as a country, we are currently coming to the end of week three of social isolation) I would like to think more adults are sharing books with their children. Here, there are plenty of parts within the text to appeal directly to adult readers, such as the references to popular culture, a couple of which made me laugh out loud and one (think The Adventure of the Dancing Men from the Sherlock Holmes stories) which had me completely baffled. In common with Holmes and Watson, Herbie and Violet are both well-drawn, believable characters - he with his nervous disposition and squeaking, and she with her more self-assured manner and way of getting her own way. Together, they make a great partnership. I often tell my class that I much prefer books and radio to TV and films, 'as the pictures are better', and as I read I could very clearly 'see' what was going on as they both played their parts in the narrative. Fans of the original book will be pleased to hear that many characters and settings are back: Seagoll's Diner, The Book Dispensary and Erwin the cat to name just three. Additionally, as in Malamander, each chapter's heding is accompanied by an illustration from the author, who has also included wonderful hand-drawn maps to complement the text. However, you do not need to have read Malamander to enjoy Gargantis. It works well as a stand-alone story and is one I am really hoping to be able to share with my class, several of whom I know have already preordered this. Will I be recommending it? Does the question really need to be asked? I am very fortunate to have read this ahead of publication on May 7th (27 days to go, as I write) courtesy of Net Galley, but am very much looking forward to receiving my paperback in the post. This will be a very welcome addition to my little library; one which I am sure will be hard to keep on the shelf.

A gargantic sequel to an already brilliant novel, Malamander's follow-up is a daring, maritime middle grade mystery that will have you clamming for the next one. Herbert Lemon and Violet Parma are back and Eerie-on-Sea is more dangerous than ever! A storm is threatening to destroy their seaside town and it's up to them to dig into fisherman folklore and monstrous legends to put a stop to the freak weather... before everything ends up at the bottom of the ocean. What an exciting and memorable sequel this is! From page one, we get a sense of terrific danger that never lets up until the thrilling climax. There is a real sense of danger here for our characters, especially Herbie, as it appears it's not just the weather that wants to claim his life. I won't spoil anything but he needs Violet now more than ever! His friendship with Violet is so pure and entertaining to watch. Violet is such a brilliant protagonist too, and she is definitely a blessing to Herbie, who is really just a big cinnamon roll. The plot is very fast-paced and is constantly moving due to the impending doom of Eerie-on-Sea. It was hard to predict where the story would go, but it had a fantastic atmosphere of a seaside setting mixed with ancient local folklore. It felt very genuine to this small town and it was interesting to learn more about it. It does leave me with a whole ton of questions which is why I feel so eager and impatient to get my hands on the third book whenever that comes out. This one will definitely leave you wanting more. The Malamander series is perfect for people who love exciting mysteries set in a seaside town dripping with myths and legends.

There's a storm raging in Eerie-on-Sea. Has the mighty Gargantis come back from the deep...? Gargantis, the second book in the series, has everything for young readers to enjoy. Ancient spells, mysterious visitors, cryptic clues, quirky characters, fierce storms, myths and legends. Herbie and Violet are perfect protagonists.I look forward to book 3.