A tale of love, courage, and friendship, this spellbinding story had me gripped from start to finish. This epic fantasy transports you to the magical world of the archipelago, filled with mythical creatures, adventure, peril, wonder and tiny dragons. Rundell has filled the pages with magic! I think this book is a modern classic that will spark the imaginations of readers, young and old, for years to come. Many thanks to the publisher that provided me with a reading copy - I can't wait to read the next book in this trilogy!

I became so engrossed in this book, I remember getting up at 5:30am on Saturday morning so I could try to finish reading it before work! The main characters of Mal and Christopher are given equal weighting, which I thought was fair and will jointly appeal to both boys and girls. Descriptions of the archipelago and mythical creatures create such a dazzling world of beauty and wonder in your mind that you can't help being drawn in to this fantasy world. This was the first Katherine Rundell book I read, but I've since read most of her others too.

Katherine Rundell has brought this magical realm to life and with such effortless style, I absolutely adored everything about it. The found family, the creatures, the plot - there was not a single thing wrong with this book. I love the addition of the glossary at the front, so children can learn about these mythical creatures from all over the globe before diving in. Rundell has been compared to Tolkien and Philip Pullman with this new adventure, and it is completely justified.

The greatest book. Best I've read in a long time. Everyone should read this book.

This is just amazingly brilliant ! She is certainly up there with Pullman as a genius. I can't wait for the next in the series. A writer of rare talent. My colleague recommended it as utterly amazing (sorry but there just aren't enough adjectives to describe this book) Please read the synopsis above for a summary of what the book is about. I liked the theme of unexpected courage, especially with Christopher and Mal . It's about showing a Tolkienesque putting one foot in front of another type heroism when faced by overwhelming odds. I stand in complete awe of Rundell's talent to portray relationships and characters in a few words or sentences. For example, Nighthand (the "pirate" ) and Ratwin (who reminded me of Narnia's Reepicheep ) Also compare Mal and Lyra. Lyra's encounter with the Harpies was also in the back of my mind as was Earthsea with Jaculus and the importance of names. What a wonderful fantasy with a range of great characters , a plotline with hints of Narnia, but its own individual 5 star quality. I rarely award 5 stars to a book unless I know that it will fulfil certain criteria :- 1. Is this 5 star quality writing in terms of language, characters and plot? 2. Is this a book that the customers will still be asking for in 10 years' time ? 3. Does this book really stand out from others in the same genre? 4. Is this a book that will excite a range of readers? 5. Will I reread it ? The answer to all these is a resounding yes ! Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC Tracey Exeter Roman Gate