Have you ever thought you’ve caught a glimpse of a strange creature from the corner of your eye? Or fancied that the light aircraft flying overhead is actually a dragon? You could just be right. If The Companions are to be believed, mythical creatures walk among us and it’s our responsibility to protect them.

Connie has been sent to live with her slightly eccentric Aunt Evelyn by the coast  in the hope that she will last more than two terms at the local school.  Her mysterious ability to communicate with animals has always caused trouble for her wherever she goes.

However, a member of a secret society called The Companions spots Connie playing with the seagulls and suspects that she might have a very special gift. This is soon confirmed by a panel of well-respected judges.  And not a moment too soon as Kullervo, an evil force, is gathering together an army of mythical creatures from around the world to fight back against the humans and reclaim their rightful place in society.

Will Connie have the power to resist Kullervo’s will and the deadly call of his allies, the Sirens.

This is the first in a reissued series of four books by award-winning writer and former diplomat, Julia Golding.

I was initially intrigued by the title as I’ve always loved mythical creatures and was keen to see if the book lived up to the title. Well, it did! I read the whole book greedily over two days around supervising my boys playing football and generally attempting to be a responsible parent!

Watching Connie learn to harness her powers and learning about The Companions connecting with a host of fantastical creatures completely captured my imagination.  I also liked the fact that there was a strong environmental message threading through the book, with the status quo between Man and beast being threatened by the opening of a new oil refinery.

An exciting new discovery of a series that will delight anyone who loves dragons, forces of evil and epic battles.

Library Girl.

*Many thanks to OUP and Hannah Penny for sending me this title to review*