If you’re looking for an explosive combination of mythical beasts, Welsh legend, and magical powers, look no further than this brand new title from Lizzie Huxley-Jones.

“The lake has been calling to twelve-year-old Vivi Conway. On the day she and her Mams will move from Wales to London, she sneaks out to investigate what is calling her there. Instead of a quiet swim, she finds Excalibur (much smaller than she expected), a ferocious monster (much scarier in real life than in her mythology books), a new friend (which she doesn’t want at all) called Dara and a ghostly dog named Gelert (who can talk). Gelert insists that Vivi is part of a magical group of children who share the souls of witches from legend and must protect the world from being taken over by the evil King Arawn of the Otherworld. Oh, and now she can magically control water.

With a little extra help from spiky Stevie and sweet-hearted Chia, can Vivi be brave enough to embrace true friendship and her magical destiny to help protect the world from evil?”

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There are so many things to love about this book: its fantastical array of mythical beasties, the diverse cast of characters, the pace and humour, not to mention being a masterclass in Welsh legend and mythology!

Readers are thrown straight into action, following Vivi as she is drawn to the lake near her house nestled in the majestic Welsh countryside. She is then almost immediately face-to-face with an afanc- a truly terrifying lake-dwelling beast. If you want a through rundown of the creatures featured in this story, visit the blog of FamilyBookworms where they’ve written a comprehensive guide in their blog tour post.

Beasts aside, this book is host to an inclusive cast of characters. I loved that Vivi and the gang were very open about their individual needs, powers, and challenges. Each of them was totally accepted by the other members of the team and each had their role to play. This kind of representation is very important for readers to see.

Although this book deals with some difficult themes (for example, Vivi being bullied by her previous group of ‘friends’) it is also interspersed with brilliant moments of humour. I can’t wait to read what happens next… Recommended for readers aged 9+.

Jo.

*Many Knights Of for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour*