Jump:Madders of Time Book 2 by D. L. Orton

On February 13, 2026February 12, 2026 By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

I reviewed Hive, Book 1 of this series here. I couldn’t wait to continue the story of Diego, Isabel and find out what happens when Diego time jumps. Finally, here is my review of Book 2.

Blurb

The multiverse is collapsing. The time machine is broken. And humanity’s last hope? Might already be dead.

Seven months after the EMPs brought the world to its knees, a handful of scientists are racing against extinction—and each other. Somewhere in a flooded skyscraper lies a wormhole generator that might be able to undo the apocalypse. If they can find it. If it still works. If it doesn’t kill them first.

Meanwhile, Diego Nadales wakes in a cell, his face bloodied and his memories fractured. He’s being accused of terrorism, treason, and time travel. The last one, at least, is true.

Isabelle is trapped inside a biodome ruled by the man she once trusted. But her bees—microscopic drones designed to save the planet—have been hijacked and weaponized. If she doesn’t find a way out soon, her creation will wipe out the last threads of life on Earth.

Old friends return. New enemies rise. And somewhere in the chaos, one small spark of hope just might be enough to ignite a revolution.

The clock isn’t ticking. It’s blowing up.

Review

Jump carries on from where Hive left off…Diego has jumped back in time…and meets himself, or at least another version of himself…then another.

Whilst trying to save the world, and the love of his life, it seems Diego and his other selves from other timelines time travel to try to get messages to their former self and his friends to try to change the outcome of their timeline, because in each one, the world ends.

Separated and unsure if the other is even alive, Diego and Isabelle have to negotiate their way out of trouble to try to work out what might happen and how they can stop Dave Kirkland, tech bro narcissist and billionaire, from taking over the planet, killing most of the population and ending the world.

The world building over the two books is superb, from the domes to the dystopian landscape outside them.

As with Hive, the pace is fast, but nothing is skipped and the characters are well crafted and believable. With chapters told from different perspectives, we get a deep understanding of both Diego and Isabelle, their hope and despair for themselves, each other and the world. The other chapters detailing their friends are interspersed, bringing the story together perfectly.

I am fascinated by the concept of time travel and the butterfly effect. There is plenty of that here, with past and future actions affecting timelines. The group has to work hard to remember to send messages back and forth, so as not to create paradoxes.

D.L. Orton creates a tension between hope and despair, taking the reader on a roller coaster of emotions.

I am again really looking forward to the next book in the series, Dome. What a place to end this part…

Thanks to the author and @The_WriteReads for a copy of the book to read and review for this blog tour. Please look out for other reviews over the coming week.

About the book

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Category: Adult

Number of Pages: 406 Pages

Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243589719-jump

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/5ccd9f85-bd1e-42e1-b3da-9d11e0d9fcbc

Amazon: https://a.co/d/00yKORb8 (Canada) https://a.co/d/0dgPIeNa (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/0gyyLYFE (UK)

Lianna and the Hombit by Valinora Troy

On January 19, 2026January 19, 2026 By @f33lthesunIn Upper KS2+Leave a comment

Blurb

A grieving girl in need of a friend. A magical creature with a secret task. Can they end the ancient curse threatening their new home?

When 13-year old Lianna, devastated by the loss of her father, is sent to the distant land of Nivram, she finds her new home and guardian every bit as horrible as she expected. When she meets a magical birdlike creature called a hombit, they strike an alliance: Lianna will help it complete its secret mission if it helps her get home.

But her plan goes awry and she accidentally awakens a creature that threatens both her and her new home. Lianna must uncover family secrets to avoid a terrible fate…

A heart-warming story of the healing power of friendship when all seems lost.

Review

I was pulled into the world of Lianna immediately and as her story unfolds, the world she knows expands and she encounters a variety of new people and experiences, as well as a hombit, a magical creature with a mission so secret even it doesn’t know what it is.

The story is precise and well told, the characters have depth and the world building is wonderful, especially towards the end of the story.

Lianna’s naivety and innocence lands her in trouble immediately, and her frustration grows as she tries to unravel her family history, to find out why her father ran away, under a cloud, from his family. What happened all those years ago and what does it have to do with the threat the rocks in the sea bring the town today?

As well as trying to solve the mystery of her father and the jewels he allegedly stole from the family, Lianna must also help the hombit work out what its mission is and explain humans and the world she lives in to the hombit. How does a mysterious woman with a flute and a ring Lianna’s dad kept hidden fit into it all?

When the hombit believes the mission is complete, it will report back to The Guardians then disappear. This worries Lianna more than anything as she fears being alone and friendless in her new home most of all.

So what is the hombit’s mission and how will Lianna solve the mystery of her father’s history? I recommend you read the book to find out.

About the Book

Genre: Middle Grade/Fantasy

Available formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Ebook, Audio book

Publication date: 29th January 2026 by The Silver Key

No. of pages: 255

Available for pre-order on line and through local bookstores

GoodReads: Lianna and the Hombit by Valinora Troy | Goodreads

Amazon UK: Lianna and the Hombit: A heart-warming story of the healing power of friendship when all seems lost. eBook : Troy, Valinora: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

Amazon.com: Lianna and the Hombit: A heart-warming story of the healing power of friendship when all seems lost. – Kindle edition by Troy, Valinora. Children Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Thanks to the author and @The_WriteReads for a physical copy of the book to read and review for this blog tour, as well as my own hombit.

HomeAdrift by Soheil Mirchi

On November 27, 2025November 27, 2025 By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

How far can you go before the silence breaks you?

Commander Solene Ellis has left Earth behind forever. Now she drifts through the void aboard the colony ship Nia Kvara, watching over 100,000 colonists in hibernation. Only Ava, the ship’s AI, keeps her company.

The voyage spans 3,000 years, but for Solene, time comes in fragments—fleeting moments of wakefulness between long, frozen sleeps. Hours blur into decades. Memories unravel. In the stillness, she begins to lose track not only of time, but of herself.

And solitude in deep space doesn’t stay quiet for long. Whispers echo where no one should be. Shadows shift just beyond her vision. A mysterious vessel appears in the void. Even Ava starts to act… strangely.

As reality fractures, Solene must face a terrifying is something out there hunting them—or has her own mind become the true threat?

Review

I am not sure where to start this review. So many thoughts going through my mind.

I absolutely loved the book, a character led, sci fi space horror told with deep philosophical resonance. Tension and emotion poured off the pages. So much to think about, small details become rabbit holes in my mind. Bigger ideas like isolation, survival, home, privilege, AI, time… they feel insurmountable.

I am not often a fan of an unreliable narrator, but the author merged Solene’s reality and hibernation dreams flawlessly, and had me questioning everything. In a good way.

Even after she reprogrammed Ava, the ships AI who went rogue from a previous hack, I was still unsure if what Ava said was true or not. Did the original destination planet really have a virus that made it uninhabitable for humans?

One thought that kept recurring for me was that Solene was awake for the equivalent of about a month, but thanks to years in hibernation for the space jumps, the time that actually passed in Earth years was millennia. That feels like such an unthinkable premise, incomprehensible. Solene had no time to process her feelings,her grief, her wonder.

Her awake time was spent reading reports and data collected when she was hibernating, as well as checking the ship’s functions and status. Things that happened 300 years ago when she was last awake felt like yesterday to her.

One quote stood out for me… “Extended life, for all its promises, has left me with a lingering sense of emptiness. The prospect of living for centuries – does it make me any more human, or does it strip away what it means to truly live?”

Such a huge question. I will be sitting with this and the rest of Solene’s story for a long time.

Thanks to @The_WriteReads and the author for a copy of the book to read and review.

Book Info

Genre: Science Fiction

Age Category: Adult

Number of Pages: 326 Pages

Publication Date: November 12, 2025

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/238567071-homeadrift

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/6869bb8c-a35a-431d-b5f2-cfcf02be5650

Amazon: https://a.co/d/9RCpUhx (Canada) https://a.co/d/iHzeWY8 (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/abYuHWP (UK)

The First Sin by Cheyenne Brammah

On November 12, 2025November 12, 2025 By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

In the sweeping expanse of the Årdrakin Empire, the people fight and die for honor as elite warriors of the galaxy. But long ago, a prophecy was spoken that presaged the apocalypse. Everyone knows and fears the truth: one day, the empire will fall.

Tårik is a guard for small, independent Clan Tsinna. Instead of pondering the end of his civilization, Tårik’s greatest concern is maintaining his honour while escorting a group of impertinent dignitaries across the treacherous Barren Gale. When the Mother Goddess speaks a passage from the prophecy to him, he has the good sense to be frightened, but he doesn’t heed the significance of Her visit.

Then disaster strikes, and Tårik is branded as an exile, leaving him with no home, no honour, and no future. Forced into a desperate struggle for survival, all Tårik can focus on is living just one more day until luck—or maybe fate—gives him the opportunity to join a new clan. But even this is fraught with danger and uncertainty, and it takes him to an inhospitable world far from the empire where survival seems all but impossible.

Faced with new challenges, including trying to navigate first contact with the low-tech locals, Tårik believes the prophecy can’t reach him. Yet it continues to loom, signaling that his fate and the fate of the empire are irrevocably entwined.

This is a dark, spicy, adult science fantasy set in a world that includes war, violence, and other mature themes that some readers may find disturbing. Reading guidance can be found at the beginning of the book or on the author’s website.

Review

Being told the prophecy (of how things will end) at the start of the story does not spoil this book at all. Like all prophecies, you just never know how the characters are going to fulfil it. This is a fine example of “sort of” knowing the ending but becoming engrossed in the story and the characters because it is so well told.

The world building in this first book is top notch, from the clans and “the Whole” to the planetary system, the ship and Berwen, the planet they end up on,

The author has created a story full of well developed characters, all with their own secrets from the past and flaws that may or may not lead them down the paths they take. Decisions made “for the good of the clan” are not always good decisions.

The comparison between the way the clans work and the way the “hive mind” of the skarastaja works is an interesting juxtaposition.

There are some big themes in this book; love, loss, vengeance, addiction, belief systems and sacrifice, which the author weaves into a compelling narrative. In the second half, we also find out the consequences of introducing another element into a planet’s natural order.

This book is not for the faint hearted. The blurb says dark and spicy, and it certainly delivers on that. There is so much to think about that I need time to reflect before even contemplating my next read.

The character list at the start and the glossary at the end are both useful reference points throughout, to help you keep track of things, if needed.

About the book

Genre: Science Fantasy

Age Category: Adult

Number of Pages: 668 Pages

Publication Date: 23 October 2025

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/241900715-the-first-sin

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/9d90c00f-9780-46d2-b9b5-bb67ffdb4eda

Amazon: https://a.co/d/ivPviJG (Canada) https://a.co/d/9IXOJmx (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/bW2KOHe (UK)

Thank you to @The_WriteReads and the author for an eARC to read and review for this blog tour.

Kittiwake Stormhaven and the Pirate’s Portolano by Victoria Williamson

On November 10, 2025November 10, 2025 By @f33lthesunIn Y4+1 Comment

Blurb

A daring mission, a sister turned pirate and a sea full of secrets…

In a world of water where land is a legend, 11-year-old Kittiwake Stormhaven dreams of adventure aboard the Amazon Princess. When a vital mission takes the ship into dangerous waters, Kittiwake discovers shocking news – her long-lost sister, Petrel, is now a feared pirate queen.

Kittiwake must outsmart pirates, outmanoeuvre storms and face ghostly captains to save her ship, her mischievous monkey Caboodle and her friends. But in a high-stakes showdown, family loyalty collides with survival, and Kittiwake learns the ocean hides more secrets than she ever imagined.

Kittiwake Stormhaven is a fast-paced, sea-swept adventure filled with daring rescues, thrilling discoveries and the magic of friendship.

Review

I always look forward to reading a story by Victoria Williamson and this one is no exception. It is a fast paced action adventure on the high seas, with pirates, stowaways, a naughty pet monkey and a quest to find fuel before the ships all sink.

Kittiwake and her stowaway friend, Scally, have to look out for each other as they break the rules several times to try to discover what happened to her sister. Is she really a dreadful pirate now? Or did she disappear never to be seen again? Which story, if any, is real?

As the truth emerges, Kit, also aided and abetted by her pet monkey Caboodle, is caught between loyalty to her mother, the ship’s captain, and finding out about her sister. On the adventurous journey she meets pirates, a scary monster that attacks the ship, hears rumours about her father (who also disappeared) and makes a deal with a pirate that she is not sure will come off.

The cast of characters is wide ranging. My favourite is the Doctor. You are never quite sure if he is serious or sarcastic about all the exotic sounding diseases he thinks everyone who comes to see him is suffering from.

In between each chapter of the story is an excerpt from The Pirate’s Portolano, a book detailing information useful to pirates, from maps and drawings, to key information about the strengths and weaknesses of ships, smuggling routes and sea creatures to avoid.

This is a brilliant adventure story for Year 4 up, with themes of friendship, families, secrets and survival. I will also admit it took me too long for the names Kittiwake (Kit to her friends and family) and Caboodle to click. They really are the whole thing.

The cover and inside illustrations by James Brown are superb.

Thank you to the author, the publisher Tiny Tree and @The_WriteReads for a copy of the book (and the fabulous gifts it came with) to read and review for this blog tour.

About the book

Genre: Adventure

Age Category: Middle Grade

Publisher: Tiny Tree Books

Number of Pages: 176 Pages

Publication Date: October 23, 2025

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/238744341-kittiwake-stormhaven-and-the-pirate-s-portolano

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/ca5e59cb-f36d-43bd-8f07-953adcf0b2fd

Amazon: https://a.co/d/5yuErMp (Canada) https://a.co/d/bhdaIxp (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/hl3XQ8H (UK)

Wildcat Summer – A Twinkl Original

On October 23, 2025October 21, 2025 By @f33lthesunIn Children KS2Leave a comment

I was delighted when the author of this Twinkl original, Victoria Williamson, asked me to review Wildcat Summer, as I am a huge fan of her work.

Blurb

“Don’t worry. I definitely won’t be bored here. It’s going to be an adventure – for both of us.”

I had no idea that it would actually turn out to be true and this would be the most exciting summer I’d ever had.

Eleven-year-old Molly is spending the summer at her aunt’s caravan park in the Scottish Highlands. But dealing with new surroundings and people who don’t understand her hearing loss is tough – and all Molly wants to do is go home. That is, until she discovers an intriguing local legend about a ‘ghost cat’ that appears as a warning when danger is nearby.

One day, Molly sees the ghost cat and realises that a family of recently released wildcats are in trouble. With the help of new friends and a wise, old neighbour, Molly’s summer just got a lot more exciting…

Review

Whilst telling the story of Molly’s summer at her aunt’s caravan park, meeting new friends and having an adventure involving a ghost wildcat, the author crafts a story that involves themes around awareness of hearing loss, change, looking after the countryside and not judging people before you know anything about them or their circumstances.

Molly and Lewis get off to a bad start because they both perceive that the other is judging them, whereas they were projecting their own fears about how others see them, based on precious experience. Once they started talking, their misunderstandings were cleared up. It also taught Molly a valuable lesson in being grateful for what she did have, and not to compare herself with others.

There is a strong message in the story about being careful and considerate when camping and looking after the environment, which is home to so many animals and plants. Poor decisions and lack of care could (and often does) lead to devastating damage and loss.

One of the strongest themes is around Molly’s hearing loss and there are many children who will identify with this. The awareness others around her show, to include her fully in conversations, proves to Molly that explaining how people can help her really can make a difference.

I also loved the intergenerational aspect of the story, with all the characters learning from each other.

The illustrations of excerpts from Molly’s scrapbook bring an added bonus to the story overall.

Twinkl Originals

Together, the KS2 Originals team combine their unique talents and backgrounds to produce captivating and educational books that resonate with children, parents and educators alike. Their commitment to quality, diversity and curriculum alignment ensures that each story not only entertains but also enriches the learning experience for young readers. Find out more about the Originals books here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/twinkl-originals

The Twinkl Originals books can be downloaded by signing up to an account, which gives access to the library of 100+ eBooks plus nearly 1 million Twinkl resources: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/premium/choose

Trollgrave by Alex S Bradshaw (A BBNYA2025 Spotlight Post)

On October 17, 2025October 16, 2025 By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

Something stirs in the Forest of Broken Trolls…

Despite all his skill in healing and runecraft, God-Speaker Alvir Einarson could not save everyone.

In the wake of failure, he seeks aid from an old mentor and witnesses a wave of darkness sweep over the land that, for a single moment, extinguishes all magic.

In the capital, he discovers a fellow god-speaker is missing and the streets swarming with Windborn – resurrected warriors gifted with supernatural powers by the gods’ enemies.

Answers await in the Forest of Broken Trolls, but within its sinister depths even the gods’ protection may not be enough, and no more so than now, when the gods’ strength may be fading and dark powers are on the rise.

One thing is certain: Alvir Einarson would rather die than let the gods fall.

Trollgrave is a standalone Norse fantasy filled with fanatical outlaws, strange magic, and vicious monsters.

Mini Review

I was lucky enough to read the first 10k of this and was disappointed it did not get through to the final. I will definitely be buying this to finish the story.

I am a sucker for myths of any kind, but especially Norse myths. The character development and world building are superb. I am so invested I need to read the rest.

About the Book

Page Count: 420 Pages

Genre: Fantasy, Superhero

Age Category: Adult

Date Published: May 24, 2024

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/6AO1PEI (Canada) https://a.co/d/3UWOYhE (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/e1ryGUW (UK)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210454973-trollgrave

The Story Graph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/0009ab95-99a6-409e-9ee0-19c953b65831

About the Author

Alex S. Bradshaw loves stories with unforgettable characters and epic settings.

He writes gritty and character-driven stories and his books have both been semi-finalists in SPFBO.

He’s also part of Spotlight Indie, a wonderful project and team that shines a light on the amazing work of indie creatives. If he’s not reading or writing then you can probably find him playing games (he loves a good TTRPG), or daydreaming about dinosaurs (not necessarily in that order).

He lives not too far from Stonehenge and the Round Table and can often be found wandering between library shelves or along countryside footpaths.

You can find him on social media at:

Website: https://alexsbradshaw.com/
X: https://x.com/AlexSBradshaw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexsbradshaw/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alexsbradshaw.bsky.social

About BBNYA and the Spotlight Tours

The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it to the semi-finals with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title.

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

The Tortured Kingdom by Bryan Asher

On September 11, 2025September 10, 2025 By @f33lthesunIn AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

After a comet strikes the continent of Yohme, it’s left in shambles. Nations lay in rubble, magic has been corrupted, and a plague has turned most of the inhabitants into flesh-eating, undead, ghouls.

Traveling this apocalyptic landscape is Evan, a bounty hunter taking missions to survive. However, his latest quest to capture a thief leads to more than he bargained for. After uncovering an ancient map, he forms a party to hunt the sacred treasure inside the most formidable dungeon.

Once inside, they’ll have to overcome the trials of a god to reach it, and they’re not the only ones searching.

Review

I was intrigued by the blurb. Who doesn’t love a dungeon quest involving broken magic, undead ghouls and a group of characters forced to bond in pursuit of a sacred relic?

The world building and characterisation is superb, the fast pace sustained throughout. The author has successfully brought together a mixture of dungeons and dragons, mythical gods and creatures, magical artefacts, a dangerous quest and brought them to life on the page.

As the group make their way through the dangerous trials in the dungeon, strong themes of friendship, trust, working together as one, knowing yourself and those around you, making choices for self or group, as well as making the best of each individual’s strengths, the quest culminates in a big decision for Evan, the unlikely leader of the group. No spoilers here though.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will look out for more of the author’s work.

Thanks to @The_WriteReads for a physical copy of the book to read and review for this blog tour. Please look out for other reviews over the coming days.

About the book

Genre: Fantasy

Age Category: Adult

Illustrators: Batsky Starman and Arief Rachmad

Number of Pages: 276 Pages

Publication Date: January 31, 2025

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/224887878-the-tortured-kingdom

Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/4f4f8d6b-a6ee-4966-b5e7-c97c7aa08c17

Amazon: https://a.co/d/6u8sRgO (Canada) https://a.co/d/2yVjYj2 (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/iIViVDS (UK)

Trial of the Alchemist by Trevor Melanson

On August 4, 2025August 4, 2025 By @f33lthesunIn Young AdultLeave a comment

Blurb

Aurora’s greatest entrepreneur has been murdered, and only the truth will save Alchemist Ortez from the gallows.

Facing a heated courtroom of strangers, he must now recall the events that brought him here as a fellow alchemist probes his memory. Such is the job of alchemists: administering elixirs in order to see into the minds of men. Their dreams. Their nightmares. Their secrets.

But while everyone believes him guilty, Alchemist Ortez knows what they do not.

He was hired by the victim for a job unlike any they could imagine. Nor would they ever guess what other mysteries lie buried beneath the mountain metropolis of Aurora, a cave-enclosed city where countless gas lamps illuminate the endless night.

Trial of the Alchemist is a gaslamp mystery rife with twists, adventure, and romance.

Review

Having read and been lured in by the first few chapters in earlier rounds of the BBNYA, I just had to read the whole story.

Alchemist Ortez, a psych-alchemist, is accused of murdering the town’s “leader”, owner of the main industry, the majority of the housing and businesses and without whom the town would cease to function.

In court, a legal alchemist uses elixirs to enter Ortez’s mind, to ensure he is telling the judge the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. This was the part that reeled me in.

As his story unfolds, we see the grip Everett Day has on the town. We also hear about events that the town was not aware of. Is Ortez slowly changing the minds of the baying crowd, who are eager to hang him as soon as possible?

As Ortez’s story goes on, his previous work as a research alchemist, using his skill to communicate with animals is called upon to help work out a problem, which ends up uncovering unforeseen problems caused by the Day Corporations by products of machine manufacturing .

Will anyone find the courage to stand up and come to the defence of Ortez, or provide proof of his truth?

During his story, his own (legal) use of elixirs to explore the memories of his clients is explained but that only ends up creating more questions. Whilst Alchemist Freya, the legal alchemist, is adamant Ortez is telling the truth, is he a reliable narrator? Does he know everything he knows?

I really enjoyed this story and am left with many questions I am going to enjoy thinking about for a while yet. Just as you should be by stories.

Trial of the Alchemist is a thoroughly deserved 3rd place finalist.

Thank you to BBNYA and The Write Reads for allowing me to be on the judging panel and providing me with a copy of the book to review.

About BBNYA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 16 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

About the Book

Length: 453 Pages

Genre: Fantasy, Mystery

Age Category: Adult

Date Published: April 4, 2023

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/aNNHuoH (Canada) https://a.co/d/anR8L4D (USA) https://amzn.eu/d/g8MdUIG (UK)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199237239-trial-of-the-alchemist

The Story Graph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/f42303a9-6076-4478-97c8-b0f5cd9a05e3

Bad Grains by Susanne Schmidt

On July 21, 2025July 21, 2025 By @f33lthesunIn Upper KS2+1 Comment

Blurb

Eleven-year-old Jo loves Halloween and all things horror, but she doesn’t believe anything bad could ever happen in Fels, her small German hometown.

When Hektor, her annoying older brother, disappears on his way home from school, Jo assumes he is playing a prank on her. But then both her father and grandma forget Hektor’s name, and his stuff mysteriously disappears from his room.

With the adults of no help whatsoever, Jo starts an investigation of her own, uncovering an old legend that has haunted the children of Fels for centuries. A monster lives in the rye fields, and draws children into its world under the roots. With two days until the gate between their worlds closes, and only Hektor’s obnoxious best friend to help her, Jo must figure out a way to rescue her brother, or lose him forever.

Review

I did not read this as part of the BBYNA 2024 but if I had, I would definitely have scored it highly and it thoroughly deserved its place in the finals.

I have always loved fairy tales and grew up with the darker versions, so this book fed right into this. It is a superb modernisation of the darkness of fairy tales, although as Jo points out to Daniel, there must be some good things too…fairies, unicorns, true love!

The pacing was just right, as was the tension. The scenes in the field and cave were so well written that I got goosebumps. It is pitched perfectly at the target audience.

I was waiting for something else to happen as it was clear that the Rye Mother had unfinished business, so I am looking forward to reading the second book.

About BBYNA

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 16 finalists and one overall winner.