A captivating middle-grade fantasy novel
WHAT’S THE BOOK ABOUT
A sinister plot. A hidden city in the sky. A boy with an impossible choice.
Twelve-year-old Toby has little time for friends or football since his mum fell ill. All he wants is to stay at home and keep an eye on her.
But mysterious things are happening beyond his garden hedge. Who is the figure at the window behind the barbed wire fence? And why is there a strange woman in his attic with a broken broom and bothersome pet bat?
Toby becomes entangled in an adventure of flying dogs, sparking hiccups and dangerous escapes. An innocent, young witch has been captured by a secretive organization which will stop at nothing to find out how magic works. Toby must rescue her and time is running out.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK
Ever since his mother fell ill, twelve-year-old Toby’s life has turned dull. He is the primary care-giver for his mother who is suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome. Consequently, he no longer plays football which he used to play passionately, nor can he hang out with his friends any more. In school, he is bullied because some rogues in his class know about his mother’s condition.
However, all this changes when a strange woman with a ferocious bat crash-lands in his attic. The woman claims to know magic but has lost her wand. She asks Toby for his help in finding her wand. What starts out as a small favor soon turns into a series of (mis)adventures and completely changes Toby’s life. Read Toby and the Silver Blood Witches by Sally Doherty to find out more.
While the beginning of this middle-grade fantasy is slow, the pace picks up from the second half and does not let go till the exhilarating climax. The world-building is good. I could visualize Little Witchery, the abode of the witches in the sky, perfectly well. The well-rounded cast of characters complement the protagonist, Toby, well and made this an adventurous read.
The sensitivity with which the author, herself a patient of ME, deals with disability and sheds light on the plight of young care-givers like Toby in a middle-grade novel is commendable.
Recommended for young adult readers looking for a light-hearted fantasy.
BOOK DETAILS
Genre: Middle Grade, Contemporary Fantasy || Pages: 240 || Published on 5 July 2021 by Soaring Skies Publishing
Goodreads || Amazon (Canada) || Amazon (USA) || Amazon (UK)
No affiliate links above.
AUTHOR BIO
Sally Doherty lives in leafy Surrey with her husband and three-legged (but speedy) rescue dog. After studying French and German at university, she worked for a year in London before unexpectedly falling ill with M.E. Being stuck at home and often in bed for sixteen years, however, has lit a cauldron of stories bubbling inside her imagination.
Sally’s debut book and the first in a trilogy, TOBY AND THE SILVER BLOOD WITCHES, was a finalist for The Wishing Shelf Awards 2021 and shortlisted for both The Selfies and The Rubery Book Awards 2022.
Author Link(s): Website || Twitter
If you liked this post, consider supporting my blog through donations on Ko-fi. You can also follow me on Twitter and Goodreads.
Share this:
Debjani's Thoughts 