Tag Siobhan McDermott

Paper Dragons: The Rise of the Sand Spirits / Treasure Hunt

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Paper Dragons: The Rise of the Sand Spirits
Siobhan McDermott
Hodder Children’s Books

The second in this gripping series sees Zhi Ging continuing her journey in the magical underwater school Hok Woh. Now she undertakes a highly dangerous mission to rescue her friends and the villagers of all six provinces in the realm from attack. Accompanied by now-phoenix Malo she has to face dangerous sand spirits, enemies hungry for power and awesome lightning breathing dragons if she’s to save both her new home in the world of the immortals and her friends. However as secrets are uncovered, Zhi Ging must work out not only who she can trust but vitally, how she can survive.

With the author’s wonderfully imagined world-building and vivid, lyrical descriptions that include communicating jellyfish, readers will soon find themselves fully immersed in the twisting turning, fast moving plot. However, Zhi Ging’s journey is not only physical but it’s also one of self-discovery and personal development. She gains a considerable amount of wisdom concerning compassion and the power of words. With its blend of Chinese folklore, this is spellbinding indeed. Wither next, one wonders.

Treasure Hunt
Ann Bryant, illustrated by Laura Wood
Graffeg

This book continues the tale begun in The Rock. The twins, Finola and Zane are at a traditional country fete in Cafner where they enter a treasure hunt that they hope might lead them towards their father. A local girl named Sylvie helps them understand the meaning of the clues but it’s not long before Zane catches sight of Nick Robinson whom he believes is somebody dangerous.. Should they abort the hunt and hurry to safety or continue following the clues to the end; clues in which their Dad has left messages for them. They really need to apply those lessons from Mum about Earth’s culture as well as the analytical thinking that Dad has advocated. And what about Nick Robinson – friend or foe?

The exciting story ends on a cliffhanger leaving readers eager to know if the family will ever be reunited.

Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm

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Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm
Siobhan McDermott
Hodder Children’s Books

Born in Hong Kong, the author grew up with a mixture of Chinese legends and Irish folklore and she draws on these for her debut novel.

Born under mysterious circumstances, twelve-year-old orphan Zhi Ging grows up feeling different from all the others living in her village Fei Chui, but can’t understand why. So, rather than working in the treacherous post pipe to make a living, she decides to go to Hok Woh, the underwater magic training school and learn the skills to become an immortal Cyo B’Ahon. However she doesn’t pass the entrance exam but through resolve, determination and stubbornness she eventually gets an acceptance lantern giving her entry to Hok Woh where she must succeed in twelve challenges to pass her Silhouette year.

It gradually emerges that Zhi Ging has special powers but they put her into much more danger with her life being at stake on occasion as she takes on deadly enemies while in so doing she works out her own identity. Some of the candidates are eliminated for failing various trials but with help both human and magical, she gets through all twelve.

Running through the story is a thread that it’s fine to be different and several at Hok Woh – students and teachers – have a feature that makes them different. It also seems that there may be a traitor in their midst but who will it turn out to be?

With a dramatic ending, this is an unusual adventure in a superbly built fantasy world. I eagerly await the next episode, The Rise of the Sand Spirits coming in April.