The Unchosen One

Accident-prone Tassie has been leading a sheltered life under the guidance of the Chief Steward inside the Citadel, and even falls out of a tree into the cart driven by the Wisest of the Wise, so she is astonished when she is called in, not to be told off, but to be informed she is the Chosen One who can save the Isles of Peryll from the Shadow, as foretold in a prophecy. The Wisest of the Wise is not trustworthy, though, and she sends Tassie supposedly on her quest, but actually into danger in the Blackthorn Forest, where the trees are mobile, and very threatening. Fortunately, Tassie has her cautious griffin friend, Spin, with her, and help comes from a mysterious elf, Darley.

Tassie is sure that she can’t really be The Chosen One, so she diverts to try and find out who the One actually is. Discovering that Darley the elf has his face on a Wanted poster means that she is no longer sure who to trust, and she tries to keep her own quest secret, but then decides to follow her instincts. This is an exciting adventure, a real page-turner, as the odd trio ride on dragons and encounter a family of orcs. Three Wraiths, working for the Shadow, are very funny – they come to realise that failure means a fate worse than being put on the naughty step, and bring welcome comic relief.  Of course, almost all is well as this story ends, and celebrations involve eating some new-fangled round bread with tomato sauce and grated cheese, but there is one more thing to sort out, and the trio set off on another adventure. 

Your reviewer has enjoyed other books by Amy Sparkes, notably the series that includes The House at the End of Magic, and The Bookshop at the Back of Beyond, and we can look forward to more excellent stories.