I really enjoyed Ally Sherrick’s explosive debut, ‘Black Powder,’ it was packed full of excitement, danger and intrigue, so I couldn’t wait to see what she had in store for us in her latest book, ‘The Buried Crown.’ Last week I managed to carve out an hour of ‘me’ time and thought that I would just read a few chapters of this book but somehow the hours slipped by and I managed to read the entire book in one sitting. Ally has a real talent for transporting the reader back in time conjuring up a real sense of place and history and this thrilling adventure is pure escapism at it’s very best.
It’s World War Two and orphan George has been evacuated to the country while his brother, Charlie trains to be a pilot nearby. Charlie thinks he is keeping George safe by taking him away from London but unfortunately he places him with Jarvis, a cruel man who beats and starves him, making his life a total misery. In a bid to escape George crosses path with Kitty, who has been sent away from Nazi persecution on the Kindertransport initiative to stay with her Jewish archaeologist grandfather. Unwittingly they find themselves flung into a dark and dangerous world when they discover an Anglo-Saxon crown that is being desperately sought by Hitler’s treasure hunters. Can they protect the crown and save their country before it’s too late?
Ally captures brilliantly the pain, confusion and feeling of loss that children felt caught up in this terrible war when they were evacuated for their own protection, taken away from the only life they have ever known. George and Kitty have experienced the most horrific of losses but they refuse to be downtrodden and give up hope, they fight for what they believe in even if it means they risk losing everything. She seamlessly mixes real life with a sprinkle of fantasy allowing the reader to feel the possibility that this could actually have happened making the story even more compelling. Wonderfully characterisation meets marvellous storytelling in this brilliant adventure that will totally capture your imagination.
Thank you to Chicken House for sending me a copy of this brilliant book, ‘The Buried Crown,’ is available to buy now online or from any good bookshop.
bookloverjo 