Loved it! 😍

" ...delightful, highly skilled blend of history, mystery, intrigue and suspense. Kudos!"

"...fascinating facts and nuggets about the natural world..."

"...I can't wait for the Summer edition! Cheers enoo!"

Noo den and all aboard for intrigue, mystery, high adventure and Vikings in this eminently enjoyable and highly readable fiction tome by S.J. Barratt. Picking up where Living at the Edge of the World: Winter left off, the "Spring" edition of adventures with twelve year-old twins Tim and Tabitha Brown rims with wit, warmth, and whimsy.

When last seen, the dynamic duo of Tim and Tabitha had been sent to the remote Shetland Island of Papala, aka The Bird Island, when their parents left for a trip around the world. In the care of their Great Uncle Tamhas, the twins discover courage, friendship, and how to embrace the new and unfamiliar. The latter includes their new friends Fenella and Omar. The twins also discover Shetlandic, the local dialect. Readers get some help from a Shetlandic glossary.

Although resistant to their new life on the island at first, Timothy and Tabitha soon adjust. In fact, they grow to love island life and their new friends so much, they don't want to leave and return to London as the school year winds down. Besides. Where else can they learn to croft? Cut and dry peat slabs for the fire. Shear sheep. See lambing. Find ponies, blanket bogs, and conduct Tim's "soil experiment." Or watch the birth of a new filly, Zahra, who heralds the start of spring on the island. Tabitha records it all on TikSnap and her social media platform, #Living@The Edge.

The twins soon stumble into more than bogs and soil experiments when they find an ancient helmet. A really ancient helmet. Could it be Viking? There's also an old leather journal with a map of the island. Is there more to the legend of the Vikings and the Giant than meets the eye? Meanwhile, two treasure hunters up to no good suddenly appear, and... Oh, wait. You'll have to read the book yourself to find out what happens next.

Scene stealer(s): Wiz, Fenella's loyal sheepdog. And the cover art! Way cool!

This book is Too. Much. Fun! The action skims along briskly and is buoyed by pitch-perfect pacing. Each chapter brims with rich descriptions of the landscape, credible dialogue and well-rounded, three-dimensional characters. The writing has a warm, cozy feel to it. The kind of voice that makes you want to grab this book and a hot cuppa and curl up in front of the fireplace or furnace. (Now would be good. Just sayin'.)

The story is filled with fascinating facts and nuggets about the natural world in Papala. Local flora and fauna. The Brethren Stones. Seed bombs. Archaeology. Trows. (You'll get that if you read the book.) Orcas. Animals. Dancing. History, mystery, intrigue and suspense. Conservation. Outdoor adventures. Tradition. Culture. Mists as thick as peanut butter. Local myths and legends are cleverly tucked into the twins' adventures. There's also maalies (you sooo don't want to mess with these birds. And that's all I'm going to say about that.) Lots more!

The target audience of middle grade readers will surely enjoy this captivating blend of "murmuring tales of forgotten legends" and "enigmatic riddles waiting to be unraveled." Oh yeah.

I can't wait for the Summer edition! Cheers enoo!

My rating: 4.5/5

Reviewed by Reedsy Discovery, Kristine L.