Hero Wanted!

What do we want?A HERO!When do we want them?NOW!Climb aboard and hold on super-tight to this epic roller coaster ride of a story!Catch your breath when you can, enjoy the laughs and find yourself in wide-eyed wonder, fearing you’ll never get to the end in one piece.10 STARS

Hero Wanted! is a fantastically fast-paced, wonderfully wacky adventure that completely captivated me as I followed a brilliant young hero through a madcap quest to save the people of Brokenshire from a war that is keeping them apart.Twelve-year-old Grace Parker is woken at midnight by a strange noise outside – a beautiful white horse eating the front hedge. Before she can take photographic evidence, her bedroom door flies open to admit a figure in bronze armour holding a sword. This figure, who just so happens to look very like Grace, gives her Swickstipe, her sword, and tells her that Grace must, as prophesied, now replace her as the fifteenth and final Grace and help the People of the Day win the Worthy War. She directs her to Wellingtonia, the horse eating her hedge, who take her to complete her quest.Why would a twelve-year-old with no sword skills whatsoever agree to undertake such a quest? Well, Grace has done something against her twin brother that she rather regrets and what better way to avoid your parents’ wrath than to leave a dying doppelganger in your place and go off to become a hero?It is not long before Wellingtonia has taken Grace through her dinner lady’s shed and into the county of Brokenshire … and so begins the most hilarious, action-packed and brilliantly zany adventure that is guaranteed to bring giggles galore and gasps of delight and shock as Grace and her sharp-tongued horse find themselves joined in their quest by a vegan T-Rex. Can Grace fulfil the prophecy and defeat the Fearsome Foe – just as soon as she discovers what it is! Can she learn the real reason for the hostilities between the People of the Day and the People of the Night? Be prepared for magic, mayhem, danger, a myriad of one-of-a-kind characters and unexpected revelations and happenings that kept me eagerly turning pages. Bomber geese, trigger wolves, sword-wielding dodos and venom goblins await in the pages of this absolute riot of an adventure … but who are allies and who foe?Grace makes a wonderful, if unexpected heroine. Whilst she makes mistakes and is rather clumsy, she is also resilient, curious, kind-hearted and courageous – definite hero qualities! She does not just accept her role as the saviour of one group, but questions how the war began and whether the prophecy is correct. There is also a wonderful message in the story about mutual respect and standing against prejudice.The full-and-partial-page illustrations are absolutely amazing and really complement the fun and energy of the adventure by bringing these brilliant characters to life through images as well as the words of the author.A terrifically fun quest adventure brimming with heart and humour, guaranteed to delight young readers of 8+.