This second fantasy adventure by wonderful wordsmith Nicola Davies is brimming with wisdom and heart. A prequel to The Song That Sings Us, and set in that same richly-imagined world, we follow young tiger cub Skrimsli on a perilous journey across mountains, deserts, and seas as he seeks to protect those he calls ‘kin’ from the war-mongering Automators and their divisive domination.
First and foremost, it is vulnerable little Owl that Skrimsli seeks to protect. This owl-faced freak-boy of a cruel circus, run by a man who evilly exploits his ability to share his thoughts with animals, has lived a lonely life far from his forest home.
Taunted and treated like an outsider, Owl’s self-esteem is even small than his stature, but his heart know no bounds. Owl nurtured Skrimsli as a tiny cub and this relationship, which unfolds beautifully over the course of the novel, is transformational for both characters.
Owl’s courage and sense of self grows not from having a tiger at his side, but from his love for this majestic creature. And while Skrimsli has little interest in the squabbles and machinations of humans, Owl is his compass when he lacks one of his own; a compass that will point the way to the sea he comes to love.
But first there are acrobat-assassins Listig and Spion to defeat, a battle arena to survive, and an army of Automators to discredit.
As well as the beautiful cover by Jackie Morris, which brings to life a story that is close to Owl’s heart about the tiger, the sturgeon and the owl who are keepers of an ancient forest, there is also a handy map of this vivid and varied terrains of the book.
I am in truly awe of Nicola’s ability to pull together the vastness of the this world and the characters that inhabit it – human and otherwise – into this tightly-woven, immersive adventure. So intertwined are the fates of a desert princess, a ship’s captain, a trick rider, a freak boy, Skrimsli and the other animals, that their coming together as the crew of a ship with a common goal feels satisfyingly right!
Owl says “Stories, even those that weren’t real, could make you see what was true.” And that is what Nicola Davies has done – this story tells many truths about human strengths and weaknesses, about greed and evil, and the overwhelming strength and courage that comes from all-conquering love and true caring and connection. I hope this important book will be read by many adults as well as children.
Check out the rest of the blog tour for some brilliant content by the author and fabulous reviews!
