Synopsis: The heir of Mistmantle is missing – kidnapped by her nurse who remembers only the horror of the time when flawed children were killed.

Review: This is the third in a trilogy called the Mistmantle Chronicles. Reminiscent of the Brian Jacques Redwall series, the series is set on an island inhabited by squirrels, moles, otters and hedgehogs and surrounded by mist. The kidnapping of Catkin, the heir, is closely followed by the coming of a sickness that kills the animals it infects. Faced with these two disasters, the subjects of Mistmantle begin to turn against their King Crispin and his queen and to fear that the former dictator Captain Husk has returned from death and is behind all the evil. Once again Urchin is at the centre of the action as he, with his friends Needle, Sepia, Fingal and Juniper save the island from contaminated water, the people from disease and rescue the heir. Juniper suffers the most as he discovers the terrible secret of his paternity and the truth about the death of Captain Husk. This is an easy and engaging read. Although the characterisation is fairly predictable and the plot is basic, there is some excitement which generates a desire to find out what happens next. There are also some surprisingly moving moments, although the “spiritual” musings are a little saccharine for this reader’s tastes. Of course, there is then the problem of visualising squirrels wearing crowns and carrying swords but this may just be personal prejudice! A rather fun read on the whole.