Geomancer: The Ship of Strays

Exuding all the vibes of a bona fide modern fantasy classic, The Ship of Strays never strays from a path of wonder, enchantment and invention. * LoveReading4Kids *In the final part of the Geomancer fantasy trilogy, Ysolda has unlocked earth magic, and its powers are rising within her. With the help of a rebel princess, she sets out to race against the fearsome wolf queen. On their stormy journey over the sea, they face pirates and peril, and the future of the whole world is at stake * The Week Junior *The Ship of Strays is the third book in the Geomancer series and the final chapter of Ysolde’s story…The majority of the story takes place on the ship, and it is this claustrophobic atmosphere that lends much to the tensions of the book..the book picks up pace as it nears the end and the finale is breathtaking (literally). The cover and illustrations by Manuel Sumberac are eye catching and a lovely addition to the book. I always appreciate a book with a map too and frequently flicked to the inside cover to look at the journey the ship was taking…This felt like a very fitting end to a high octane and spectacular trilogy. * ReadingZone *If you were to ask an adult reader to name a classic fantasy series, I suspect many would name the Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia or Earthsea books but if you were to ask again, say, in 50 years from now, I think that the answer might well include the Geomancer trilogy. Full of magic, breathtakingly original and with a cast of characters that represents the very best and worst of humankind, it comprises a complex and rich trio of stories that not only have the power to enchant the reader but will - in the way that only the very best fantasy does - make the reader think about the big questions regarding existence and the links between all things…What really sets this trilogy apart from much of what is aimed at middle grade readers is the way in which the author speaks to her audience. Here, nothing is whitewashed as it might be elsewhere - there are tragic events, just as there are in real life, that will tug on readers’ heartstrings, and throughout the story there is much for readers to think upon and compare with the world that surrounds them. * Mrs Sydney’s Famous World’s Smallest Library (blog) *A finale to this epic series * Sifa Elizabeth Reads (blog) *In the third Geomancer story, Ysolda is racing against the fearsome wolf queen and faces a stormy journey while the future of the world is at stake * The Bookseller *This book is multi-faceted. It layers language; through the naming of places, storytelling and mythmaking, upon craftsmanship, allowing the threads of creativity and connection to inform the epic adventure and high seas drama…This book is recommended for age 9-11 and can equally be enjoyed by readers of all ages * Children’s Books Ireland *

Kiran Millwood Hargrave is an award-winning, bestselling novelist. Her debut story for children The Girl of Ink & Stars won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and the British Book Awards Children’s Book of the Year. Her work has been short- and long-listed for numerous major prizes including the Costa Award and the CILIP Carnegie Award, and her novel Julia and the Shark, illustrated by Tom de Freston, was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize and named Waterstones Children’s Gift of the Year. She’s a graduate of both Oxford and Cambridge Universities, and lives in Oxford with her husband and cats, in a house between a river and a forest.