The Monster of Marnmouth Valley

I was one of the fortunate few to journey with Charlie during her progress with The Monster of Marnmouth Valley, and it’s safe to say it has come on leaps and bounds from the first version I read. I was beyond grateful to receive an ARC (advanced readers copy) of this story for free.Ellian is a plucky heroine, or is she? Desperate to take on the role of “adventurer”, she is initially gutted to learn that she will instead act as a “guide”, but she doesn’t let it stop her from beginning her journey with Blitz the trusty mule.Ellian’s first challenge, much to her shock, is to persuade the unlikely heroine, Beth, to accompany her. There’s a monster in Marnmouth Valley, which is wilting and falling into decay, and they have to rid the valley of it’s greedy ways. This tale is packed with whimsy and magic, including trees that talk, oh yes, the Whispering Elm leaves with their silver beauty caught my attention for sure. As well as the brilliantly named “oblitaberries” (a berry that wipes your memory, or brings it back... depending on the part you eat).There’s mystery as Beth learns of her forgotten past, intrigue as the mismatched duo come together to succeed, and danger as terrible creatures literally steal the breath from your lungs as you read.I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure, which I feel carries a theme of the current state of our own world, the wild being greedily stolen by a monster we all know - mankind. The twist at the end is fab, and something I didn’t see coming at all.I could go on, but you just have to pick it up and read it for yourself to truly enjoy the work that has gone into it by this fantastic author.

This book is full of suspense and keeps you wanting to read on to find out what happens next. I love that it demonstrates how the young and the old can work together.