Young adult
Nate is a young archaeologist who finds himself embroiled in an exciting and, at times, terrifying adventure involving smugglers, Vikings and treasure hunters. He comes face to face with a real 18th century revenue man and his betrothed, Dolly. They become entangled in a race to find a sacred sword and are beset by all kinds of difficulties – not least of all being catapulted between different times. They witness great events, including a horrifying Viking battle, strange discoveries in a graveyard and the mysterious appearance of John Stell, a scribe from Furness Abbey. These adventures take young readers on a rollercoaster ride through time as they pit their strength and skills against their enemies both in the distant past and Nate’s present. Furness Abbey is again revealed as a hub of spiritual energy and mystery, holding its secrets close. Nate experiences the loss of two important people in his life, but learns that the end is not always final. He is amazed when he meets them again, in different guises and situations. He soon learns that his adventure is closely connected with events in both his brother and his sister’s lives and the story ends with a cliffhanger and the tantalising prospect of further adventures to come...
Here's what readers have to say about this book....
Raven's Hoard is the second instalment in the Out of Time series written by Gill Jepson. After reading the first book, The Secret of the Swan, aloud as a family we were very much looking forward to continuing the story with Raven's Hoard. We were not disappointed! Told from the point of view of an older child gave this book a slightly different feel which kept the story fresh. We are introduced to new characters and new places while remaining in the original setting in and around the town of Barrow-in-Furness. There is plenty of history wound throughout the story and I even learnt some new things about the area in which I live! I particularly like the way that Gill Jepson writes her characters and in particular the children, these are characters which children can relate to, allowing them to place themselves within the story and experience all the more vividly. As a child I was a big fan of the Famous Five by Enid Blyton and reading these books takes me back to the way I felt reading those, full of mystery and adventure, albeit with less ginger beer and jam sandwiches! As well as being thoroughly entertaining these books give children a glimpse of the way things were in different periods in history, making them come alive in a way that a text book doesn't. We very much enjoyed Raven's Hoard and we can't wait to see where the story goes next!
A brilliant second book following up from the Secret of the Swan. The story is a fun adventure from the outset. I highly reccommend it to anyone.
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