The themes of race and class also weave through the novel providing stimulating points for discussion as the action unfolds from the perspective of the two young protagonists. A London where magic sparks just beneath the surface - this book is set to ignite young imaginations.

When Zahra accidentally swaps suitcases with a witch, she experiences a weekend of magical surprises, helping her to overcome her fears and form new friendships. The climax of this was super enthralling too, and I’m most definitely going to be continuing in the series. The characters in this are just *chef’s kiss* and at one point I had to swear at the book because I was so shocked. Marisee and Robert are the Elemental Detectives chasing the clues to avoid catastrophe: they must face the ghosts of Hyde Park, the monstrous coiled snake of the Serpentine, and a whole host of other fantastical creatures in their mission to stop the Shepherdess and prevent London slumbering for all eternity.The characters were a compelling duo to carry the book – Marisee as the optimist and Robert as the jaded one. A wonderfully busy cast of characters include the Cursing Boar of Fleet Ditch, versed in 83 languages (learn your London Horse! Robert and Marisee were great main characters, and their journey trying to wake London from a Sleeping Beauty-esque curse by finding her missing Grandma was compelling. Kelly's particular interest in language acquisition and vocabulary development has led to the publication of her first book, Word Power: Amplifiying vocabulary instruction (2019) - full of ideas for building a language-rich environment and top tips to Power-Up explicit vocabulary instruction.

It explores themes of social injustice, such as slavery and poverty, with a clear eye, while the character twists and turns will keep the reader hooked. Additionally, historical events could be explored with alternative narratives, challenging children to explain the cause of the events by using the Elemental spirits as the catalyst of disaster – Dragons (fire), Fumis (air), Chads (water), Magogs (earth). I'm disappointed, because a magical story set in historical London should have been right up my street. The mystery of what’s going on and who’s behind the sleeping sickness was a good one, with a satisfying villain. This book is a must read (or listen, I loved the audio book) and I'll be working my way through the author's cataloogue.

This book is very similar to Lair of Dreams, so fans of that book should enjoy seeing the action moved across the Atlantic and further into the past. There's a promising book hidden in here somewhere, but there are so many characters and plot points and places all thrown at you in the space of just a few pages that the story feels cluttered. And, finally our heroes: Marisse and Robert, the latter based on the real life 18th century teenager, Jonathan Strong, a significant name in UK Black History which should be shouted much louder. I really couldn’t put it down” Reya, The Week Junior’s Summer of Reading 2023 “I loved reading about a re-imagining of London with so much invention and energy.

When he helps Marisee escape some attacking sleepers, he discovers a world of Elemental spirits, serpents in the Serpentine and ghosts in Hyde Park. It follows Marisee and Robert who live in an alternate version of London where Elemental spirits linger, and a mysterious villain named the Shepherdess who is seemingly forcing most of the population into an eternal slumber. I wish the book would have focused on EITHER the elemental beasts OR the Ether OR the Shepherdess instead of putting it all in one book and seeing what sticks.Iconic monuments take on unexpected shape: Hyde Park gives up ghosts; the Serpentine really snaaaaaakes. Indigo Donut was shortlisted for the Bookseller YA Prize and the Carnegie Award, was Book of the Week in The Times, The Sunday Times and The Observer, and was one of The Times’ top children’s books in 2017. This book (and its characters) focuses strongly on the inequality of eighteenth-century society, and I was glad to see it.