The second instalment in the fairy-filled Thirteen Treasures trilogy, full of fairies, magic and pure adventure from Waterstones Children's Book Prize winner Michelle Harrison.
When fairies stole her brother, Red vowed to get him back. Now trapped in the fairy realm, she begs an audience with the fairy court where she strikes a bargain. Her brother will be returned – but only if she can find the thirteen charms of Tanya's bracelet that have been scattered in the human world. Returning to Elvesden Manor, Red is assisted by Tanya and Fabian and a desperate hunt begins.
Soon they make a shocking discovery. The charms now have twisted qualities of the thirteen treasures they represent – the thirteen treasures have now become the thirteen curses. The longer they are missing, the worse the consequences will be.
Can Red, Tanya and Fabian find all the charms? And even if they do, will the fairies keep their promise?
The perfect series for fans of Katherine Rundell and Sophie Anderson!
Praise for Michelle Harrison:
'Harrison has a knack for creating stories so engrossing you won’t notice when the sun begins to rise and you are still reading' Waterstones Books Quarterly
'BRILLIANT' Emma Carroll, author of Letters From The Lighthouse, on A Pinch of Magic
'Simply phenomenal!' Sophie Anderson, author of The House With Chicken Legs, on A Pinch of Magic
'I was utterly captivated by the Widdershins sisters' Lisa Thompson, author of The Goldfish Boy, on A Pinch of Magic
‘A fabulous magical adventure’ Sunday Express, on A Pinch of Magic
‘Fantasy and adventure appear on every page of this spellbinding tale’ Daily Mail, on A Pinch of Magic
'The Thirteen Treasures boils with the kind of fairy that is far worse than Puck... what could be more cheering to curl up with.' Amanda Craig, The Times, on the Thirteen Treasures series
'Flows with energy from page to page with a magical enchanting story which kept me gripped… it's a little treasure and the first of many I hope.' Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books, on the Thirteen Treasures series
'This is an unmissable treat. Combining the faery of Spiderwick with a truly nail-biting thriller, this is first rate entertainment for children (and adults)' Books Monthly.co.uk, on the Thirteen Treasures series
'The Thirteen Curses is so hard to put down it's almost impossible' Wondrous Reads, on The Thirteen Curses
The first book in this trilogy was all about Tanya. This book centers on Rowan, the girl we met previously who goes by the name of Red. Her brother was stolen by faeries and she is determined to get him back.
I love that the faerie lore we learn in these books follows the traditional lore I've read in myths and legends.
The fae shown in the books are mischievous and dark, though not so evil or twisted as to make it an unsuitable read for children. There are a variety of fae described in the books, not just the standard few that most fantasy books seem to use. And all of them are described well enough, that you can tell what kind of fae they are. Even when they don't have more than a passing reference.
Having to search for the 13 Treasures was a neat plot twist. It didn't happen until almost 3/4th of the way through the book however. And because of that, it felt almost too easy. Everything fell into place so quickly and easily, I kept waiting for the shoe to drop.
Warwick has a larger part in this book, we get to see more of his personality. And that helped me to like him more. I'm really looking forward to reading the last book, since these first two have been so good.
If you like stories with fae, and faerie lore, as well as interesting characters and plotlines, you need to give this trilogy a try.
