Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Ltd

The Kingdom Over the Sea is an action-packed adventure story that is bound to grip and enthral many readers. After Yara’s mother dies, she discovers a letter with instructions to a magical off-the-map kingdom called Zehaira. Despite being a land of magicians and deep magic, all is not well in Zehaira as magic has been banned and the alchemists under the rule of the Sultan are devising a nefarious plan.

The story idea itself is unique, interesting and refreshing – I have not read a story of origin quite like it before. It was easy to picture the magical world of Zehaira and to see it come alive through the words on the page. It is a place that readers would want to visit! There are many interesting and relatable layers to the society of Zehaira – children could certainly use this world to discuss themes such as fairness, equality and justice. Zehaira would be a great example of a fantasy world that children could use as inspiration for writing their own stories similar to the genre.

The weaving of shimmering magical elements throughout the book is achieved most excitingly and adds an element of fun, but also danger. Seeing spells written in a poetic-like form and displayed in different fonts was a particular highlight of the book for me.

The characters in this book are likeable, relatable and diverse. The main character, Yara is a prime example of standing up for what you believe. This book was a really enjoyable read and is bound to be a huge hit in Year 6.