I am so lucky to be on The Write Reads your for The Whistlers In The Dark by Victoria Williamson. I must say thank you to The Write Reads and Scotland Street Press for having me on the blog tour and sending me a copy of The Whistlers in the Dark to read and review.
Scotland, 158 AD, is a divided country. On one side of the Antonine Wall, thirteen-year-old Felix is trying to become a good Roman soldier like his father. On the other, twelve-year old Jinny is vowing revenge on the ‘metal men’ who have invaded her Damnonii tribe’s homeland. At the Damnonii’s sacred circle of standing stones, her planned attack on Felix goes badly wrong, awakening a legend that threatens to bring fire and destruction down on them all. Can Jinny and Felix overcome their differences and soothe the stones back to sleep before it’s too late?
Victoria Williamson is such a talented author. She can write books in different genres and smashes them! This is a historical fantasy middle-grade book. I was so intrigued by the fact it’s set in 158AD, Scotland!
I didn’t expect to fall head over heels in love with this book. The superb weaving of myths, folklore and history created a truly immersive and captivating story. The characters of Felix, Jinny, and Bram all had me in the palm of their hands. Each character is unique and refreshing. All with their personality and voice. Victoria Williamson has even given them their dialects, each one had me believing they had been raised Roman or Damnonii. This kept me firmly rooted in the world that she had created so well.
The three perspectives gave me a truly rounded view of the struggles the three children had. Seeing things from both sides showed me that this wasn’t as easy as they thought it would be. I was so invested in them throughout.
Jinny has a fire inside her that makes her need revenge for her tribe and nothing will stop her. Felix on the other hand is questioning everything. He doesn’t have a sense of belonging due to being half Roman and half Damnonii. He is a bit stuck in where his loyalties should lie. Then there is Bram, a boy who won’t let anyone stop him, no matter what’s happened.
The Whistlers In The Dark is more than a story of children. There are themes of friendship, loyalty, revenge, and grief. Victoria Williamson deals with them so well. Even Felix, not knowing where he feels he belongs but knows what the right thing to do is.
It’s not just a book for kids. It’s a book anyone of any age can enjoy, fully. I know I did at the grand age of 52! Victoria Williamson can not write a bad book, that’s for sure!
Author Bio
Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.
Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.
Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.
You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: http://www.strangelymagical.com
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