Heroes of the Valley

Description

Blood feuds, epic battles and a undersized hero come together in this brilliant fantasy adventure from the author of the bestselling Bartimaeus trilogy. Listen then, and I'll tell you again of the Battle of the Rock. But none of your usual wriggling, or I'll stop before I've begun . . . Halli loves the old stories from when the valley was a wild and dangerous place - when the twelve legendary heroes stood together to defeat the ancient enemy, the bloodthirsty Trows. Halli longs for adventure but these days the most dangerous thing in the valley is boredom. He tries to liven things up by playing practical jokes. But when one of his jokes goes too far, he reawakens an old blood feud and finds himself on a hero's quest after all. Along the way he meets a ruthless thief, a murderous rival, and a girl who may just be as fearless as he is . . . Jonathan Stroud has created an epic saga with a funny, unique spin, and an unforgettable anti-hero.

Jonathan Stroud was born in Bedford in 1970. After studying English Literature at York University, he moved to London, where he worked as an editor at a publishing firm. He is the author of the best-selling Bartimaeus sequence, which is published in 35 languages and has sold 6 million copies worldwide; the much-beloved Lockwood & Co. series (soon to be a major Netflix series) as well as The Notorious Scarlett & Browne; Heroes of the Valley; The Last Seige; The Leap and Buried Fire. He lives in Hertfordshire with his family. He has yet to see a ghost, but is keeping his eyes open.

Written out of a deeply felt world and with a taut, disciplined voice that knows its Sir Gawain and the Green Knight as well as its Harry Potter, Jonathan Stroud's new book is, quite simply, stunning * Guardian * This is a real treat that will have children of 10 and over seeking out Stroud's other novels -- Toby Clements * Daily Telegraph * As always, Stroud writes like a dream, passing from instant amusement to a sense of real suspense with apparent ease. Those who eagerly awaited this next novel after his super Bartimaeus trilogy will not be disappointed * Books for Keeps * It is certainly an action adventure but the great fight scenes are tempered by humour and humanity and for that reason, although an excellent read for boys, it will be read by adventurous girls too * Carousel * The language is equisite in places and landscape is brilliantly evoked throughout the story -- Rachel Bowler * School Library Association *