Yildaan: Our dreaming track by Uncle Bud Marshall with Yandaarra
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761181382. (Age:7+) Highly recommended.
Yildaan: Our dreaming track is a breathtaking and deeply meaningful picture book created by Uncle Bud Marshall, a respected Gumbaynggirr Elder, in collaboration with Yandaarra. With stunning artwork and photographs by Hannah Smith and Elaine Carmady, the book beautifully captures the spirit and stories of Gumbaynggirr Country, particularly around Nambucca Heads.
More than just a book, Yildaan: Our dreaming track is a cultural offering - a path for readers to walk alongside the Gumbaynggirr people and their Dreaming. Uncle Bud gently invites readers to listen carefully to Country, to feel the presence of ancestors and to understand that the land is not just something to use, but something to honour and live in harmony with.
One of the heart-warming stories shared is about Uncle Benjie and Aunty Bryne and their connection to buluunggal - a way of being that focuses on listening, observing and working with nature in a respectful, sustainable way. Their story, like much of the book, shows how traditional knowledge offers valuable insights into how we can live well and care for the Earth.
The book weaves together story, culture and place, encouraging readers of all ages to value Indigenous knowledge and the importance of community, cooperation and care for the environment. The combination of language, storytelling, art and photography makes Yildaan Our Dreaming Track not only informative but also inspiring.
Perfect for classrooms, libraries and families, Yildaan: Our dreaming track is an invitation to slow down, listen and learn from the wisdom of the land and its people. It’s a powerful celebration of Gumbaynggirr culture and a gentle call to walk together with respect and understanding.
All the ways to pray by Kathleen Kelly and Anne Ryan
Wild Dog Books, 2025. ISBN: 9781742036878. (Age:2-5) Recommended.
In a very simple way this charming book outlines all the uncomplicated ways that a child might pray. (Note: there are no references to a particular deity or religion in the book, it is very general in its focus.) With an adult leading the way, this book could be used in families, preschools and schools that are faith-based to introduce the youngest children to the ways and the places where they might pray and the topics that might inform their prayers. Text never exceeds a couple of sentences on a page so there is not a lot of listening required, and the images are important. The illustrations by Anne Ryan are simple and show scenarios that children will recognise from their own pre-school lives, and various cultures or backgrounds are implied in the depictions of children. Empathy, gratitude and hope are part of the prayer focus for an audience aged 2-5 years.
Themes Prayers, Young children, Empathy, Gratitude.
Carolyn Hull
The remarkable truths of Alfie Bains by Sarah Clutton
Allen and Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761471476. (Age:16+) Highly recommended.
A young boy rings the bell at an elderly woman’s house and in a serious tone tells her that he is her grandson, is in need of a family, and that once she gets over the shock she will probably like him, because he is a very interesting person. This is the beginning of Alfie’s quest to find out about a family he never knew existed. Overcoming his disappointment on realising that his mother has lied to him and his father is not an anonymous sperm donor with a PhD in astrophysics, but could actually be alive somewhere, his detective skills swing into action as ‘Operation Tadpole’, and he determines to solve the mystery.
Alfie Bains is a unique character; he is clearly neurodivergent, highly intelligent, and fascinated by science. He constantly astounds adults with his logical thinking and adult vocabulary. This makes for many amusing scenes, one of the most memorable being the child-friendly doctor doing a Donald Duck imitation only to be met with perplexed puzzlement by his more mature young patient.
Clutton writes some chapters from Alfie’s point of view, whilst others present the perspectives of various adults involved in the web of deception, and weaves a mix of episodes from the past and the present. Despite the young protagonist, this is not a YA novel; Clutton explores issues of control, deception, domestic violence, depression and regret, though not in a way that is overwhelming or disheartening. It is basically a mystery story; the pieces gradually coming together in a satisfying way, and with a lot of laughs along the way. Highly recommended.
In 1863, in Melbourne, there are not many options for a woman to make a living: servant, washerwoman, butcher’s assistant . . . as long as there is no NINA notice, 'No Irish Need Apply'. Women in the slums of the Little Lon district live in poverty often resorting to theft to survive. So when young Irish woman Johanna is offered work at Madame Laurent’s brothel Papillon, it is the chance to leave the grimy world of drudgery and enter a place of silks and satins, and laughter.
Madeleine Cleary has thoroughly researched the lives of people in the brothel district between Lonsdale Street and Little Lonsdale Street, after discovering a ‘notorious’ Cleary in her ancestry. Her novel revolves around three women, of different station: Catherine Laurent, the brothel owner, Johanna, a ‘dressed lady’, and Harriett, an aspiring journalist and sister to the magistrate William Gardiner. Their lives intersect as a killer roams the district.
Cleary’s novel is a murder mystery; the Butcher of Melbourne is reminiscent of Jack the Ripper of London, a serial killer who preyed on the prostitutes of the Whitechapel area. The Butcher, so named because of his skill with the knife, is accompanied by a clicking sound, and leaves his victims clean and well gowned, apart from the slash across their necks.
Our suspicions are aroused as to the killer’s identity early in the piece, but uncertainty keeps the reader absorbed as the chapters alternate between the stories of the three women. There is another marvellous woman, Mary, a woman who dons her husband’s constable uniform and patrols the dark backstreets. If you think this too far-fetched, amazingly truth is stranger than fiction, for Cleary discovered in the archives there actually was a woman dressed in her husband’s uniform, policing his beat. It is Mary who watches over the community and comes closest to discovering the murderer.
Having recently read Outrageous Fortunes (2025) a non-fiction account of a writer and female journalist of this period, the story of Harriett Gardiner also has the ring of authenticity, as a woman trying to carve a career in journalism, daring to write about the underworld of Melbourne society.
Madeleine Cleary is to be commended for bringing her research of the period and crafting a gripping tale that is situated in a historical reality that may be unfamiliar to many. It’s a thriller, and an informative insight into life in early Melbourne.
Themes Serial killer, Murder, Prostitution, Women, Melbourne.
It is Winston’s special day and so he dresses himself in his most special clothes, his yellow outfit which befit the thrill of the day. He walks down the street seeing many of his friends, and he asks them what is special about this day. They respond according to their own thoughts; for one it is special because he broke his favourite mug, for another it is Thursday, for another it is close to Christmas so he hurries off to wrap presents. Winston almost bumps into Miles who is acting most mysteriously. Together they hide behind a corner, then jump into a street bin to avoid being seen.
The pair hide themselves behind a lamp posts and hide in a cafe to watch what the other animals are up to. All the while Winston is trying to tell Miles why this day is special. Readers will be calling out what the day could be, attempting to stop Miles in his quest and listen to his friend. They avoid the other animals, then Miles decides they are too obvious in their clothes and so gets some new ones to make them fit into the street of people.
But Miles tell him that they are surrounded so they both climb a tree to make them look less obvious. At the top of the tree Miles tells Winston that the mission has succeeded and they shimmy down the tree to greet all their friends waiting for Winston to celebrate his special day together. Mission accomplished.
An unusual story about a celebration and one animal's anticipation of his special day.
Themes Celebration, Adventure, Friends.
Fran Knight
My cousins, my world by Sharara Attai & Michelle Pereira
Allen & Unwin, 2025. ISBN: 9781761180972. (Age:3+) Recommended.
A celebration of just how close the world’s people are is shown in this joy-full, colourful book exploring the links between all of us. Cousins can be quiet or loud, dark or fair, young or old, they can live nearby or far away. No matter where they live or how far away, when they get together, they have a wonderful time. Sometimes they go to the beach, sometimes they go camping, and sometimes seen singing or dancing. On birthdays some cousins can be there in person, at other times they can be there via the internet.
When visiting Abdul, the cousins eat kibbeh, while at Kimmy’s house they eat sushi, when more of the family come together for a celebration, they all eat a variety of things, sing and dance, watching the grown-ups drinking tea and exchanging stories.
Some cousins speak different languages, some cousins cannot visit for a long time, or are separated by a different time zone.But when they all meet again, it is as if nothing has changed, and the friendship is picked up again. Cousins are the first friends, the best friends, the friends that last a lifetime.
What a wonderfully joyous book to read with a class where family and relationships are being discussed. Children will love seeing the world wide spread of cousins, reflecting on their own cousins and relationships with their wider families. Boisterous, generous illustrations cover each page, reinforcing the idea of a world of cousins, with their differences shown; food, housing and costumes, which children will love to spot. Wherever they live, they are still cousins, a link which will last a lifetime.
After reading Winter’s Orbit I immediately picked up Ocean’s echo, a stand-alone space opera set in the same universe. Tennalhin Halkana is a rich tearaway, who is a Reader. Readers can read minds as well as having the ability to navigate chaotic space. When his aunt will no longer put up with his exploits, he is conscripted into the military to be placed under the control of Lieutenant Surit Yeni, a loyal soldier and the son of a notorious traitor general. Surit is an Architect who can influence minds and he is told to fully control Tennal by syncing with him. However Surit is principled and is unwilling to follow his orders when Tennal will not consent to them and together they fake a sync bond and plan Tennal’s escape. They are sent on a mission to salvage Remnants in chaotic space, where they uncover a conspiracy dating back to the neuromodifcation lab that Surit’s mother had tried to destroy. There are secrets and plots that will jeopardize their lives and test their loyalties.
Maxwell cleverly combines riveting action and the growing understanding between Tennal and Surit. Tennal is selfish and destructive, while Surit has a strict code of conduct and belief in justice. Gradually the pair begin to trust each other and together they face the possibility of a civil war where the use of Remnants enhance the ability to control minds and actions.
The themes of loyalty, justice, neuromodification, power mongering and space warfare result in an exciting feel-good reading experience for sci fi fans, while the slow burning romance will appeal to romance lovers.
Themes Psychic ability, Space flight, Space warfare, LGBTQI people.
Pat Pledger
Chihuly in the Botanic Garden by Chihuly Studio
Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium of South Australia, 2024. ISBN: 9781922027672. (Age:All) Highly recommended.
The full colour catalogue of Chihuly in the Botanic Garden is a beautiful memento of an absolutely stunning exhibition of glass sculptures by Seattle-based artist Dale Chihuly, held in the Adelaide Botanic Garden over a period of seven months. Photography by Nathaniel Wilson comprises full page coloured photographs of each installation in its garden setting frequently followed by close-up images showing all their amazing detail.
Drawing inspiration from nature, the glass sculptures in their Botanic setting both meld and contrast with the plants around them. Thus the red and orange of the ‘Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds’ is interspersed with the red of the kangaroo paw growing among the glass stalks; the golden 'Vivid Lime Icicle Tower' is in the centre of similarly hued spiked grasses and succulents; and the blue 'Walla Wallas' onion shapes float in and reflect the pond waters.
Featured on the cover, the most spectacular of all, is the purpose designed two-tier 'Glacier Ice and Lapis Chandelier' reflecting the blue glass facets of the heritage Palm House; the glasshouse to become its permanent home thanks to a generous philanthropic donation.
The catalogue presents the large-scale works in the landscape of the gardens, and smaller pieces within the rainforest setting of the Bicentennial Conservatory, photographed in natural daylight and also in their sparkling glory at night. Director of the Botanic Gardens, Michael Harvey describes the collaboration between the Chihuly Studio and the Adelaide Botanic Garden to find the unique context for each piece, ‘twin threads of art and nature’.
An essay by Tim Richardson describes the genesis of Dale Chihuly’s work from within glasshouses to outdoor exhibitions that evolve and extend the sculptural power of glass as a medium, complementing and collaborating with the landscape. The Adelaide exhibition is only the third outside the U.S., the first in the southern hemisphere. JamFactory Director Brian Parkes highlights the relevance of Adelaide as a major centre for glass art globally. If the Chihuly catalogue inspires and attracts more to explore this field of art, there is the JamFactory Glass Studio offering a training program and access to the glassblowing facility. Visitors can also view glassblowers at work, from a viewing platform.
This is not just an exhibition catalogue, it is a treasure of beauty and inspiration to explore again and again, and would be a worthy addition to a library’s art section, for readers to discover the imaginative possibilities of glass art.
Themes Glassblowing, Art, Nature, Sculpture, Plants in art, Gardens.
An ALA Alex Award (2022) winner, Winter’s orbit is an engrossing space opera that is a feel-good read. When Prince Taam dies in a space shuttle accident, the Iskat Emperor considers that it is imperative that his widower Jainan from the planet Thea, is married immediately to keep relations stable. Prince Kiem, a disreputable cousin is chosen but when it appears that Prince Taam’s death may have been murder, the pair must join forces to uncover secrets that could lead to an interplanetary war.
First published on Archive of Our Own (AO3), a place for fanfiction and other fanworks, Winter’s Orbit was taken up by traditional publishing. It ticks all the boxes for readers of science fiction and those who like a slow burning romance mixed with inter-planetary relations. The world building is fascinating and the politics involving the planets is riveting. When Prince Kiem finds out that Jainan is being investigated for the murder of Taam, he must begin to leave his careless lifestyle and use his contacts and confidence to find out what is happening. There are some very exciting moments as the pair trace clues to Taam’s actions with the Kingfisher mining project and the reader will be compelled to quickly finish the book to find out what has happened.
In the interview at the end of the book, Maxwell cites Lois McMaster Bujold (Vorkosigan saga) and Ann Leckie (Ancillary Justice) as influences, and readers may enjoy books by both those authors.
Readers who want a satisfying, easy to read book about space politics, action and romance will not be disappointed. I immediately went on to read Ocean’s echo, also set in the same world.
Themes Same sex marriage, Murder, Loyalty, Space warfare.
Pat Pledger
Me and you by Ellie Royce & Penelope Pratley
Ford Street Publishing, 2025. ISBN: 9781922696502. (Age:3+)
A wonderfully playful story of a child and her Gran, getting up, getting ready for the day and being together.
When the child gets out of bed she is ready to go, and this contrasts with her Gran who takes a little longer. The young one is full of bounce, while Gran creaks her way to the bathroom.
With backpacks on, the pair is ready to roll.They go to the beach, chase the seagulls, wade in the shallows, then find the ice cream van. Each shared event brings the pair closer as they see that they love the same things. They dance to the music played by the buskers, and shortly head for home, both needing a nap.
After the nap, they work in the garden, the child helping Gran with digging and planting. A quiet time follows with Gran reading some stories, followed by bedtime, the child asking Gran to hold her hand as she goes to sleep. Gran responds, ‘if you will hold mine’.
This charming circular story has a child and her Gran both at different stages of life, coming together through things they do together. Gran takes the child to the beach sharing lots of activities, and growing closer as a result. The share things they like and are worried by, they share silly moments when they both drop ice cream on their shirts, and share holding hands as the child goes to sleep.
The watercolour and pencil illustrations form a warm, inviting background to the story. Young readers will love looking at the activities the pair does, comparing the child’s time with her Gran with their own. The playful illustrations reflect the emphasis on family that flows from the text, inviting a warm response from readers as they see a multi generation interaction. Gran is shown as an older woman working with her grandchild, in doing things the pair can do together. They both share quiet times and at bedtime share the best of all things, holding hands as the child sleeps.
How do you write a picture book about war that exposes young children to the unknown stories of their grandparents’ lives, gives information that can be easily absorbed and at the same time provide a rush of pride in the ceremony of Anzac Day. Phil Cummings has shown that he is a master of this genre, with Anzac biscuits (2013) and Ride, Ricardo, ride (2015) showcasing children touched by war in widely different circumstances.
And this book strengthens his reputation, using an old man’s hat to unlock memories that have lain dormant. Just as in Newspaper hats (2015) where a hat helps recall memories in a nursing home, this one enables the grandfather to recall things that he was part of sixty years ago.
Hiding in Grandpa’s wardrobe, Mitch finds an old hat. Tumbling out of the wardrobe parallels the grandfather, now pictured as a young man, hiding in the jungles in Vietnam, and from this page on the words and actions of the children on one side of the page complement the actions of the soldiers on the facing page.
This way of showing the war and Grandpa’s involvement, gives it a more personal feel for young readers, while the illustrations by Jennifer Goldsmith are amazingly detailed in their imagery of the man’s farm and his time in war.
Showing their find to Grandpa, unlocks memories of his time in Vietnam: going on patrol, walking carefully through the jungle, helping his mates, waiting for a chopper, losing his hat, looking down from the chopper at the jungle below.
The watercolour illustrations bring the children and their grandfather to life. Smiles radiate from the faces, arms hold the children to the old man's chest as he remembers his youth glancing back over his shoulder at the choppers in the sky.
The movement achieved with the watercolour medium is spectacular. The wind whips up the leaves on the farm, swirling around the children’s feet, while in Vietnam, the choppers cause mayhem as the men's clothes and foliage are picked up as the blades rotate. The soft images of the old man and the children are admirable, and bear closer inspection, particularly on the second last double page of the story which shows the march along the main street, Grandfather with his old mates, his family (watch out for the dog) looking on.
Over the page can be seen a meal with the family and an outline of facts about the Australian soldiers’ hats.
This is a most satisfying picture book about war. It begins and ends with the family, the children now more aware of their Grandfather’s time in Vietnam, he supported by his old friends and the stories they share together.
Themes War, Vietnam War, Families, Grandchildren and grandparents, Memory, Anzac Day.
Fran Knight
Blood and fury by Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland
Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland are both New York Times bestselling authors of multiple Star Wars stories and YA SFF books. They have effectively combined their talents to write the duology Chaos and Flame and Blood and Fury. Chaos and Flame (2023) is the first book in this "ferocious" YA fantasy duology. Blood and Fury, the sequel, is a challenge to read as a stand-alone novel but once the reader sorts the complexities of the fantastic world and creatures that Gratton and Ireland have built, the effort is worthwhile.
The novel begins with a preface which introduces the villain of the story, Aurora, second scion of House Cockatrice. In the introduction, Aurora is eleven-years-old, living in the Dragon Castle and unloved. She is drawn to a room under the castle, where she discovers an old journal belonging to "the blood" which will give her the strength to leash and crush Chaos and have power instead of love. The story then leaps ahead thirty years where the results of this unleashing of blood magic has caused catastrophe in the Kingdom of Pyrlanum. The first section of the book is entitled "Blood" and the second is "Fury". The chapters throughout the entire book alternate between the point of view of Talon Goldhoard, first scion of Dragon House, to that of Darling Seabreak, as the two move from being enemies to allies. Darling is transformed into the legendary Phoenix and her destiny is to unite the fractured Houses of the land. Talon has the task of ending the war which his family began. They have to learn to recover from the betrayal that lies between them in order to unite to save the kingdom. The violence, the dark blood forces, are deep within his own House Dragon.
A glossary of mythical creatures, ancient military hardware etc. would be useful at the back of these books to aid the reader who is unversed in the medieval and ancient worlds. However what is complex and obscure for the uninitiated is fuel and fire for fantasy lovers. For fans of the Science fiction/fantasy (SFF), Blood and Fury may be relatively easy but for those unfamiliar, the story is initially difficult to follow because of the complexities of the concepts, terms, society and culture of the mythical kingdom of Pyrlanum that Gratton and Ireland have built. Once the code is untangled there is great satisfaction in the logic of the structure within the political and military structure of the kingdom and the Houses. The colourful and complicated system of governing scions, with their regents, empyreals and armies will be disbanded as a future that looks more like a democracy with elected leaders is brought in.
Despite the military interest (albeit a very mythical and mystical form of military) and the bloody violence of the clashes between good and evil, there is a tenderness and gentleness in most of the major characters. There is romance, loyalty and betrayal and lovely relationships between war princes and their "war drakes" which are reminiscent of the relationship between cavalry and their steeds. The strangeness of the whole landscape and pageant of castles, soldiers and mythical creatures would make a visually stunning screen adaptation or a challenge and delight for the artist.
Chaos and Flame is indeed a challenging and engaging ride into a "ferocious" fantasy and ancient magical world resplendent with wonderful transforming mythical creatures and strong and engaging characters. The duology is recommended as a powerful SFF read - dramatic visually and action-wise.
Themes Mythical beasts, Ancient fantasy kingdoms, Love, Betrayal, Political intrigue, Magic.
Wendy Jeffrey
Outrageous Fortunes by Megan Brown and Lucy Sussex
La Trobe University Press, 2025. ISBN: 9781760645052. (Age:Adult)
Who knows the identity of the first female author of a detective series, years before Conan Doyle’s ‘Sherlock Holmes’? It is an Australian woman, Mary Helena Fortune, author of The Detective’s Album, in 1871. As was the case with many female authors of those times, she wrote under her initials or pseudonyms such as Waif Wander, Nessuno (nobody), or Nemia. And it is only through the extensive detective work of the two researchers, Megan Brown and Lucy Sussex, that the full extent of her prolific writing output has been uncovered.
As the onetime wife of a policeman, then as the mother of a young criminal, and perhaps even as an informer herself, Mary Fortune had insight into the criminal underworld, a world that would become a mine of stories to be told in her detective series and her newspaper articles. She dared to write stories of murder, rape, assault and armed robbery, in published serial chapters, short stories and articles, which captured the attention of colonial-era Australia. In her ‘Ladies Column’ for 'The Herald', she dared to describe her visit to Pentridge prison, disguising the fact she was visiting her own son, for George had led a life of recidivism, from one crime to another. Mary Fortune herself led a colourful life, as bigamist, flaneuse, and drunkard, an independent woman who crafted stories, often autobiographical, that captured the attention of her readership.
If it were not for the persistent research of Brown and Sussex, Mary Fortune’s life and that of her son George, the other outrageous Fortune, would have disappeared from memory. The extracts from Mary’s writing that are included in this book, reveal a competent and entertaining writer, that readers might like to discover further. Happily some of her stories have been collected in a NewSouth publication Nothing but murders and bloodshed and hanging (2025) also collated by Brown and Sussex.
Written with a poetic touch, this short novelette tells the story of a blackbird and his family and their encounter with a cuckoo. The blackbird is known for his appealing call; the cuckoo known for her heartless abuse. In this short story the wind is also given a voice and an all-seeing perspective, looking out over the blackbird’s family (with its interloper offspring). With a little bit of heartache and the tenderness of family connection, this is a simple tale set within an English woodland that is home for many innocent creatures (excepting the cuckoo and the fox).
The poetic style for this story creates an almost lyrical feeling and the author who writes as a Blackbird (a pen name), gives a gentle telling of the natural world. More a fantasy tale than an environmental revelation, the story has a gentle quality with a hint of the compassion and tenderness of the Blackbird family - an example of literary personification. For those who enjoy short stories and also love poetic play or portraiture with language, this is a quick and enjoyable reading journey. Suitable for 10–14 year-olds looking at the short story genre or for others who just love language used well. It is published in pocket sized format, so could easily fly as a gift with the benefit of the postal service.
Themes Birds - Blackbirds and Cuckoos, England, Family, Short stories.
Royal Heirs Academy by Lindsey Duga is a highly entertaining and engaging YA fraternity/sororiety campus novel that takes the reader into the grubby world of a finishing school for the world's ultra rich and powerful elite. After being enmeshed in the battles and intrigues of four teenagers who must navigate the world of the elite finishing school (Almus Terra Academy) and who are pitted against each other to be the next successor of the Kingdom of Ashland, the reader is left with a bad taste in the mouth when it comes to contemplating the back room power games and intrigues that go on in the real world of power politics on a world scale.
King Leander Eldana of Ashland has organised for his heirs to be brought up out of the public eye. Each of the first four chapters of the novel introduce the reader to the four contenders for inheritance. Alaric has grown up surviving with his fists in the streets of Dublin; a supposed orphan in government care. Emmeline, has grown up, extremely wealthy but unloved in the care of body guards and paid companions whose sole purpose was to train her for successful entrance to Almus Terra Academy. Titus had always known that he would inherit the crown and his parents have actively trained him for it. Sadie, on the otherhand, is a commoner, a citizen of Ashland and the highly intelligent winner of a scholarship.
Almus Terra Academy is the setting for Royal Heirs Academy. Duga has modelled Almus Terra Academy on a real finishing school for the children of royalty and the global elite (UWC of the Atlantic) which is located at the 12th century St. Donat's Castle in Glamorgan, South Wales. Being a campus novel, set in surroundings of medieval splendour and being concerned with aspiration, intrigue and rivalry, Royal Heirs Academy, shares similarities with the Harry Potter series set in the fictional Hogwart Castle and other campus novels including The secret history by Donna Tart set in the fictional, elite Hampden College in Vermont and The princess diaries series by Meg Cabot set in the fictional Einstein High School in New York City. Royal Heirs Academy is set very much in contemporary times with current world issues being very much the concern of the students.
It is uncertain what King Leander is looking for in his heir. All four young people have different strengths and frailties. Some are more likeable than others; some are more manipulative than others. Certainly the characters are well rounded, built in relation to each other and through their actions, mirroring what is right and wrong with society and politics. Issues like living with chronic illness and race representation are subtly nuanced. The reader becomes invested in each of the characters and expectant of certain outcomes. Is this going to be a rags-to-riches story? Will King Leander be more interested in an heir who can nastily manipulate and play underhand terrible games, or in one who has the common people behind them? Will the crown go to a commoner or one born and bred to be a successor? The answer is a surprise. There is a twist and then another.
Royal Heirs Academy is a wild ride - unputdownable! It is a great piece of escapism to read about an exclusive campus which is beyond the reach of ordinary people-a school that is set apart to cater for the world's future leaders so that they can network and train for leadership of multinational companies and government in the contemporary world. The alliances, betrayals, romances, secrets and drama make for riveting reading.
Themes Royalty, Politics, Succession, Romance, Wealth, Entitlement, Campus life.
