Flaxseed, or Flax as her friends call her, lives in the Floating Forest. This forest is high above where we humans live, and if ever seen by us, looks like any other cloud in the sky. In fact it is full of magic, from the moss on the ground to the tips of its trees where creatures like Flax sleep.

Flax is a minch-wiggin, and a very special one at that. She has been tasked with keeping The Floating Forest and all its magical creatures safe from harm – especially dragons. She even has a grand title. Destroyer of Dragons and Protector of her People. Along with this title she was given a small sword and a bag full of magic by her dying grandfather. Flax wishes she didn’t have this responsibility but since there haven’t been any dragons seen for a very long time, she is okay with it.

Until there is.

A Spellhound pup is bolting from the forest at great speed when Flax first meets it. She knows Spellhounds are very important to The Floating Forest, because Grandpa told her so, but she’s not sure why.

This pup is frightened, and when he finally stops running he tells Flax that a dragon stole his parents! A dragon? In The Floating Forest? Flax does not like the sound of that, or what it might mean for her and her small sword. You see, Flax is tiny. We would call her something like a Pixie or Fairy. She sort of looks like a small bear who walks on two legs and has glow in the dark whiskers. So a dragon in the vicinity is bad news for Flax.

The Spellhound’s panicked escape has taken them far from The Floating Forest however, and Flax is worried. She wants to go home, but the pup has finally calmed down and wants the opposite. He wants to find his parents.

This is when the next important character of this magical tale enters the story. Rose is an unimportant fourth chamber maid, or that’s what she tells Flax and the Spellhound pup. She is actually the Queen of Hallow. But at only ten years old, she doesn’t have control over anything in her life.

All three have an important reason to find this dragon, so they reluctantly set off for where Rose believes it might live.

Spellhound – Dragons of Hallow is an entertaining read. Not only are we reading this magical, action adventure, we are part of it. The narrator, of whose surprising identity you will learn as you read, actually stops to talk to you, check in with you, or warn you of scary bits coming up.

This is a tale woven with many secrets. The characters all hold one close and the villains have their own. Each one is revealed as the plot unfurls, adding unexpected twists and more danger to this quest.

Having such a magical world such as The Floating Forest combine with our own, adds even more intrigue for both character and reader travelling through the story.

An engaging, fantastical read by an award winning and best selling author.

Author – Lian Tanner

Illustrator –

Age – 8+

(2023, Allen & Unwin, Magic, Courage, Action, Adventure, Animals, Dogs, Fantasy, Mystery, Secrets, Dragons, Quest, Villains, Brave, Escape, Shapeshifter, Lightning, Storms, Powers, Royalty, Queen, Greed, Control)