Just Finished Reading: The Traitor’s Sword by Amanda Hemingway (FP: 2005)

After dreaming The Greenstone Grail back into the world Nathan Ward’s mother Annie had hoped that her teenage son’s adventures were over and that he could have a normal adolescence from then on. But it seems that his mind and a mysterious protector have other ideas. It would seem that the Grail was only the first piece in a million year old puzzle that must be collected and used to save a future universe hurtling towards destruction. The second piece, a legendary sword inhabited by an evil, lustful and vengeful spirit, must be found and returned to Earth for safekeeping. Nathan’s dreams lead him eventually to its resting place but before he can take it he must fight off a demon infesting the nearby swamps and somehow figure how to pick up a sword that kills anyone who has ever wielded it. If that wasn’t complicated enough the decaying city where the sword is hidden is controlled by a young princess who Nathan would do anything for whilst back on Earth his best friend Hazel has discovered that she has inherited her grandmothers abilities to conjure demons but has no idea how to control them…

This is the second book in the Sangreal Trilogy and, as much as I enjoyed the first book, I enjoyed this even more. It has a great cast of central characters – not least the teenager Nathan – that feel real, modern and slightly out of their depth, there’s lots of mystery only some of which is (often partially) explained throughout the book, there’s lots of pop culture references from the likes of Star Wars, Tolkien, Dr Who and Buffy which are fun to spot and a lovely ‘English’ feel to the whole thing. It’s probably aimed at the YA demographic but is adult enough for, well, adults to enjoy just as much. There’s plenty of peril – both mortal and spiritual – plenty of adventure, plenty of examples of people pushing their limits for good and evil reasons and plenty of lessons learned including the temperature you need to set your washing machine to if you want to remove demon slime from your sons clothing! It is, above all, a fun, fun read. I think that the author obviously had a lot of fun writing it and it comes across in the text. Not only do you often have your heart in your mouth when something wicked this way comes but you also find yourself with a smile/grin on your face as you turn the pages to find out what happens next. The world(s) the author has created already feel like home and it only takes me minutes to settle into the story and wrap it around me like a favourite jumper. Needless to say I’m really looking forward to the next and final instalment! Recommended for all fantasy fans.