Publication Date: 15 January 2026

The Blurb

After his dad’s boat crashes, Ed finds himself on a strange beach. He meets a girl – headstrong Steff – who doesn’t know where they are, either.

As Ed and Steff explore, they discover the deep lore of this new realm. They meet a pack of wolves with a secret and an armoured pangolin called Astolpho, who reveals the only way home involves a dragon who lives at the top of an impossibly tall, rocky spire . . .

The Review

Heart-pounding adventure meets a soul-searching quest in this breathtaking story that asks just how far you’d climb to find your way back home.

Ed and Steph’s immediate chemistry provides a wonderful anchor as the pair begin to navigate a world that feels both eerily unfamiliar,  vibrantly alive, and deadly dangerous.

As the duo pushes further into the heart of this new realm, the world-building begins to shine with a truly impressive depth. This isn’t just a surface-level fantasy; there is a rich, ancient lore tucked away in every corner of the landscape. My favourite discovery has to be the pack of wolves guarding a rather delicious secret, not to mention Astolpho, an armoured pangolin who quickly stole my heart. It is Astolpho who eventually delivers the daunting news that their only ticket home involves a dragon perched atop an impossibly tall, rocky spire. The stakes are high, the climb is treacherous, and the emotional payoff is nothing short of breathtaking.

We discover that the realm they are fighting though is a liminal space for those caught between life and death, where every action and choice has consequences, which lends the story a weight that lingers long after the final page is turned. Ed and Steff’s journey invites a fascinating debate on the value of struggle and the persistence of the human spirit when faced with the unknown. By framing their survival not just as a physical feat, but as a choice to reclaim their place in the world, Tom manages to explore complex themes of mortality and hope with a lightness of touch that is perfectly pitched for younger readers.

I loved the way Tom seamlessly blends traditional fantasy tropes with humour and startling originality. He has crafted a deliciously original odyssey that sits right in that magical, murky space between heartbeat and ghost story, proving that the greatest adventures are often the ones that lead us back to ourselves.

If you’re looking for a quest that feels genuinely fresh while still hitting those classic adventure beats, you’ll want to bump this to the very top of your reading pile immediately.

Great for fans of:

• The Lovely Dark by Matthew Fox
• There May Be A Castle by Piers Torday
• The Ash House by Angharad Walker

Huge thanks to David Fickling Books for sending me a finished copy.