Published By: Macmillan Children’s Books
Pages: 288
Released On: 11/09/2025
Sim’s Uncle Emmett is missing and on the run from the ruthless Council of Keys. Sim and his cousin Jeopardy are determined to find him. Their search takes them through a hidden door in time to Viking Norway and a desperate mission across land and sea to stop the legendary Gjallarhorn – said to herald Ragnarök, the end of the world – from falling into the wrong hands.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Books for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I loved the first book in this series – Hunt For the Golden Scarab. This can be read as a standalone but I think you’ll probably get the most out of it if you’ve read the first one.
Whilst the first one is set in Ancient Egypt, this one is set in Viking times. Which is completely different; Leonard has managed to freshen it up, give us something new but always pushing th boundaries and giving the story a new lease of life.
We’ve got the characters we met in the first one that are instantly familiar, but then we get introduced to new players who are equally as interesting to read about, even if they’re not always nice.
I think I liked the first one a smidgen more but that’s because I’m more fascinated in Ancient Egypt than I am Vikings, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it.
As with the first one, I think it would really start an interest in younger readers. History can get quite dry, but by introducing them to it through a medium like this, it can peak an interest going ward.
This is only book two but she has shown her talent in writing age-appropriate but exciting mystery stories. The next one is out early 2026 and is called The Impossible Gladiator, and I am hoping she makes it a longer series.
Its fun and fast paced, tense and emotional, exciting and hopeful. And just really enjoyable.
Books By Your Bedside 