Legend Of The Lost by Ian P Buckingham Young Fiction Review Age 9+ ( Sent by Book Guild)

Legend Of The Lost is Ian P Buckingham's debut children's book and it's a fantasy adventure story which is suitable for confident young readers aged around 9+ to teen. Set in a crossover world which is part Cornwall, part enchanted forest and part seashore, it pulls together all kinds of mystical folk in a way makes them seem highly likely to actually exist.

The book focusses on two families. One family live in local woodland and the others are staying at their holiday cottage. The holidaymakers discover a beautiful Moonstone and once it's no longer hidden they are thrown into a world of magic and mystery, with a more than a little mild peril.

The writing style is clear and easy enough for a 9 year old, but the first 1/3 of the book introduces a lot of new characters and darts to and fro between them, so to follow the events as they unfold, you need to be a fairly confident reader. Once the two families are established, as well as the friends and cohort they team up with, the real story flows well and has an increasing pace as everything, or everyone, begins to come closer together.

Throughout the book you know that something big is going to happen, but can't quite put your finger on what it's going to be. The description of mystical folk and their abilities is underplayed and that gives it more of a realism somehow. You just accept who can fly, or transform, and learn more alongside some of the characters as they are pushed to their limits and discover what they are really capable of.

It's worth carrying on if you find the beginning tricky to get into, and may help newer readers to jot a few notes to remind yourself who is who and where they fall into place. There is a heck of a lot crammed into one book.

The eponymous 'Legend Of The Lost' is a story within this story, of a family shipwrecked and lost off the coast of Cornwall, near Moushole. The tale is vague although it's understood that the local villagers did not come to their aid and in fact may have been the reason they were in the water. No-one is entirely sure it's a true story, at first.

There is genuine peril throughout and characters find out that they or others are not who they appeared to be. There are battles and losses, and some well-depicted fight scenes. The entire book reminds me a little of the Narnia books, and will be enjoyed by children who like to read fantasy fiction such as C.S Lewis or Lord Of The Rings.

The climactic ending has a great pace and really heads for a crescendo, with the jigsaw pieces fitting into place. There are a couple of places where you have a bit of a 'Hollywood ending' scenario, but this is a children's book after all.

Legend Of The Lost is a good read for confident independent readers aged around 9+ who enjoy fairy folk, werewolves, fantasy and adventure. The modern setting of the story is accessible to readers and brings the fantasy to life, but the true pace of the book doesn't kick in until the second half.

Legend Of The Lost is written by Ian P Buckingham. Paperback, 218 pages and published by The Book Guild Publishing from, where you can buy direct rrp £7.99. Also available from all good book shops instore and online, including from Amazon.

We were sent our copy of Legend Of The Lost for review.