BLOG TOUR: Kittiwake Stormhaven and the Pirate's Portolano - Victoria Williamson

A daring mission, a sister turned pirate and a sea full of secrets…

In a world of water where land is a legend, 11-year-old Kittiwake Stormhaven dreams of adventure aboard the Amazon Princess. When a vital mission takes the ship into dangerous waters, Kittiwake discovers shocking news - her long-lost sister, Petrel, is now a feared pirate queen.

Kittiwake must outsmart pirates, outmanoeuvre storms and face ghostly captains to save her ship, her mischievous monkey Caboodle and her friends. But in a high-stakes showdown, family loyalty collides with survival, and Kittiwake learns the ocean hides more secrets than she ever imagined.

Kittiwake Stormhaven is a fast-paced, sea-swept adventure filled with daring rescues, thrilling discoveries and the magic of friendship.

 

What did I think?

Kittiwake Stormhaven and the Pirate’s Portolano may be aimed at ages 8 to 12 but I'm in my fifties and I loved it.  It is beautifully written by Victoria Williamson and accompanied by exquisite illustrations by James Brown.

I loved the all of the wonderfully drawn characters that were brought to life through the very descriptive and entertaining writing.  Kittiwake, her monkey Caboodle (Boo) and her very funny friend Scallion (Scally) who hilariously gets his words wrong were my favourites but I also loved her pirate sister Petrel and Madame Wurzelwick the cook.  With Kittiwake's sister and mother both being captains of their own ships, it's a very refreshing change to have females in a traditionally male-dominated role. 

Scally gives Kittiwake a pirate's portolano for her birthday which holds all the secrets to life as a pirate.  There are excerpts from the portolano throughout the book that makes the reader feel part of the story as well as being incredibly entertaining and imaginative.  When a sea-wide shortage of fuel leads the Amazon Princess into dangerous territory, the pirate's portolano comes in very useful in the race to locate more Marinium.

Very fast-paced and impossible to put down, Kittiwake Stormhaven and the Pirate’s Portolano is a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas filled with danger and skulduggery.  I enjoyed it so much that I plan to read it again and would highly recommend it to readers from 8 to 80.

I received a gifted paperback for The Write Reads blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

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UK.Bookshop.org

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About the author:

Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author from Glasgow, Scotland, who loved reading books and writing adventure stories from an early age. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK.

Her previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, War of the Wind, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, Norah’s Ark, The Whistlers in the Dark, Feast of Ashes, and Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs. Her books have won the RED Book Award 2024, YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023 and the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, and have been short-listed and long-listed for numerous other awards. War of the Wind and Norah’s Ark were also both nominated for the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medals.

Victoria writes and edits Key Stage 2 books for the education company Twinkl. She spends the rest of her time writing novels and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops. Her latest novel, Kittiwake Stormhaven and the Pirate’s Portolano, channels her love of pirates and swashbuckling adventure to create a steampunk world set on the seven seas, and is illustrated by the very talented James Brown.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com

Follow Victoria Williamson on:

X: @strangelymagic

Instagram: @strangelymagicalbooks

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BLOG TOUR: Eerie Exhibits - Victorial Williamson

Five unnerving tales of the weird and uncanny from award-winning author Victoria Williamson.

A room full of screaming butterflies.

An unsettling smile on the face of a carved sarcophagus.

A painting that draws its viewer into the disturbing past.

A stuffed bear that growls in the dead of night.

And a shell that whispers more sinister sounds than the sigh of the sea…

Dare you cross the threshold of the old Museum and view its eerie exhibits?

 

What did I think?

I do like to read spooky tales now and again so I thoroughly enjoyed Eerie Exhibits by Victoria Williamson.  

There are five stories in the book based on museum exhibits and although they are separate stories, some of the characters reappear.  They are very creepy tales and it reminded me a little of early Stephen King books where anything out of the ordinary could happen.  So prepare for the unexpected when you pick up this book but you will still be surprised by these eerie exhibits.

It's quite a short book at 225 pages and it's very easy to read so you could dip in and out of it or read it cover to cover.  It's almost like a virtual museum visit to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow as Victoria Williamson guides the reader through each gallery and tells her imagined story behind some very interesting exhibits.

Chilling, weird and entertaining, Eerie Exhibits is a creepy collection of spine-tingling short stories that will chill you to the bone.  A recommended read, especially for a dark and chilly night.

I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

My rating:

Buy it from:

Amazon UK

Amazon USA

Amazon Canada

About the author:

A lifelong storyteller and daydreamer, Victoria Williamson is an author and teacher who has lived and worked in Africa, China, America and the UK.

Victoria grew up in Kirkintilloch, north Glasgow, surrounded by hills on the edge of a forest estate where many of her early ghost stories and fantasy tales were born amid the magical trees and spooky old ruined buildings.

After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real life adventures, which included teaching Maths and Science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with special needs in the UK.

A qualified primary school teacher with a degree in Mandarin Chinese from Yunnan University and a Master’s degree in Special Needs Education, Victoria is passionate about creating inclusive worlds in her novels where all children can see a reflection of themselves in a heroic role.

Victoria’s experiences of teaching young children in a deprived area of Glasgow, many of whom were asylum seekers, inspired her debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, an uplifting tale of friendship between Glasgow girl Caylin and Syrian refugee Reema.

Victoria writes fantasy, adventure, science fiction and contemporary issue novels for Middle Grade (9-12), Teen, and Young Adult readers. Many of her books have been inspired by children she has met on her travels, both abroad and in the UK. She is currently working on a Middle Grade novel exploring the issues faced by a boy with ADHD who is struggling to fit in with his new step-family, and a spooky adventure novel for Teens, centred around a cast of characters with special needs including deafness, Down Syndrome and Cerebral Palsy.

Twenty percent of her author royalties for The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle are donated to the Scottish Refugee Council.

You can find out more about Victoria's books, school visits and upcoming events on her website: www.strangelymagical.com 

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