Ember and Arno are sitting in Ember's kitchen eating pizza one October evening when a bird flies in through the window and causes chaos. At first, they believe it's a seagull but upon closer inspection, Ember knows it's a magical creature, she just doesn't know what. The following day, they head to Rusty's cave where they discover it's a frost phoenix, a very rare and special creature as there is only ever one in existence. The phoenix (Dazzle) soon lets them know that he needs to journey back to his homeland in the Arctic and, with the help of Mrs Rickety-Knees, Ember, Arno and Rusty jump in the bath tub and follow. However, things aren't straightforward and Jasper Hornswaggle is in hot pursuit. With danger lurking everywhere they turn, can Ember and Arno protect Dazzle and save themselves from Jasper's evil clutches.
There is something rather magical and special about Abi Elphinstone's books and I never fail to get lost amongst their pages. When I first met Ember Spark last year (you can read my review of Ember Spark and the Thunder of Dragons here), I fell in love with everything about the book, not least the names of the characters, so it filled my heart to discover that I could get a sneaky early read.
Ember and Arno make the perfect pairing, with Ember's gutsy heroic attitude to everything she does contrasting against Arno's reluctance for adventure - he prefers the idea of a quiet life baking as opposed to charging across continents in a bathtub. But they have one thing in common: their love of magical creatures, and this is what drives them both. With the help of Rusty and Mrs Rickety-Knees (possibly the best name in literature ever!), the pair will stop at nothing to help those creatures in need.
Ember Spark and the Frost Phoenix takes our heroes to the Arctic where danger lurks from the second they arrive. Jasper will stop at nothing to get what he wants and the action ramps up in a gripping and heart-stopping adventure. I couldn't put it down!
Publishing on the 24th October, this book is an utter joy to read and is guaranteed to warm the frostiest heart; it's like a hug in paper format and the perfect antidote to the cold and dark nights that are closing in. Written in a way that only Abi can, the magic oozes from the pages and seeps into your soul. With wonderful illustrations by Kristina Kister that perfectly compliment the story (the last one in particular melted my heart), Ember Spark and the Frost Phoenix is the perfect prescription to banish the wet-weather blues. Now ... only 6 months to wait for book 3! I'm already counting the days!
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