The Shadow of the Norman Arrow is book 7 in Wendy Leighton-Porter’s award-winning Shadows from the Past series. I think Wendy may have added number ten to the series since I last caught up with them – I know I have at least two more on my Kindle. Just as well, because this is one of the Finishing the Series Challenges I’ve earmarked for the year. You can read my review of the previous one, with links to others, here.
The Shadow of the Norman Arrow
The Battle of Hastings will soon be fought on English soil. King Harold knows the Normans are coming, but first he must head up north to fight the Vikings. Who will come to his aid?
Taking another trip back in time as they continue the quest to find their missing parents, twins Joe and Jemima Lancelot find themselves in the year 1066, together with their friend Charlie, and their wonderful talking cat Max.
Many dangerous adventures await them during a hazardous journey across the country to help the king repel the invaders. Will they manage to change the course of history or will Harold fail to heed their advice? [Goodreads]
My Review
Another excellent episode in Wendy Leighton-Porter’s superb series. It throws modern youngsters into great historical events from Atlantis to…. wherever the series ends!
This time Jemima, Joe, Charlie, and Max the Cat land in Sussex. Not surprisingly, they are close to the site where the Battle of Hastings will be fought in a few weeks. They know Britain’s Anglo Saxon roots will be overwhelmed by the Normans; can they stop it happening?.
This story is full of historical detail combined with serendipitous folklore. It gives the kids every opportunity to get involved with major events, fortunately not leaving a time-changing mark. I loved the way the author folded in legends such as the ghostly hound Black Shuck to add to the kid’s danger.
A series not to be missed. Looking forward, as always, to the next one….
OH, man, I’ve got farther to go to catch up on this series–also in my series challenge–than I thought! I’ve only got the 1st one so far, but I liked it a lot. Just haven’t gone and bought the rest.