Mistress of the storm

Verity Gallant is a lonely little girl who doesn't quite fit in. But when a mysterious stranger hands her an ancient book, everything changes. Suddenly it's up to her to solve the riddle of an ancient pledge and protect her family from the evil Mistress of the Storm. What hope does she have against a witch so powerful she can control the wind and create storms at will? Luckily, Verity does not have to face her enemy alone. As events begin to spiral out of control, she finds two loyal and steadfast friends to stand by her side.
The Storm is coming. And it will change Verity's life forever. ( )

Verity feels as though she doesn't fit in - she has no friends and when her her mysterious grandmother arrives - she seems to hate her. A mysterious book about the Mistress of the Storm and a curious wooden ball lead Verity and her new-found friends, assisted by the librarian, on a quest to find the truth of her family's past. ( )

Verity is the inept eldest child who doesn’t feel that she fits within her family or her village of Wellow. One day she discovers a strange man reading an ancient red book in the local library. She gives chase when he runs away with it, finally catching up with him as he is hopping into a rowboat; she demands the book’s return. He hands it over along with an unusual round object. These two items are to have a major impact upon her life as she struggles to uncover the truth behind her family history of smugglers, ship-wreckers and inventors. Only with an understanding of this history can she piece together events that are unfolding now. The sudden appearance of her grandmother, a powerful witch whose evil disposition only Verity perceives, does not help the situation along with the appearance of the old smuggling ship ‘The Storm.’

Unfortunately this book tends to jump from one scene to another in a jumbled mash which could have been corrected to establish a flow to the action. The time period seems peculiar but as it is set in a magical and mysterious world perhaps this is to keep the reader guessing. Superfluous characters could also have been edited out as they added little to the story but the Librarian, Miss Cameron, proves strong and supportive character. ( )

Verity Gallant is a lonely schoolgirl descended from pirates and wreckers. When her grandmother comes to visit it becomes clear that parts of her family are very nasty indeed and that she will need the help of new friends and an unusual librarian to right old and new wrongs. At first this felt like another historical fantasy for girls but it soon unfolded as a magical tale with a very English sensibility that will appeal to all ages irrespective of gender. The true genius of this novel is an inherent mechanism that celebrates the reuse of tropes while establishing the basis for a beguiling series. ( )