Book review of The Voyages of Mary Thyme written and illustrated by Oliver Brooks.
Coming out to coincide, fittingly, with the festival of the sea (Sunday, September 11) and his Ethel Loves Me exhibition, is Oliver Brooks’ exciting children’s story of adventure and derring-do as his heroine Mary Thyme travels the seas on a life and death quest.
Living with her distant and often absent sea captain father, Mary longs to join him on his voyages along with his talking parrot, Mister McCaw. When, one day, he fails to return from a mission to the dreaded Terra Incognita Sea, she has her chance.
Failing to enlist the help of the scheming Lord Loweworth, the determined and brave girl commandeers a ship and with the help (or not) of Mister McCaw, heads to the dangerous waters where her father has been captured by the immortal Sorceror and imprisoned on its island.
On the way, Mary must outwit the wolf-like Howling Winds, encounter the dead souls of sailors, fight a dragon, escape Lord Loweworth’s trickery and confront the terrifying Sorceror itself.
Mary is a likeable character – she is feisty, clever and resourceful and will appeal to those young readers hungry for adventure.
Full of exciting action, as well as humour (Mary bickers with the parrot and easily dupes the bumbling, villain, Lord Loweworth), it is a thrilling read. As Oliver says, “It is inspired by my love of swashbuckling adventures and folktales.”
Oliver illustrates each chapter with detailed and lively pictures which help bring the characters alive.
Image Credits: Oliver Brooks .