The Secret of the Blood-Red Key (The Stolen Dreams Adventures)
£7.99
The dazzling follow-up to the phenomenal The Book of Stolen Dreams from master storyteller David Farr, perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell and Philip Pullman.
Step inside the pages of an immortal adventure…
Rachel and Robert have defeated the tyrant Malstain and become the heroes of Krasnia, but all is not how it should be. Robert is swept away with his new friends, leaving Rachel alone to take care of her ailing father, who’s lost without their beloved mother.
From nowhere, a boy appears knowing the secrets of the hidden blood-red key. For the key is a way into the Hinterland – and Rachel must promise that, as a new key keeper, she will answer when it calls. When a young girl, Elsa Spiegel, is illegally smuggled into the Hinterland, Rachel has no choice but to use her key to save Elsa. But her fate is linked to Krasnia, and Rachel must battle to save her home as she knows it.
Praise for The Book of Stolen Dreams:
“A new and important voice for young people.” Michael Morpurgo
“Dazzling! An instant classic. An eye-wateringly funny and jaw-droppingly fantastical adventure, chock-a-block with rare books, airships, and penguin-shaped hats.” Ben Miller
“A wonderful story. Gripping and magical.” Anthony Horowitz
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Additional information
| Publisher | Usborne Publishing Ltd (6 Jun. 2024) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 336 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1805076361 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1805076360 |
| Reading age | 9 – 12 years |
| Dimensions | 13 x 2.1 x 19 cm |
by Kristina Watts
Rachel and Robert Klein managed to defeat the evil dictator Charles Malstein and send him to the Hinterland and close the gate to the other worlds. But, a break in at the library leaves Rachel suspicious and so when she sees one of their ghost friends sneaking off…well she follows. This tale follows on perfectly from ‘The Book of Stolen Dreams’ and has Rachel wound up in a challenge to beat all challenges, one that could ultimately leave her stuck in one of the closed off worlds.
This is such a great imaginative work and is full of excitement, and adventure, fun and fear. This truly is a story where you can see love, friendship and kindness conquer all. If you’re looking for a story with twists and values then this is for you.
by J SYDNEY
If possible, I think I enjoyed this even more than the first title. Hugely inventive and gorgeously written, this is series which bears reading over and over again. With both stories working well as standalone titles, you can dive straight into this one but I really would recommend reading both in order. I have been left, as before, with a huge book hangover and am desperately hoping that there will be more to come from Rachel and Robert.
by Ruthpat
Today I was whisked away into the Hinterland on a rescue mission by Rachel Kline and it was amazing!
When last seen Rachel and her friends saved their country Krasnia from an evil dictator in “The Book of Stolen Dreams”. In doing so they had to find and destroy the Book, the only way into and out of the Hinterland where people go once they die. Rachel is left with a special Blood Red Key, which she hides away assuming it will not be needed in their now bright, happy, friendly Krasnia. However, one day a boy mysteriously appears holding a matching key he explains it’s importance to Rachel as one of the “Keepers of the Key “. Not long after the library is ransacked, strange things occur with her ghostly friends and the key does indeed let her know she must act to save all that she knows and loves once again.
“The Blood Red Key” successfully recaps the previous adventures from “The Book of Stolen Dreams” introducing both old and new characters without ruining the narrative. It is a mesmerising adventure story. I loved it and thoroughly recommend readers to hold on tight to the Blood Red Key and join Rachel and her brother Robert as they save us all.
by L. Howe
loved the first book and this is a worthy sequel. It felt different in tone to the first book. Rachel is very much to the forefront in this adventure, with Robert taking on a smaller role. Rachel follows the trail of a young girl sent into the Hinterland for an unknown purpose. A lot of the story is set in the Hinterland this time and it was fascinating to find out more of this version of the afterlife. New characters are introduced and old foes make an appearance. I can’t wait for the next one.
by Helen Jones
A brilliant sequel – possibly even better than the first – with even more dastardly foes to defeat and perils to overcome. A riveting adventure right from the start with some lovely new characters too – especially loved Bobby the dog whose loyalty and bravery were fantastic. It will have you on tenterhooks until the very last page.
by A. Loughrey
The Secret of the Blood Red Key is the sequel to David Farr’s much acclaimed, The Book of Stolen Dreams. But do not worry if you have not read the first book as The Secret of the Blood Red Key is a completely unique story in itself.
The book encompasses the themes of loss and grief and good overcoming evil. Rachel has twenty-four hours to save Elsa from the new antagonists, The Truebloods who have devised a plan to prolong their lives. Meanwhile Rachel has to help her father through the grief of losing their mother, whilst Robert is busy preparing for an important debate. I enjoyed the strong brother-sister bond between Rachel and Robert and although their lives are drifting apart now they have returned to Krasnia, they will do anything to protect each other. I instantly felt a rapport for the characters as though they were long lost friends I’d known my whole life.
Brava is well thought out and realistic setting. I would place it somewhere in Germany or Austria. I could easily visualise the restored library and the coffee shop. And the world of Hinterland was amazing. This was world-building at its best. It was beautifully described in a few words so I could easily imagine what it was like from the black and white Caves of Loss to the colourful fields of the meadow of Children.
The world had complex rules where people were allocated to and area using their moral paperwork. This would make a good discussion in a PSHE lesson with KS” on how we judge people and what qualities they think would get them into the different areas of the Hinterland, such as Tyrants Towers of Liars, Liars.
The Secret of the Blood Red Key is a magnificent middle grade adventure that will make you think. Fingers crossed there will be a third book in the series as I believe there is so much more to learn about the Hinterland and Krasnia and the surrounding areas.