It has been nearly five years since Hollowpox, the previous instalment of Sunshine Coast author Jessica Townsend’s fantastic, and fantastical, Nevermoor series. The excitement around this release has been building, as has the tension. What took so long, will it live up to expectation? I am here to tell you – it lives up to it all! For those who have not read Nevermoor, some readers consider it the Australian alternative to Harry Potter, but it is set in a wholly fictional land, and is, dare I say it, better!

In Silverborn, the people of Nevermoor gather to see if the Age will turn from Morningtide, a time of relative peace and stability, to the Basking, a time of turmoil and challenge. We jump back four months, to our 13-year-old protagonist, Morrigan Crow, who is preparing to walk the Black Parade. However, things do not go as planned and Morrigan is thrown headfirst into early turmoil, both externally and internally. She must grapple with a giant secret that may blow up all her relationships; meet her Nevermoorian family, who have secrets of their own; and attempt, along with her friends, to solve a murder. For those who love the series, you will love this; for those who haven’t started – what are you waiting for? For ages 10+.