When Beth finds a young girl wandering the property where she works, she has no inkling of the strange chain of events that will follow. The girl claims to come from the land of Quenarden and wants Beth’s help to find her way home. Beth enlists the helps of cousins Troy and Nathan, whose parents own the property, and the three follow the girl through a crack in a hillside, to find themselves in Quenarden.

Quenarden is ruled by an evil scanator and the residents live in constant fear. Their one hope is that three strangers will come to fulfil an old prophecy about the overthrow of the scanator. Beth, Troy and Nathan don’t think they could be the three, but when they are stranded in Quenarden, events unfold that suggest they could be – if they survive long enough to fulfil the prophecies.

Quenarden: The Prophecies is the first in a new trilogy from talented author Paula Vince. Vince has created a carefully depicted fantasy land, which is the key to creating believable fantasy, and her teen heroes are both plausible and likeable. All three grow during their adventures, each one discovering new things about themselves and the others.

Quenarden: The Prophecies will appeal to young fantasy fans aged 12 and over, who will eagerly move on to the second title in the series.

Reviewed by Sally Murphy.