Readers will get swept away

Chilling. Haunting. Mysterious. The Kalika Magic series delves into the world of fantasy, adventure and magical realism, underpinned by a foundation of sheer grit, determination and strong relationships.

Fourth in this five-part collection, The Howling Sands takes us on an exciting yet treacherous journey through and between enchanted realms and arduous climates in a bid to save a land from destruction.

The characters’ distinct personalities and the changes they endure bring  deeper complexities to the story. The plot line is also rich with parallel and underlying sub-plots that will have readers entangled in its grasp until the end.

Obviously, a prior knowledge of the series is an advantage, however as a stand-alone read the intrigue intensifies as more and more facets are revealed. Indie, Kai, Nima, Jabar and young Willem are tested at every turn as they evade soldiers, uncover old truths of Kalika legends, persevere with ferocious and enigmatic beings, determine who they can trust and above all, believe in themselves to protect the most important things – their family.

They need to understand the spirit world and how the elements – air, water, fire, earth, and the fifth, Akasha (the spark of life) come together to join forces in protecting the land and themselves.

Characters are faced with the ultimate dilemma of falling under the spell of someone who, in reality you should be able to trust; as she releases their innermost fears to set a false strength and use this against them.

Karen paints a detailed world of atmosphere, imagination and magical wonder in her descriptions. The book highlights the values of family love, self-belief and environmental care and sustainability, and these will be carried throughout the whole series. Readers from age nine will literally get swept away in the midst of drama and fantasy with The Howling Sands, leaving them breathlessly awaiting the next adventure.—Romi Sharp, Just Write for Kids Australia

This is no fairy story

I love reading new books that are written for children who are ready to sink their teeth into longer more complicated stories. As you can judge from the cover this is no fairy story, but it is a great book for mature kids who want to read something of substance. The characters are realistic, and it is so important for young readers to have characters which they can love and others they wonder about. It's part of their growing ability to learn to accept their own feelings and trust their instincts within the safety of a book's pages.
 The plot is amazing and I'm sure kids won't want to put this book down until they have finished it. So, expect an argument if they have started reading this just before bedtime! Once hooked, I'm sure your children will want to read the whole series.—Susan Day,  www.astrosadventuresbookclub.com

Extraordinary

'An extraordinary web of characters, the presence of mythical creatures, complex worlds, societies, cultures and languages, the threat of impending battle and good vs. evil.
 In just the space of one 360-page book ('The Howling Sands'), Hughes employs and manipulates all these classic totems of the genre; no mean feat in terms of storytelling. And by all suggestions, the continuing narrative that has come before, establishes the never-ending quest, to no lesser a degree.—Brydie Wright, children's author