The Write Reads Blog Tour: The Whistlers in the Dark by Victoria Williamson

About the Book

Scotland, 158 AD, is a divided country.

On one side of the Antonine Wall, thirteen-year-old Felix is trying to become a good Roman soldier like his father. On the other, twelve-year old Jinny is vowing revenge on the ‘metal men’ who have invaded her Damnonii tribe’s homeland. At the Damnonii’s sacred circle of standing stones, her planned attack on Felix goes badly wrong, awakening a legend that threatens to bring fire and destruction down on them all.

Can Jinny and Felix overcome their differences and soothe the stones back to sleep before it’s too late?

”The Whistlers in the Dark” will be released on 21st September 2023.

My Review

I love that 20% of the author royalties for this book are going to Archeology Scotland. The author volunteered on digs with Archeology Scotland, and this book is set in the region where she grew up. 

One of the things I love about reading historical books is learning something about the time period in which the book is set. When I was a child, I learned loads about history from books by Cynthia Harnett and Michael Mullen, as well as many others. 

Of course, the further back in time, the harder it can be for an author to do research. Williamson certainly made it difficult for herself by choosing the Damnoonii tribe, of which little is known. The Romans are obviously better documented. The remains of their settlements in southern Scotland and Northern England are fascinating. They even had underfloor central heating!

Balancing historical accuracy with fiction, and making it relatable to a modern audience, can be difficult, and unfortunately there were too many anachronisms in this book for me to enjoy it as much as I wanted. One of the main characters, Scottish lass Jinny, references making a face like sucking on a lemon, despite the fact that lemons weren’t cultivated in Europe until the fourteenth century and only made an appearance in Italy after the year 200. Roman Felix’s favorite story of the region is “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”, a Norwegian folklore first written down in the nineteenth century. Most egregious of all is the frequent use of “sheesh”, a twentieth century derivative for taking the Lord’s name in vain. 

However, there is lots to love in this exciting middle-grade book. I liked how the chapters took turns between Damnoonii Jinny and Roman Felix, showing their different ways of life. I loved the voice and soft Scottish dialect that Jinny’s chapters were written in. Jinny’s brother and his pony, Tramper, were endearing. Calling the Roman’s “metal men” provided an interesting visual. 

The story has some twists and turns that are sure to delight children, even if they’re a little obvious to the adult reader. The three central child characters are endearing, and undergo rewarding, if expected, growth. 

Prejudices among the Roman soldiers are well shown, and there is some nice political chaffing among the legion as the Romans prepare to depart from Scotland. 

A well written, quick read with characters that shine. 

About the Author

Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author who grew up in Scotland surrounded by hills, books, and an historical farm estate which inspired many of her early adventure stories and spooky tales. After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, she set out on her own real-life adventures, which included teaching maths and science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK. Victoria currently works part time writing KS2 books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, and visiting schools, libraries and literary festivals to give author talks and run creative writing workshops.

Victoria’s previous novels include The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind, Hag Storm, and War of the Wind. She has won the Bolton Children’s Fiction Award 2020/2021, The YA-aldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award 2023, and has been shortlisted for the Week Junior Book Awards 2023, The Leeds Book Awards 2023, the Red Book Award 2023, the James Reckitt Hull Book Awards 2021, The Trinity School Book Awards 2021, and longlisted for the ABA South Coast Book Awards 2023, the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2020, and the Branford Boase Award 2019.

Her latest novel, The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams, is a middle grade fantasy inspired by classic folklore. Twenty percent of the author royalties for this book are donated to CharChar Literacy, an organisation working to improve children’s literacy levels in Malawi.

You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and free resources for schools on her website: www.strangelymagical.com