Perfect for Upper KS2 - a journey of imagination, friendship and courage. If you enjoyed Malamander, you will definitely enjoy this.
A mysterious adventure with thrills, twists and turns - lots of suspense and excitement to keep the reader captivated. One of the things I loved most about Mermedusa is how vivid the author's description is and the character's of Violet and Herbie are strong and relatable. I enjoyed reading this.
The wait is over, the Malamander's truth is revealed! Oozing sea mist, hot chocolate and sinister shadows, Herbie will finally find all the missing people, or will he?!
This is the final book in the Eerie-On-Sea mystery series, accompanying Herbie and Violet in their search for the truth about a wide range of strange occurrences in their small seaside town. All the well-loved characters are there again and what a dramatic way to say goodbye. The mermonkey grinds and cauterwaults to a catastrophic stop; Erwin, the cat, talks again; Sebastian Eels reveals more of his terrible past; Mr Mollusc does too; and...the Malamander is getting closer! Additionally, some new characters are determined to make Eerie famous through their podcast, or at least, make themselves famous. Why should I read it? What a question?! Apart from the wonderful prose and unique characters, and the creative story arc you mean? This is the perfect story for long winter nights covered up with a blanket. Like Herbie wonders, '"Could be midday," I suggest. "Why do you always go for the most alarming option?"', nothing in Eerie happens normally, if a sense of mystery can be added, it will be. The book oozes sea mist, hot chocolate, and shadows around the corner. If you, like I, have been waiting a long time to find out the truth about the Malamander, there is no other reason needed to read this book. Just don't skip to the last chapter. Enjoy the mystery, unfolding page-by-page, lick-by-lick just like eating an ice cream in the summer. But don't expect to find anywhere to eat one in the winter, in Eerie-On-Sea.
You will love the references to epic events from the other stories if you have read them and probably enjoy the satisfying way all the unresolved twists and riddles are unveiled and resolved. I will probably keep an eye out for the other Eerie mysteries and delve deeper into the lore because I loved the atmospheric folkloric language, the wildly inventive customs and conventions and most of all, the astounding storytelling.
It was a leap into an uncomfortable realm for me when I started Mermedusa; it is the fifth (and last) of the Eerie-on-Sea mysteries and I hadn’t come across Malamander, Gargantis, Shadowghast or FesterGrimm. Luckily, author Thomas Taylor unobtrusively drip-feeds Eerie lore (of which there is a LOT; the same scale as a Greek odyssey) and pulls together all the parts of the tangled story, so that it makes absolute sense.
I’m also not a natural disciple of fantasy, but I really got hooked by the fast moving plot and the constant random turns it took. Herbie and Violet are our protagonist guides through the eccentric seaside town and they introduce us to: a talking cat, an abandoned light house, long-lost sea-monster lovers with far-fetched barriers stopping them from being together, a mad, evil, twin scientist and the hope that everything will eventually be resolved after five books of the relentless pursuit of the fulfillment of their goals (both are wistfully seeking long-lost parents).
Their search mirrors the quest of the fierce sea-monsters to be reunited; I actually felt myself more invested in the hulking beasts’ reunion. You will love the references to epic events from the other stories if you have read them and probably enjoy the satisfying way all the unresolved twists and riddles are unveiled and resolved. I will probably keep an eye out for the other Eerie mysteries and delve deeper into the lore because I loved the atmospheric folkloric language, the wildly inventive customs and conventions and most of all, the astounding storytelling.