Hallowed Ground: The Mystery of the African Fairy Circles
This magical story is inspired by the most haunting and least explored country in the world – Namibia – with its foggy Skeleton Coast, buried goldmines, shocking secrets and awe-inspiring sand dunes.
Spread across the face of its deserts are hundreds of miles of ‘fairy circles’ : vast enough to be seen from space. They grow and die with the same lifespan as humans, yet no-one has been able to explain why or how they appear.
Then one day, three teenagers and their families arrive from different parts of the globe. Helped by bushmen, the buried possessions of a Victorian explorer, and a golden leopard, they solve the mystery of the African Circles. What will be discovered beneath the hallowed ground? And how will it change the future of the planet above it?
Purchase Links
UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hallowed-Ground-mystery-African-Circles-ebook/dp/B07YDY9LF2/
US – https://www.amazon.com/Hallowed-Ground-mystery-African-Circles-ebook/dp/B07YDY9LF2/
My Review
Thanks to Rachel for arranging this tour and to the author and publisher for sending em a copy of this book.
I don’t normally read YA but I thought this one sounded interesting so I agreed. A group of teenagers from all over the world, ‘The Four Teenagers of the Apocalypse’ meet in Namibia and are fascinated by the Fairy Circles of the Namib desert. As a school project they investigate the Circles, as their parents deal with political events caused by Chinese miners finding the bodies of genocide victims and the strange turn in the weather.
I liked the kids, although they’re a fairly privileged bunch, except Selima, who’s parents run tours of the desert from Swakopmund, they aren’t brats. They’re a neurodiverse bunch, with different interests and personalities, definitely individuals. There friendship is strong and their by-play entertaining. They’re on a big adventure, and fascinated by the world. The parents are interesting too, although they aren’t the main focus of the narrative, their difficulties are shown or hinted at as the background to their children’s adventures.
The discovery at the end of the book and the ending is very emotional. The development of the friendships, not only of their children but of the parents is a strong point in this novel and that holds the story together as they discover their characters and qualities the families.
This book weaves fascinating information about Namibia, concerns for the climate and the future with a fun plot that gives the reader something to think about.
Author Bio –
Paul Twivy studied English at Oxford University and became one of the most famous British admen. He has written comedy and drama for the stage and radio. He edited the bestseller Change the World for a Fiver. He is married with five children. He was inspired to write Hallowed Ground by his first-hand experiences of the extraordinary landscapes and culture of Namibia.
www.thefairycircles.com and https://hallowedground.co.uk
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