Royal Orchid: Death Hunters
Denika Mead
Scribble Ink
Pub, 2019

September 16, 2020

“Then she was falling. Tumbling, flipping around and around as she plummeted through space.”

Ivy is just a normal girl who lives in New Zealand at an orphanage after she was left by her parents. All she has left of them is a penguin bookmark that mysteriously keeps calling her. But there is more to this bookmark than meets the eye. When she falls through the portal opened by this bookmark, she is enveloped into a world of dragons, Death Hunters and the Birds of Hope. But whose side should she be on?

Ivy is merely a fourteen year old girl who is thrown into chaos, but she rises to the challenge with the help of some unlikely companions. Ivy is relatable and spunky, and her courage and practicality show readers that they can apply these skills to situations in their own lives.

“Ivy picked up her sword and tried again, swinging the sword sideways through the air. This time it stuck.” This example from the book shows Ivy’s resilience and the way she keeps going even when it’s tough to.

I also love the characters of Ash and Zack who are twins with very different personalities. Ash is keen to get to know Ivy and loves giving everything a go whereas Zack takes a while to warm up to Ivy and prefers to do things on his own.

“Ash was ready to go at the crack of dawn. ‘Right, come on! Get up, we’re going,’ she said, clapping her hands.” This quote shows Ash’s ‘’give your all in everything you do’’ attitude that makes her character interesting and a good role model.

Throughout the book, I was in a constant state of ‘’one more page!’’ as the events unfolded with twists and turns that kept me guessing. Although the events were unpredictable they didn’t always follow a logical pattern, and this was often confusing, as characters came from nowhere and plot points were thrown in for what seemed to be no reason.

However, the book was entertaining and the characters each had individual motivations and personalities that were interesting and new.

“‘We’ve scouted this whole land, from one edge to the other. There’s no one here who’s willing to help us.’ He paused. ‘But I know where to find someone. We need Seeker.’”

This example shows us the cliff-hanger endings Denika leaves at the end of each chapter that make you want to keep reading. The end of the book results in a coming together of the characters we have met throughout the book and reveals surprising connections between characters and a prophecy completed but not without consequences.

The sad parts of the book were particularly well-written and demonstrated the emotions of the characters effectively. Although there is an air of mystery which is never fully satisfied and I wish it had been better resolved as it has great potential.

This book is similar to Spellslinger written by Sebastian de Castell. The excellent characterisation and the plot twists that keep you reading are also features in de Castell’s books.

Overall, the book was well-written, however it felt like some of the events were unnecessary to the storyline and could have been omitted. The story is definitely a page-turner and I will be looking out for any more books Denika writes in the future.

• Caitlyn Wickham is 16 and attends St Margaret’s College