As a fan of The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, I did not shy away from this fantasy adventure. However, before completing the first page I became wary for a couple of reasons – this is a sequel, and it is definitely aimed at tweens. Having not read the prequel, I was plunged into a world that was completely alien to me, which, I suspect is intentional by Christian author Sampson.

Both The Sorcerer’s Daughter and its prequel The Sorcerer’s Trap are gripping tales of conflict, exile and the power struggle between two peoples: the Yadu and the Xerappans. Sarba’s people - the conquering Yadu - have defended their land from the Xerappans since she can remember. She has grown up hating the Xerappan people with good reason, and when the Yadu are betrayed, Sarba embarks on a mission to discover the truth. However, so far from home and among alien territory her beliefs are challenged.

Full of cliff-hangers and plot twists, this short novel cleverly weaves modern themes such as prejudice, racism and faith into a beautifully crafted story. I would recommend this to any Harry Potter fan, especially since I suspect the story has not quite ended yet…