Illustrated by Olia Muza.

Published by Farshore, 2021.

The Caravan at the Edge of Doom is a brilliantly funny adventure. Right from the very first page, the book is absolutely hilarious! It frequently had me laughing out loud.

When her grandparents unexpectedly explode in their caravan toilet late one night, twelve-year-old Harley discovers a surprising truth: their toilet is a gateway to the Land of the Dead, and they are its Guardians. Well, they were. But there’s no time to mourn their passing because Harley’s baby brother has accidentally gone with them to the Land of the Dead. And Harley only has 24 hours to rescue him before he’s trapped there FOREVER!

This is one epic quest which Harley unexpectedly finds herself a part of. No-one is more surprised than her to discover that she’s been cast as a Legendary Hero either. To return to the Land of the Living with baby Malcolm, Harley must navigate the Path of Heroes, avoid being eaten by monsters, and try not to plummet to her doom in the Beneath, all while completing the nigh-on-impossible Twelve Tasks. Amusingly these mythical tasks turn out to be a series of domestic chores ranging from pairing up socks to tackling a mountain of ironing.

The fantastic black and white illustrations which appear throughout the story really set the book apart. There are some glorious double-page spreads which show incredible vistas of the Land of the Dead. I particularly loved Olia’s depiction of the “Back of Beyond”. Other illustrations bring us face to grisly face with the various beasts and there are terrific pictures of the book’s eccentric cast of characters too.

Rating: 💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 8+

Thank you to Farshore for sending me this book to review.