Two of the Ripper Dogs go sprinting past the limping cart, overtaking it, blocking the road, causing Tom to bring the horse to a skidding stop.
Instinct kicks in. He leaps from the bench, draws his fish-gutting knife and tosses it. It plunges handle-deep into the nearest Ripper, and the creature growls and lunges at him, grabbing him around the waist in its jaws, sinking its teeth in, shaking him around like a wet rag and then throwing him 20 feet down the road. Upon the cart, Sarah’s world is growing fuzzy, far away. The pain in her injured leg is burning worse with every passing moment. She can fill the Ripper’s poison invading her every cell.One of the great black dogs climbs onto the back of the cart, making the wooden beams grown and buckle. Sarah tries to back up, but all of her strength is gone.
The Dominion has been cursed and the Emperor and his aunt, the Necromancer, have stolen all the colour from the world. While everyone lives in cold shades of grey, they enjoy its life-giving power… until one day, a miracle baby is born – and she lives in brilliant colour. However her life is immediately at risk as the Ripper Dogs and Black Coats are on her trail. Teaming up with a drifter mage, Sandy Burns, and his talking dog, will she be able to bring some colour back into the world?
What a fast-paced, exhilarating adventure you’re taken on in The Colour of Hope – I took a deep breath after reading (and not just due to that very emotional ending). It really feels like an epic journey you’ve been taken on: exploring this colourless world through a mage’s apprentice’s eyes as well as a young boy who starts the book wishing for colour in the world and suddenly his wish might come true… if he joins the rebellion. Because the story has time jumps, I also felt like I knew the characters so well and so desperately wanted them to succeed, knowing how long it had taken to get to that point.
Ross is always such a master wordsmith and his latest is no exception. From the shocking opening bringing the ‘rainbow child’ into the world and leading to murder, the introduction to this colourless world is so powerful as it makes the reader (and Darroch) think about what different colours resemble. At times, you really wonder how on earth our protagonists might achieve their goal having been pushed into the tightest of corners but equally, that worry also makes this book extremely exciting. Good must triumph over evil… surely? It’s equally terrifying stuff too with Ripper Dogs and Black Coats on a per with those infamous dementors… especially when you discover how they’ve been created! I also loved seeing how different characters connected and their backstories – you honestly feel like you’ve read a whole series in one book (not to mention the fact that this would make an incredible tv series).
With unexpected twists, leading to Death, beyond and back again in the pursuit of colour, The Colour of Hope is sure to be one of the most captivating and magical reads of 2022. There’s SO much more I could say but you’ll find no spoilers here so I’ll wait until you’ve read it and then we can talk…
Suggested reading age: 9+
The Colour of Hope is written by Ross MacKenzie and will be published by Andersen Press on 5th May 2022. Make sure you preorder your copy now!
Check ‘Em Out Books 