Emma and the Minotaur by Jon Herrera

“All stories are true. But the trees and the Lord of Light were here first. He ruled over this world once, and then he left to his World of Light. Now he seeks to return. Minotaur has a mission. He is the vanguard. He comes to prepare the way. The humans who have disappeared are the first prisoners of war.”

Firstly, this cover absolutely takes my breath away. It was the first thing that drew me in. (And it seems to be ongoing, book two’s cover is gorgeous!) I also love the title. We don’t get nearly enough minotaurs in fiction. [Side note: we need more minotaurs in fiction. Where are they?? Thank you to the author for bringing these much forgotten magical characters back into fiction!] So I dove right into this excited for the magic and adventures!

A deer and a nightmare, she thought, were more likely than a man with horns.

I don’t read too many stories with young MCs (I think the last one I read was City of Ghosts), but I’m glad I picked this one up! Herrera’s writing is crisp and smooth. Stories like Emma and the Minotaur remind me of the tales I read growing up. And Emma’s adventures brought to mind Lucy Pevensie from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Like Lucy, Emma’s new world involves unicorns and minotaurs, assorted animals with personalities and a long awaited girl needed to save them all from certain doom.

Something I also really appreciated was Herrera’s dialogue and humour:

“So I’m supposed to stop a giant monster and save the world just because a tree told you so?”

Domino nodded.

“That doesn’t seem right at all,” Emma said.

Hehehe. Bless Emma. I don’t want to give away the plot, or the twists, but for those who like fantastical tales, animals galore and kids-saving-the-world, definitely give this one a chance! It’s the type of book that’s perfect for a cosy weekend of reading.