Are you brave enough to escape a Medieval Castle?!

ESCAPE THE MEDIEVAL CASTLE: USE THE CLUES, SOLVE THE PUZZLES, AND MAKE YOUR ESCAPE

Author: Stella Caldwell

Published by: Weldon Owen @WeldonOwenUK

Published on: 6th October 2022

Price: £11.99

First line: Are you ready to travel more than 600 years back in time, to the heart of a medieval castle?

Genre: Historical, Reader choices

Age: 9+

ISBN: 9781915588067

What’s it all about?

A historical rampage through a medieval castle, or perhaps a timid, side-stepping tumble, the direction the story takes in this book is owned by you, the reader. Your challenge, as a 13 year-old, kidnapped and imprisoned noble in the 14th century, is to try and escape from a castle in the Middle Ages. As you read through each sub-heading section of action, you will often (but not always) be given choices: sometimes you just need to make a direct decision between two or three different choices, sometimes you will need to solve a puzzle or answer a quiz style history question, sometimes you will need to trust to the luck of the heraldic wheel of fortune. As you continue your way through the story, you either survive or are captured and then sent back to the beginning to try again, if you dare.

Why should I read it?

Some of the challenges require historical knowledge of this period. The final paragraph drips intrigue and excitement and helps encourage the reader to turn the page!

Each of the challenges is unique and needs a different skill to solve it. For example one asks you to solve a logic pattern, another is a memory test, whilst another need you to solve a riddle.

I think it is really useful how each stage of the challenge shows the path you have come from so if you get lost/confused you can make your way back a few steps rather than having to start the whole challenge again (which I have experienced in other books of this genre).

This book is best for children aged 9 and above who are studying or have studied the medieval period of history. It would be best as a class novel; I’m really sure a class would enjoy making the choices of which path to choose together, rather than a group read. As each section is generally short, it would be good to have children reading each section. The book would fit into the history section of a school library as a unique way in putting across historical knowledge.

Thanks to Just Imagine and the book’s publishers for the review copy. A full review is available on the Just Imagine website.