Momo Arashima: Steals the Sword of the Wind

Momo Arashima is lonely. Her dad is dead, her mom is ill and her classmates exclude her because, they say, she is weird.

She tries not to care until the day she has the most extraordinary and horrifying after-school experience ever. And suddenly her world is turned upside down.

On a distant island, a portal to the Land of the Dead is being breached by hordes of malevolent beasts on a mission to kill her mother and destroy the world – and Momo is the only one who can save them.

In the first few pages of this fantasy adventure, Momo meets a talking fox, has a near-fatal encounter with a terrifying death-hag and discovers that her mom is a demi-god; this sets the scene and the pace for the thrilling quest that follows.

Momo’s exploits make for an intense reading experience which is as much about her loneliness and anger as it is about fighting evil gods and escaped demons. With themes of trust, betrayal and self-belief, the story immerses readers in the rich mythology of Japan and takes them on a fantastical journey around the world we can see – and a few of the ones we can’t.