Like THE SILVER DONKEY and MIDNIGHT ZOO, this is an absolutely beautiful and rather classic tale. Sonya writes with a lyricism that can be enjoyed by readers of different ages and abilities alike. She has a fantastic ability to draw very real and likeable characters, ones which stay with you long after the book has been read. It's the Second World War and, with London becoming an increasingly dangerous place to live, the Lockwood children are whisked away to Heron Hall, to stay with their Uncle Peregrine in the countryside. But when they discover two strange boys hiding in a nearby derelict castle, the past and present collide. Can those in the present learn from the troubles of the past? Covering two dramatic periods in English history, CHILDREN OF THE KING deals sensitively with themes such as loss, grief, family, friendships, war and power.