Beast Quest 19 – Nixa the Death Bringer

Nixa the Death Bringer by Adam Blade is a Beast Quest adventure for 7 year olds in which Tom's long-lost father finally comes home, as a ghost.

What happens

Tom has beaten the evil wizard Malvel three times already. Now he's stuck doing push-ups in the king's training yard, with a captain who's rude about his dad, and he's bored stiff.

Then comes the news. Taladon the Swift is back! Tom hasn't seen his father since he was a baby. But when he runs to hug him, his arms go straight through.

Malvel's magic has trapped Taladon between this world and the spirit world. The only way to bring him back is to mend the Amulet of Avantia, which has shattered into six pieces. Each piece is guarded by a Ghost Beast in a grey, walled-off place called the Forbidden Land.

The first Beast is Nixa. She's a shape-shifter who can look like a beautiful woman, a slimy monster with tentacles and clusters of eyes, or even Tom's best friend Elenna. So which Elenna is the real one? (Silver the wolf knows.)

It's the start of a fresh quest, with Tom, Elenna, Storm the horse and Silver all back together. It moves fast and there's a clever puzzle about how to beat a Beast you can't even touch. Tom's longing for his dad gives it real heart too.

Worth knowing before you hand it over

Nixa is scarier than a lot of Beasts because her voice kills. In the opening pages a farmer's ears bleed when she speaks. Later, Tom and Elenna follow a trail of dead villagers (and two dogs) with pools of blood beside their heads.

It's described quickly rather than dwelt on, but it's a lot for a sensitive reader. If your child already loves the monsters and battles in these books, they'll probably take it in their stride.

What to read next

If they're new to Tom, it makes sense to go back to where it all began. Ferno the Fire Dragon is in the library too, with Tom still a blacksmith's apprentice in his village, practising sword moves on a sack of hay and dreaming of a real quest.