The Adventures of John Blake

When Serena falls into the sea, she’s rescued by John Blake: a boy from the ghost ship Mary Alice, which is travelling through time. But the crew of the Mary Alice have worked out that the ship keeps appearing at certain points on the map. What could this mean, and how does it relate to John’s father’s work on a top-secret weapons programme?

Like the Bourne films with time travel and a ghost ship, Pullman’s story rockets along at thrilling speed, full of secrets, mysterious baddies and emotional drama. Serena and John are keen to unravel John’s past, but shady forces are threatening their discoveries.

Fred Fordham’s exquisite art tells the story with a mixture of fast-paced panels and whole page illustration which are beautiful as standalone pieces, as well as giving a sense of awe and mystery to the story. Adventure on the high seas meets spy thriller: a fantastically executed, exciting must-read.