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The Royal Rabbits of London #3

The Royal Rabbits: The Great Diamond Chase

‘Packed with fun, fantasy and the sort of adventure guaranteed to have sticky little fingers hungrily turning the pages’  The Mail on Sunday
‘The Royal Rabbits is sweet, funny and beautifully illustrated'  The Times

Little Shylo Tawny-Tail and the Royal Rabbits of London are back! The adventure continues in this charming series from bestselling authors Santa Montefiore and Simon Sebag Montefiore and illustrator Kate Hindley, that proves even the smallest rabbit can be the biggest hero. 

Life is an adventure. Anything in the world is possible – by will and by luck, with a moist carrot, a wet noise and a slice of mad courage!

The biggest, most beautiful diamond in the whole world has been stolen from Buckingham Palace!

Nobody knows how a sneaky thief managed to take the Siberian Diamond from right under the Queen’s nose – but Shylo and the brave Royal Rabbits of London will do whatever it takes to solve the case and return the jewel to its rightful place.

Then they discover that Russia's secret-agent minks are in London, could they have something to do with the theft? But nothing is quite what it seems, and the Royal Rabbits soon realise they are going to need a help from an old friend to solve this mystery...
 

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2018

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About the author

Santa Montefiore

97 books2,845 followers
Santa Montefiore is the number one bestselling author of over thirty novels and has sold over eight million copies worldwide. Her books have been translated into twenty-five languages and she won an RNA Award for The Temptation of Gracie in 2019, which is currently in development for film. Born in England in 1970, she grew up in Hampshire and now lives in London with her husband, writer Simon Sebag-Montefiore, their daughter, son, and dog Simba.

Shadows in the Moonlight is the first novel of a trilogy following the character Pixie Tate, with Secrets of the Starlit Sea following in summer 2025. Santa loves to hear from readers and you can find her at www.santamontefiore.co.uk.

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5 stars
67 (32%)
4 stars
88 (42%)
3 stars
44 (21%)
2 stars
8 (3%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for yvonnelesenundso.
167 reviews43 followers
June 26, 2019
Was für ein schönes, herzerwärmendes Buch für Groß und Klein mit Humor, Charme und einer ordentlichen Portion Britishness!
Profile Image for Annette.
3,859 reviews185 followers
June 18, 2019
The second book was not what I had hoped it would be, but I don't give up on a series so easily. This morning I therefore decided that it was time to read the third book and after a few chapters I got the feeling back already that I had while reading the first book, the feeling that I missed so much in the second one.

Shylo was back to the front and center. Most of the chapters were about him, about his clever ways to solve complicated puzzles and situations, about maybe not being the strongest and the biggest, but about being the smartest and the one the Royal Rabbits can't be without and even though Shylo is a rabbit he has something very human and true about him. He makes mistakes, he messes up, he struggles and he always finds a way out of it and stays true to what's right and what should be done, even if that's not easy.

The plot of this story was rather simple, but it's a children's book and I think that one solid plot works perfect for that. And the plot lead to a few awesome situations and of course we also met some amazing new characters again. I also love the fictional world in this story, where England and Russia are best friends and the Corgi's are the enemies that want to eat Shylo and his Rabbit friends.

The vibe of this book is just cute. It's a very cute read, with a cute rabbit as the main character and a cute message at the very end that's great to teach your children, even though they don't even notice they're learning something.

I hope that the fourth one will be just as great as this one or even better!
Profile Image for Steph.
1,608 reviews90 followers
September 7, 2018
I love these books. They’re fun and a delightful read. Bravery, friendship and some excellent life advice thrown in to tours of royal residences, a little look at some politics and some lush vocabulary... you’ve got a winner!
Profile Image for Fernweh_nach_Zamonien.
593 reviews7 followers
May 8, 2024
Ein spannendes und temporeiches Abenteuer mit charmant-schrägen Charakteren und wunderschönen Illustrationen.


Inhalt:

Der legendäre Geheimbund der königlichen Kaninchen beschützt und bewacht die Mitglieder der königliche Familie.

Verborgen unter dem Buckingham Palast haben die tapferen Kaninchen ihre Augen und Ohren überall.

Shylo, der Jüngste im königlichen Geheimbund, hat einen wichtigen Auftrag: Der kostbare Sibirische Diamant soll bewacht werden!

Doch plötzlich ist die Aufregung im Palast groß, denn das Lieblingsjuwel der König wurde gestohlen!

Nun gilt es, im Wettlauf gegen die Zeit Spuren zu finden und den Dieb zu ergreifen.

Haben erneut die Ratzis ihre Pfoten im Spiel? Oder stecken vielleicht die Nerze, eine russische Geheimdiensteinheit, dahinter?

Shylos Bauchgefühl meldet sich schon bald ...


Altersempfehlung:

etwa ab 9 Jahre


Einbandgestaltung und Illustrationen:

Wie bereits seine beiden Vorgänger ist auch dieser Band ist ein wahres Schmuckstück und macht einen hochwertigen Eindruck. Neben dem großen Format und dem bezaubernden Türkis des Einbandes ist dies auch den Highlights in silber-metalic-Folie zu verdanken.

Im Innern ergänzen zahlreiche farbenfrohe und detailverliebte Illustrationen das turbulente Abenteuer.

Zusätzlich gibt es kleine Vignetten und - wie in den vorherigen Büchern - ein kleines Daumenkino in Form von Pfotenabdrücken, die sich an der rechten Buchseite entlangwinden.

Die ganzseitigen Zeichnungen unterstreichen aber nicht nur die Handlung, sondern erwecken Shylo und die anderen Figuren zum Leben.

Jede Tierart wird vermenschlicht in Uniform o.ä. dargestellt: Die königlichen Kaninchen strotzen nur so vor Eleganz. Ähnlich wie die eleganten Tundra-Wölfinnen. Im direkten Gegensatz dazu stehen die verlausten, miefigen Ratzis.


Mein Eindruck:

Dies ist das dritte Abenteuer der königlichen Kaninchen. Große Rückblenden gibt es dieses Mal nicht, dafür startet das Abenteuer unmittelbar nach dem Diebstahl.

Die Charaktere jedoch werden im Verlauf der Geschichte ausführlich beschrieben.

Antiheld Shylo, ein kleines Kaninchen mit Augenklappe (die sein Schielen korrigieren soll), ist ein sympathisches und herzensgutes Kerlchen. Noch immer kämpft er mit Selbstzweifeln und - weil er den Diamantenraub verschlafen hat - auch mit Schuldgefühlen.

Wenn es ernst wird, kann Shylo sich auf die anderen Kaninchen verlassen: Clooney, Laser und Belle de Pfote (deren Dialoge man wunderbar mit einem französischen Akzent vorlesen kann).

Unterstützung erhält er aber auch von den Füchsen, die den Premierminister beschützen und eng mit dem königlichen Kaninchen zusammenarbeiten. SZ-BZ (scharfer Zahn - buschiger Schwanz) bleibt auch in Krisensituationen die Ruhe selbst und ist schlau wie ein Fuchs.

Daheim ist Shylos Vertrauter sein bester Freund Horatio, ein kauziges Kaninchen in seinem zerschlissenen Ohrensessel inmitten von Bücherstapeln. Doch von seinem Alter und der Gebrechlichkeit sollte man sich nicht täuschen lassen, denn r war das mutigste aller Königlichen Kaninchen und teilt seine Weisheit mit seinem Schützling:

"Das Einzige, was dich daran hindern kann, erfolgreich zu sein, ist Angst. Angst davor, nicht gut genug zu sein. Angst davor, nicht mutig genug zu sein. Angst davor, dass du nicht dein Bestes geben wirst.
Es ist in Ordnung, Fehler zu machen, solange du aus ihnen lernst. Jeder macht schließlich Fehler. Du darfst nicht zu streng mit dir selbst sein."
(Horatio zu Shylo, vgl. S. 142)

So wie die Helden sind auch die Schurken mit viel Liebe zum Detail angelegt.

Die Vereinigung der Ratzis spielte in den beiden ersten Abenteuern bereits eine große Rolle. Im Gegensatz zu gewöhnlichen Ratten wühlen diese nicht im Müll, sondern durchforsten das Internet und erzeugen ein undurchdringliches Netz aus Lügen und Intrigen. Ihr Ziel: Hass, Streit und Missgunst erzeugen, um Kriege herbeizuführen.

Neu hinzugekommen sind die Nerze: Eine Geheimdiensteinheit des Kreml, Meister aller Kampfsportarten, listig und clever sowie bösartig; die perfekten Jäger!

Das dritte Abenteuer der königlichen Kaninchen punktet erneut mit faszinierenden und vielseitigen Charakteren sowie mit einer rasanten Jagd nach dem Diamanten.

Es bietet zahlreiche Verdächtige, Verschwörungen und Intrigen ... man muss aufpassen, dass man den Überblick bei all den Agenten und Schurken, Ablenkungsmanövern und Sonderkommandos nicht verliert.

4 von 5 Diamanten für den dritten Band.


Fazit:

Das dritte Abenteuer des liebenswerten Antihelden mit durchtrieben Fieslingen in einer wilden Diamantenjagd.



...

Rezensiertes Buch: "Die Königlichen Kaninchen auf Diamantenjagd" aus dem Jahr 2019
819 reviews2 followers
July 17, 2020
Oh! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!

Little Shylo Tawny-Tail has fallen asleep while on guard duty. He was supposed to be guarding the palace, but he alarms wake him, and he knows he’s in big trouble. Lots of things could have gone wrong, but the worst case scenario has happened: Someone has stolen the Siberian Diamond, the most valuable diamond in the world! The Queen is beside herself, crying almost hysterically!

The Royal Rabbits of London are already on the case, having herd the alarms deep in The Grand Burrow beneath the Buckingham Palace.

Shylo learns that the diamond was found in Russia 132 years ago by a peasant. It was sent to Catherine the Great. One hundred years later, legend has it that the diamond was lost in a bet the Tsar had with his cousin, the King of England.

And worse, the RRL’s learn that the minks are town, more than likely to steal the magnificent jewel. And it gets even more complicated: the Ratzis want in on the action---they want to steal it for themselves and then there is Amura, the white Siberian tiger. What the heck is she up too?

How will the RRL’s find the diamond and return it to its rightful place in the palace’s Diamond Room. Readers are offered the opportunity to learn about the rabbits that make up the Royal Rabbit’s. Sometimes I got a little confused on who was who, but the authors did a great job in detailing the idiosyncrasies of each rabbit.

Kids ages 8-2 or grades 3-7 will love this tale!

The Royal Rabbits of London: The Great Diamond Chase gets 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.





Profile Image for Amy (Golden Books Girl).
890 reviews17 followers
November 10, 2018
This is the third instalment of the Royal Rabbits of London series, and while I`m yet to read the first few books, there wasn`t anything in this one that I didn`t understand due to this. It focuses on Shylo, the newest recruit of the Royal Rabbits of London (a group of rabbits who protect and aid the royal family), as the Queen`s diamond is stolen and they must track it down. I loved all the different characters and groups that pop up throughout, especially the foxes, and I enjoyed the dynamics between them too. I also enjoyed the mystery, which took some unexpected twists and turns, and I thought the emphasis on being kind to and considerate of others was so lovely, as was the way it depicts friendship. Shylo was such a sweet character, and overall I just really enjoyed how happy and feelgood this is in general. The illustrations throughout were fantastic too. I`m really looking forward to going back and reading the first two books at some point, and following the series as it goes on. 4/5
606 reviews4 followers
January 26, 2020
Das Cover finde ich so schön, die Farben harmonieren wunderbar miteinander und es schimmert so toll. Auch die Illustrationen im Buch sind echt super gelungen, so wird die Geschichte (vor allem für Kinder) gleich viel realer. Das Daumenkino fand ich auch echt klasse. Dieses Hardcover empfinde ich generell als sehr hochwertig.
Die Geschichte fand ich wirklich schön zu lesen. Man lernt viel über gute und schlechte Eigenschaften von Menschen. Manche Wörter zum Beispiel die vielen französischen Begriff, finde ich aber für Kinder doch etwas schwer zu verstehen. Beim Lesen musste ich aber doch sehr oft schmunzeln, vor allem Papa Ratzi war ein Highlight. Man lernt auch viel über manche Eigenschaften der Tiere sowie auch einiges über die vorkommenden Länder.
Die Kapitellänge fand ich auch sehr ansprechend, genau passend zum Vorlesen vor dem Schlafen.
Ich glaube mit diesem Buch können Kinder ein großartiges Abenteuer erleben. Ich vergebe dafür 5 von 5 Sternen.
Profile Image for Stephanie Ward.
Author 7 books91 followers
Read
September 7, 2019
The Royal Rabbits of London are back and this time Shylo has let the Queen's favourite diamond be stolen on his shift. Not only has he let the team down but he's let the Queen down. Shylo is determined to fix things even if it means facing the most terrifying villain yet.

With an intriguing setting at Buckingham Palace and a fascinating cast of animal characters -- including a pink Siberian tiger -- this story takes readers on a fantastic journey through London as the royal rabbits figure out the mystery of who stole the great diamond. The story moves between action-adventure and touching moments of self-doubt, family dynamics and loyalty. The pace is sure to keep young readers interested and it's nearly impossible not to relate to and feel for little Shylo as he finds his way.
Profile Image for Brandon.
244 reviews1 follower
October 2, 2020
I just love the Royal Rabbits of London. It may be my favorite contemporary children's book series (Harry Potter notwithstanding, of course). The world is so fun and humorous, and the illustrations by Kate Hindley are delightful. This one started off great, but it didn't seem as tightly written and plotted out as the two previous novels, almost as if it was rushed a bit on its way to production. Anyway, the world of the Royal Rabbits is always fun to visit, what with the foxes living beneath the Prime Minister's residence, the ferocious Russian minks to contest with, the dreaded pack of corgis in Buckhingham Palace, and, of course, the grime-loving Ratzis with their sinister plots.
Profile Image for Sandra Foriers.
62 reviews3 followers
December 28, 2018
I ADORE this series! It's funny, it's original every time and most importantly: it's FUN!

I'm flying through these books and every time I've finished one, I can't wait to pick up the next installment to see what the authors have in stock for little Shylo.

I'm already counting down to the release of the next adventure of little Shylo Tawny-Tail and his friends at the Grand Burrow!
Profile Image for Judith von Kirchbach.
1,005 reviews50 followers
June 24, 2020
A fun read aloud for the whole family ! A fun heist with wonderful characters and the difficulty of choosing between friendship and honesty brought to a great resolve. Great for kids, all books in this series are so fun ! My 11yo and 13yo still loved even if the 13 yo did. point out he may not be the intended target audience - highly enjoyable!
Profile Image for Simone.
183 reviews
August 5, 2020
This is a very simply story, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a very enjoyable story. The main character is entertaining and likeable, and the supporting cast are varied and realistic... considering they're rabbits, foxes, rats, etc.

This was my first Royal Rabbits book as it came my way as a present, but I'll be getting my hands on the others to read the rest of the series soon.
Profile Image for Gigi Rivera.
90 reviews1 follower
December 26, 2023
2.5
cute kids story that still leaves a little to guess. good morals spell out that’s clear enough for kids without being too simple. didn’t love that russians are indicated as evil or bad or sneaky killers even if they turn out to be nice in the end. very heavy bias teaching to young kids. also why Ratzi’s?? idk let’s be a bit more creative.
Profile Image for Andrea Wright.
1,050 reviews18 followers
July 15, 2019
So in love with these bunny books and I just love how strong this tiny little bunny really is. Horatio is in this one and I love the confidence he gives to Shylo. Cannot wait to see how his visit home is in the next book!
5 reviews
January 26, 2020
This is a really good book for age 7-10 year olds, particularly as a class read. It is about a group of rabbits who work for the royals and are trying to find out who stole the precious Siberian diamond from the palace.
Profile Image for Abigail.
230 reviews45 followers
March 29, 2019
I loved every second of it and it made me smile with glee. The only thing that could improve this already amazing story is of we got to read the reunion of Shylo and his mother. Great story!
Profile Image for Margaret McCulloch-Keeble.
940 reviews12 followers
October 13, 2019
A charming wee tale about the very special rabbits who live under Buckingham Palace and save the royal family from criminal gangs of rats and diamond thieves. Great fun!
Profile Image for Engel Dreizehn.
Author 5 books2 followers
May 21, 2021
I love the British style whimsy + wit continues and...oooh I didn;t expect that to happen and Shylo is a charmer in his own timid way in the face of possible danger.
Profile Image for Joc.
106 reviews4 followers
July 4, 2021
It was bad enough that I stopped reading halfway, so I don't know whether it should be 1 or 2 stars.
Profile Image for Ada.
153 reviews
December 10, 2021
Tää juoni oli tosi erikoinen, mut hyvällä tavalla. Luin tän kirjastos loppuun ja tää oli tosi hyvä. Lainasin tän koska sen kansi oli hieno.😂
1 review
August 27, 2022
I love this series! I recommend to anyone looking for a great book to read with your kids! This is a must-have! Kids will love this series of adventures meeting Shylo, S.T.B.T and more!
Profile Image for Tataru Ana Ilinca.
8 reviews
Read
June 16, 2024
E faina povestea lui Shylo o recomand pemntru copiii de varsta mea pentru este amuzant si are personaje frumoase cu poze
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Rosa Abreu.
56 reviews
April 23, 2020
Such a good and fun story to read before bed. I loved the bit when slippery mavis had to go on a diet 😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Daniela.
510 reviews39 followers
August 18, 2021
Meiner Meinung nach das schönste Buch in dieser Reihe. Vor den Ratzis und dem bösen Doktor hatten meine Kinder besonders im zweiten Band Angst. Hier haben sie nur eine kleinere Nebenrolle. Es geht vielmehr um Freundschaft, Ehrlichkeit und schließlich auch darum, wo man Zuhause ist.
Sehr empfehlenswert!
Wir warten auf den vierten Band, der auf Englisch schon erschienen ist.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews