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The Griffin Gate Series #3
The Raven Riddle
Best seller Vashti Hardy returns with another heartfelt and action-filled addition to the Griffin Gate series.
Grace’s family are wardens of the Griffin map, using its teleport technology to fight crime across Moreland. And now there’s someone new on the team: Tom Eely, who has been training hard to become a warden.
Grace and Tom reckon they’re ready to tackle a mission together, but they’re disappointed when Mum sends them to a quiet mountain village where ravens have been pestering the locals. Surely there won’t be any opportunities to use their exciting gadgets or combat skills there?
But as the pair investigate, the situation becomes more puzzling. Why does it seem like the ravens are protecting something? And are the villagers’ tales of a mountain witch really to be believed? Grace and Tom will have to use all their wit, skill and courage if they want to solve the raven riddle...
Grace’s family are wardens of the Griffin map, using its teleport technology to fight crime across Moreland. And now there’s someone new on the team: Tom Eely, who has been training hard to become a warden.
Grace and Tom reckon they’re ready to tackle a mission together, but they’re disappointed when Mum sends them to a quiet mountain village where ravens have been pestering the locals. Surely there won’t be any opportunities to use their exciting gadgets or combat skills there?
But as the pair investigate, the situation becomes more puzzling. Why does it seem like the ravens are protecting something? And are the villagers’ tales of a mountain witch really to be believed? Grace and Tom will have to use all their wit, skill and courage if they want to solve the raven riddle...
112 pages, Paperback
Published March 3, 2022
About the author
Vashti Hardy
41 books166 followers Vashti Hardy is a children’s book author who lives near Lancashire, England, with her husband and three teens. She has an honors teaching degree and an MA in creative writing from the University of Chichester.
Vashti Hardy est une auteure jeunesse. Elle a enseigné pendant de nombreuse années à l'école primaire. Après avoir quitté l'enseignement pour se consacrer davantage à l'écriture, elle devient conceptrice-rédactrice et cadre dans le marketing numérique. Elle est titulaire d'un M.A. en création littéraire de l'Université de Chichester. Elle compte également parmi les diplômés de la Golden Egg Academy, une école destinée aux auteurs de livres pour enfants et aide régulièrement les nouveaux élèves de l'institution. Vashti Hardy vit avec son mari et ses trois enfants près de Brighton dans le Sussex de l'Est.
Vashti Hardy est une auteure jeunesse. Elle a enseigné pendant de nombreuse années à l'école primaire. Après avoir quitté l'enseignement pour se consacrer davantage à l'écriture, elle devient conceptrice-rédactrice et cadre dans le marketing numérique. Elle est titulaire d'un M.A. en création littéraire de l'Université de Chichester. Elle compte également parmi les diplômés de la Golden Egg Academy, une école destinée aux auteurs de livres pour enfants et aide régulièrement les nouveaux élèves de l'institution. Vashti Hardy vit avec son mari et ses trois enfants près de Brighton dans le Sussex de l'Est.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 15, 2022
This is the third instalment in The Griffin Gate series.
Grace is the youngest member of the Griffin family and a newly qualified warden of the Griffin Map. She ventures across the kingdom solving crimes and keeping its inhabitants safe. Her mum seems determined to keep her involved in petty disputes but often these are far more than the appear to be and thrust her into more danger than all of them have foreseen.
I have such a deep adoration for this series and these characters. Each instalment has been penned with such heart that it is impossible not to love the family that centres in them. There are moralistic inclusions and fun adventures that make them suitable for the young target audience but also so much perilous and fantastical fun that will appeal to all age ranges.
Grace is the youngest member of the Griffin family and a newly qualified warden of the Griffin Map. She ventures across the kingdom solving crimes and keeping its inhabitants safe. Her mum seems determined to keep her involved in petty disputes but often these are far more than the appear to be and thrust her into more danger than all of them have foreseen.
I have such a deep adoration for this series and these characters. Each instalment has been penned with such heart that it is impossible not to love the family that centres in them. There are moralistic inclusions and fun adventures that make them suitable for the young target audience but also so much perilous and fantastical fun that will appeal to all age ranges.
April 24, 2022
I love these stories. They’ve always got a lovely message and this one is about the important of getting to know people before you judge them. Grace and Tom go on a mission where ravens are bothering a village… but there’s more to the story! Can’t wait for the next! There’s plenty of inventions, friends and tea to be had!
June 5, 2022
Third in this very entertaining middle grade series - new adventures for the intrepid wardens . Storyline is great for building empathy, understanding of differences and everyone having their own talents.
March 14, 2022
Super quick easy read, nice story and cute characters. I enjoy this series, its a good fast palate cleanser.
3.5 stars, I thought the first 2 books were stronger.
3.5 stars, I thought the first 2 books were stronger.
February 28, 2022
The Griffin Gate series has proven to be an enjoyable, and often action packed series of adventure books for young readers, and now the young hero Grace gets to return for a third outing, joined by her new friend Tom.
Having began reading this series with the second book in the series, The Puffin Portal, I was familiar with how Tom had recently come to become part of Grace's family as well as joining their team. The book begins not long after the events of the last book, with Tom having gone through several weeks of training to get him used to being a Warden. He's a capable kid, and is as eager as Grace to get out into the world and start working some cases.
When Grace's older brother, Bren returns from a case in the village of Brook Hollow to collect some equipment. However, when an emergency call comes in Bren, and Grace's mother, are have to leave. This means that Grace and Tom get to take over Bren's mission; even if it is just looking into some misbehaving Ravens.
Arriving in Brook Hollow, the two teens get reports of flocks of Ravens that have been harassing the townspeople, and scaring them away from the nearby forest. Setting out to investigate, the two of them are surprised to find a strange cabin out in the forest, and get even more freaked out when the building gets up and starts walking about on legs. Were the villagers right, could there be a witch in the forest behind all the trouble?
I really enjoy how the Griffin Gate books presents the readers with a pretty unusual, but not too weird, mystery to begin things, something that Grace and Tom can be sent on as younger, less experienced Wardens. But very quickly it becomes clear that there's more going on than you first think, and that the mystery has a number of elements you wouldn't be able to predict. This time it being a big house that can get up and walk around.
Whilst the last book was about a mystery, this one isn't so much though. Pretty soon after the discovery of the strange house Tom and Grace get presented with an explanation, and it seems like the situation can be put to bed. This comes when there's still half the book left, so there has to be something else going on right? Absolutely, it's at this point that Vashti Hardy switches gears and it goes from a strange mystery story into an adventure story, as a huge flood threatens to destroy everything and everyone in the area and the kids have to try to find a way to save the day.
The sudden shift into a disaster story was pretty unexpected, but was absolutely wonderful to read. It made this book feel very different from the previous one, showing that big, exciting things can happen in this series. It also gave both Grace and Tom moments to shine, they got to step up and be heroic, and they bonded even further, proving themselves to be an incredibly effective team.
The book also features some fantastic illustrations by Natalie Smmillie, who provides the interior and cover art for the book. Whilst the cover is in full colour the interior art is in black and white, but this doesn't do anything to diminish how great the art is. The illustrations really help to bring the story to life in fun and exciting ways, showcasing some of the bigger moments of the book. There's a full page illustration close to the end where Tom gets to make his big hero moment, and it's absolutely fantastic.
The Raven Riddle is the perfect addition to this series. It shows how things have evolved since Tom joined the team, how he makes for a perfect addition and works really well with Grace. And it's also a great jumping on point for new readers as it doesn't punish you for not having read the previous books, giving you everything you need to know to get up to speed and dive straight in. If your kids love fun adventure stories this is one they'll definitely want to check out.
Having began reading this series with the second book in the series, The Puffin Portal, I was familiar with how Tom had recently come to become part of Grace's family as well as joining their team. The book begins not long after the events of the last book, with Tom having gone through several weeks of training to get him used to being a Warden. He's a capable kid, and is as eager as Grace to get out into the world and start working some cases.
When Grace's older brother, Bren returns from a case in the village of Brook Hollow to collect some equipment. However, when an emergency call comes in Bren, and Grace's mother, are have to leave. This means that Grace and Tom get to take over Bren's mission; even if it is just looking into some misbehaving Ravens.
Arriving in Brook Hollow, the two teens get reports of flocks of Ravens that have been harassing the townspeople, and scaring them away from the nearby forest. Setting out to investigate, the two of them are surprised to find a strange cabin out in the forest, and get even more freaked out when the building gets up and starts walking about on legs. Were the villagers right, could there be a witch in the forest behind all the trouble?
I really enjoy how the Griffin Gate books presents the readers with a pretty unusual, but not too weird, mystery to begin things, something that Grace and Tom can be sent on as younger, less experienced Wardens. But very quickly it becomes clear that there's more going on than you first think, and that the mystery has a number of elements you wouldn't be able to predict. This time it being a big house that can get up and walk around.
Whilst the last book was about a mystery, this one isn't so much though. Pretty soon after the discovery of the strange house Tom and Grace get presented with an explanation, and it seems like the situation can be put to bed. This comes when there's still half the book left, so there has to be something else going on right? Absolutely, it's at this point that Vashti Hardy switches gears and it goes from a strange mystery story into an adventure story, as a huge flood threatens to destroy everything and everyone in the area and the kids have to try to find a way to save the day.
The sudden shift into a disaster story was pretty unexpected, but was absolutely wonderful to read. It made this book feel very different from the previous one, showing that big, exciting things can happen in this series. It also gave both Grace and Tom moments to shine, they got to step up and be heroic, and they bonded even further, proving themselves to be an incredibly effective team.
The book also features some fantastic illustrations by Natalie Smmillie, who provides the interior and cover art for the book. Whilst the cover is in full colour the interior art is in black and white, but this doesn't do anything to diminish how great the art is. The illustrations really help to bring the story to life in fun and exciting ways, showcasing some of the bigger moments of the book. There's a full page illustration close to the end where Tom gets to make his big hero moment, and it's absolutely fantastic.
The Raven Riddle is the perfect addition to this series. It shows how things have evolved since Tom joined the team, how he makes for a perfect addition and works really well with Grace. And it's also a great jumping on point for new readers as it doesn't punish you for not having read the previous books, giving you everything you need to know to get up to speed and dive straight in. If your kids love fun adventure stories this is one they'll definitely want to check out.
August 3, 2022
Grace and Tom have been training really hard and want a mission, when her brother Bren comes back from a ravens attacking case and a more serious flooding storm case arrives they swap. Grace, Tom and Watson are sent to figure out why the ravens are attacking the villagers.
This was okay but I did find it a bit slow. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it might be, it’s still an interesting and unique read though.
Grace and Tom are trained wardens but haven’t been given a case yet so were both so excited to finally have one. Grace finds it really easy and really fun and pieces together everything really quickly but Tom struggles and cannot put everything together quick enough. I liked the dynamic between them, Tom had the ability to help calmly and rashly and get on a level with the people, where as Grace was more of a go go go type person and then with Watson the robot bird making things funnier.
The case wasn’t that exciting I thought with the title it would be a really exciting case that had lots to do and lots of detail but it was basic and simple just a case of judgment from people before they even tried to be polite. It was a shame it could have taken the story to a really fun adventure and they could have a lot to solve.
This book was still fun to read and it was different to any other books out there and I do like the characters and the idea of them being the map protectors, that go around whenever they are needed and solve a case big or small. I think children would probably really enjoy these a lot, it was very easy to read and follow and get into.
This was okay but I did find it a bit slow. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it might be, it’s still an interesting and unique read though.
Grace and Tom are trained wardens but haven’t been given a case yet so were both so excited to finally have one. Grace finds it really easy and really fun and pieces together everything really quickly but Tom struggles and cannot put everything together quick enough. I liked the dynamic between them, Tom had the ability to help calmly and rashly and get on a level with the people, where as Grace was more of a go go go type person and then with Watson the robot bird making things funnier.
The case wasn’t that exciting I thought with the title it would be a really exciting case that had lots to do and lots of detail but it was basic and simple just a case of judgment from people before they even tried to be polite. It was a shame it could have taken the story to a really fun adventure and they could have a lot to solve.
This book was still fun to read and it was different to any other books out there and I do like the characters and the idea of them being the map protectors, that go around whenever they are needed and solve a case big or small. I think children would probably really enjoy these a lot, it was very easy to read and follow and get into.
April 22, 2022
THE RAVEN RIDDLE sees Tom join Grace on his first mission - except it doesn't appear to be as exciting as they'd hoped. Ravens are attacking villagers, but when they investigate rumours surface of a witch up in the mountains with a moving house...
THE RAVEN RIDDLE is the most action-packed entry in the series to date. The mystery that called the pair out to the picturesque but remote (and suspicious!) community is solved around the halfway point. From there on, the focus shifts to Grace and Tom trying to solve the issues that mean the ravens are attacking them. But then calamity strikes in the form of a natural disaster!
The disaster sequence (yes, I'm being cagey about what - I don't want to spoil it!) is the tensest part of the book. Grace and Tom - with some help - have to put everything on hold to save lives, but doing so nearly costs them theirs.
I really liked the book's take on the myth/folktale of Baba Yaga and her House with Chicken Legs. It fits in so well with the world design. It also fits with the apparent shift in the series to focus more and more on the inventive/steam-punk aspects of the world, which is a trademark of Vashti Hardy's books.
THE RAVEN RIDDLE is the most action-packed entry in the series to date. The mystery that called the pair out to the picturesque but remote (and suspicious!) community is solved around the halfway point. From there on, the focus shifts to Grace and Tom trying to solve the issues that mean the ravens are attacking them. But then calamity strikes in the form of a natural disaster!
The disaster sequence (yes, I'm being cagey about what - I don't want to spoil it!) is the tensest part of the book. Grace and Tom - with some help - have to put everything on hold to save lives, but doing so nearly costs them theirs.
I really liked the book's take on the myth/folktale of Baba Yaga and her House with Chicken Legs. It fits in so well with the world design. It also fits with the apparent shift in the series to focus more and more on the inventive/steam-punk aspects of the world, which is a trademark of Vashti Hardy's books.
March 6, 2023
This was slightly more exciting that the previous instalment. Grace and Tom are called on a mission where Ravens are attacking a village and the “mountain witch” is supposedly controlling them. The mountain witch is in fact a normal woman who happens to live in a Baba Yaga inspired clockwork house with legs.
There are a couple of times where you think that the characters are going to be in trouble but the danger is gone very quickly. For example, when they visit Nellie’s house for the first time the atmosphere seems like something bad is going to happen, Tom gets really scared and it turns out there is nothing to worry about. I understand that this book is for children but even children like characters to go through a bit of problem solving.
The fourth book apparently comes out in October 2023
There are a couple of times where you think that the characters are going to be in trouble but the danger is gone very quickly. For example, when they visit Nellie’s house for the first time the atmosphere seems like something bad is going to happen, Tom gets really scared and it turns out there is nothing to worry about. I understand that this book is for children but even children like characters to go through a bit of problem solving.
The fourth book apparently comes out in October 2023
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2025
Book three...
Grace is back with Tom Eely as a new warden beside her. Ravens are attacking the villagers in Brook Hollow.
When Grace and Tom take Bren's place to help them the villagers are determined it's the Mountain Witch.
But is the Mountain Witch all she seems to the villagers...Grace doesn't think so.
And then a storm comes - again the villagers are blaming the witch. But she finds a way to prove them wrong when Grace and Tom ask for her help.
Brilliant. So glad we bought these 3 books but there's another one...
Grace is back with Tom Eely as a new warden beside her. Ravens are attacking the villagers in Brook Hollow.
When Grace and Tom take Bren's place to help them the villagers are determined it's the Mountain Witch.
But is the Mountain Witch all she seems to the villagers...Grace doesn't think so.
And then a storm comes - again the villagers are blaming the witch. But she finds a way to prove them wrong when Grace and Tom ask for her help.
Brilliant. So glad we bought these 3 books but there's another one...
March 9, 2022
wasn't as good as 1st one. when Grace and the new recruit and the robot raven are given their 1st mission without an adult it is only meant to be about Ravens attacking people but turns out so much more involved
May 21, 2022
I quite liked this book.. our new recruit is out on his first mission without an adult present.
Strange reports of ravens attacking people, a witch and a happy ending.. the theme of not judging a book by it's cover is very prevalent in this book.
Strange reports of ravens attacking people, a witch and a happy ending.. the theme of not judging a book by it's cover is very prevalent in this book.
March 10, 2022
I enjoyed this. Was a nice easy and pleasant read.
April 12, 2022
I do love these wardens. Each book is something a little different.
November 24, 2023
Wonderful
June 8, 2026
i found it okay but it wasent the best
February 27, 2022
This is the third book in a really cute middle grade series from Barrington Stoke, which follows wardens named Grace and Tom, who live in a world where wardens try and prevent crime before it happens due to technology developed by an ancestor of Grace’s. This one sees them try and solve the issue of some rather violent ravens that are plaguing a small town for some reason, and it was great to see Grace and newbie Tom (who was introduced in the Puffin Portal) strike out on their first solo mission. They handled the situation like absolute pros for the most part and it was great to see how the trip brought them closer together. Clockwork raven Watson remains my absolute favourite character though, I had a lot of chuckles over things he said and did during this and it’s sweet how much he wants to protect Grace! There are also some really lovely messages about kindness and not judging people based on rumours in here that I really appreciated. I had somehow got it into my head this was the last book but that definitely isn’t the case, so I’m very much looking forward to my next visit to this world when book four comes out.
January 26, 2023
This is the next instalment in the Griffin Gate series. It’s another quick and adventurous story where we follow Grace, Watson and Tom who we met in the last story. We meet another new character in this story who is a fairly important character.
I have enjoyed this series they have been quick and fun adventures, that hook you into the story and you just want to keep reading. There all very different stories but that’s why they work so well together, and I think that’s one of the reasons you get so hooked into the stories.
I have enjoyed this series they have been quick and fun adventures, that hook you into the story and you just want to keep reading. There all very different stories but that’s why they work so well together, and I think that’s one of the reasons you get so hooked into the stories.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews