When asked which author sparked my love of reading, without hesitation, my answer is always Emily Rodda. When I was growing up, her books took up a large amount of space on my shelves. So I was excited to return to the world of Deltora for our classic of the month, to once again join Leif, Jasmine and Barda on their quest to collect the stolen gems and save Deltora from the Shadow Lord.

I instantly felt the way I did when I first read these books, eagerly turning each page, gasping at the twists, scrunching my brows in concentration as I tried to solve the puzzles along with the characters. Each book in the Deltora Quest series has a satisfying ending with just enough mystery to make young readers desperately reach for the next one. Rodda has created a vivid fantasy world; from the Forbidden Forest to the Valley of the Lost, Deltora is a dangerously magical place that I want to return to over and over.

Rodda is a gift to youth literature and rereading Deltora Quest has made me want to return to her other classics such as Rowan of Rin and The Fairy Realm series. For ages 7+.

Lucie Dess is the marketing assistant at Readings